Papalscope in the Autumn

BBC RADIO.

bbc RADIO 4 dab and bbc Radio 4 on 92.90 MHZ fm STEREO.

We have in particular two modern radio receivers, one tuned to digital and the other not. This is so because one signal or the other works better in each room, though but paces apart.

Why is it that the 'Time Pips' do not coincide on both sets ? Surely this is very wrong and must be due to faulty engineering at the transmission end ? One can hear words received in one room, and hear them again in another, more importantly that time signal. Its not even a marginal delay, its a matter of half a sentence's delay. One would have addressed this to the BBC, but alas one is seemingly unable to be so advise them via the internet.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

A while ago one made mention of the Chair of Wiltshire County Council's elevation to the House of Lords. One had noted that her intention was to continue as Leader our County Council, and so she has. That apart one reads that her Ladyship also advantages the House of Lords with frequent attendances. It amazes that one can do so much, when so many others merely attend the Upper House to collect their financial allowance for a particular day. My late widowed half sister, married into the Upper House,she being the second wife of a Chairman of Guy's Hospital. etc.,so he too a busy person, a man whose father had been a famed Governor of the Bank of England. All too often though inherited titles do not so match the capabilities of those who inherited them. Maybe it's way past the time for a general refurbishment of the Upper House, which according to the news heard on the radio today, is becoming the Rest Home for failed politicians.

WHAT OF LOCAL COUNCILS ?

It really isn't an easy job to be any sort of a Councillor. All too many may be beguiled into Councillorship in the mistaken belief that little may be expected of them . It really isn't good enough to offer ones services even at Parish Level, be one elected or even co-opted, only to fall by the wayside, and so make way for another, who more probably than not , will be the Co-option of the remaining sitting Councillors, many of whom were themselves previously co-opted. Change is needed, can lack of change be why so many show disinterest in any level of Councillorship ?.

We have elections coming up next year, PLEASE will all those who may be interested in local Governance reconsider their possible candidature. Heaven save us from the candidature of mere Protesters, whose standing more often than not, may ensure the election of some even less favoured candidate, than the prior incumbent of the Seat contested..

I've always been very interested in local Governance. Though twice un-elected as a Independent District Councillor in the New Forest near forty years ago, I wasn't afterwards tempted by the Conservative Party's suggestion that I seek nomination as their Hampshire County Council candidate, in a hitherto secure Conservative ward.. One wasn't that desperate.

HOUSING THE HOMELESS.

Some years ago Government legislated to enforce the sale of Council Housing to Tenants; and too the selling of privately owned freeholds, when the period of the tenants lease exceeded in the region of twenty five years. ( You might check the detail for accuracy). So it was that Local Councils lost many of their houses, council estates were split up, so estates are no longer able to be redeveloped as a whole. Other landlords both corporate and private had to sell the freeholds of the houses they owned to their tenants for maybe as little as fifteen or twenty pounds, plus solicitors costs.

The trouble with such private housing was that much of it had been on hundred year leases then falling in, and the Government feared having to rehouse the multitude in places such as Brighton.

One is reminded of this because such an end terrace house in a Thames Side village sold leasehold for a few thousand pounds,subsequently had its freehold made available through legislation, to the sitting tenant for circa £20 plus Legal costs. The house's attic has since been plastered out to accommodate an additional family member, and its Kitchen area ever so slightly extended. It is for sale now, for just under a million pounds sterling. I mention sterling for its owners live in Brazil.

What brought that on ? Well last evening 19.10.2016. there were a couple of programmes on Television. One programme concerned the ways that the homeless might or might not access council accommodation. A case in particular concerned the eviction of a son of a deceased female tenant, he having more or less lived in the house, with his mother for some forty years. One heard of new tenants receiving the tenancy from the council in his stead. Alas their need was greater, and the Council's stock no longer as it was, due to the Government nonsense of enforced sales of Council Houses... Much of that is let out by its new owners, to tenants financially subsidised by local Councils, for relatively astronomical sums of money.

There was too an investigation into the ways of acquiring fraudulent benefit both financial and housing. Investigators with sub minature cameras were taken into the confidence of a number of persons , allegedly fraudulently claiming all manner of benefits. Whilst joyful in their alleged deceit, they were less joyful when told they would be on television.

BBC2 'No place to call Home', 9 pm. and then Channel 5 10pm 'Under Cover Benefit Cheats'.19.10.16 Possibly both programs may now be found on the Internet.

J.B.P. 20^th October 2016.