Here's the story so far. Dr Biggles refused to publish our local Tree Huggers' concerns over the hideous new fencing that our Tory council has put up in Broadstairs, and instead buried the issue on an existing strand. So in the interests of maintaining a free press, I published the news here. Now he has the temerity to say:
I did make one of my rare forays over to the ECR site yesterday and left a comment of explanation against his story, where it was suggested that I didn't print photos of fences for sinister "political" reasons. That comment was not published.
Now as regular readers of my blog will know, I have never censored comments that do not fit in with my view of the world. Not even when one of those, er, well-rounded Thanet Lifers added the Wildean bon mot: I'm f*cked off with left wing c*nts like you. I made this point on the Doc's blog, to which his response has been:
Grow-up ECR! What others choose to write on your website is not my concern.
Grow up? Who does he think he is? The headmaster of Thanet or something? He's now backtracking and claims that his comment on my blog may have 'disappeared into hyperspace' rather than being censored, as he previously implied. But that's not the point. The argument on his blog was originally about him censoring a story because it was 'not interesting enough'. The fence debacle in fact attracted more comments than anything he's ever printed there, so either he was being disingenuous, or he's got a very poor nose for news.
Pursuing his usual policy of drowning out any criticism by 'swiftly moving on', he's subsequently buried the entire story under an avalanche of the usual Tory twaddle and, sure enough, it's now been relegated to the archives. But as the Doc should know, there's no hiding in cyberspace, and you can see the whole sorry saga yourself by clicking here.
Photo: Paul Wells
29 comments:
TSK!
ECR not been over to Boredstares for a while, but please tell me that the picture you have put up is not of Culmers Field!
It looks like a prison camp! No wonder people are up in arms.
Another Simon Moores story I see!
Let's do try get the facts right first ECR. The original thread with a great many comments, involved the Bob Geldof story. A greater part of the thread, following the posting of the fence letter, involved a bizarre conspiracy theory that the fence story was being hidden for 'political' reasons. It's all there for everyone to read and just happens to have made for a rather long thread involving several different subjects which include the fence.
Anyone who can find the story, will see it's very Obviously about the fence!
Biggles puts it up on a non connected thread, and then it takes off! He is asked to give it it's own thread and refuses, then comes back with it does not interest him!
If he cannot see that his site has sadly become a one sided Tory soapbox, then he should invest in a white stick straight away!
And thanks for keeping the Fence matter going, it would appear that things are happening>
Yes, unfortunately that is Culmers Field as it currently looks, anon. 11:06.
And the point is, Doc, that I do not dress my site up as a 'newspaper' with myself as the 'editor'. You position yours as a central point of reference for all Thanet news, whereas it's mostly Tory propaganda. That's fair enough, you're a Tory councillor, but when you dismiss what is clearly a matter of widespread concern by comparing yourself to the editor of the Gazette, rather than being honest and saying 'I do not want to embarrass the political party of which I am a representative by publishing this', you are clearly being disingenuous.
By the way, when people take me to task, as they frequently do, I do not dismiss them as 'bizarre conspiracy theorists', I either argue back or concede 'fair comment'.
The council quite rightly had to do something about vandalism on the allotments but this fence is rumoured to have cost £300000. How many policemen or community support officers or just plain security gruards would that have bought? utter madness!
So did it take off because it was placed on a non-connected thread or because you and others suggested that it was being hidden.
Much more likely,I had an email, I get quite a few, it was about a fence. Is this really a 'TL' story I think? Probably not, it's a planning issue and I can't be bothered to edit it because I'm busy. So I'll quickly attach it to the bottom of an active thread and see what response it gets.
Now that, to any reasonable observer might appear far more likely and its achieved what the author wanted.
Now if I had, instead, placed it under flashing neon lights with its own entry, I wonder if you would have been so interested or instead, might have wondered what possessed me to include a story about the shape, colour and sizeof fencing in Broadstairs!
But hey.. it's another exaggerated Simon Moores "ate my hamster" story so why spoil the fun!
Fair enough. Clearly it is a big story and you, er, missed it. Surprising, though, given that it was handed to you on a plate, complete with photos and all the background from the Tree Huggers.
We'll leave it at that, shall we?
The point is, is anything being done about this ugly fence?
Hard work was put in by youngsters that was of benefit to all and destroyed by the council.
When youngsters do good it is not noticed by council members.
Shame on them.
Put it right. I like the TL blog but agree he missed the boat on this one.
I do not live in Broadstairs or even visit but I can see the damage here.
For those not of a nervous disposition I did post a couple of before and after pictures of TDC's latest contribution to "Making Thanet Beautiful" on my bloggette. Personally, I'm all for direct action Gazza style - if only we could then go shopping in Margate!
This fencing has been enough to get ECR; Big News and Bleak Mouse commenting and showing pics as well as the IOTG with articles, letters and Jane Wenham Jones'column. Biggles still regards it as just a fence in Boredstairs and not worth Thanetlife's particular attention. The worst possible TDC & Broadstairs TC balls up in the past 10 years in the heart of a picturesque seaside town trying to attract visitors is not worthy of too much attention!
If my memory serves me wellthe flying Doc flew around Westgate in his little plane towing a banner protesting about a place called Sea-Towers being up for development into flats as well as running items on it a little while ago. Thats what I called getting involved! The development hasn't been too bad as it turns out but this fence is in a class of its own!
Hey - I profess I once played 'doctors & nurses'...does that make me a Doctor and a Professor??
OLTOB FEBM
Perhaps it will look better painted green?
Biggles painted green? Blue surely!
These types of fence can come in green and black and any thought on the impact would have ordered a green coated fence. Settling for shiny galvanised steel shows the utter lack of thinking behind the eye-sore in Boredstairs. To paint now is not the solution. It needs to be re-sited and screened with new planting.
I see Biggles is still really hot on censorship. I've had 2 quite reasonable points of veiw censored lately. He must be up for 'Hypocrite of the Year' again. Once a winner always a winner(loser). He gets my vote.
How much was North Thanet Tory Cyril Hoser charging for degree qualifications back then ? Or was it just A levels knocked out on the printing press ?
I notice, ECR, that you mention now and then Sandy Beach and carpet sales ?
Is his company called "Victoria Flooring" ?
A small shop called Northdown carpets opp Tesco on Northdown Road Cliftonville?
That's the one. Just where the restricted parking ends, coincidentally.
You cannot paint galvanised steel for ages becuase the paint all peels off. Witness the rubbish lamp posts we have around the island that were put in new then painted and now look like sh*t.
Dear Richard,
I must say I was surprised to return home this evening and see another of my pictures of Culmers Land displayed here and another one displayed by Tony Flaig on Big News; they seem to be doing the rounds but that is the nature of the internet!
I am pleased to note, amidst the 'flak' that seems to be flying around, that an increasing number of people are aware of the problem that has been created at Culmers Land and that many hold the view that it needs to be addressed.
I am pleased to say that a number of Councillors at TDC and Broadstairs & St Peters Council are working hard to sort the matter out and I am in contact with them. It is not an easy problem because there are a number of 'parties' involved with different perspectives and the fence is 'in situ' without sufficient consideration having been given to its impact in the first place.
I hope that all those who want something done will have a little patience to allow Councillors to get to grips with the problem and that we will all see Culmers Land restored to a semblance of its previous state whilst giving the vandal harrassed allotment holders security.
PFW
Interesting news Paul. Here's hoping.
By the way, I don't mean to sound pettyfogging, but since when did anyone, apart from me, kick up this kind of stink and raise this amount of support over the hideous Heras fencing we've had to put up with on the East Cliff here in Ramsgate for the last three years?
Is Boredstares is a 'special case' because it came second in some Guardian seaside town contest? And while we're at it, everyone's getting worked up about a fence in Broadstairs, but I've yet to see anyone in Broadstairs supporting my campaign against the incessant training flights that are ruining Ramsgate. Would that be because they don't fly over Broadstairs?
Just a thought.
In view of how much this fence costs
if you had paid me half of the money i am sure i could have stopped the little buggas vandalizing the place OH YES
Get those tree-huggers to pot up some hawthorns and put them in front of the fence. If this had been done 3 years ago, you might have screened it by now. As it seems likely to be there for another 1000 days at this rate,its still not too late. That said, hedges planted to screen ugly fences seem to have even uglier fences put in front of them in Thanet, so you might find yourself back to square one.
It didn't cost £300,000. That is about the total cost of allotment fencing across the isle I think.
The hedgerow will soon grow back and cover the fence. Let's not double the cost by having it removed and replaced by something else. That would be really stupid.
See this from
http://www.efcfencing.com/retail_p19.htm
STEELPALIS2.4 2.4m High Triple Point Palisade Fencing ( per linear Metre) £41.00
That is ex VAT and ex installation. If there is 500 metres there that works out at around £25000 inc VAt, Installation at say a few grand, so more like £30000 than £300000.
But still enough to buy a policeman for a year to patrol the area.
nice bit of work anon 10.41am.
Being new to Thanet, I get the distinct feeling that TDC are running their own little feifdom. Anyone complaining about annoying little guns or planes just gets ignored - the pleasure of the chosen few gets priority over the pain of the many. Welcome to toryville........and to think I vote for them!
I didn't realise Thanet was under the feudal system until I moved here.
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