An Independent Voice - Councillor George Black
Published 13 Dec 2011 10:00
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Bah humbug!
If I had a pram I would throw all of my toys out of it -you just cannot get what you want nowadays.
I have been trying for months to get Rowats mixed pickle, but the only stockist that I can see is an outlet called "British Food Store" based in Texas.
Now call me parochial but I thought that Rowats were a Scottish food manufacturer based in Glasgow and as far as I know the US of A is not in the European community never mind the Euro Zone, so why is my favourite pickle available in Texas but not in Wild West Dumbarton?
Christmas and New Year dinner will not be the same without it.
In the same hedonistic vein I have been unable to source Cadbury's five centre chocolate bars for a number of years now - it too has "disavanished" along with chocolate Vienna biscuits, Gray Dunn assorted and other favourites of yesteryear.
It seems to be a common theme not being able to get what you want, I think that everyone wants the Tories to look again at their cuts.
I think that everyone would appreciate it if Ed Milliband would come clean and tell us what cuts that the Labour Party would introduce to resolve the financial problems that we face.
I say that based on the fact that the last labour Chancellor Alistair Darling said that he would have to impose cuts greater than those previously introduced by that well known female philanthropist Margaret Thatcher.
Another wish of mine would be peace in the world and the Middle East in particular the conflict between Palestine and Israel continues unabated despite the efforts of the United Nations and the so called Peace envoy Tory Blair.
At this time of year when most people's thoughts turn to the Holy Land and events which took place there 2,000 years ago perhaps we should wish for peace.
On the home front I wish that I could get another grit bin for the residents of the village of Milton.
Every year residents at the top of Lennox Road in Milton are housebound when snow falls or roads freeze we have a grit bin located at the junction of Lennox Road/Colquhoun Road which "services?" the whole scheme.
In inclement weather the bin is more often empty than full as everyone uses it.
Alas, we have a policy which I am advised by officers is not to place grit bins within 500 yards of each other.
This may be adequate where the terrain is level but is a nonsense where there are extremely hilly conditions and the policy makes mention of this fact.
Lennox Road is a secondary street which is not a bus route therefore has no priority.
The population of Lennox Road is like myself mostly elderly but the practice ensures that the elderly residents will be compelled to risk "leg and hip" by negotiating untreated pavements and roads to obtain grit from the nearest point of supply which is at the bottom of a very steep untreated hill.
Fear not, I have a cunning plan I shall put a motion to council which will be critical of this ill thought out policy and requesting a smarter approach to the problem
This article appeared in Dumbarton & Vale of Leven Reporter 13 Dec 11
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