Councillor Stuart Bruce has moved to www.stuartssoapbox.com
http://20six.co.uk/middletonpark
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Letter to the YEP from Martin Bartholomew
I feel compelled to write about the cancellation of the Middleton Bonfire. I
think it's disgraceful that the Council gives into anti-social behaviour by a
small group of people and allows this to spoil it for the whole community. As a
Middleton resident, I am one of the many who enjoy the bonfire and fireworks and
I feel strongly that local people shouldn't lose out. I wonder if the Council
would be as quick to scrap the Roundhay bonfire, somehow I don't think so! I
agree with the Middleton councillors that it would be more unsafe to leave
everyone to put on their own displays and this is of great concern. Middleton
councillors and residents aren't giving up so why should the
council?
Martin Bartholomew
Middleton
Leeds
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Letter to the YEP from Iris Walters
I have to say that I'm amazed that the council have seen fit to cancel our
bonfire! This is an event that brings the community together and
the majority
of those attending are decent law abiding residents. The
council and police
should make sure that the area is safe, as with any
large event. How can we
tell youngsters making life a misery letting
off fireworks to stop when their
own community bonfire has been cancelled? Our young people will see that
people in North Leeds get
their bonfire while we in South Leeds yet again
have to do without. Is the north/south divide what we're to expect now from
a Tory/Lib Dem run
Counci?
Iris Walters
Belle
Isle
Leeds
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Letter to the YEP from Phil Marshall
Dear Sir
I have just been informed that the bonfire at Middleton Park has been
cancelled because of a small number of yobs causing trouble in previous
years.
I have been taking my grandchildren to the bonfire and firework display
at Middleton park for the last 8 years. They throughly enjoy the
evening
and indeed look forward to it every year. I feel safe and confident in
taking my young grandchildren to this event. When is the council going
the pull its head out of the sand and serve
the majority of the people instead of taking the easy option of
submitting
to the trouble causing minority then hiding behind the Health &
Safety
banner.
Yours sincerely
Phil Marshall
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Blazing mad letters to the Yorkshire Evening Post about our bonfire
I have been inundated with complaints from local people in Middleton
and Belle Isle who are blazing mad about the Tory/Lib Dem council's
decision to cancel the Middleton Park bonfire. Many of them have
written to the Yorkshire Evening Post complaining and have been kind
enough to copy me in on their letters.
We will have to wait and see if Councillor John Proctor, the Tory in
charge of Leisure Services, will listen to the concerns of local people.
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Bonfire fury ignites storm of protest
Tonight's Yorkshire Evening Post carries our story
about the Tory/Lib Dem council's decision to cancel the Middleton Park
bonfire. If you're as angry as we are about this decision to snub south
Leeds then call the YEP Talkback line and register your protest on 0113
238 8152 or email eped@ypn.co.uk.
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Bonfire burns itself out
Labour Councillors Stuart Bruce and Judith Blake (Middleton Park) have
reacted angrily to the news that there will be no bonfire held in
Middleton Park in Leeds, this year.
The annual bonfire in Middleton Park attracts many hundreds of local
residents but has been cancelled by the ruling Liberal and Tory Groups
this year due to the actions of a small minority last year who engaged
in threatening and disruptive behaviour.
Local Labour Councillors and Friends of Middleton Park have put in an
enormous amount of effort into the area to help deal with issues such
as anti-social behaviour and vandalism so that such events can be held
in Middleton Park.
Sadly these efforts have not been recognised with those running the
Council cancelling the event with little or no consultation with ward
members.
Councillor Stuart Bruce (Middleton Park) said:-
"I find this announcement made at the last minute, badly timed and
above all the wrong decision! Banning Middleton Park bonfire due to
problems last year is very unfair to all the hundreds of law abiding
people who turn every year to enjoy themselves.
"Calling off the event doesn't increase safety in the area whatsoever,
instead it makes it worse as now you could have any number of people
staging there own unsupervised bonfires in the park.
"Surely a better solution is just improved co-ordination and
communication between all involved parties on how to avoid and deal
with the unfortunate circumstances witnessed last year. I do not
believe cancelling the bonfire is the answer."
Councillor Judith Blake (Middleton Park) said:-
"We all have to make sure local families and park staff are not put in
danger. We need to put in adequate security and policing rather than
putting the whole area at risk by cancelling this annual public
firework and bonfire event."
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XP: BBC News - Row over live it love it brand
The BBC story
about the Leeds, Live it, Love it brand is now out with a quote from me
and Councillor Keith Wakefield. There is a response from Tony Stanton,
CEO of An Agency Called England (formally known as Mediaworks).
And I'm sorry but Marketing Leeds CEO Kevin Johnson's claim that "the
cost of developing the Live it Love it brand was zero, but the
research, printing and launch show had so far cost £150,000" just
doesn't add-up. The term 'research' can cover a multitude of sins and
no PR company or agency works for nothing.
In my professional experience the two most expensive elements of
developing a brand are the research and the implementation (producing
new stationery, signs, vehicle livery etc). Also a £150,000 for print
and the launch show sounds expensive. That's a hell of a lot of print.
Tony Stanton, the chief executive of An Agency Called
England said he had come up with the 'Live it Love it' idea completely
independently and only in the process of due diligence did he find it
had been used elsewhere.
Tony is no doubt right that they came up with the idea completely
independently but the bit that doesn't add up is the "in the process of
due dilligence". That is the sort of the marketing bullshit that is
used all the time by PR and marketing people. I know, I admit to having
done it myself. It makes you sound like a lawyer and you hope it makes
you seem more professional. After all due dilligence is what lawyers do
for you when closing a deal.
It wouldn't sound so impressive if you said "I typed a couple of words
into Google and this is what I found". But that's all it takes to find
out just how many times the phrase has already been used in place
marketing and branding.
I don't like critiscising fellow professionals in my home town (and my
comments certainly aren't directed to the people on the board of
Marketing Leeds, some of who I know and have respect for) but feel I
have to do it for two reasons:
1) Leeds has some worldclass businesses, universities, organisations and people. They all deserve better than this.
2) As well as running a Leeds-based PR company I am also an elected
city councillor and have a duty to the people of Leeds to ensure that
their money is spent as effectively as possible. I remain to be
convinced.
I'm cross posting this to my PR blog and would like to invite
any of those involved to visit one of the two sites and use the
comments to respond to some of the critiscism from myself and lots of
others. Over to you.
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