First letter from Les Lawrence

Dear Editor,

Reading your editorial in the January issue of The Village Pump, with regard to local Parish Councils, I had no problem, seeing where you were coming from. In the February issue I then read Cyril Marsters response to your comments and have to say I had difficulty seeing where he was coming from! If I read him correctly his general view appears to be that everything in the garden is lovely, or reasonably lovely, with regard to our Parish Councils.

Well, I’m not sure that view would be shaed by Jane Cowieson after reading her letter to the Wereham Parish Council. Did Jane resign after 20 years as Clerk to Wereham Parish Council because she got out of the wrong side of the bed? Or was there more substance to it than that?

If it is left to the likes of Cyril Marsters we shall never know as it would seem that in responding to your comments, Mr Editor, he didn’t seem able to bring himself to make any comment on Jane Cowieson who, after some 20 years service must have done something worthy of note whether that was in a paid capacity or not to me is irrelevant.

Of course, the reality is that Parish Councils have reached their sell by date! You only have to read the Northwold Parish Councils latest report in the Village Pump; just one member of the public turned up to listen to their commiserations! Ye Gods, doesn’t that tell you everything?

I remember the good old days of the Downham Rural District Council when they built council houses for the likes of me. Yes, but that was yesterday and since then we have moved on! Or have we?

Les Lawrence