In the Villages

Harlow Constituency doesn't just include our Town,  but also the surrounding villages of Hastingwood, Matching, Nazeing, Roydon and Sheering.  I often am in and around the villages meeting residents and going to community events.  I learnt much about issues affecting the villages during my five year stint as a Roydon Parish Councillor.

So, I thought it might be nice to put up a few recent photos of me involved in some recent village community activities.

You can see me with a Pepper at the Epping Cucumber Festival,  with a Cucumber (and Eleanor Laing MP for Epping) - supporting Roydon and Nazeing growers, pulling a pint at the Roydon Crusader Pub, at the Matching May Day Festival (the pic shows me with the Bar Manager of the Fox Inn & Cllr Richard Morgan), and at the Roydon Arts Festival.

Fidgety Fingers say no to speeding

At the end of last year, with the help of some local residents, I organised a Public Meeting in Hastingwood Village Hall to to discuss speeding on Hastingwood Road. Over 100 people attended and, the anguish and anger from so many residents, about speeding cars,was palpable for all to see. I have since been making the case to Essex County Council and have been promised by Transport Cabinet Member, Cllr. Norman Hume, that a survey will be done and E.C.C. will seriously look at the situation.

This is a good starting point, but the campaign from Hastingwood villagers does not let up. Today I went to see a Fidgety Fingers, a successful nursery pre-school at Willow Place. This nursery has been started by Jackie Neagle who against the odds and through appeals against initial planning decisions, has established a nursery school that is loved by parents and children alike. Unsurprisingly, the speeding cars and lorries, severely impacts on the nursery, as parents fear not only turning out of the pre-school on the main road, but there is also significant danger from automobiles if the children are taken across the road to visit the farm opposite.

I will continue working with the residents on this campaign. It does seem incredible that Hastingwood Road does not have a lower speed limit. This beautiful village is being wrecked by lorries and cars, who sadly treat Hastingwood Road as a practice run for Formula One.

By Rob Halfon ~ Working hard for Harlow, Hastingwood, Nazeing, Roydon & Sheering. http//roberthalfon.blogspot.com

No more Eels for Vanda

We were out celebrating St George's festival tonight at the wonderful Rainbow and Dove in Hastingwood - one of my favourite Pubs. In a tribute to St George, the whole menu was the best of English food and it was absolutely delicious. Vanda and I were with our friends, Lee and Sarah Dangerfield. Don't tell anyone, but Sarah particularly enjoyed the desserts!! Vanda, being from Brazil, and somewhat brave, decided to try, the most English of dishes, Jellied Eels. I somehow get the feeling that this was the first and last time, she will be enjoying such a delicacy. I of course, being adventurous, had a first rate steak and chips, with sponge and custard for dessert. Rumours that I had to be carried home, are of course exaggerated.

All in all a great evening. The Rainbow and Dove, did England proud, as we all put on the pounds!

P.S. Looking forward to further celebrations tomorrow, when the Essex Yeomanry march through Harlow, in what is an historic occasion.

Jade R.I.P. - some reflections

I am glad that Jade Goody was treated in some of her last days in St Clare Hospice. St Clare is a beautiful place that gives those who are very sick, the chance to have some of their last days in tranquillity and with dignity.

I do hope that Jade's tragic death will be a lesson to all of us. The public and the media build people up, then knock them down and then build them up again. It is not a pretty sight and Jade has shown how her very life was caught up in this media maelstrom. We should try and stop our constant voyeurism into public celebrities.

If anything, let's remember Jade for her courage in the face of a terrible terrible disease. But as important, let us try not to get sucked in to the next celebrity's good and bad fortune that may befall them.

A few days as Prospective MP!

Sometimes people ask me what a Prospective MP does, so I thought I would give you a small illustration!

Thursday -

Such a good day! After spending hours doing constituency correspondence, with my long suffering volunteer assistant, Ann Russell-Day, I then went to the Harvey Centre to meet a determined Harlow student, who is a real go-getter and offering to help on my campaign. He is currently studying in London, but comes back regularly. I am sure he will be a great asset. It is a great feeling when someone pro-actively offers assistance, especially someone like this chap, who is clearly going places. Later I have a long meeting with my Constituency Chairman, Cllr Lee Dangerfield. His home is like the Pentagon, with every manner of computer and serious hi-tech gear.He downloads Twitter on my Blackberry (telling me Facebook is so yesterday), and at last I feel I have joined the Twenty First Century. Over delicious Bolognese (without spaghetti for me - diet), we discuss our campaign plan. The Campaign Team arrive a while later and we go through a check-list of various activities. We have so much to do and like every anxious PPC, I always feel I am not doing enough. Everyone else tells me I am doing too much and to pace things a little! I am lucky to have such a great team of volunteers, who have spent days, months and years, doing everything they can to turn Harlow blue. After the meeting, I rush home to watch Margaret on BBC2. As I settle down to a glass of whisky, I feel like such a Tory!! In the end, the programme was disappointing and ended rather flat.

Friday -

I put on my nice dry-cleaned suit (from M&S – I am still a fan) and get ready for a day of constituency activities. Fridays are always packed as I visit a range of community organisations and meet local residents with problems. First, off to Epping Forest District Council, with some Hastingwood residents to meet with officials. For years, the residents have had to put up with a waste contractor in the village. Their homes and cars have been covered in dirt and dust, there is constant noise, a rat infestation and the grass verges have been ruined. What amazes me is the confusing plethora of agencies there are to approach to deal with the problem. The residents have been campaigning for years to little avail, so this meeting – which lasts for two hours – is with some of the agencies concerned, to get things moving. To be fair, the officials were reasonable and understand the problem, and a follow up meeting is scheduled. But how much will really be done to improve the lives of residents?
After this it was back to Harlow to Nandos - to meet an amazing woman, Anne Wafula Strike. On the way, I got a call from my local paper about a donation Lord Ashcroft gave us back in 2005 – have Labour got nothing better to do?

I park my car in the Water Gardens, and as I put money in the parking machine, it keeps spewing it out. A kind pigeon then decides to make a deposit on my formerly very clean suit. The pleasures of being a PPC.

Anyway, back to Anne. She is a disabled Olympic Athlete, and expected to compete in 2012, having participated in Athens (she was injured for Beijing). Anne is a true hero and I am proud she is in Harlow. I was amazed to learn that Anne has had her grant funding cut by sporting organisations.

After another party meeting, I rush off to meet David Gauke. He has come to meet a very successful small business, Top Form Clothing (which supplies school uniforms and equipment to parents and children). Top Form is run by an inspirational lady, Claire Harrison, who is a real entrepreneur. What struck me in our discussions with David, Claire and her partner Kath, was the disillusionment felt with all politicians. Nevertheless, I feel that with the right policies - and if we convey a sense of trust - these voters will choose us next time. I doubt they will be voting Labour.

At a superb dinner later with Harlow Conservative Women’s Committee, David gives a first class speech and is just so personable and friendly to everyone. I, of course, overdo it with the cheese. Will I ever learn?!

Saturday -

A Campaigning day! Our Association is out in full force to deliver leaflets and canvass. I do a stall in Staple Tye with my best Canvasser, Clive Souter, who has done his back in – thanks to canvassing. Despite some difficult issues going on locally, we get a fantastic reception, and are fortified by some McDonald's cappuccinos. Then I go home, watch some Gavin and Stacey on DVD and get ready to meet my mother. It’s her birthday and I promised to take her to dinner (being a good boy, present was already bought). The diet goes down the pan (in this case Italian), yet again...




Rob Halfon ~ Working hard for Harlow, Hastingwood, Nazeing, Roydon & Sheering.