December editorial

Ray looks back over the year and looks forward to 2010

Hello again,

Welcome to our Christmas edition packed with interest and two crosswords to challenge our readers. I hope you enjoy it.

We have received a few comments recently that residents can't get copies of the Village Pump. At our recent Committee meeting I was asked to remind you all where the Pump can be bought or, alternatively, how you can take out a subscription for the rest of the year. Please see page 37 for details. Do remember, Pump's bought on subscription are delivered free in the Wissey villages.

So much has happened this past year that it is hard to pick out the main features. Internationally, the war in Afghanistan has claimed many more lives, both civilian and servicemen. I for one have yet to hear a convincing argument as why we should continue with this futile exercise. Nationally, UK Ltd seems to be getting deeper and deeper in debt with our Government appearing to be at a loss as to how to solve the crisis.

Locally, we have seen the long promised extension to James Bradfield School which we hope will secure it's future in the recently advised Council education shake up. We have heard of the death of Mark James from Stoke Ferry and Howard Smith from Wereham; both stalwarts of our local communities.

We have gained a new Chairman and Vice-Chairman of Stoke Ferry Parish Council in Trudy Mann and Sue Lansdell-Williams. We have had a local girl elected to Parliament and, more important, leading a debate in Parliament about the Norwich North Distributor Road. Well done Chloe Smith. We have also had the debacle over the proposed Conservative candidate for South West Norfolk which led to our local community being dubbed "The Turnip Taliban". But congratulations to Elizabeth Truss for her courageous fight to retain the nomination. It seems that our local ladies are stealing the limelight and who can wonder why?

I have only enough space to wish all our readers, contributors, advertisers, collation and delivery teams a very merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New year. I am particularly grateful to our advertisers who, faced with the recession, have kept faith in The Village Pump. Thank you all.

Ray Thompson