191

posted 28th May 2014

Question: Does your 2015 General and local elections advice change

in the light of the European election results?

   Answer: Not a bit of it!  The Tories were dented by UKIP, but not as much as elsewhere. Voters outside of Horsham are generally happy that a cynical HDC will dump everything on Horsham town in terms of planning and asset stripping until HDC is abolished. By that time, it will be hard for newly formed Horsham town Parish Councils and a Horsham town Town Council to easily repair the damage. The current lack of a democratic structure, that generally sees a largely out-of-town Tory Cabinet lord it over the town, allows this scenario. This struggle for the new bodies will bring further electoral opportunities in the town for the Tories as disillusionment under a new regime sets in. The West Sussex Council Times (WSHDCT) remains quiet on this prospect of course.

   The significant thing – again as we predicted- is that the Lib Dems have totally collapsed as the traditionally ineffective opposition – just slightly ahead of the almost (locally) invisible Labour Party now.

   So it will be more of the same from a despotic HDC, propped up by a fawning West Sussex Council Times (WSHDCT) once more. Check out the fawning article about planning this week.....

   The performance of the council’s planners has been ‘turned around’ since it was under threat of ‘special measures’ last summer.

   In June 2013 the County Times reported that Horsham District Council’s determination rate of planning applications was one of the worst in the country, raising the possibility its planning department could be placed under special measures by the Government.

   Since then the authority appointed a planning improvement expert Sim Manley, and made several changes as to how the department operates.

   Chairman of HDC’s Business Improvement Working Group Brian O’Connell (Con, Henfield), who has been leading a review of the council’s planning function, said its performance had been ‘turned around’.

   At a Scrutiny and Overview Committee meeting last Monday he said: With proper management and leadership of the department there should not be any reason that applications are not dealt with in the appropriate timescale.

   Once again, the WSHDCT seems to dismiss the Horsham public as stupid. The fact is that a school leaver with no qualifications, at one tenth of the salary of Sim Minley, could easily achieve the same result. All you have to do is have a hidden policy of irrationally and perversely approving all applications quickly. You might ‘milk it’ a little along the way of course - by having cosy discussions with the developer in advance and charging them for the privilege, but that’s a bonus. But don’t take our word for it. Take a look, at the following article provided to us by Civic Voice.....

MPs probe ‘perverse behaviour’ of National Planning Policy Framework

   The National Planning Policy Framework may be “driving perverse behaviour”, according to research findings published by the Communities and Local Government select committee on Friday. Some local authorities which deal efficiently with planning face punishment for missing government targets while those which “game the system” are applauded, the committee warned.

   Committee chair Clive Betts said: The research suggests that government planning performance targets may be driving perverse behaviour. This is especially worrying as the research also finds that a focus on good practice in local planning authorities is required if the NPPF is to be fully effective.

   A number of local authorities are exemplary according to the performance data but described as ‘horrendous’ by those with first-hand experience of working with them. Some are even rejecting planning applications and asking developers to resubmit the same application for no reason other than to meet the target time for a decision.

   The committee has launched an inquiry into the operation of the NPPF after its research showed that some local planning authorities may be meeting the government’s planning performance targets “despite being ineffective and displaying poor practice.”

   According to the committee, the research also suggests that although the NPPF has been broadly welcomed, a focus on good practice in local planning authorities is required if its potential is to be realised.

   Betts said: It is extremely concerning that efficient authorities, which focus on customer service and enabling good development, could be placed in special measures because they miss arbitrary and unsatisfactory targets. On the other hand, poor authorities that game the system are being applauded for meeting those same targets.

   The evidence from the research suggests that government proposals to increase the threshold for designating authorities as underperforming may only make matters worse. I am today sending a copy of our research to Planning Minister Nick Boles.

   The research was conducted by the Centre for Housing and Planning Research at Cambridge University. It was commissioned by the committee in December 2013 in order to identify pinch points in the planning system affecting housing and to find out why the effectiveness of the planning system varies so much between otherwise similar local authorities. It focused on analysing the published data and interviews with planners and with large and small housebuilders.

   In summary – Horsham District Council  finally indulged in the inevitable action that was afforded to them by the inadequacies of the local democratic structure in Horsham. After years of ‘faffing around’ HDC finally ran out of time and unfairly dumped everything (via out-of-town Councillors) in Horsham town’s backyard (in the direction of Crawley). They will continue to approve everything (very quickly) on this basis and so meet their targets. They will try and con the public (with the help of the WSHDCT) that this is a good and improving thing.

   This alternative view above - will not therefore be likely to be printed by the West Sussex County Times – you can only read it here we think. In spite of what Editor in Chief Mr. Gary Shipton claims, there is no such thing as ‘free speech’ – only what the paper wants you to read.

   Next update: Hypocrisy over complaints.

192

posted  29th May 2014

Question: What do you think about the appointment of the new

Horsham District Council Chairman?

   Answer: No surprise that the new Chairman comes from Henfield in the South of the District. It signifies why Christian Mitchell (Holbrook West, Horsham) was never going to be Chairman whilst the North Horsham Development issue was going on. Christian Mitchell was always destined to be put down with his own sword when he played a leading part in the denial of true democracy for Horsham town six years ago – by denying a Community Governance Review. His non-selection as Chairman was nothing to do with him speaking out recently – just the HDC Tories making sure that the out-of-town South was firmly in control. Meanwhile, Councillor Helena Croft is placed there to draw the flak and do her best at a damage limitation job in the town.

   The West Sussex County Times talks about an ongoing civil war in the local Conservatives (with Liz Kitchen and not Christian Mitchell back as the leader of the rebels it seems). This talk of civil war  is nonsense. It’s not civil war, but a minor rebellion – and with the dishonourable Liz Kitchen at the helm - the rebels are certainly doomed to failure in our view. Liz Kitchen was the former Leader that originally put the politics into planning - with the whipped vote on the Old Town Hall  plans – plans that contravened all known guidance and planning ethics. Where was the County Times on whipped votes then?

   No, the true civil war is yet to happen – and it will come between the South and the North of the District. Nearly all civil wars occur between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’ in terms of power, wealth etc. Will the revolution from the downtrodden people of the North of the District (particularly Horsham town) come in time? - i.e. before those in power from the South have milked the North for all they can get? That is, before the District Council is abolished in favour of a unitary authority? Time will tell. The current undemocratic structure has to be overthrown much sooner if the North has any chance of a prosperous future.

   UKIP prospective parliamentary candidate Roger Arthur wrote an interesting letter this week about the European Election results. However, the HDC ruling group is far too arrogant to think that there is any problem. However, in the article, Roger Arthur also highlights the well deserved demise of the unprincipled, ineffective and cowardly Lib Dems.

   We hear that long-standing Lib Dem David Sheldon is now going to be an independent. If so, this will be a good move for him personally, as he may just hang onto his Council seat. David Sheldon has been around long enough for people to make a local exception and depart from national voting intentions on the same day as a General Election in order to vote for him personally. That said, some would say that people are often happy to wrap themselves in the Lib Dem flag to get elected when the going is good, but easily desert the party when the going gets tough. Such a lack of commitment probably illustrates why the Lib Dems have achieved so little over the years - and have failed to protect the interests of the North.

Next update: More on the Council’s sinking flagship in the town – Bill’s.

194

posted 9th June 2014

Question: What do you think about Horsham being renamed as Trumpton, as

revealed by the West Sussex County Times (WSHDCT)?

   Answer: the WSCHDCT has recently been busy campaigning on free speech. To paraphrase George Orwell “All free speech is equal, but some free speech is more equal than others.”

   In the last update, we justifiably criticised Bill’s restaurant in Horsham’s Old Town Hall quoting independent reviews - and the WSHDCT subsequently responded with:

   Horsham’s old town hall in Market Square was once home to magistrates courts, council meetings and public events. Now it is a thriving restaurant. 

   The WSHDCT can reach thousands with this unsubstantiated nonsense of course. It’s not ‘free speech’ however – people actually have to pay up to 80 pence to read such drivel!  Let’s look at the facts. Bill’s in the Old Town Hall started life in the Tripadvisor ‘top ten’. It gradually worked its way down through the teens, through the twenties, through the thirties; and now, after a couple of years, resides at number 40. Yes, very ‘thriving’ it seems! Does the WSHDCT think that the Horsham people are so stupid! When Bill’s in Horsham finally ‘goes under’ (soon we believe), the WSHDCT and Horshambles District Council will have Bills’ egg all over its face.

   Nevertheless,  congratulations to the WSHDCT for breaking the story (in its last editorial) that Horsham is about to be renamed Trumpton (from the old Sussex dialect ‘trump-the-town’). This is thought to be a necessary move by the Council - in order to counter the popular nick-names of ‘Crawlsham’ or ‘Crawsham’ following HDC’s North Horsham Development proposals.

   The re-naming of Horsham to ‘Trumpton’ is ideal for a number of reasons. With the help of  the HDC Cabinet despots from the South of the District:

1. •    HDC trumped local democracy by denying the town the opportunity of forming Parish Councils or a Town Council to help protect residents interests. It was a move that was criticised by the District Auditor’s manager.
   

2. •    HDC trumped the community proposal to make use of Horsham’s unique heritage in order to bring some much needed tourism to the town, centred around the Old Town Hall.
   

3. •    It irrationally trumped the recommendation of HDC’s Old Town Hall Advisory Group after due diligence, wasting the taxpayers money that had been invested in  the process.
   

4. •    It irrationally trumped the positive Feasibility Study for the tourism proposal – one that was independently validated by the University of Liverpool.
   

5. •    It unethically trumped Council policy for ‘community use’ of the Old Town Hall by holding secret negotiations with Bill’s in contravention of the policy
   

6. •    It trumped the pledge to Horsham’s MP that the Old Town Hall would remain in community use, also trumping the will of the Horsham people at the same time
   

7. •    It irrationally and unethically trumped the Gondola bid for the Old Town Hall in favour of the vastly inferior Bill’s bid (costing the taxpayer a further half a million pounds over the term of the lease)
   

8. •    It irrationally trumped the rational selection of Carr Priddle as agents for the Old Town Hall in favour of Davis Coffer Lyons (with DCL also happening to be the sole agents in Bill’s Covent garden deal)
   

9. •    It trumped the District Auditor over ‘sealed bids’ in order to select Bill’s over W J King for the Old Town Hall second time around. HDC refuse to release the bidding scoresheets under Freedom of Information.
   

10. •    It trumped Planning Policy Guidance in order to approve its own restaurant plans for the Old Town Hall (paid for by the reluctant taxpayer) and trumped normal ethics by promptly handing these plans over to Bill’s - and even unethically paying the planning fee for Bill’s (also with taxpayers money)
    

11. •    It trumped the Government Offices who were supposed to be independently scrutinising the plans for the Old Town Hall - with HDC falsely claiming that the plans were from an individual (a Mr Josh Leon, who was actually the marketing agent for HDC). The Government Offices were aware of this deception but couldn’t do anything about it as they “had no policing function”.
    

12. •    HDC trumped the governments Department of Communities and Local Government who thought that the Old Town Hall should have been protected from the extremes of the Council’s plans by its Grade II listed status.
    

13. •    It trumped HDC standing orders by extending the terms of Josh Leon’s engagement - to include £5,000 consultancy to the Council - without reference back to the Chief Executive.
    

14. •    It trumped the High Court by failing to disclose the fact that the Old Town Hall plans (to be implemented by Bill’s) were its own (as eventually confirmed via the ‘leaked’ terms of the Bill’s agreement, previously refused to be revealed by HDC under Freedom of Information). Since then, HDC has ‘trumped the town’ on a whole host of issues, the North Horsham Development being the latest.
    

   All in all, HDC regularly trumps all that is fair, honourable and rational. Trumpton is therefore a perfect name for the town. It remains to be seen whether the people of the South will vote for fairness and decency in the next HDC elections - and oust these despots - or whether they will stick with their own self-interest and prop up this disgraceful regime once more.

   The West Sussex Council Times claims that press campaigns make a difference if you play the ‘long game’. Indeed, national campaigns by the press do. In our view however, local press campaigns by a paper that, to some extent, relies on statutory advertising from HDC - and with an Editor-in-Chief that was Chairman of the HDC puppet quango, the Community Development Partnership don’t. In order to play the ‘long game’ you have to stick to your principles and be consistent. By contrast, the WSHDCT has been hypocritically  ‘all over the place’ in recent years. That is why our influence is growing (with over 194 updates over the last two years) and the WSHDCT’s influence is deservedly declining.

   Next update: The answer for Horsham.

193
posted 3rd June 2014
Question: Have you any more observations on local politics before looking at
HDC’s sinking flagship (Bill’s) once more?

   Answer: Yes. We forgot to mention with our comment on Roger Arthur’s letter (UKIP) that it might not help them to get nearly as many votes as the Tories, even if they could sustain this. Under a first-past-the-post election system UKIP might still not end up with a single Horsham District Council seat – particularly if they do not learn the lessons from the West Sussex County Council bi-elections and find something to say to voters on domestic and local issues (other than going on about immigration and Europe). In fact, the most likely scenario is that UKIP would pick up a couple of seats in the town as a result of a Lib Dem collapse. Hence, there will be no real change; and the out-of-town despots from the South will still dump on Horsham, destroy its image as an historical market town, plunder its assets, tax its people to serve their own, disproportionately cut its services and destroy its businesses with punitive parking charges (while many in their own areas still park for free) or destroy these same Horsham town businesses with out-of-town retail developments.
   This is a short- sighted policy of course, as the clue is in the name – Horsham District Council. The lack of a well-defined Horsham town as the centrepiece for the District will simply hasten the abolition of Horsham District Council and bring about the much needed electoral reform. Every cloud has a silver lining!
   The only things that will stop Horsham’s demise in the meantime is an electoral alliance of all the other parties standing just one candidate (between them) against each Tory in every HDC seat. This is unlikely perhaps, as the parties are unlikely to agree locally and there would be resistance from their parties nationally. Other than that, it is a well co-ordinated, well-publicised alliance of independents standing in every seat with a manifesto of removing this currently arrogant, despotic and poor performing HDC regime. Equally unlikely for HDC seats outside of the town maybe, due to the divisive North Horsham Development.
   Meanwhile, our predictions on Broadbridge Heath backtracking by HDC look set to become true. The current document out for consultation is not worth the paper it is written on it seems. The Horsham people will never forget and fail to learn from the treachery of this dishonourable Horshambles District Council over the Old Town Hall.
   But over to Bill’s in the Old Town Hall ....
   Firstly, we wondered what had happened to the County Times’ shameless competition (actually launched by HDC Councillor Claire Vickers) promoting Bill’s on a monthly basis - with couples that had been previously married in the Old Town Hall. Has it died a well-deserved death? Are couples no longer prepared to be publicised at Bill’s - and have realised that there is no such thing as a free meal?
At first, we thought that we had finally ‘got it through the head of the West Sussex Council Times’ that the more they hyped Bill’s, the more people were disappointed and passed this disappointment on. Then we read another article that further suggested that Bill’s in the Old Town Hall had lost all focus on delivering good, value for money food and serving it well. On top of their Council connections through Business Unlimited, Bill’s is now hosting monthly meetings of the Business Success Club.
  This is another business talk-shop of course - of which there are plenty of talkshops, ‘networking opportunities’, ‘sign-posting’ and information givers etc. already in Horsham – many of which are supported by HDC. In fact, we seem to be awash with them. Nevertheless, we at the Trust have a saying:
  “Those businesses that can do – do. Those businesses that can’t do, make a business out of talking about it and telling others what to do!”
  A Horsham connection was duly hyped by the WSHDCT but the ‘Business (lack of?) Success Club’ seems to us to have a strong Maidstone connection.
  Here are some more reviews that have been sent to us focussing on food and service at Bill’s however – strange that!
 “Disappointed - Again!” reviewed 17th May 2014
   Over priced and over rated! I was led to believe that Bill's was a good place to eat! Maybe it's only the Horsham branch that lets the reputation down! With two previous disappointing meals there, I hesitantly agreed to go for the third time with four friends, as three of them wanted to try it for the first time.
On arrival, we were politely welcomed and shown to our table and we didn't have to wait long before the waitress came with our menus. So far so good! After ordering, our food and drinks arrived promptly.
Two of us ordered the Mac 'n' cheese - luke warm and no cheese sauce so we sent it back.
When we got it back it was certainly hotter but still no sauce and no flavour at all. Think the Chef forgot the cheese and seasoning. It was completely tasteless. Another friend had a Spicy chicken dish, but no spice and under seasoned again!
On to the desserts... Creme Brulee with Raspberries and a shortbread biscuit. Disappointment again! Two raspberries were eventually found buried inside and no shortbread biscuit as they had run out!!!!
On to the coffee..... Cappuccinos looked very nice but, YES!, they were cold! Back they went!
All in all, money badly spent! None of us have an intentions of going back! Plenty of better and tastier restaurants in Horsham for less money! 
  "Stylish decor but average food" reviewed 16th May 2014
   Went here on a Friday night while visiting Horsham and was surprised to get a table straight away. Fab looking restaurant and had heard good things about the ones in London so was keen to try. OH had a fish finger buttie which was OK - who can you make a mess of that? I had mac n cheese which was awful. Food arrived about 3 mins after order so obviously microwaved. The promised asparagus, leeks and mozzarella were nowhere in sight. The crunchy topping was just plain weird. Sweet and very synthetic. The waitress seems to be on another planet but she did get all of our order right. Very disappointing after high expectations. (Senior contributor)
   Next Update: More on expected Council treachery.  

195

posted 12th June 2014

Question: What is the Trust’s ‘long game’ as regards Horsham District Council?

   Answer: first, in the short-term, it seems that we goaded the West Sussex Council Times newspaper (WSHDCT) into action over their Bill’s  competition in our last update. It looks to us that the WSHDCT has published the result for June whilst, at the same time, missing out on two months in ‘one go’ this week. This looks to have done the trick for HDC’s sinking ‘flagship’ project however, because Bill’s promptly dropped another two places in the Tripadvisor ratings. We say it’s the West Sussex Council Times’ competition, but the competition really looks to have been launched by Councillor  and HDC Cabinet Member, Claire Vickers (back in January this year) – who was posing as an undeclared, ordinary punter that got married in the Old Town Hall.

   In the longer term, the Old Town Hall is part of an essential  community strategy to bring much needed tourism to Horsham town based on its unique links to Horsham’s folk heritage and arts - and its links to Sussex rural crafts and culture. It’s why the Old Town Hall used to be location No.7 on the Horsham Heritage trail. The clue was in the name HDC - ‘HERITAGE’!  The ‘opportunity cost’ of HDC disgracefully sabotaging this tourism initiative in 2006 has been enormous thus far. Indeed, the actual cost has been enormous too. It would therefore take centuries of Bill’s at £60,000 per year (and half a million pounds less than the sum which could have been yielded from Gondola) to repay such costs to the DIstrict.  At this rate however, we don’t think that Bill’s will be around much longer. Then, the Horsham people can make sure that they take things forward properly.

   So the message to the fawning WSHDCT is to ‘bring it on’. Every bit of Bill’s hype will simply exacerbate the injustice to other hardworking Horsham businesses and make them more determined to join us in driving Bill’s out of town (a much deserved fate given the favourable treatment afforded them  by HDC and the ‘puppet’ County Times).

   The message to HDC is ‘bring it on’ similarly. Every day that goes by in this dispute brings further local and national reputational damage to HDC. The ‘long game’ is to continue to hone our facts and arguments (to which HDC has no answer) and widely publicise these with much greater resources just before next May’s elections. With everything previously published and remaining unchallenged in the public domain for many years  - there will be absolutely nothing that HDC  can do about it.

   HDC might think they dishonourably won a battle over the Old Town Hall in 2006, but in the interests of the Horsham people, we will help Horsham win the war that HDC started. It’s a war that no-one except HDC wanted, or wished to continue, but it’s HDC’s choice. It’s a shame that HDC can oppress the Horsham people with their own money in the meantime of course, but so be it.

   Congratulations to North Horsham Parish Council for taking on HDC now also. However, If the HDC despots had not denied true democracy to the town in 2007 (and continue to deny this) other Parished areas of the town, or even a Town Council, could have opposed the largely ‘out-of-town’ despots from the South of the District too – and opposed them in time.

   These arrogant, but cowardly despots are also now hiding behind a County Council review in order to further hike up parking charges (something that their financial incompetence of the past has led HDC to heavily rely on – to both feather the Council nest and subsidise their own out-of-town areas). In terms of our District, guess where these parking increases will predominantly be therefore? Yes you guessed it – in Horsham town of course! The County Times has dropped it’s Trumpton reference since our last update too – but ‘trumped’ again we have been.

 Next update: Details of the much needed tourism solution that would benefit all.

196

posted 17th June 2014

Question: How do you think things are going in the ‘long game’ to correct Horshambles District Council’s widespread, unethical and undemocratic behaviour?

   Answer: Firstly, it seems that our previous piece about Horsham District’s ‘North South Divide’ is catching on as is echoed in this comment on the WSCT website page;

   I came to Horsham soon after the 1974 local government reorganisation to work for HDC. At that time I believe there was an even more marked north south divide. Common consent then was anybody living south of Southwater had little on no connection with Horsham, particularly for shopping with Worthing the preferred option. 
   Tinkering with regional boundaries ensured the Tory heartland of Horsham remained in place once the divorce with Crawley came into effect. I don't think the Tories will have anything to worry about at local or national elections in the immediate future. Your seat is safe Mr Maude.

   Secondly, HDC continues to laughably ‘spin’ away. Check out Ray Dawe’s column in the West Sussex Council Times (WSHDCT) about affordable housing and the lost 18 – 35’s. It seems to us that Cllr Dawe has finally caught up with our ‘Horsham is set to become Easbourne-not-upon-sea’ article. However, the usual ‘we need to do this’ and ‘we need to do that’ HDC words are still not going to cut the mustard. Check out the HDC claim also - that the people visiting the North Horsham Development plan proposals exhibition is a ‘positive response’. People from Horsham are not sure whether to laugh or cry of course. Does HDC really think that the response from North Horsham Parish Council is positive too?

   No tears for the WSHDCT’s ‘golden boy’ Christian Mitchell at getting booted out from the Chairmanship of HDC’s licensing committee please. As Liz Kitchen’s ‘pet poodle’ he was also partly responsible for the lack of democracy in Horsham town and HDC’s dishonourable and irrational behaviour over the Old Town Hall. If it wasn’t for the likes of Christian Mitchell, other town parishes could potentially have joined North Horsham in opposition to the proposals – or even a town Council.  

   HDC are not the only perpetrators of laughable spin of course – the County Times does a good job too - with for example, the claim that the Old Town Hall is now a highly successful restaurant (please see previous update). Here is the latest Bill’s review that has been sent to us:

   “Service OK but food poor” reviewed 15th June 2014

   Just got back from our first and last visit to Bills Horsham. The food overall was very bland. The burgers were dry and overdone. The fish pie was well packed with fish but again, dry. Overpriced poor quality pub food really.

   Next update: More details on the Trust’s ‘long game’.

197

posted 24th June 2014

Question: How can you remove Bill’s from the Old Town Hall?

   Answer: This is a question that was raised by a reader during the week. The answer is that we don’t have to; Bill’s will remove itself. Thanks to the other reader who sent in the latest Bill’s reviews which we have re-printed below.

   Far from being Horshambles District Council’s ‘icing on the cake’, Bill’s in the Old Town Hall is increasingly looking like a big dollup of bird poop – and a severe embarrassment to the Bill’s brand nationally. (Bill’s has dropped down another two places to 45 on Tripadvisor since the 12th June 2114!). For all the good business reasons outlined by our business adviser in a previous update on this site, Bill’s in Horsham’s Old Town Hall will almost certainly fail – and fail soon. With so many negative reviews and the ‘word of mouth’ effect, no amount of stubborn investment, fawning press competitions and free publicity by the Council’s lapdog (the County Times) - or diversification via ‘hot air’ business meetings at the site - are going to turn it around in our view.

   The Council’s only chance of saving face therefore is to negotiate an end to the lease. We feel that Bill’s backers will metaphorically ‘bite their hand off’ as they rush off – effectively ‘biting the hand that fed them’ via HDC’s unethical selection over Gondola (and possibly, W J King too) - along with a knock down rental of course.

   The terms of the Old Town Hall agreement – leaked to us – appears to show that this is very possible. The Council was apparently less than confident behind the scenes, by writing a restoration of the Old Town Hall’s Grade II Listed infrastructure into the agreement should Bill’s fail. However, according to our business adviser, the ‘looseness’ of the wording makes it unlikely that these terms could be made to stick. The Council may have to dip the taxpayers’ hand into their pocket once more therefore.

   However, it will still be ‘worth it’ for all Horsham residents and businesses - if it means that the community tourism solution of 2006 (based on HDC’s own Tourism Strategy of 2003) can be finally implemented.

   The person responsible for all this wastage over the last eight years is Cllr. Liz Kitchen.

   As regards this Councillor and former ousted leader of HDC, we hear from another reader that there has been a leaflet sent around from three Conservative Councillors opposing the North Horsham Development - however Liz Kitchen wasn’t one of them. If true, it would be strange - considering the fawning article (unfair to other candidates in our view) by the West Sussex Council Times in advance of Liz Kitchen’s election to West Sussex County Council – and a departure from Mrs Kitchen’s pledge on the North Horsham Development. Perhaps Councillor Kitchen is hoping that voters will forget this article - and is quietly hoping to stay on with Tory blessing and forgiveness at the next HDC and County elections. However, we will make sure that the voters don’t forget!

   Here are the latest Bill’s reviews:

“Below Expectation” reviewed 21st June 2014

   We are fans of Bill's having enjoyed a great experience at Bill's in Chichester. Bill's Horsham however was a let down on this visit. My girlfriend had Chicken skewers which were dry and stuck to the skewer and I had a burger which was distinctly average although I could tell the meat quality was good.
Portion size was slightly small for the price of which I wouldn't usually complain about if quality was on par.
   Service was lacklustre after food arriving we asked for cutlery which wasn't on the table. Our waitress went off swiftly and served another table letting our already cool food get colder until I went and found cutlery myself. Mayonnaise also requested of which was served by a quantity of a meat teaspoon full.
Lovely building and lovely image tarred by lack of passion and enthusiasm by food and staff on this occasion. We did not pay the optional (yet kind of compulsory) 10% gratuity.

“Bill’s couldn’t even get the bill right..” reviewed 21st June 2014

   This was our first visit to Bill's. Whilst I couldn't conclusively rule out a return trip, I won't be hurrying to return.
   The food wasn't startlingly good. The risotto and chorizo burger got good reviews. The house burger less good. The fish and chips- once again, a restaurant that serves the cheapest, skinniest piece of cod, neglects to remove the skin (which won't crisp if battered so needs to come off beforehand), and tries to hide the lack of quality with enormous amounts of batter. Shoddy.
   Dessert? Again, fairly average. Nothing to write home about, nothing to complain about.
   Service was very slow. Friendly staff, but far from dynamic even though it wasn't particularly busy.
   The bill, I hated. Not because it was particularly expensive, but because they included the "optional" 10% service charge. Many people won't notice that it's there and will leave a tip, unaware that they've already left one. Those who do notice it's there but aren't happy with the service are hardly likely to confront their server and ask for it to be removed, are they? There aren't many restaurants that do this, and there's a good reason for that- it's unpleasant and unfair.
   So, overall, distinctly average. Will stick with Cote, which is just around the corner. (Top Contributor)

Next update: We really will get around to the Trust’s ‘long game’ plan.

198

posted 25th June 2014

Question: The Trust talks about the long game in opposition to the Council,

but are you not a charity?

   Answer: Yes, absolutely. The Blue Flash Music Trust is a charity that is committed to Horsham’s prosperity based on a strategy of arts and heritage. This is why we proposed the arts and heritage tourism plan in 2006 – the plan that was originally selected and recommended by Horshambles District Council’s Old Town Hall Advisory Group and verified in an independent full feasibility study at the University of Liverpool. It is still the way forward for Horsham - and we are well within our aims and objects therefore. This stance was agreed by various High Court cases. A judge also ruled that we have the necessary standing in relation to matters concerning the Old Town Hall - which remains the essential centrepiece of Horsham’s arts and heritage opportunities. We have no political preferences and have criticised all parties equally - as can be seen from other postings on our site. We believe that in order to move our plan forward when Bill’s vacates the Old Town hall soon, we have to remove the additional obstacle of all of the current HDC Councillors - and this is our aim.

   One reader observed from our last update that Liz Kitchen was only the PRIMARY person responsible for wasting these tourism opportunities for Horsham. Indeed, many other existing HDC Councillors followed Mrs Kitchen’s irrational and unethical stance in 2006 and share the responsibility. All HDC Councillors who have been elected since 2006 are also currently responsible for not correcting HDC’s unethical and undemocratic behaviour too.

   Next update: How we propose to help remove all of the current HDC Councillors at the election next year!

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posted 2nd July 2014

Question: Why do you think that Horshambles District Council (HDC) and the

West Sussex County Times have lost the plot?

   Answer: There was an hilarious article in last week’s District Post by out-going Chairman of HDC, Sir Cuss:

   Finally we are particularly fortunate that the District Post has now agreed to be our media partner...

   Sir Cuss was talking about his HDC Mayor’s Charity. He didn’t have much choice about the media partner however. The Editor of the originally preferred media outlet, the West Sussex Council Times, had done a runner as trustee. Did Gary Shipton jump ship because this was a self-aggrandizing charity that didn’t raise much money? Did he jump ship because it duplicated other charities and simply existed to promote Sir Cuss? Did he jump ship because it relied on other existing charities to distribute the money in order to avoid charges of conflict of interest? We think so!

   Give yourself a badge for launching this self-promotional charity as Chairman, Sir Cuss however. Oh we forgot- you already have!

   On the other hand Councillor Liz Kitchen has been involved with the popular charity St Catherine’s Hospice for many years. Yet she thought nothing of financially damaging our own charity in 2006. Having been assured of our tenancy of the Old Town Hall in 2006 by HDC’s Leisure Services, our supporters invested a lot of money in the tourism solution that was good for Horsham – only to face the treacherous and dishonourable Council paper (supported by whipped block vote) from Mrs Kitchen. We think that this could have only been to demonstrate her twisted sense of power and self-importance.  Nevertheless, Horsham remains the loser. HDC currently has no idea of how to achieve the same benefits and doesn’t care either. As long as the people of the South of the District are happy (the people of their own constituencies), they are quite content to ‘burn’ the town.

   Meanwhile, the fawning West Sussex Council Times continues to promote BIll’s in the Old Town Hall with an article by the BIll’s manager Pedro Martins.

   Shame on the WSCT for the language in the article however .....

   I have never seen a town where people are so proud of where they from. And other examples.

   Did the WSCT sub-editors all go on holiday at once? Or were they trying to make Mr Martin appear as some kind of international cuisine expert – an image accentuated by an obviously limited grasp of English. Given the hostile reviews for Bill’s, we don’t think that Mr Martin’s BSc in psychology extends to knowing what customers want, in any event.

   Many things are for sure in our view. Free publicity from the fawning WSCT will make competing restaurants work that much harder to drive Bill’s deservedly out of town. The new steakhouse opening today will be just one of them. All the time that Mr Martins is distracted from delivering value for money food and service, in such a way by the WSCT, will accelerate Bill’s demise.

   Here is the latest Bill’s review that we have been sent:

   We have been to this restaurant on a number of occasions. The staff are cheerful and enthusiastic. The food is often let down by the kitchen with undercooked food - sometimes raw including Chicken. Constant careful management by the Chef on duty is often needed. (reviewed 1st July 2014)

   Next update: How we intend to remove all existing HDC Councillors at the next elections.

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posted 7th July 2014

Question: Why do you think that the West Sussex County Times is so keen to regularly promote Bill’s in the Old Town Hall for free (to the detriment of other hard-working Horsham restaurants) and what about Park House?

   Answer: Because the fawning West Sussex Council Times (WSHDCT) and Horshambles District Council (HDC) is running scared in our opinion. Another article in the WSHDCT this week appears to us to show that the manager of Bill’s – having seen Bill’s go down from the top ten, through the teens, through the twenties and thirties, and into the forties in the Tripadvisor ratings (in just a couple of years) – has largely given up on the restaurant business, in favour of becoming a celebrity philosopher on other’s customer service. Today Horsham – tomorrow the World – perhaps!

   We think however that: 

1. •         The distractions will further accelerate Bill’s apparent decline in the Old Town Hall
   

2. •         Other hardworking restaurants locally will work hard (and successfully) to combat the unfairness
   

3. •         And the more Bill’s hype that the WSHDCT delivers – the more people will be disappointed at Bill’s in the Old Town Hall
   

    ‘Bring it on’ therefore!

   There is also a lot of current hoo-hah in the press about putting up Park House for sale or rent without consultation. HDC can do this with impunity because the council previously committed legal resources (paid for by the taxpayer) to do the same for the Old Town Hall. HDC successfully ignored the accord with the towns Neighbourhood Councils, and the High Court effectively ruled that it was a ‘one-off’ disposal rather than a change in policy. The largely out-of-town HDC Cabinet despots (particularly those from the South of the District perhaps), can therefore strip any of Horsham town’s assets to their hearts content (in order to feather their own nests, or HDC’s nest) with further ‘one off’ disposals. Having denied true democracy to the town in the shape of further Parish Councils or a Town Council, who will be able to resist them?

   Park House is an interesting one however. In 2006 the ‘under the table’ deal with Bill’s (in contravention of Council policy at the time) collapsed as Bill’s was not prepared to co-exist with the Registrar in the Old Town Hall. West Sussex County Council (on behalf of the Registrar) was prepared to accept a move to Park House -  but the HDC despots were not prepared at the time to give up their ‘creature comforts’ there. Our Trust was consequently offered to be recommended by Leisure Services to take on the Old Town Hall and implement the tourism solution  – provided we conducted further work to co-exist with the Registrar – which we did (in August 2006). Unfortunately, we didn’t account for Liz Kitchen’s dishonourable move (agreed by HDC via whipped vote) to waste all the previous detailed work, thereby wasting the potential tourism benefits for Horsham and the taxpayer’s costs of the exercise so far.

   The HDC despots felt, and were later, forced, to allow the Registrar move to Park House in order to finally, childishly and irrationally get their way over Bill’s in the Old Town Hall of course. Bill’s could thus have been moved by HDC into the Old Town Hall in 2006, instead of six years down the line. This delay wasted an estimated hundreds of thousands of pounds for the taxpayer, without even considering the cost of the lost tourism opportunities as a result of scuppering the Advisory Group backed tourism solution (also supported by an independently approved Full Feasibility Study) - and the fact that much more could have been gained from ethically selecting the vastly superior Gondola bid over Bill’s in 2009.

   No wonder the HDC despots want to get rid of Park House and sort of erase it from people’s memories we think!

   Tomorrows update: Why all existing HDC Councillors need to be removed and how we intend to help facilitate this.

201

posted 8th July 2014

Question: Why do all sitting Councillors have to be removed?

   Answer: The ‘crimes’ at the expense of the Horsham people by HDC in general are well documented on this site.

   However, we also wrote to all Councillors individually some months ago about HDC’s scamming of the High Court by not properly disclosing that the Old Town Hall planning applications were their own. This led to an erroneous judgement in the case, and the unfair award of £884 costs against us. We could have easily appealed, but were offered a meeting by HDC. When the appeal period passed, the offer of the meeting was dishonourably withdrawn by HDC.

   All sitting Councillors were made aware of the above and the fact that we justifiably wanted our £884 back. As we only received half an acknowledgement from Peter Burgess to our letters to all Councillors (individually), we obviously concluded that no sitting Councillor had honour or integrity and that they all think that the above behaviour is a perfectly acceptable way for people in public office. Therefore all sitting Councillors need to be removed in the public interest as far as we are concerned.

   Tactic ‘Number One’ to achieve this has been through our involvement in research studies and inquiries, highlighting specifics of the HDC Councillors’ wayward actions and the behaviours that drive them. We will continue to raise this awareness and indeed, are just about to take part in another research study involving Oxford University.

   Next Update: Tactic ‘Number Two’

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posted 10th July 2014

Question: What is the real news this week?

   Answer: Well, it seems that the fawning West Sussex County Times (WSHDCT) is running out of news, even before the school holidays commence! Cue another article, allegedly by Pedro Martins of Bill’s restaurant at the Old Town Hall. We say allegedly, because check out the journalistic style:

   If you haven’t tasted the best homemade brownies at Just Brownies well you are losing a sweet deal! An inspired piece of journalistic humour we’re sure!

   Other doubts about the authorship occur with:

   We are a market town and we pride ourselves for our fantastic market.

   It’s hard for us to know who Mr Martins is writing for perhaps. Is he saying that he runs the market?

   Another Royal “We” occurs with:

   Sparks in the Park, great for families and specially if you are thinking of moving to Horsham this is the best time to mingle with others and get to know best what We (County Times’ emphasis) offer. Is Mr Martins substituting himself for HDC (Horshambles District Council) here?

   To see Horsham’s talent, The Capitol is presenting Hairspray with our own young talent, to spice it up the Dreamboys will come back later this year, I know ladies, I’m with you on this one! Mmm – enough said we think! As we know, Horsham’s artistic talent extends well beyond male-stripping, that is, if we have interpreted this comment correctly.

   Compare the first of Mr Martins’ three articles with this latest one - and we would be very surprised if Mr Martins wrote such an article, more in keeping with the fawning WSHDCT itself perhaps! Once again, we think that the County Times treats the Horsham public like they are stupid. Given our update today, we very much suspect that Mr Martins regular column will soon die a sudden death in the WSHDCT.

   At least the West Sussex County Times Sub Editors’ English seems to have improved though!

Next update: We will definitely get around to Tactic Number Two as promised.

203

posted 14th July 2014

Question: Why does HDC (Horshambles District Council) speak with forked tongue

on “arts, leisure and cultural reputation”?

   Answer: Yes, it was a bit of a strange column by HDC Leader Ray Dawe in the County Times this week; suspiciously mirroring another of the edition’s columns, allegedly by Bill’s restaurant manager Pedro Martins. Mr Dawe wrote:

   One of the priorities for Horsham District is to build and help support an arts, leisure and cultural reputation.

   Indeed, one of Horsham’s favourite artists is Harry Enfield; famous for inventing hilarious characters such as Stavros who philosophised from his Kebab shop. Also, Loadsamoney. Loadsamoney didn’t own all those properties however, he just plastered them – as it was the lucrative thing to do in his day.

   Leisure 

   According to Mr Dawe, people are visiting our leisure centres in droves. This is why the selfish HDC ‘out-of-town’ despots wanted to sell off Broadbridge Heath Leisure Centre of course (rather than the leisure centres in their own areas). HDC have since back-tracked due to getting their sums wrong, but only to the extent that they are hoping that developers will provide a lot of housing, a bit of retail and a tiny bit of leisure thrown in perhaps. There is no doubt that ‘Crawlsham’ will become a ‘legoland’ of housing for an ageing population – a sort of ‘Eastbourne-not-upon-sea’ we think. However, there is also considerable doubt about whether there will be the required amenities to go with it - and any real take-up of paired down business planning.

   The challenge in the 2003 Tourism Strategy for Horsham District was to create a ‘unique offering’ for Horsham. Leisure centres are not unique.

   The Arts 

   This is quite a turnaround – and a partial victory for arts campaigners such as our Trust. You only have to go back to the days of HDC Leader Robert Nye (not very far!) and he was openly hostile to the arts and the likes of the Capitol Theatre. HDC then inexplicably pulled the plug on Horsham Music Week which was its most cost-effective and kudos winning festival – thanks in part, because it was organised in conjunction with Horsham’s artistic community. Liz Kitchen also scuppered the chance of a regular Horsham Community Festival in 2006 with her dishonourable antics over the Old Town Hall. HDC tried to launch an English Culture Festival of its own in its place, but failed.

   We have just had Sparks in the Park of course. However, events such as this are few and far between now. Again, they are not unique and other areas hold events much more regularly.

   Is Ray Dawe claiming HDC credit for the Shipley Arts Festival whose driving force is a very talented local musician? – although this is supported very well by the local Councillor Gordon Lindsay.

   Horsham Museum 

   Mr Dawe waxes lyrical about the Museum. Was this the same museum that HDC offered as a sacrifice to the Registrars service in 2006 in its first failed attempt to move Bill’s into the Old Town Hall? Yes we think it was! Is it the same Museum that was on a list of Horsham assets for disposal in a secret (but leaked) HDC Cabinet discussion document? Yes we think so!

   Additionally, HDC thought so little of Horsham’s heritage that they vandalised the Grade II Listed Old Town Hall (No 5 on the Horsham Heritage Trail) and paid for the self-approved plans to turn it into a restaurant. In doing so, HDC trashed the significant, unique tourism opportunities that the building afforded – and still affords – once Bill’s bites the dust.   

   Food & Drink 

   Piazza Italia, Frenchfests, Big Nibble etc. are all very well - and bring punters into town for the short spell that they run. Other areas capitalise on Food & Drink events also however – it is not a unique proposition. Though successful in their narrow terms; Piazza Italia, Frenchfests etc do not attract foreign visitors like e.g. the port of Dover with its ferry links to France. They are also ‘off message’. Horsham’s heritage is as a traditional English market town, with its unique folk history and links to rural culture and the great English classical composers.

   In summary, HDC’s woeful lack of thinking; and woeful actions; mean that they dare not mention the word tourism very much. The huge wedges of planning consultation documents etc. make only fleeting, unspecific, passing references to tourism in a few paragraphs here and there we observe. The community’s unique tourism plan that HDC dishonourably scuppered in 2006, deservedly continues to haunt them like an ever-present ghost therefore. It is still the sensible way forward for the District we believe, as HDC’s substitute restaurant and retail strategies are doomed to fail.

   The real philosophy goes on in Horsham gatherings of its ordinary townspeople – with which many HDC Councillors will be unfamiliar. The conversation goes something like this:

   Horsham used to be a nice town, but it’s gradually been ruined. We hear comments like this all the time on our travels. However, the selfish and cynical HDC despots of the South of the District couldn’t care less we think – why should they?

   Next update: Tactic ‘Number Two’ in tackling the problem.

204

posted 17th July 2014

Question: What do you think about this week’s Pedro Martins column in the West Sussex Council Times newspaper, and what is the elusive Tactic Number Two?

   Answer: Our thoughts originally were that, having teased the County Times (WSHDCT) previously about the Pedro Martins column, we were expecting a double page spread this week (from the WSHDCT, rather than Mr Martins himself). Although not quite meeting these meaty proportions of the paper yet, it seems the WSCT is ‘getting there’ though. Check out the title too; one that appears to confuse fact with misguided opinion i.e. ‘Network groups helping businesses to thrive’. We would rewrite this as:

   ‘Network groups helping disadvantaged Horsham town businesses struggle less’.

   The regular Horsham parking charge hikes levied by Horshambles District Council - yielding 1.4 million to subsidise general HDC funds, whilst leaving other areas relatively untouched, would seem to be an example of this. HDC also do ‘parking charges’ under a rule that means that they don’t have to put it out to consultation. There is thus therefore, no COMMUNITY in HDC – only ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’. Indeed, there are in fact, two communities. There are those that are favoured in the South of the District courtesy of their predominance of ‘out-of-town’ Council members, Cabinet members and Parish Councils; and those others from Horsham town in the North of the District that are not.

   Other immediate thoughts was a confusion about Mr Martins pontificating on business considerations, when Bill’s in Horsham had dropped to number 44 in the Tripadvisor ratings (originally in the top 10). He talks about a business ‘dream’, but to us, the Bill’s dream died (as at the original Lewes Store) when Bill’s got into bed with COTE and was rolled out as a chain.

   The success of our site however, is that HDC and the fawning County Times has now been forced into a debate - rather than sitting in what we have seen previously as an arrogant, ‘couldn’t care less’, unaccountable position. If you look at the history of our updates and the resultant propaganda by HDC and the WSCT you will see what we mean. In this respect, we have succeeded as a charity where the political opposition parties, with all their posturing in the press and Council chamber, have failed. The ‘coalition’ was the final nail in Lib Dems coffin of course, and Roger Arthur’s defection to UKIP hasn’t really changed things much. UKIP have seemingly struggled to differentiate themselves from the local conservatives.

   But back to Pedro Martins’ alleged column. It was all a bit ‘businessy’, so we asked our own Business Adviser, who has a Masters Degree in Business Administration to give his view. He said:

   “Mr Martins gives an insight into some of the things that make a business successful i.e. ‘a great product, customer service, profitability, budgeting awareness ...’. However, this is not an exhaustive list and probably misses the two most important things.

   Firstly there is the customer and what the customer wants. The Bill’s branches at Lewes and Brighton appear to be much more successful than Horsham for example. This is partly because Lewes was the original store and to some extent, dines out on the original dream, but also because Brighton and Lewes’ ‘chic’ customers, are much more conscious of image perhaps. I think that this is why Bill’s has struggled more in areas outside of the obvious Brighton, Lewes and Covent Garden. For example, the original deal between Bill’s and HDC fell through because Bill’s hadn’t made their anticipated profits at the Reading branch.

   Horsham customers are more down to earth and want quality, value for money food with good service in my belief. There are many nearby outlets that can supply this in Horsham of course. The Bill’s reviews you have showed me and their Tripadvisor position elude to the fact that Bill’s in Horsham haven’t quite got this message in terms of their local customer I feel.

   The second thing is a business’s ‘organisational context’, i.e. the environment that it is operating in. You have previously mentioned the punitive parking charges in Horsham town, the introduction of evening parking charges etc. but they will equally apply to the competition there. Competing on a level playing field is important. In my opinion however, I agree that Horsham town businesses are disadvantaged as compared to those outside the town.

   Additionally, there is no real doubt that Bill’s was, and still is, politically favoured above others in the town, both by HDC and the West Sussex County Times. Bill’s was politically selected above the superior Gondola bid against Council rules of course. They might also have been selected unfairly above W J King. However, HDC prefers to keep the details of the later bids secret. Bill’s was also granted the Old Town Hall by HDC at some £15,000 below market value. The County Times further affords Bill’s a lot of disproportionate free publicity. In spite of this, the pseudo diversification of Bill’s locally, into things such as business networking, and the distractions of newspaper columns and competitions etc. all look a little bit desperate perhaps.

   Mr Martins is right about one thing I think, “... without passion a business will die.” One thing to drive passion in my view is unfairness, and I believe that other Horsham businesses that are in competition with Bill’s are passionately responding to the perception that they are not competing on a level playing field. Secondly, other competitors seem to be responding with a concentrated, basic passion for quality, value-for-money food and good service; more in tune with what the Horsham customer wants. Mr Martins also writes that ‘.. the growth of any business is deeply connected with the ability to network, an important part of a marketing plan’. I think that Bill’s rather overt networking with Horsham District Council and the West Sussex County Times might ultimately prove fatal however.

   On the subject of business networking, Horsham is in a rather unusual position. Most towns will have the equivalent of a Chamber of Commerce and Industry, with business membership and elected representatives to truly represent the local business community’s interests. However, probably as a result of the Horsham Chamber of Commerce criticising HDC in 2007, they seemed to be quickly ‘frozen out’ by the Council. In response, HDC seemed to me to substitute unrepresentative quangos; with handpicked people in bodies such as the Community Development Partnership and Business Unlimited, which apparently got nowhere and have faded into relative obscurity, thereby joining the Horsham Chamber of Commerce they were supposed to undermine. It seemed to me that the first Chairman of the Community Development Partnership, Gary Shipton of the West Sussex County Times, was unduly seduced by the role too. Mr Martins is right that it is “essential to Horsham that businesses come together...”. however, they will need to come together in equal, democratic, representative terms and be given a free voice by HDC. This is probably why Mr Martins avoids the issue and prefers to cite Sussex Women in Business, Mumpreneurs Business club and Business Sussex Club as networking examples. Where networking starts, and consultants looking to gain business ends, is often another consideration of course.”

   We couldn’t have put it better ourselves! Mr Martins (or the WSHDCT) concludes with:

If we all works as a Team we will achieve more! Together Everyone Achieves More.   

   However, we in the Horsham District are clearly not in it together. There is the South of the District and the asset stripped, democratically hampered, unfairly treated, dumped upon North (predominantly Horsham town). The HDC motto is in practice:

    To them that have, more shall be given (except for all the bad things such as swathes of legoland housing).

   We are not everyone similarly. In local business too, there are those companies that are unduly favoured by HDC and those that are not.

   Horsham town is not achieving its true potential as a result. It might easily be seen on the basis of many indicators to be achieving less!

   In addressing the above, Tactic Number Two is to invest heavily in a revamp of our website and a number of imaginative measures to publicise it widely, just ahead of the next election. At the moment HDC propaganda - and the WSHDCT newspaper – though probably ‘over the top’ and consequently not very influential, has the drop on us in terms of resources and people reached. It won’t be the case for many months longer however - and they will need to come out with some ‘substance’.

   It’s good to see that the WSHDCT sub-editors’ use of capital letters has improved though – no big ‘W’ in Royal ‘We’ for example!

Next update: Tactic Number Three.

205

posted 24th July 2014

Question: Why do you think that the West Sussex County Times (WSHDCT) is

cowardly with its fawning opinions?

   Answer: Because they stubbornly persist with their Pedro Martins column (Manager at Bill’s occupying Horsham’s Old Town Hall). The column inanely ‘bangs on’ about Horsham’s alleged ‘community’ (the HDC Cabinet protected ‘haves’ from the South of the District and the democratically denied, Horsham town in the North).

   However, the WSHDCT is clearly ‘backing off’ and running out of content this week:

   Too much ice cream will certainly give you a tummy ache. Do us a favour!

   For the first time, we have some sympathy with Bill’s. What do we think? We think that Dr Martins is being used as a political pawn by the County Times, the cheerleaders for Horsham District Council. Interesting too perhaps, the WSHDCT chooses not to declare Mr Martins’ well earned doctorate (either in keeping with his interests in Phylosophy (sic) or Theology maybe?). Does the WSHDCT think that declaring Mr Martins’ post-graduate qualifications will disconnect him from the readership perhaps? – or something else? Why?  

   We think that the WSHDCT should put their own opinions ‘out there’ via their declared Editorial column and not hide behind others therefore. We think that the WSHDCT’s cowardly campaign via the alleged Pedro Martins column can only make Mr Martin’s and Bill’s even more vulnerable.

   For example, while Mr Martins’ allegedly bangs on about the Horsham community, his name appears to be attached to the new Bill’s site about to open up in Epsom. And the plot thickens further! Davis Coffer Lyons are apparently the marketing agents due to lease the new Epsom, Tunbridge Wells and Bury sites. Is this the same Davis Coffer Lyons that were retained as consultants to Horsham District Council? - and were the alleged independent marketing agents for Horsham’s Old Town Hall at the same time - in an apparent conflict of interest? – yes we think it is! Is this the same Davis Coffer Lyons that were alleged by Horsham District Council to have made the planning application for the Old Town Hall when it was in fact, HDC themselves all along? Yes we think it is! Is this the Davis Coffer Lyons that was perhaps bizarrely selected as the chosen marketing agent for the Old Town Hall when the alternative bid from Carr Priddle was the cheaper bid – and one that apparently matched the Invitation To Tender criteria better? Yes we think it is!   

   We believe that the WSHDCT’s misguided, fawning campaign - can only serve to put Mr Martins’, Bill’s and Davis Coffer Lyons under further scrutiny. Thanks to the past research of our Trust, Bill’s doesn’t need any more of this! Judging by the latest reviews of Bill’s that have been submitted by a reader below, Mr Martins needs to focus on the job in hand too!

“Poor quality and quantity of food and ambiance”  reviewed 18th July 2014

   First time I have been to a Bills restaurant and cafe. I won't return. I found the service below average with poor customer service. I was in a party of 10 and I had phoned in advance to find out about special dietary needs as I am gluten and dairy intolerant. I was told they had a whole menu for this so no problem. When I got there the waitress was unaware of the menu for special dietary needs and eventually brought me out a list of allergens contained in the normal menu which was what the special menu turned out to be. I was really stuck and they were very unhelpful. Others in our party had various expensive dishes including fish pie for £13.95. It was in a very small dish and so overcooked the potato had stuck hard on the dish. It was advertised as containing scallops and prawns but amongst 4 in our party no one found either! The music was awful too - ghastly 1980s stuff - not what you would expect of a place purporting to be a stylish cafe/ restuarant with a Spanish flavour. The house white wine was the only good thing about Bills! (Senior contributor)

“Mediocre” reviewed 22nd July 2014

   We dined on Saturday evening with 3 friends. The wine was not cold (apparently one of the fridges had broken down) I returned one glass and was given another glass which was not cold. I appreciate things like this can happen but we should have not been charged for this. Overall the drinks are expensive and the food was tasty but portions very small. Staff were pleasant but left with impression that the heat in the upper part of the restaurant was too much for all. Would not eat here again. (Senior contributor)

   Next update: We will really get around to ‘Tactic Number Three’ in the fight against HDC sleaze.

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posted 30th July 2014

Question: What has been the reaction to your recent updates and what is the third tactic in removing all the sitting Horshambles District Councillors (HDC)?

   Answer: It has been a very good reaction to our updates, yielding a record month in internet traffic.  

   We mentioned recently that we had been told that the manager at the local Bill’s (currently occupying the people’s Horsham Old Town Hall) was also connected with the Epsom branch, whilst ‘banging on’ about Horsham’s community - although we are currently unable to absolutely confirm details of this link. Thanks however to the reader that sent in what they say are the reviews of the Epsom branch, re-printed below. A bit worrying for HDC and the fawning County Times (WSHDCT) perhaps? It will be interesting if the WSHDCT continue with their misguided Pedro Martins column tomorrow. Nevertheless, it’s nice to see all this free publicity for Bill’s having an effect in Horsham we think. Bill’s in the Old Town Hall seems to have sunk further to number 46 in the Tripadvisor ratings during this last week.

   We mentioned recently ‘Tactic Number One’ in removing all of the current HDC Councillors i.e. by taking part in national consultations. One supporter recently took part in the survey by Oxford University which looked closely at the (lack of) integrity of politicians and how things were being viewed by party members. One of the key things featured in the response was the lack of democracy in Horsham town; democracy denied by largely out-of-town Councillors (plus Christian Mitchell and Liz Kitchen), led by a largely out-of-town HDC Cabinet.

   ... reflected the lack of democracy in the Horsham town area where they had unelected Neighbourhood Councils compared to elected Parish Councils. Via the Cabinet system, largely out-of-town Horsham District Council (HDC) Councillors dictated to the town and effectively subsidised / unfairly protected the voters in their own wards....... People in the Neighbourhood Councils pay the hated 'town tax' which is effectively taxation without representation. The commitment to a Community Governance Review (CGR) was subsequently reneged on by Horsham District Council in 2007, effectively denying democracy on the grounds of cost. At £54,000 however, this was a tiny fraction of some project overspends by HDC. The denial of a CGR was also criticised by the District Auditor's manager. The ongoing undemocratic structure of the Neighbourhood Councils in Horsham town, whilst the ruling out-of-town Councillors denying that democracy enjoy the benefits of Parish Councils in their own areas, has seen terribly unfair decisions and even seen the need for 'workarounds' as a result of the Localism Act.

   We couldn’t have put it better ourselves!

   Meanwhile, Horsham District’s ‘North South Divide’ continued recently with another announcement from HDC....

   Residents of Storrington, Sullington and Washington are set to benefit from a stronger role in shaping their community and position themselves to receive significant funding from the Community Infrastructure Levy being introduced across the country, as a result of their decision to produce a Neighbourhood Plan.

A steering group made up of councillors from each parish and representatives of the local community has been formed to manage the process with the help of AIRS and RCOH Development Consultants.

Commenting on the decision of the parish councils to adopt a Neighbourhood Plan approach, Cabinet Member for Living and Working Communities Cllr. Claire Vickers said:

   I am delighted that these parish councils have embraced the Neighbourhood Plan approach as it enables communities to play a much stronger role in shaping the areas in which they live and work. Additionally, parish councils that cluster together each get a bonus of 20% of their basic grant and will benefit from 25% of the revenues from the Community Infrastructure Levy arising from the development that takes place in their area as a result of adopting a Neighbourhood Plan.

   Chairman of the Planning Committee for Storrington and Sullington Parish Council Anna Worthington-Leese said:

   We are very pleased to be working with our neighbouring Parish of Washington to create a Neighbourhood Plan which will empower us as a community to create planning solutions which can help shape and protect our local environment.

   We are confident that we can produce a robust plan that will provide a coherent vision for our parishes and we hope that the public will support us in this process.

   In addition, Horsham District Council is currently consulting on a joint area application from four neighbouring councils in the south (our emphasis) of the district: Steyning, Ashurst, Wiston and Bramber PCs.  Like Storrington & Sullington and Washington PCs, the councils concerned have decided to develop a single plan for their combined area.

   In other words we think – to them that hath in the South – more shall be given (in terms of democratic leverage and resources) – whilst the unparished areas of the town are left to lag behind and be plundered further. Cynical, or what?

   With the all the current HDC Councillors continuing to bury their heads in the sand and continuing with their lack of honour and integrity (in that if they are not part of the solution, they are part of the problem),Tactic Number Three is to stand a celebrity musician candidate in the General Election in 2015. It will be for publicity rather than votes as he will lose his deposit. However the publicity will be unequalled, particularly as Horsham’s MP, Francis Maude is a governmental Cabinet Member. This is the MP that having accepted an assurance from Liz Kitchen that the Old Town Hall would remain in community use, then metaphorically ‘ran away’ from the issue when Mrs Kitchen subsequently reneged on the pledge. Francis had previously told us that whilst he could not interfere with HDC decisions, he told us that he did have influence. As it turned out, his influence was ‘zilch’ and he subsequently said that he ‘couldn’t comment about the Old Town Hall’ in the 2010 election.

   The extra, important bonus of standing in a General Election will be to get a targeted election address delivered to every household in every HDC ward as well.

   On top of that, we will have an excellent Election Agent in our Business Adviser who stood against Francis Maude in 2005 to highlight the issue of mental health. Even then, we remember that our adviser did well on all the other political issues that were put too. For example, whilst Francis Maude was talking during the hustings about installing democracy in Iraq, our adviser said the region would inevitably slide into civil war as a result. It’s a good job that Francis Maude is not at the Foreign Office perhaps!

   The civil war between the North and South of Horsham District will be growing for the local reasons we have outlined too.

   Next update: Tactic Number Four in removing all current HDC Councillors; those that lack honour and integrity and have let the people down so badly in recent years.

   Meanwhile, here are the Epsom reviews that were sent in....

   Another poor chain restaurant in Epsom  reviewed 26th July 2014

   After the closure of Field to Fork which always had fresh cooked lovely food, thought we would give this a try and was disappointed by the bland food that we could have cooked better at home, boring overcooked pasta with no flavour for the children which they did not finish. Overcooked naked burger and an expensive tuna salad which would have been ok as a starter and not a main.
   Just another same old chain in Epsom probably with the kitchen staff (our food clearly was not cooked by a chef) using a step by step laminated guide on the wall for each dish.
   This place lost me as a customer as soon as we walked in and our waiter spent the entire time calling me buddy or mate. 'You ready to order mate?' 'How was that buddy?' 'Anything else I can get you buddy?' Yes you can stop calling me BUDDY!
   I wont be back, seeing how busy it is I can only assume that most people in Epsom don't know good food from bad and will happily pay to eat out and pay for food that you could cook a whole lot better at home.

  “Disappointing” reviewed 28th July 2014

   Thought I'd try this restaurant as it is new to the area. This restaurant chain doesn't quite know what it wants to be. It has items to buy on the shelves like a deli yet the food is quite basic. They are using the Carluccios idea of selling their food products within the restaurant but it doesn't really work.
   I opted for the safe option - the burger. It was quite bland and I've had better at gastro pubs or even at Gourmet Burger Kitchen. I thought you couldn't go wrong with a basic burger ! My friend ordered the lamb rump and that was more disapppointing. It was just three very small pieces of lamb and the plate consisted mainly of rocket leaves. My friend remarked that the lamb was very bland and she was still hungry afterwards.
   The desserts were slightly better . I had the sickly chocolate brownie and my friend had an icecream. This was fine but nothing special. Don't expect the food to be carefully presented ... It's basic and overpriced.
   The restaurant has been decorated well and it has an informal feel to it. However it was extremely noisy from the loud music booming out from the sound system. It was difficult to hold a conversation over dinner here.
   Think this place is overpriced and there are better alternatives to try around Epsom. (Senior contributor)

207

posted 4th August 2014

Question: What’s the latest news in the civil war between the North and South of Horsham District, where the South are unfairly but firmly entrenched in power at HDC. Also, What is tactic Number Four?

   Answer: Horsham District Council is laying out £625,000 to purchase the assets of a failed and closed Storrington doctors’ surgery in the South (Storrington), whilst stripping – or planning to strip -  assets in the North (particularly Horsham itself).

   HDC says it has: 

   ... moved quickly... (not that quickly as the surgery closed in May!) ...in an effort to secure good quality and long term medical facilities for residents in the village and the wider area by purchasing the redundant Millstream building

   Questions are many: 

1. •        Is Horsham District Council stepping outside of its remit in directly interfering in health provision?
   

2. •        What is/has been Dr Bailey’s connections with the Conservative Party if any?
   

3. •        What has been Storrington and Sullington Parish Council’s involvement to date (given that Horsham town is denied the right to parish Councils in order to promote and protect their interests, and govern their own assets)?
   

4. •        When health provision inevitably falls short as a result of the new North Horsham Development, will Horsham District Council respond in similar fashion? We can answer this one already we think – No!
   

   Tactic Number Four therefore (although it may also affect the Council after the elections in 2015 this time as well) - is to officially object to this expenditure and prompt another audit inquiry (very revealing in the past); also backed up with a court case as we have done before. The Council are definitely very vulnerable on this one we believe.

   On another subject, we are looking forward to another Pedro Martins column(please see previous updates) in the West Sussex County Times this week. We thought that with the growing resistance from the Horsham public (reflected in a letter by Barbara Worley last week), that this column would have died a death by now. However, we clearly underestimated the stubbornness of the West Sussex Council Times in their efforts to unfairly and freely  promote Bill’s in the Old Town Hall, as opposed to equally promoting the other Horsham restaurants (arguably much more successful ones). Perhaps HDC taught the WSHDCT all they know about stubborn, arrogant power etc. Nevertheless, die an inevitable death soon the Pedro Martins’ column will! The WSHDCT will try and cover their ass by saying that it is someone else’s turn to write a column, but no-one with any sense will believe them!

   Next update: Our next update will be 18th August when, as usual, there will be plenty more to write about HDC.

208

posted 18th August 2014

Question: Have you a last word on the Pedro Martins column in the West Sussex County Times (WSHDCT)?

   Answer: Yes, absolutely! While we were on holiday Pedro wrote:

   The dining al fresco controversy in Market Square of last year’s adventure has paid off

   As usual, we are not exactly sure what Mr Martins means here - but Market Square certainly hasn’t paid off for Bill’s [and by implication, Horshambles District Council (HDC) and the WSHDCT] we have observed.

   We campaigned against the additional ‘handing over’ of Market Square to Bill’s on two grounds:

   1) It was a further loss of community space

   2) It was an unfair proposal to Bill’s competitors such as Artisan

   On the second point, we were partially successful. HDC were embarrassed into the granting of some space (although not very much compared to Bill’s) to the highly successful Artisan. During the good summer weather we have monitored things closely and the result is:

   Artisan’s tables and chairs outside in Market Square have been generally full. At the same time, Bill’s tables and chairs in Market Square have been largely empty.

   It sets up an interesting dilemma for all perhaps:

1. •         Does Artisan ask for more space from HDC on the basis of demand? Or does Artisan continue to ‘dine out’ on the competition for their own places - and the picture of Artisan’s relative success this image portrays to would-be customers?
   

2. •         Does Bill’s voluntarily concede less space in Market Square to Artisan and others (in an attempt to counter Bill’s perceived unsuccessful  image) and risk the fact that Bill’s competitors fills their increased space too?
   

   Meanwhile, we think that Nandos will be another nail in Bill’s Old Town Hall coffin. Add in the developers who are leading HDC by the nose to out-of-town retail developments - and Bill’s in the Old Town Hall is certainly doomed we believe. We look forward to the day when the Horsham community reclaim what was always theirs (the Old Town Hall) and HDC (and the WSHDCT) have Bill’s egg all over their face.

   We also look forward to Pedro Martins column in the WSHDCT continuing until that time!

Next update: The sham review of the Horsham District Planning Framework.

209

posted 26th August 2014

Question: What are your thoughts on the examination of Horsham District Council’s Planning Framework (HDPF) by the Planning Inspectorate?

   Answer: We believe it will be the same ‘sham consultation’ as was the inquiry into East Street (please see previous updates) - and will be a foregone conclusion.

   Housing plans fall into:

1)      New towns – but there is always controversy about where you put them.

2)      New garden cities (if you are Nick Clegg) – but similarly, there is always controversy about where you put them.

3)      Making village communities more sustainable, with multiple, well planned and integrated (i.e. including amenities), sensitive, small developments across the board.

   Cabinet Member Claire Vickers summed it up nicely It  (the HDPF) will also put us in a much stronger position to control the location and extent of development and resist planning appeals by developers

   In other words we think, use the undemocratic nature of HDC to dump everything ‘housing’ as an appendage to the relatively powerless Horsham town in order to create ‘Crawlsham’ or ‘Greater Crawley’ and in this way, we will protect our ruling Conservative voting wards of the South from a NIMBY (Not In Our Back Yard) perspective.

   Next update: More on the impact on Horsham town.

210

posted 30th August 2014

Question: How do you read the impact on Horsham town from the current housing developments, let alone the proposed North Horsham development?

   Answer: There has obviously been plenty of impact traffic wise from existing developments alone. For example, simply drive by the Tesco’s roundabout at Broadbridge Heath to find out. Much of this congestion isn’t even going to the town either it seems. It is on the A24/A264 to somewhere else. We fully expect Horsham District Council’s mates at West Sussex County Council and the Planning Inspectorate to continue to gloss over this ever increasing problem however.

    Add to this the GP surgeries issue, as the misguided out-of-town retail strategy (with developers leading Horsham District Council by the nose) continues unabated.

   The denial of democracy to Horsham town by HDC (i.e. the town’s right to form further Parish Councils/Town Council), means that the HDC Cabinet vampires (predominantly serving the South of the District) continue to cynically suck the life-blood out of the town, with little-to-no effective resistance it seems. As the prospect of a unitary authority looms, why should they care?

   What was always needed was a tourism solution for Horsham town. This is why we provided the approved and recommended tourism plan based around Horsham’s Old Town Hall in 2006.

   Since then, the likes of the West Sussex Council Times (WSHDCT) have attempted to re-write history, posing that our plan was superseded by a successful restaurant in the Old Town Hall i.e. Bill’s. In fact, our plan was finally superseded by a politically and personally motivated attempt at HDC to implement its own ‘community’ based solution. When this collapsed in an incompetent and confused heap, HDC desperately reached for Bill’s once more. As it happens Bill’s in the Old Town Hall is increasingly looking far from successful and it seems to us, that its manager has consequently switched his attention to weekly ‘psychobabble’ ramblings in the WSHDCT.

   So....

1. •         The Council couldn’t implement a solution in a single building. Yet the people of Horsham are expected to believe that HDC can successfully implement solutions across the whole District.
   

2. •         The Chairman of the second Old Town Hall Advisory Group, Roger Paterson couldn’t even oversee a successful solution in a single building. Yet the people of Horsham are expected to believe that he could oversee Economic Development across the whole District.
   

   We think it’s no wonder that we are in the mess that we are in!

211

posted 8th September 2014

Question: What makes you think that Horsham District Council are getting even more desperate about Bill’s in the Old Town Hall?

   Answer: Take a look at the HDC poster for the Beer Trail. It features a bottle of Bill’s Beer. The Beer Trail is sponsored by Piries and The Black Jug - but Bill’s in the Old Town Hall is also number one on the card. Desperate measures we think.

   Cabinet Member for the lack of Local Economy (particularly in relation to tourism), Roger Patterson was also doing a photo shoot at Bill’s Sunday 7th September. This is very apt, as Roger Paterson chaired the second Old Town Hall Advisory group. It was the failure of his Committee that was ultimately responsible for the trashing of this Grade II Listed building that had so much tourism potential – and for HDC desperately reaching out to Bill’s once more (when they could have more profitably reached for Gondola or W J King too).

   The trouble with all these desperate publicity measures by the Council and West Sussex County Times on behalf of Bill’s (WSHDCT) [e.g. Pedro Martins’ regular column] is that it dilutes the Bill’s brand. Is Bill’s a restaurant, or is it a brewery? Is Bill’s a restaurant, or is it some kind of centre for weird philosophy?

   Without a loyal, targeted market - Bill’s is unlikely to survive much longer in the Old Town Hall we think. There are plenty of value for money, alternative offerings to steal away the general market, particularly given Bill’s mixed messages. We can’t wait!

   Next update: SMART Parking? - or more on the Beer Trail (a bit more research is necessary on the latter)!  

212

posted 11th September 2014

Question: What happened to Roger Paterson’s (HDC Cabinet Member for the lack of Local Economy) ‘photo call’ in front of the Old Town Hall?

   Answer: We can only speculate, but we are probably not too wide of the mark we think.

   The photo call was perhaps likely to do with a piece initially run on the fawning West Sussex County Times (WSHDCT) website about Horsham having less “void” retail units than other areas. As far as we can tell at a quick glance, after our intervention about Roger Paterson - and HDC’s shameless, unfair publicity for Bill’s - the piece died a quiet death.

   In the last update we covered HDC’s advertising of ‘Bill’s Beer’ (we are not sure that this is within Council rules either). That apart, ‘Bill’s Beer’ is not strictly true it seems. Bill’s Beer is actually made by Harveys, the Lewes brewery that is opposite the original Bill’s (before Bill’s it lost its way). After our intervention, HDC probably realised the PR danger in promoting ‘Bill’s Beer’, especially over and above the other local Horsham brewers.

   As it turns out, the word on the street is that the Beer Trail was much less successful than last year. Another triumph for Bill’s ‘diverse’ involvement perhaps!

   Thanks also to the people that sent in these Bill’s reviews below. Perhaps Bill’s should indeed, try brewing instead. One reader observed that many of the bad reviews for Bill’s were from ‘top contributors’ although we don’t exactly know what this means at the moment.

   Roger Paterson first came out of the closet on the Council’s new SmartPark last week. HDC are introducing a new ticketless parking system to make parking easier and more convenient for visitors.

   What they really mean we think, is to reduce the costs associated with collecting unfair, destructive parking fees in the town and making even more money (£1.4 million last year). We have been writing about the Council’s structural addiction to parking income in order to balance the books for many years. This burden primarily falls on the town of course, courtesy of the ‘out-of-town’ despots that undemocratically dominate HDC. However, our opposition over parking means that the Council can’t easily hike parking charges again. They don’t want to fairly hike charges for their own constituents in the South of the District before an election, so they have to reduce costs it seems.

   That said, its perhaps unusual to find the words ‘Smart’ and ‘Roger Paterson’ in the same place.

   He laughably said:

   The only thing you need to do, if you are like me, is to make sure you remember your car’s number plate. There are plenty of reminders to make a note of it before you leave the car park, but one suggestion is to take a photo of your number plate on your phone, which strikes me as a very good idea.

   In other words it seems, the Horsham people are too thick to remember their own number plate. Typical of the Council’s patronising, arrogant culture we think.

   On the highly selective “void retail unit” figures Roger Paterson said:

   The town’s latest achievement of lowest retail vacancy void rates contributes significantly to a superior visitor experience, making Horsham an increasingly popular shopping and leisure destination.

   A bit premature – and a bit of a mental leap - perhaps. We’ll see how Horsham town fares when the out of town developments kick in and other more prominent retail areas recover. We were also not sure of how these figures were collected and how reliable they are – so to be sure – we asked our Business Adviser to comment.

   Martin Jeremiah said:

    I think it is because Horsham has traditionally small, relatively low levels of retail activity along with too much empty office space. The nature of the traditional retail activity (which is increasingly under threat from things other than recession) most likely explains the lower void figure for the moment.  

    More significantly, I believe approximately 25% of Horsham’s workforce works outside the District. The effect of further job cuts at Novartis and RSA might also kick in soon. I doubt if Horsham Town’s traditional retail activity can compete in the long-term without the support of a sustainable tourism plan that can differentiate itself from those elsewhere. The HDC promoted events that occur in the town centre from time to time are unlikely to make much of a difference I think. Indeed, one contact says that many of the permanent Horsham businesses tell him that there is often a negative impact on trade from these events. Without reliable figures as to the overall impact on trade, it is hard to tell. Even then, other areas are likely to continue to ‘nibble away’ at these kind of ‘non-unique’ initiatives that are easy to replicate.

   The true measure of the local economy might be the total value of businesses across the District/area, number of full-time jobs/head of population in the District etc. and I would expect these figures to have been steadily falling over the last twenty years or so. 

   In other words we believe, Roger Paterson’s words were likely to come back to haunt him and he was therefore once again quietly covered in mothballs and put back in the closet so to speak.

   We would add that Roger Paterson is one of the least qualified people to talk about empty units. His failure as Chairman of the second Old Town Hall Advisory Group to implement the Council’s own community solution for the Old Town Hall in 2007 meant that the Old Town Hall remained empty and unnecessarily denied to the public for many years. This was a simple ‘fit of pique’ by HDC in response to criticism about their ineptitude. The consequential quest for Bill’s in the Old Town Hall once more, in order to try and cover up this ineptitude, wasted the taxpayer over a million pounds as well as losing the significant tourism benefits.

   Here are the Bill’s reviews referred to above ....

   "Average" reviewed 6th September 2014

   A friend had been and said it was ok so gave this one a go, building itself is nice, we were upstairs. Chairs had cushions on that moved around being uncomfortable. Food was actually quite nice just disappointing that portions were reasonably small especially considering the price. If I'm honest that decided for us to skip a pudding as it made you think the £6 brownie would the size if a matchbox, no idea if it was but the small starter and main did not encourage a third course.
Nice enough place and food just a tad expensive for the small portions. (Top contributor)

   “Ignorant Staff” reviewed 8th September 2014

   Walked in, stood by the door for a good 3 mins. It was so awkward! Idiots. Bar man didnt even smile, just ignored. Waiter turned back and walked in the other direction then disappeared. I just wouldnt even bother wasting my time or money there.

   Next update: More ‘unravelling’ as to HDC’s misplaced claims about prosperity in the town centre.

213

posted 18th September 2014

Question: Why might Horsham District Council’s Cabinet Member for the lack of

Local Economy, Roger Paterson be so forgetful?

   Answer: Indeed, we seem to have caused much mirth about Roger Paterson’s comments on

SMART(?) parking. One reader suggested that it was no good him taking a picture of his number plate on his phone as he might lose the phone as well. Another reader suggested to him an alternative of having a key ring with his number plate inscribed on it - as is the case with most hire cars. He would have to avoid losing his keys of course!

    In our view however – Roger Paterson is perfectly qualified to serve on HDC.

   HDC likes to forget lots of things, all featured in previous updates in detail on this site:

1. ★        HDC’s previous boast of being the second best place to live. We don’t know who said this in the first place, but it seems they are not saying it now.
   

2. ★        Horsham’s anxiety.
   

3. ★        All the stubborn, wasted, hundreds of thousands of pounds over ten years on the misguided Park & Ride scheme.
   

4. ★        The incompetent 1.4 million pound overspend on the Acorn scheme over two accounting years.
   

5. ★        The dubious selection of Davis Coffer Lyons over Carr Priddle for marketing the Old Town Hall as a restaurant.
   

6. ★        The dubious extension of the Invitation to Tender to make Davis Coffer Lyons a consultant to the Council and create a conflict of interest, especially given their close connection to the Bill’s project managers at the time.
   

7. ★        The initial £75,000 verbal offer from Bill’s (as reported by Davis Coffer Lyons) that inexplicably became £60,000 (£15,000 less than market value).
   

8. ★        The unethical selection of Bill’s over Gondola for the Old Town Hall that cost the taxpayer half a million pounds over the term of the lease.
   

9. ★        The dubious extension of the tender to add Crickmay for marketing the Old Town Hall when Davis Coffer Lyons were meant to be the sole agent.
   

10. ★        The refusal under Freedom of Information to release the scoresheets that selected Bill’s over W J King for the Old Town Hall. Was this an unethical selection too?
    

11. ★..... and lots more, that we will remind people of in future updates.
    

   One thing’s for sure in our minds. The Council’s unethical behaviour started with the Old Town Hall - and it will end with the Old Town Hall (when Bill’s pulls out and this desperate Council has Bill’s egg all over its face). Pedro Martin’s regular column in the West Sussex County Times will (very entertainingly we admit) only serve to accelerate the process.

   Next update: More Council forgetfulness.

214

posted 24th September 2014

Question: Has political corruption changed in Horsham over the years?

   Answer: It’s hard to tell. Horsham District Council’s museum recently acquired a painting by John Lucas of Robert Seymour Vesey Fitzgerald, a candidate in the 1847 election and the town’s future MP. Horsham District Council recently wrote: 

   Come the election in 1847, Fitzgerald stood against the Attorney General. Fitzgerald lost by 9 votes out of 319 cast. Fitzgerald petitioned Parliament, saying the election was corrupt, even though at one event he paid Ł80 for 200 bottles of wine, 40 bowls of punch, grogs and ale, all for 120 people.

   The difference these days is that every adult is entitled to vote of course – and it is now possible for the Council to effectively bribe them with their own money. Well, we say that everybody can vote, but in Horsham District Council’s Parish elections, not everyone can vote - and not everyone’s vote has the same weight. For example, the people in the unparished areas of the town were denied the right to consider forming their own Parish Councils by HDC in 2007. Combined with the hated ‘town tax’ they now have taxation without representation. No right to democratically manage their own affairs and control their own assets. The town tax can be used by HDC’s out-of-town despots to subsidise ‘their own’ outside the town, particularly in the South of the District. No matter who the people of the unparished areas of the town vote for in HDC elections, they can be ‘lorded over’ by the predominantly out-of-of town HDC Cabinet and their assets stripped for the benefits of others given the lack of protection by a parish Council. Out of town voters can therefore be bribed by HDC with others’ money as well.

   Horsham’s Old Town Hall was a prime example. For many years, those paying the ‘town tax’ in the unparished areas maintained the building for community use. £205,814 was reserved in the Council accounts for community use too. The out-of-town despots from HDC released the money back into general funds and instead, conducted under the table negotiations (in contravention of Council policy at the time) to hand the building over to Bill’s.

1. ★         What was the Council’s motivation to hand the Old Town Hall over to Bill’s when Gondola offered significantly more – half a million pounds over the term of the lease?
   

2. ★         What was the Council’s motivation to hand the Old Town Hall over to Bill’s at £60,000, when Bill’s initial verbal offer was £75,000?
   

3. ★         Why was Davis Coffer Lyons originally selected as the sole agent over Carr Priddle – Carr Priddle being perceived to make the most competitive bid in terms of meeting the Invitation To Tender?
   

4. ★         Why were DCL also hired as consultants to the Council in a conflict of interest?
   

5. ★         Why was £40,000 handed to Dial Post Village Hall without due process?
   

6. ★... and much more. The Horsham public still do not know the answer to such questions.
   

    These days, people think they are protected by external auditors such as the Audit Commission. The District Auditor once concluded (when investigating the Old Town Hall issue) that HDC did not have the mechanisms to detect and prevent fraud. She advised sealed bids for the second attempt to dispose of the Old Town Hall. However, the Council stuck the metaphorical ‘two fingers’ up to the Commission and ignored her advice. The Commission duly backed off and concluded that the subsequent selection of Bill’s over W J King was fair. In which case, why won’t the Council release the scoresheets under Freedom of Information?

   The answer to all this for the unparished areas, apparently, is – rather than confront the above head on – is to make an ‘Application for Designation as a Neighbourhood Forum under the provisions of the Localism Act 2012 chaired by Lib Dem Councillor, Frances Haigh. We believe that special permission had to be sought for this move, as the country overwhelmingly doesn’t entertain (and the Localism Act didn’t originally provide for) such an undemocratic structure such as Neighbourhood Councils and the ‘taxation without representation’ concept.

   The limitation is if the Council (HDC) approves the plan ... It’s a big if perhaps. HDC are still the masters. Even then, will it be possible to implement the plan? Elected Parish Councils have more resources and can raise their own money,

   Will the plan have the same ‘clout’ as the plans that have been similarly submitted by the elected out-of-town Parish Councils, or a combination of these?

   Will a non-elected body such as this be hijacked by political parties or other organised bodies? The approach is fraught with danger we think.

   At the end of the day, there is no substitute for ending the townspeople’s unfair slavery to HDC. Only by demanding the right to form properly elected Parish Councils, or combining with other Parishes to form a Town Council, will Horsham town be able to truly protect itself from such undemocratic and unethical behaviour.

   Next update: More things that HDC likes to forget!

215

posted 30th September 2014

Question: Do you think you have what it takes to make a difference to

Horsham town centre wards, Denne, Forest & Trafalgar?

Why does the Horsham District Council say that you can’t?

   Answer: There was an interesting advertising feature in the 19th September edition of the District Post on behalf of Southwater Parish Council.

   Do you have what it takes to be a parish councillor?

   Why? Do I hear you say!

As a Parish Council representative you can help your local area by representing the views of local people. You would be contributing your business personal skills and expertise within the community to enhance the services currently being provided by Southwater Parish Council.

   Who we are!

Originally established in 1894; the town and parish council sector is the oldest type of local authority in England & Wales. We are the first tier of local government in England with over 9,000 councils and around 80,000 local councillors.

   Local Authority for the area

As the local authority for the area, the Council has duties and legal powers and is democratically elected every four years by you the electorate for the area and is accountable financially to the local community.

As such the Council has a legal right to be informed on local planning applications and other issues giving the local community a powerful voice in the area.

   Make a Difference – why not!

See what a difference Southwater Parish Council is making to its community .....

   This cuts across Councillor Christian Mitchell’s comments made when Horsham District Councillors effectively denied similar rights to the unparished areas of the town. He called parish and town councils an unnecessary layer of cost and bureaucracy. That is, if you are sucking up to the then Leader for a Cabinet position at the time of course. The West Sussex County Times laughingly once referred to Christian Mitchell as a ‘man of principle’. Democratic principles do not seem to feature though!

   So, why are the people of Denne, Trafalgar, and Forest:

1. ★         Not permitted to help their local area by representing the views of local people?
   

2. ★         Not allowed to enhance their services?
   

3. ★         Not allowed to join in with other town and parish councils as the norm?
   

4. ★         Not be allowed to elect or be elected even though they pay an additional tax?
   

(taxation without representation)

1. ★         Not be allowed to have a powerful voice in the area?
   

2. ★         Not be allowed to make a difference to their community?
   

   Answer: So that the Tory despots at HDC can cling onto disproportionate power and lord it over the town! This is very important when you want to strip the town’s assets in order to subsidise your own voters, feather the Councils nest and stuff unpopular developments in the town of course.   

   The fawning West Sussex Council Times says nothing to combat this, partly as a result of their long-term ‘love in’ with Christian Mitchell we think. There was a misguided campaign if ever there was one!

   Next update: More that HDC and the County Times would like the voters to forget perhaps!

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posted 9th October 2014

Question: Why does Bill’s restaurant in Horsham’s Old Town Hall
need all the help it can get?

   Answer: It seems that our Business Advisor inadvertently helped Bill’s. Sorry! 

   Whilst the weather has changed now, we had observed over the last couple of weeks – whilst the autumn sunshine was nice- that Bill’s had taken our Business Advisor’s advice about the external tables and chairs in Market Square. The problem for Bill’s was that nearby competitor Artisan’s tables and chairs (in much lesser space) were always full, and Bill’s tables and chairs were mostly empty. This created an unsuccessful image for Bill’s.

   Apparently, Bill’s response to our post has been to reduce its tables and chairs to mostly four widely-spaced sets, or sometimes, just two little sets either side of the door. On the times that we have observed, the drastically reduced tables and chairs in this Bill’s operation have remained largely empty too! – however the overall negative impact was duly reduced. Since the new tables and chairs regime – by following our Business Adviser’s advice – Horsham Bill’s rose in the Tripadvisor ratings, from a lowly 46 to number forty (although still a far cry from its original top ten position when it opened).

   Unfortunately for Bill’s however, it seems it’s underlying factors and dubious free publicity from the West Sussex County Times soon put it back down to number forty-two again.

   Thanks to the reader that sent in this latest review below. We noted a change however – from an automatic 10% service charge to 20%. Is this correct? It seems a recipe for disaster!

   "Try-hard. Try Harder" reviewed 2nd October

   Lunched here a few weekends ago with friends who have recently moved to town. I was left unimpressed.

   The food was fairly good, nothing amazing, although the portions were on the small size. I was still hungry after my burger and fries.The presentation was try-hard - silly wooden slats barely big enough to hold the food, and fries served in a tin bucket. Yawn. I did very much like the design of the grease-proof paper it all came on, however.

   The décor is again a bit try hard - pseudo industrial meshing, lamps clamped to fittings, that kind of thing. Another yawn.

   The worst thing of all - 20% service automatically added to the bill. This enrages me. If you do this, you get nothing from me I'm afraid. SERVICE IS OPTIONAL, and I shall decide whether to tip or not. As it stood, I am 40 years old and frankly am a bit nonplussed about being addressed as 'guys'. I'm not into being called 'Sir' either, if you were wondering. A polite non-committal 3rd person 'you' would do me fine.

   In short - not to my taste, but it could be yours.

   Next update: Back to HDC and its failings.

217

posted 16th October 2014

Question: Why hasn’t the Blue Flash Music Trust entered the debate about ‘Shelley’s Ball’ in the Bishopric (Horsham Town Centre)?

   Answer: Because it’s a typical Horshambles District Council “Balls up” (in that, in this case, the ‘ball’ is stuck up, rather than stuck down!). It’s not untypical of all Council projects we believe; projects that often involve expensive re-work on an ongoing basis – with the poor old Horsham taxpayer footing the bill. In our observation, the incompetent HDC, micro-manages the contractors, doesn’t set the required standards in contracts, keeps changing their minds and moving the goalposts, doesn’t monitor progress properly, and the result is inevitable.  We believe that contractors don’t easily like to work with HDC therefore; and weight the price of any contract accordingly. Again, the taxpayer pays the price for such uncertainty.

   The current work to the Forum car par is perhaps another example of Council ineptitude?

   With Shelley’s Ball - the story is all too familiar. Divert attention from HDC incompetence, by saying that the Council is suddenly listening to the public, who allegedly say they don’t want it any more. In one recent instance re. Shelley’s Ball, this might mean dropping your Councillor credentials in a newspaper article and posing as an ordinary punter. The fact is however, the inept HDC has spent thousands on Shelley’s Ball – and still hasn’t been able to make it work over many years. Does anybody remember the Forum fountains similarly? 

   It’s a bit like not allowing the people to use their own Old Town Hall - and not allowing them to implement beneficial plans for its use - and then for the Council to claim that because it has been empty for a while – the building needs to be handed over at a knock down price to one (and only one) particular restaurant via a dodgy process!

   The truth is however, that HDC is characterised by its ‘delusions of adequacy’ and regular failures!

   Next update: more on HDC.

218

posted 23rd October 2014

Question: What about the forthcoming Horshambles District Council
(HDC) pantomime?

   Answer: Yes, the HDC Christmas panto at the Capitol Theatre has now been announced. People will be aware of our ever-popular Christmas panto postings re. HDC from previous updates. Last year, we featured the ‘Yellow Brick Road’ (Wizard of Oz) that was Horsham’s wasted £700,000 on West Street. This year’s panto is Cindarella.

   The star role of Cindarella will be played by a representative of Horsham town’s unparished areas (as denied and downtrodden by the Wugly Sisters). Wugly sister Dot (short for ‘Dotty’) will be played by an HDC Cabinet Member from the favoured South of the District (lots to chose from). Babs (short for ‘Psychobabble’) will be played by HDC and West Sussex County Times’ favourite, Bill’s Restaurant manager, Pedro Martins (the other Wugly sister). Poor old Cindarella is ‘milked’ by the cosseted Wugly Sisters of course, who grow fat on Cindarella’s hard work – Cindarella being the one who is bullied and/or betrayed by these ‘baddies’ i.e. Dotty and Psychobabs. Booooo.

   The plot is that the ‘Fairy Godmother’ turns up in 2006, in order to turn poor Cindarella into a princess, one that is popular with the Kingdom (Horsham District) and one who is capable of bringing potential prosperity to all the land. The grand coach arrives at Horsham’s Old Town Hall for the ball, but unfortunately, at one minute to midnight, the Ugly Sisters put the jackboot in. Booo. In this uncharacteristically, unhappy version perhaps, the Old Town Hall is turned into a meaningless pumpkin (nick-named Bills) - along with the coach.

   The people then conduct the customary search for the well-fitting shoe. Who will be Prince Charming? The Prince is played by a representative of government that abolishes the despotic and useless regime that is called HDC and establishes a unitary Council instead, one that is not similarly characterised by a total lack of honour and integrity. As the pumpkin has rotted away in the meantime, the Horsham people duly restore the Old Town Hall to its true potential; a potential that was conveyed to HDC on a plate in 2006. The ‘happy ending’ seems a long-time-coming however.

   Nevertheless, as usual, there will be the ever-popular pantomime horse of course – Horshambles – who laughingly shed his horseshoes all over West Street on its ‘Yellow Brick Road’ last year. The rear end of Horshambles will be played by an ‘ass’, chosen from any of the current HDC Councillors. The front end of Horshambles will be played by another similar ass from the same. With two asses at the helm, no wonder that poor old Horshambles doesn’t know where he is going. It’s a hoot, don’t miss it!

   Next update: A feature on Horsham’s history.

219

posted 29th October 2014

Question: Where did the forward thinking Horsham Town Council go?

   Answer: It went into the hands of the ‘out-of-town’ later, Horsham District Council (HDC)despots, particularly, the Cabinet Members of HDC from the South of the District. West Sussex County Council recently had a debate about retaining their Cabinet System. In our view, WSCC decided to do this in parallel with the HDC philosophy i.e. that power is more important than rational debate and acting for the good of all.

   To further divert attention from this, HDC has recently been promoting Jeremy Knight’s (Curator of the much loved Horsham Museum) latest book.

   However, this is the same HDC Cabinet which attempted to give Horsham Museum to West Sussex County Council’s Registrar Service in order to put Bill’s in the Old Town Hall in 2006 (against Council policy at the time). It is the same HDC Cabinet that had Horsham Museum on a secret ‘hit-list’ of possible assets to be sold some years later. If hypocrisy was edible then HDC could feed the world!

   Jeremy Knight’s latest book is: 

‘Horsham in the age of period dramas’ Horsham's History, Volume 5.

   Unsurprisingly, given their destructive actions over the Old Town Hall, HDC did not similarly promote Volume 3, of the series, which we will turn to later. A further example of Horshambles District Council’s ‘town-asset stripping’ and the dumping of unsustainable housing development cropped up again over Prewetts Mill recently we think. The company spokesman from McCarthy and Stone said:

   Horsham District Council has omitted the site from the local list of buildings of historic interest as the redevelopment in recent years has destroyed much of the buildings integrity.

   Unsurprisingly, this is the same Council that took the Old Town Hall, originally on the Horsham Heritage Trail, and unethically turned it into a Bill’s restaurant – when superior bids were available too. Heritage apart – it cost the Horsham taxpayer over half a million pounds over the term of the lease.

   Of Volume 5 of Jeremy Knight’s latest book, Horshambles District Council said:

   When the author came to Horsham back in 1988 he was told that apart from the opening of three cinemas not much happened in Horsham. It was an age of austerity and the town couldn't do much, other than sell off the Chinese wallpaper in Park House. That story no longer holds true, for the Town Council invested in new water works, sewage works, slum clearance, creating a park, swimming pool, paving streets, building council houses that were shown at the Ideal Home exhibition, creating clean milk scheme, building car parks for the growing number of users, encouraging developers to build middle class homes, creating a new library and so on. 

   Against this backdrop you have the community involved in fund raising for miners in South Wales, providing employment opportunities for the locally unemployed, the church using a novel way to build a community hall, to construction of a new hospital, war memorial and recreation ground. It was a surprisingly energetic and forward thinking Council and community that used every opportunity available to enhance the town.

   Indeed, how we long to return to those days when a Town Council and/or a combination of Horsham Town Parish Councils can act in the interests of the town. However, this democratic principle has been denied by the out-of-town despots at HDC, who are hypocritically keen to benefit from their own Parish Councils at the expense of the town.

   We, on the other hand are keen to push Jeremy Knight’s Volume 3 instead of 5. At the time of 3 ....

   At present Horsham’s Town Hall is in the news, and the book tells the true story behind its purchase and rebuild, describing how legally the Town Hall had to stay a Town Hall, but only for 100 years. It turns out that the grand scheme for a complete rebuild had to be scaled back due to lack of funds, so only the west wall and new offices were created.

   The really interesting part is in pages 257-266, which includes Horsham’s unique folk links with the classical composer Ralph Vaughan Williams (RVW) and the famous English folk icon, Lucy Broadwood. This section deals with the concept of Englishness, which the Horsham area encapsulated, along with the famous English folk singer Henry Burstow as a prime example for the people of that era. These pages include references to William Morris, Ruskin, John Broadwood, the English Folk Song and Dance Society, Cecil Sharp, Lucy Broadwood, Monks Gate, RVW, Henry Burstow, and the Broadwood Morris. It is precisely the tourism offering (based at the Old Town Hall) on which our essential ‘Horsham Town Tourism’ offering was based in 2006 – one which would bring much needed benefits to the town. The destructive and despotic Horsham District Council denied this opportunity, based on the dubious offering of our historic building to Bill’s Restaurant - and a demonstration of HDC’s self-important power over the Horsham community.

   An example of this destructive behaviour and ‘opportunity cost’ was featured on the BBC’s ‘Countryfile’ programme a few weeks ago – when they featured Ralph Vaughan Williams and the tune to Bunyon’s ‘To Be a Pilgrim’, based on Monks Gate – a folk song collected at the local Horsham hamlet. The Tune was originally part of a folk song that started “ The Captain cried all hands....”

   This useless Council consistently tries to ‘muddy the waters’ and cover their destructive tracks, with a bureaucratic reference to the Local Plan. The plan is this - to strip Horsham’s assets and dump on the town in favour of their own, until their despotic regime is soon abolished in favour of a unitary authority.    At this point, the despots will still be ‘sitting pretty’ and be further elected in their own local constituencies. Meanwhile, the people of Horsham town, which don’t so readily vote for the ruling party, will be left with little to work with.  

   The next key date in the Local Plan calendar is 4th November, when the Inspector, as part of an ‘examination’ of the Local Plan, will begin a series of public hearing sessions in the council offices in Horsham.

   The Inspector has said that he will give equal weight to people’s representations, whether they have been submitted in writing or they attend in person.

   In our view, this is another ‘sham consultation’ along the lines of East Street where the likes of Bill’s Restaurant gave evidence without declaring an interest (£15,000 off of the market rent and £12,500 less than was offered by Gondola). Our advice is - don’t waste your time giving credence to such a sham consultation.

   Next update: More on HDC.

220

posted 4th November 2014

Question: What does the Trust think about Jordan (Katie Price) moving in to

Francis Maude’s (Horsham’s MP) old place?

   Answer: We think it is very apt, because Francis himself is also famous for a couple of big boobs.

   Boob No.1 – Francis supported the Iraq War. We don’t usually comment on politics - but we don’t think there is anybody out there now that thinks this was a good idea (apart from Tony Blair perhaps). It’s cost countless lives (both military and civilian); destabilised the Middle East and made people more unsafe and poorer, often without basic amenities; made the world a much less safe place (a downward spiral of suspicion, murder, violence and vengeance); and cost the country billions in extra security. Indeed, the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre has just raised the national terrorism threat to ‘Severe’ again, given recent developments in Iraq and Syria. 

   Boob No. 2 – Francis took Councillor Liz Kitchen’s (former Horshambles District  Council Leader) written ‘word’ for it, when she assured him that Horsham’s Old Town Hall would remain in community use. The dishonourable u-turn by Mrs Kitchen over the OTH ably demonstrated all that is disgusting about British politics we think (and indeed the public went on to wake up to other antics of the political class nationally). This was very embarrassing for Francis because he had previously been writing in the West Sussex Council Times (WSHDCT) about painting a community centre in Bournemouth (as an aside to the Tory Party conference). The page Promises of MP’s has at the top his article from the WSCT of 2006! 

   One wonders what motive inspired the throwing away of the proven tourism opportunities and handing over of this community asset (Horsham’s Old Town Hall) to big business (the billionaire backed Bill’s Restaurant) at a knock down price (£15,000 less than the market value). Also less than the £72,500 offered by Gondola, costing the taxpayer £500,000 over the term of the lease. The lack of rationality in the decision raises further questions about politician integrity and probity perhaps?  

   This is where Jordan’s boobs and Francis’ boobs part company; Jordan’s boobs boast a couple of firm implants. Francis’ boobs are naturally ‘squishy’.

   Take Boob No. 2 for example. Francis had originally told us that although he could not interfere in Council decisions, he had influence with the party. It turned out that he had none. When shafted by Mrs Kitchen, Francis duly ‘ran away’ and said he could not comment on the Old Town Hall anymore, as he could not interfere in Council decisions. Nothing to stop him continuing to express his personal opinion however.

   Yes, very squishy indeed!

   Next update: More on the shameless Horshambles District Council (HDC)

221

posted 6th November 2014

Question: What is the difference between Tower Hamlets and

Horsham District Council?

   Answer: Not much in content we think – however a very noticeably different approach by the Government - as Tower Hamlets is Labour and Horsham District Council is Conservative presumably.

   Similarity 1: Lutfur Rahman’s (Independent Elected Mayor of Tower Hamlets) regime was branded “rotten” the day before yesterday, after it emerged he sold a town hall to a friend. Communities Secretary Eric Pickles duly sent in three Commissioners to run Tower Hamlets. Mr Rahman sold Poplar Town Hall (Grade 2 listed) to the Dreamstar Group for £875,000 in 2011, even though the Council got a higher bid.

   Horsham District Council similarly, rented Horsham’s Old Town Hall (Grade 2 listed) to the multi-millionaire (Richard Caring) backed Bill’s Restaurant at £15,000 less than market value, even though the Council got a much higher bid from Gondola (£72,500 instead of Bill’s £60,000). This cost the Horsham taxpayer approximately £500,000 over the term of the lease.  Horsham District Council has consistently refused to offer any logic for allocating Horsham’s Old Town Hall to Bill’s (the restaurant that they secretly negotiated with over the Old Town Hall in 2006, in contravention of Council policy for community use at the time). Horsham District Council further refused to release the scoring sheets of their final selection of Bill’s over W J King (under a Freedom of Information request) and rejected the District Auditor’s advice for “sealed bids” for the Old Town Hall.

   Difference 1: David Cameron’s office wrote and informed us that the Cabinet Office (fronted by Horsham’s MP Francis Maude) would respond to us on the issue. (Read letter, item 4, on the Promises of MP’s page). We haven’t received anything (in the last two years) however. No commissioners have been sent in to run HDC.

   Similarity 2: Lutfur Rahman (Tower Hamlets) was also found guilty of giving grants worth more than £400,000 to groups that did not meet his council’s own minimum criteria.

   Horsham District Council had a £48,000 budget for community halls. They gave it all (£40,000) to Dial Post village Hall (where Francis Maude MP used to live at the time) without due process, on the say-so of a single Conservative HDC Cabinet member. No other potential beneficiaries were approached, or got a ‘look in’. As we recall, two conditions were laid down by officers for the grant to Dial Post, yet there is no current evidence that the conditions were met. No-one knows what happened to the other £8,000 originally allocated either.

   Difference 2: Tower Hamlets was audited by Price-WaterhouseCooper - and HDC was audited by the Audit Commission, who had been attacked in the press by former HDC Leader Robert Nye (subsequently declared bankrupt). No commissioners have been sent in to run HDC.

   Next update: More on HDC.

222

posted 13th November 2014

Question: What do you think about devolving powers away from Westminster?

   Answer: Apparently 82 per cent of those questioned want more powers to be taken away from Westminster and given to local councils. However, it depends on the powers and depends on the Council. Who in their right mind for example would want to give more powers to the likes of Tower Hamlets and Horsham District Council?

   HDC already has greater powers than other Sussex District Councils, as granted to them by West Sussex County Council e.g. on licensing. This can be applied unfairly as we saw with Bill’s restaurant’s free ‘lions share’ of Market Square. 

   Also, the HDC despots already hold disproportionate, undemocratic powers by denying the townspeople the right to form their own Parish Council’s, or combine to a Town Council. 

   Furthermore, the HDC Despots in the Cabinet can also ‘shaft’ the town by nature of the undemocratic Cabinet system that mostly replaced the Committee system around the country. 

   It’s the appointed Cabinet systems (under a Leader appointed by the majority party or Elected Mayor) that generally take the p*** nationally and are a law unto themselves. These administrations are also very arrogant by nature and  determinedly ‘face down’ any attempt at proper regulation. Quangos such as the Audit Commission, Local Government Ombudsman, English Heritage etc. will turn and run if a Council toughs it out. ‘Inquiries’ (such as into the North Horsham Development currently) are also a ‘sham’ in the face of a determined Council too, as we saw with the inquiry into Horsham’s East Street. We will soon see this again with North Horsham too.

   So, more powers to Parish Council’s – yes. More powers to the likes of District Councils (like Horsham) no!   

   Apparently there was another aspect of Tower Hamlets that we previously overlooked i.e. instead of giving jobs to the best people, which would give the best value to the taxpayer, its leaders, it seems have been looking after their mates.

   Mmm. HDC select Davis Coffer Lyons as marketing agent for the Old Town Hall over the better bid from Carr Priddle. Davis Coffer Lyons just happen to be the agent that is associated with Bill’s restaurant. For example, DCL were the sole agent involved with Bill’s Covent Garden bid. Bill’s is the restaurant that HDC secretly negotiated with in contravention of Council policy for community use. HDC then bung in an extra £5,000 consultancy to DCL without referring such an extension to the Invitation To Tender as required. Heads of Terms for a contract between Bill’s and HDC is drawn up and signed even before the decision between Bill’s and Gondola is officially made. Bill’s is then unethically selected by HDC at £60,000 per annum over Gondola’s £72,500 per annum costing the taxpayer half a million pounds. This is also £15,000 less than market value - and £15,000 less than the original verbal offer from Bill’s as reported by DCL.

   Does this sort of thing ring any bells lately? 

   Next update: More on HDC

223

posted 19th November 2014

Question: Are you anything to do with the recent review of Bill’s Restaurant

in Horsham and what about the Christmas lights?

   Answer: This was the review in question we think ...

   “Very average! reviewed 14th November 2014

   Booked a table for lunch at 1pm but it was not ready when we arrived even though when we eventually sat down, the place was half empty!
Food was just about ok. Ordered a glass of wine with the main course. Ordered a second glass but it did not arrive at the table until after we had finished eating. 
The Town Hall should never have been turned into a restaurant as it was given to the people of Horsham!
This Bill's is not a patch on the original concept in Lewes and all the restaurants have gone downhill once they were sold out and taken over by one of the 'chains'. Now it is just like any other medeocre chain restaurant!

   ... and no! – we didn’t know anything about the review until it was sent in by another reader. We also do not know the reviewer, Graham D Lloyd, a senior contributor, to whom we can only offer our sincere thanks! It seems that Bill’s is still in the forties in the Tripadvisor ratings. A lowly score for Horshambles District Council’s “icing on the cake”!

   Never mind....“Horsham Town Centre and Swan Walk Shopping Centre will be lit up for Christmas from Thursday 13th November.”... says the Council.

   “Thanks to nine town centre sponsors adding to the funding made available by the Denne, Forest and Trafalgar Councils' special charge budget, Horsham's town centre Christmas lights will be enhanced with a seven metre high green LED tree near to the Carfax Bandstand.”

  However first with the news in this respect; after careful examination The Trust has discovered that it is not in fact a real Christmas tree, as many people had hoped, but currently it seems to be some kind of cardboard cutout!

   Next thing to mention is - it was our Trust that has forced the Council to acknowledge the contribution of the Neighbourhood quango’s [rather than elected Parish Councils]. The chance for these areas to spend their own money (rather than have the despots at HDC spend it for them) - and for them to elect their own Parish representatives - was denied by the HDC despots in 2007. What’s ‘special’ about the charge, is that this is enforced taxation without representation. This is why people refer to it as the hated “town tax.” This is probably why HDC refers to “funding made available” for the lights. We are not sure that the people that put up the money from these areas had a say in it - or whether they approve. In any case, it seems unfair, as arguably, all people visiting the Town from the District will benefit from the lights. It should therefore have come out of general funds. We highlighted this issue with last year’s lights and hence the Council’s admission about funding this year. The Lib Dems are as useless as ever. Rather than fight for proper representation in the Town it seems that they prefer to use the Neighbourhood quangos as a self-promotional tool. However, fortunately, it probably won’t save them at the next election. 

“Horsham District Council Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for the Town Centre, Helena Croft, paid tribute to the businesses and organisations that have stepped forward to make this happen ....”

“Thanks on behalf of the local community go to tree sponsors, All Types of Mortgages - AToM,  Buenos Aires Restaurant, Deep Blue Restaurants, Denne, Forest and Trafalgar Neighbourhood Councils, Harris Lord Recruitment, Horsham Matters, Sussex Lighting, Tomoli & Will, Designer Fashion, Visit Horsham and Wakefields Jewellers.”

   What we are not sure of however, is the balance of forces in this funding of the lights and tree i.e. how much is being put in (probably reluctantly we think) by HDC on behalf of the people in the special charge areas – and how much is being put in by local businesses? Are the businesses only buying the tree? Noticeably, Bill’s is not a sponsor here - having been ‘in bed’ with the Council and regular sponsors since Bill’s were unethically granted the Old Town Hall at a knock down price over Gondola many years ago by HDC. Are the Council losing confidence in their ‘flagship’ business? - is Bill’s struggling so much that they can’t afford to ‘chip in’ anymore? – or something else? Time will tell! 

   Next update: More on the despotic ‘out of town’ HDC Cabinet that lord it over the town.

224

posted 27th November 2014

Question: How is Horshambles District Council doing and what about the

West Sussex County Times’ new reader’s competition?

   Answer:  Well, it seems the horseshoes are falling off for the Council (rather than the wheels!).

   Nobody in their right mind thought that the West Street development was money well spent (£700,000) we think - and things have got worse. Last week the pots containing the bamboo plants were removed. A spokesman for HDC apparently said “In response to feedback received regarding the trial of the planters in West Street, an alternative style of planting is being introduced this week.”  We can’t wait to see this! 

   The West Street development particularly, prompted calls for the council to ‘spend money as if it was their own’. This could be dangerous, as it assumes a certain level of competence amongst HDC Councillors. HDC projects, whatever they are, essential or not, are generally characterised by expensive re-work. There is no guarantee that this isn’t the case with their own personal, projects at home either. The thing is, being the people they mostly are, they can generally afford to carry this extra cost. Alternatively, as we have detailed on this site before, HDC blame everyone else or shaft the suppliers when the manure hits the fan. This is why we think that many suppliers don’t readily like to deal with HDC and weight the cost of contracts accordingly. Unfortunately it’s the taxpayer that foots the bill.  

   The fact is, that ruling Conservative HDC Councillors are perfectly comfortable with spending YOUR money – and are perfectly happy to use it against your wishes. They are happy to see themselves as a separate entity from the people, be the oppressors; and have you pay for your own oppression. The majority of people voting Conservative in HDC elections have their own Parish Councils - and the majority of people that do not vote Conservative, do not (because the latter are undemocratically denied this opportunity by the Conservative majority on HDC). This is why the Council can recruit expensive legal representation to defend its actions on the North Horsham Development and have you unwillingly paying for it. It’s just another example that demonstrates the separation of HDC from the people, rather than representing the people. It’s nothing new however. HDC hired a barrister to defend itself against us on the Old Town Hall. Even then, it still took HDC’s non-disclosure of key documents detailing that it was their own planning application - and the false offer of a meeting during the appeal period against a consequently erroneous judgement to keep them ‘out of jail’. This move dishonourably landed us with an unfair costs award. HDC were also willing to spend £40,000 of taxpayer’s money on additional audit investigations rather than do the honourable thing on the Old Town Hall. At one stage the Audit Commission deduced that HDC did not have the mechanisms to detect and prevent fraud. Things didn’t get any better and they still did not accept the advice for sealed bids between Bill’s and W J King.

   Cue Dorking therefore, who are currently petitioning for a Town Council. They only need signatures from 10% of the electorate to force a Community Governance Review. We have long argued that this is the way forward for Horsham – to free itself from the shackles of the ‘out-of-town’ HDC Cabinet despots – and spend their own money (rather than have the despots spend most of it [including the hated and unfair ‘town tax’] for them). Incidentally, the West Sussex County Times sycophantic article on the Horsham Christmas tree was a hoot – “It is important to have a tree for Christmas and I’m hoping as many people see the tree as possible and come into the town.”   

   Err - but it’s not a tree! In fact a local author described it as a party-hat! Perhaps this is the “alternative style of planting” that we will end up with in West Street, once the next incarnation has been tried and has failed.

   A £10,000 campaign fund is being made available to Dorking’s bid. What are the advantages of a Town Council? Control over your own affairs and spending your own money. 

   This is just as important now as ever. Funding from central government to local councils is expected to fall by about 20% in the next few years. In this situation, people through their directly elected Town Council representatives (rather than a remote HDC Cabinet or remote HDC majority) could decide to pay an extra £5 for example, rather than see an essential service cut. They can also save a fortune on HDC’s wasteful and badly handled projects (much more than £5 a head. Many of the first year costs of a Town Council would be funded by the District Council too. Here is a useful summary.

TOWN COUNCIL FACTS

   Town and parish councils are the first level of local government. They provide communities with a democratic voice and a structure for taking community action.

   More than a third of people in England currently have a town or parish council. 

   To set up a town or parish council a petition must be presented to the local authority signed by at least 10 per cent of the population. 

   If the petition is valid, the local authority will carry out a “community governance review” to see if a local council should be created.

HOW ARE THEY FUNDED?

   Local councils – including town and parish councils – generate income via council tax, or a precept.

Cost of the town council will vary depending on what it plans to do and it can raise or lower its council tax precept accordingly. Many of the first year costs will be funded by the district council.

WHAT CAN THEY DO?

   Town councils can take on responsibilities in areas including:

allotments, public clocks, bus shelters, community centres, play areas and play equipment, grants to help, local organisations, consultation on neighbourhood planning.They also have the power to issue fixed penalty fines for things like:

litter, graffiti, fly-posting, dog offences

   They can also take on some highways responsibilities including pothole repairs and can make bye-laws and provide community facilities.

   The initiative in Dorking has attracted quite a bit of local press coverage across the region i.e. outside of Dorking. We haven’t seen anything in the County Times however.

   Back to the Horsham sort-of-tree.... One of our members recently stumbled across the lighting of the tree (a real one!) in Alfriston, East Sussex. Over a thousand people turned out in the village to see the event. Many of us remember a similar sort of thing with the Horsham Christmas lights fifteen years ago. Indeed, another thing that HDC was responsible for with its scurrilous and treacherous actions over Horsham’s Old Town Hall and Horsham Music Week was to kill off Horsham’s sense of community.

   But the biggest shambles of all lately - was to promote the Christmas ‘tree’, sponsored a bit by local businesses - and then have a poster advertising Guildford as a destination for Christmas shopping plastered all over the wall next to the iron bridge. Last year Horsham was advertising County Mall in Crawley too. Oops. The latest Guildford advert focused on free parking. Not much chance of that in Horsham we think. This site has long focused on HDC’s addiction to parking income due to its financial incompetence and dipping into reserves over the years.

   All it needs is someone to take the lead in petitioning for a Community Governance Review like Dorking. This was once planned to quite an advanced stage in Horsham, committed to by the Council in its annual plan, and then scuppered by the undemocratic, self-important despots. 

And so to the new readers competition in the West Sussex County Times....

   People may have spotted that WSHDCT columnist Pedro Martins was at Bill’s one week, Strada the next and Wabi the week after. The new competition will therefore  feature an aerial map of Horsham. Readers will be invited to place their cross in a ‘Spot the Pedro’ competition. The nearest cross wins! Will this rather strange philosopher be sadly missed by Bill’s and sink even further in the Tripadvisor ratings? Time will tell!

   Next update: More on Horshambles District Council.

   P.S. Thanks to the reader who got in touch about our light-hearted piece about the similarities between Francis Maude and Jordan (Katie Price). This reader pointed out a key difference – “like all politicians perhaps, Francis Maude has a preference for keeping his boobs covered up!”

225

posted 4th December 2014

Question: Why is it an unhappy Christmas for Horshambles District Council and their unethically favoured Bill’s restaurant (which has wasted Horsham’s opportunities for the Old Town Hall for the past eight years)?

   Answer: Yes, we can mention the word ‘Christmas’ now - because there is a wonderful Christmas Tree in the Carfax (Horsham town centre). Actually, it’s another uncanny ‘achievement’ for HDC, but the offering makes artificial Christmas trees look positively real! The tree has been nicknamed “the dunce's cap” by a few - and is catching on fast.

   But who does the dunce's cap belong to? Is it the independent traders who were duped to go along with the HDC prompted publicity? Is it the poor old ‘town tax’ payer who let HDC partly pay for it with their money perhaps? Or is it the Council themselves? – so desperate for a bit of good news, which once again, backfires on them (of course)?

   Meanwhile, back in the real world, the ridicule over the wasted £700,000 over West Street and the massive Horsham poster advertising Guildford for Christmas shopping goes on – not to mention the ongoing problems inherited from the botched pedestrianisation of East Street and the further demise of Bill’s in the Old Town Hall. Thanks to the reader who sent in another review on Bill’s by the way (re-printed below).

   We read in the press this week that 100 Councils have demanded more powers from Westminster. We sincerely hope that HDC wasn’t one of them! One thing that the recent ‘Plebgate’, White Van Man and David Mellor ‘taxi driver’ scandals taught us, is that Westminster is under lots of scrutiny, whereas Councils are not.

   Even when HDC was caught with its trousers down over the unethical selection of Bill’s over Gondola, the Audit Commission was pretty useless. When HDC ignored the Commission’s subsequent advice for sealed bids between Bill’s and W J King  - for what looked to us, to be another unethical selection by HDC (as the Council refuse to release the scoresheets under Freedom of Information) - the Audit Commission ‘rolled over’ once again. HDC would need to be abolished and replaced by Parish & Town Council’s under a unitary authority in Horsham Town before any further devolvement of power from Westminster could even be considered.

   In our experience, HDC Councillors are every bit as self-important and arrogant as the David Mellors of this world – as well as being dishonourable and incompetent.

Here is the Bill’s review mentioned above...

   "What a let down!" reviewed 28th November

   Have used Bills in a number of towns and really enjoyed so whilst shopping in Horsham went there for lunch. Thought people were waiting at door so we also waited. Turned out they were trying to pay.
Couple of staff ignored us and then lady turned up and took us to a table. Then we seemed to be forgotten about. A waitress from another section then took our order. We quickly recd our drinks and started to relax. Still no food after people who arrived after us were well into theirs. We enquired and another waitress just walked off and returned with it mumbling apologies. Food was OK but certainly not as good as at other Bills. Bill included a service charge which I just could not bother about changing I just will never go back to this one. Whoever runs this chain needs to sort this one out.

   Next update: More on HDC incompetence.

226

posted 11th December 2014

Question: What is the value of the Blue Flash Music Trust website and how is Horshambles District Council’s flagship (Bill’s Restaurant in the Old Town Hall) doing?

   Answer: We think we are essential to the Horsham community because we are the only source of alternative news and comment on HDC’s performance. We measure ourselves by how much the Council and their supporters grizzle about us, both internally - as far as the Council is concerned – and externally (verbally) as far as others are concerned. One benefit for the Council is that it gives their Leader something to respond to in his West Sussex County Times (WSHDCT) column. The only trouble for HDC is that they never have a ‘leg to stand on’ – and are forced into delusional ramblings about how good things are – devoid of any substance. Check out last week’s offering from the Council Leader..... 

   In Horsham, the town centre is lit up for Christmas and the festive scene this year is being

further enhanced by a seven metre high Christmas tree in the Carfax, providing a real focal point for residents and visitors.

   Ho, ho,ho! No it isn’t! It’s not a tree – it’s a seven metre high, artificial ‘dunce cap’ for the Council! Please see previous update. Residents and visitors see it as a joke - and a visible demonstration of how delusional the Council is. The column goes on ....

   Invitations have gone out from the District Council to local carol singing groups to perform on the bandstand from 1st December until Christmas and we hope as many groups as possible will take the opportunity to add to the festive feel.

   There is some mileage in this – and indeed it is a response to some of our previous criticism about HDC’s cynical and destructive demobilisation of Horsham’s artistic community. Unfortunately, it’s probably too little too late. The Council’s record is appalling:

1. ★        Denying Horsham’s unique artistic community the opportunity to use the Old Town Hall as a base for much needed tourism back in 2006.
   

2. ★        Not having the grace and honour to correct the situation and reaching unethically for Bill’s once more in a ‘fit of pique’ to childishly ‘get their own way’.
   

3. ★        In the face of opposition, further demobilising Horsham’s artistic community (it’s main asset) by scuppering Horsham Music Week (probably because we were involved in its organisation).
   

4. ★        Setting up another carefully selected ‘quango’ to deliver on the arts under the Reverent Toovey and failing once more (does anybody know what happened to this much heralded body by the HDC lackey that is the West Sussex County Times?).
   

   I would like to thank the local businesses and Neighbourhood Councils who have responded so generously to promote the return of a town centre Christmas tree.

   No they probably didn’t. Payers of the hated “town tax” have traditionally not had a choice - as HDC has undemocratically spent their money for them and denied the chance for that proper local democracy . The Neighbourhood Councils are effectively unelected quangos too – and are ignored by HDC at will. The Neighbourhood Councils all originally opposed the Council’s own unethical planning application on behalf of Bill’s (with HDC falsely claiming that it was an independent application). The Council had town tax payers maintain the Old Town Hall for years before they unethically handed it to ‘big business’ in the form of Bill’s.

   This week’s offering by the HDC Leader in the West Sussex County Times is no better in terms of substance either, although, once again, prompted by us.

   On another subject, we now see some advertising for East Street in the wake of the much criticised advert for Christmas shopping in Guildford. This is a case of ‘closing the door after the horse (Horshambles) has bolted’ once again we think. The truth is, that this is a thoroughly reactive and incompetent Council; one that cannot act proactively in the interests of the town - and is too interested in dumping on the town in order to protect their own constituents in the rural areas of the District.

   We don’t know why the council and its supporters are grizzling about our site as they have their own columns in the West Sussex County Times, and, therefore, an automatic right of reply, which can reach many, many more people. We can only conclude that ‘the truth hurts’.

   So we are proud of our site – and it will become more and more influential as we approach the next election in May 2015. The trouble is, ideally, it shouldn’t be down to us to be the sole voice that holds the Council to account. However, unfortunately, the political opposition is nowhere (with the Lib Dems being useless coalition partners, plus UKIP and Labour being locally ineffective). Regulation is nowhere too – with the Local Government Ombudsman, Audit Commission and English Heritage all ‘rolling over’ in the face of determined Council intransigence. The Horsham Society has been a mixed bag on a poor foundation – rolling over on the Old Town Hall issue - which unfortunately has defined Council behaviour for the last eight years. Again, any opposition by the Horsham Society on East Street, the shambles that was West Street and the North Horsham Development, was ‘too little too late’.  

   And so to Bill’s..... the reviews keep coming in to us and Bill’s has dropped to 41 in the Tripadvisor ratings once more. Rather than being the ‘icing on the cake’ this Christmas, it’s more of the board that the cake sits, on it seems! 

   "Poor food & service" reviewed 7th December 2014

   Childrens' food was inedible and sent back. No refund was offered. Adults' food was overcooked. Sauces were offered, requested BUT never provided. In general, very poorly managed. Go somewhere else.

   "What a let down!" reviewed 28th November

    Have used Bills in a number of towns and really enjoyed so whilst shopping in Horsham went there for lunch. Thought people were waiting at door so we also waited. Turned out they were trying to pay.
Couple of staff ignored us and then lady turned up and took us to a table. Then we seemed to be forgotten about. A waitress from another section then took our order. We quickly recd our drinks and started to relax. Still no food after people who arrived after us were well into theirs. We enquired and another waitress just walked off and returned with it mumbling apologies. Food was OK but certainly not as good as at other Bills. Bill included a service charge which I just could not bother about changing I just will never go back to this one. Whoever runs this chain needs to sort this one out.

   Next update: More on HDC incompetence. There is always so much to write about!

227

posted 22nd December 2014

   Question: Why do you think that the West Sussex County Times is such a

shameless manipulator of public opinion and how is the Council’s “icing on the (Christmas) cake” doing (Bill’s Restaurant in Horsham’s Old Town Hall)?

   Answer: Check out last week’s story about the possible Horshambles District Council (HDC) ‘u-turn’ on the Broadbridge Heath Leisure. One of our previous updates said We’ll believe it when we see it re. the new proposed new leisure centre. 

   We believe that one of the reasons the West Sussex County Times (WSHDCT) is so shameless, is because it featured a headline “Council Leader in Shock Resignation” as part of its accompanying photo to the BBH Story. As we understand it however, Councillor Robert Nye resigned as Leader of HDC because he went bankrupt and under the rules, people are disqualified from public office if they are declared bankrupt. Do we really believe that if Robert Nye’s personal circumstances had not got in the way, that he wouldn’t be ‘lording it about’ and continuing to shaft the Horsham town residents as part of HDC today? We think that the printing of the Nye headline is a useless attempt by the WSHDCT to protect Councillor Jonathan Chowen (Cabinet Member for leading people up the hill and then down again – err, sorry – Cabinet Member for arts, heritage and leisure) and for protecting the ruling group on HDC in general. The WSHDCT, perhaps uncharacteristically, reminds people that Nye and Chowen were dubbed as the hapless Laurel and Hardy previously. We said in our update at the time, that Chowen was the “Grand Old Duke Of York”.

   In our view, the story is symptomatic of an HDC Culture that goes back to 2006...

1. ★         The Council makes a mistake as we all do.
   

2. ★         Rather than admit to a mistake and quickly rectifying it, HDC looks for a misguided alternative to deflect the public’s attention.
   

3. ★         HDC hire expensive consultants to give this vain, misguided attempt at an alternative, some legs (paid for by the poor old HDC taxpayer)
   

4. ★         It all goes ‘pear shaped’ once more.
   

   In fact, this Council culture has not changed a bit since the days of Liz Kitchen and Robert Nye we observe. It’s still the same self-important, arrogant, ‘weasel-like’ culture that has existed since the Old Town hall saga in 2006. Back then .....

1. ★         The Council puts Horsham’s Old Town Hall out to tender for community use at no cost to the taxpayer.
   

2. ★         Our consortium properly wins the bid and is recommended by the Old Town Hall Advisory Group. It is independently validated by the Faculty of Social & Environmental Studies at the University of Liverpool as a possible major boost to Horsham’s tourism.
   

3. ★         The Cabinet secretly starts negotiating with Bill’s restaurant in contravention of Council policy.
   

4. ★         The underhand, ‘under the table’ move goes ‘tits up’ and the Council therefore employs consultants to try and implement its own community solution.
   

5. ★         It goes ‘tits up’ once more - and HDC reach for Bill’s once again.
   

6. ★         The Council pulls all sorts of expensive, unprincipled and unethical manoeuvres to install Bill’s and trash the much loved heritage building in the process (also at the expense of the arts [N.B. Councillor Chowen]).
   

7. ★         Bill’s goes ..... (we’ll see!)
   

   Sound familiar?

   On another subject the local press has desperately been trying in the last couple of weeks to assist the Council over the advertising of Guildford on the iron bridge -another (Shelley’s) ‘balls up’ perhaps. According to some local traders we have been in contact with, the reactive moves haven’t worked however -  and trade in Horsham town has been down on last year.

   Finally for this year, here are the latest Bill’s reviews we have been sent. The first two are from Horsham residents! 

   "slow service" reviewed 16th December 2014

   Had a work Xmas lunch.Service slow as one poor girl was trying to cope with 28 of us
.By the time one end of the table got their food the other end 's food was cold.Private dining area was supposed to be shabby chic ,but apart from the chandelier it was just shabby.No Christmas decorations except crackers.Food was mixed ,waited ages for vegetables and wine.

   "Disappointing" reviewed 17th December 2014

   45 mins to be served first course, 45 mins for main, and over and hours wait for desert. Start of soup was fine but small. Mian was cod, nice fish but luke warm plate was barely room temp and not enough veg had to search for the cabbage and for small squares does not qualify as part of the meal it was not even enough to be called decoration. One plate of veg and two plates of potatoes for 20 people is barely adequate for 10 let alone 20!!, the gravy turned up 10 mins after the mains were served. The sticky toffee pudding again plate cold, pudding cold, dry no toffee and the ice cream was about a teaspoon size. Very very disappointing we were very much looking forward to this meal but never again. Oh and the music was awful..

   "not great…." reviewed 18th December 2014

   Had supper with family. Soup was watery, and not very good. Ducksalad very disappointing. Barely any duck and lots and lots of greens, straight from a package. Entourage is nice, but the quality of the food very mediocre, if not less. (this visitor was from Texas)

   Next update: We’ll be taking a holiday until January 13th. We’ll be back then with our usual predictions for next year (not too difficult as far as Horshambles District Council is concerned). In the meantime, a very merry Christmas to all our readers.

228

posted 12th January 2015

Question: What are the Blue Flash Music Trust Predictions for 2015?

   Answer: Yes, we have been uncannily accurate in the past. Check out the steady demise of Bill’s restaurant in Horsham’s Old Town Hall (Horsham District Council’s “icing on the cake”) and the fiasco over Broadbridge Heath Leisure Centre (“we’ll believe it when we see it” [please see previous updates]).

   January 2015: After a Christmas ‘meltdown’, Bill’s slightly recovers before lapsing into its old ways once again.

   February: The Blue Flash Music Trust’s call, for a unitary authority with Town and Parish Councils underneath it, begins to gather momentum. Former HDC Leader Liz Kitchen, claims it as her idea, but having been elected as West Sussex County Councillor in a bi-election previously, the words “self” and “interest” spring to mind.

   March: There is another desperate, but yet again, unsuccessful meeting of Horsham’s Business Improvement initiative in advance of the forthcoming Council elections. The town’s businesses are still on the slide after the Christmas marketing fiasco and a perceived drop in Christmas trade.

   April: Nothing much happens as the HDC elite are out on the streets trying to save Helena Croft’s Council seat. However, the West Sussex Council Times (WSHDCT) finally drops its Pedro Martins column (former Bill’s manager) as he no longer has a purpose in promoting Bill’s - and thereby trying to save the Council’s ass. They are tired of having to write/rewrite his column anyway!

   May: The Conservatives win the HDC elections with a much reduced vote - but still taking nearly all the seats under a ‘first past the post’ electoral system. There is a meltdown by the Lib Dems, with only one Councillor elected via personal popularity. Despite the Conservative’s best efforts, Helena Croft loses to an independent. It’s a bit like the last John Major government. One election too far – and the wheels finally start to fall off. Nevertheless, the crawling West Sussex County Times congratulates the Conservatives on their victory and still tries to argue that the win is down to the ruling party doing a good job.

   June: HDC finally “give up the ghost” over Broadbridge Heath as the elections have now taken place. After the HDC elections, they can now afford to announce a total waste of time, money and effort by all concerned (a bit like the Old Town Hall).

   July: HDC announce where the shortfall of housing (having shafted the town to the maximum) will be. Hopefully for them, the particular rural Conservative Councillor affected will be able to recover in the next four years.

   August:   Shelley’s Cabbage is finally removed from a desolate Bishopric – the wasteland ‘link’ between the town and the much heralded, but disappointing, West Horsham development.

   September: Bill’s finally, but predictably, pulls out of the Old Town Hall. The argument for a Town Council and community ‘tourism solution’ finally wins the day.

   October: There are mass resignations by HDC Councillors as they desert the sinking ship.

   November: The Horsham people finally take things into their own hands and start to rebuild Horsham, along the lines of the Trust’s tourism plan submitted back in 2006 (and as independently approved by the Faculty of Social & Environmental Studies at the University of Liverpool).

   December: A very Merry Christmas is had by all of Horsham’s residents, as the ‘lame duck’ Horsham District Council has finally lost all of its self-important and delusional influence - and the people are finally free from these destructive despots.

   Next update: The facts on which these predictions are based.

229

posted 21st January 2015

Question: What are the 2015 predictions by the Blue Flash Music Trust based on?

Answer: Well, it seems that our January prediction has already come true .....

   "January 2015: After a Christmas ‘meltdown’, Bill’s slightly recovers before lapsing into its old ways once again."

   Check out this photograph ... Rather than being Horsham District Council's "icing on the cake" it seems that Bill's in the Old Town Hall is "the rubbish on the people's doorstep". We are grateful to Dave Toye for this picture.

Bill's has also dipped to number 42 in the Tripadvisor ratings once again.

   Our February prediction about the need for the abolition of Horsham District Council in favour of a unitary authority has also featured in the local press by others already.

   "March: There is another desperate, but yet again, unsuccessful meeting of Horsham’s Business Improvement initiative in advance of the forthcoming Council elections."

   Christmas was indeed reported as being poor for many of Horsham town's businesses in the wake of the 'Horsham advertising Guildford' fiasco. Beales, for example, has just been sold for a meagre 1.2 million to property tycoon and UKIP supporter Andrew Perloff at 6p a share, just over half of last Friday's 11.5p share price. After a rights issue, Royal & Sun Alliance's share price has also dipped considerably in the last couple of months. Beale's experience in the Forum on the edge of town doesn't bode well for HDC's much heralded 'West End Development' perhaps. More 'jam tomorrow' from HDC we think, 'jam' that will probably never materialise as usual.

   "April: Nothing much happens as the HDC elite are out on the streets trying to save Helena Croft’s Council seat. However, the West Sussex Council Times (WSHDCT) finally drops its Pedro Martins column (former Bill’s manager) as he no longer has a purpose in promoting Bill’s - and thereby trying to save the Council’s ass. They are tired of having to write/rewrite his column anyway!"

   The week before last the West Sussex County Times consigned Pedro's column to the back pages - hoping that we wouldn't notice no doubt! However, after the critique featured on this site last week, Pedro is back in 'pole position' with this 'clapped out old banger' of a column. Once, it was entertaining nonsense - now we are back to the sycophantic ramblings of the WSCT journalists we think.

   "May: The Conservatives win the HDC elections with a much reduced vote - but still taking nearly all the seats under a ‘first past the post’ electoral system....Nevertheless, the crawling West Sussex County Times congratulates the Conservatives on their victory and still tries to argue that the win is down to the ruling party doing a good job."

   With such a lack of meaningful political opposition from the Lib Dems, Labour and UKIP offering a real choice for the electorate - how could there be any other result? As we have said before, only a competent coalition of independents can save Horsham from a persistent shafting by the HDC Cabinet. David Sheldon (Lib Dem turned independent) is hopefully not one of these independents as far as we are concerned. He was recently grizzling in the press about how the Council didn't take HDC's Scrutiny Committee seriously (just before an election!). However,what's changed? When Mr Sheldon was Lib Dem chair of Scrutiny Committee five years ago -and went to give his report to Council, the Conservatives simply got up and walked out of the Council Chamber to get a coffee and biscuits. David Sheldon was one of the Lib Dems that allowed the travesty over the Old Town Hall and the Accounts, Audit and Governance Committee under Lib Dem Chairmanship was just as ineffectual.

   "June: HDC finally “give up the ghost” over Broadbridge Heath as the elections have now taken place. After the HDC elections, they can now afford to announce a total waste of time, money and effort by all concerned (a bit like the Old Town Hall)."

   A recent article in the West Sussex Council Times paved the way for this.

   July: HDC announce where the shortfall of housing (having shafted the town to the maximum) will be. Hopefully for them, the particular rural Conservative Councillor affected will be able to recover in the next four years.

   The (slow) timetable for the consultation on the extra houses has just been announced by HDC. Surprise, surprise - this ends just as the May election takes place. Expect a RANGE of options to be consulted upon - so that each Conservative Councillor in the potentially affected areas can get re-elected first.

   "August:   Shelley’s Cabbage is finally removed from a desolate Bishopric – the wasteland ‘link’ between the town and the much heralded, but disappointing West Horsham development."

Shelley’s Cabbage was a typically incompetent HDC project. The 1.3 million overspend on the Acorn project over two accounting years was another... and so on. Also, please see the comment about Beales above re. Horsham’s ‘West End’. West Street (the link to the ‘West End’ was a similar waste of money (HDC + WSCC) causing massive business disruption.

   “September: Bill’s finally, but predictably, pulls out of the Old Town Hall. The argument for a Town Council and community ‘tourism solution’ finally wins the day.”

   Too much and keener competition. A lack of brand identity and a lack of profitability. Slack management. The unpopular automatic service charge. It has all taken its toll on Bill’s - and big business isn't stupid. Being in bed with the Council will only take you so far!

   October: There are mass resignations by HDC Councillors as they desert the sinking ship.

Hooray, the Council's flagship (flagship piece of treachery against the people) has finally sunk.Thanks to the determination of our Trust,  HDC are 'hoisted by their own petard' and firmly 'pinned to the mast' re. their 2006 crime against the Horsham people, the wasted opportunities and the vandalism of this historic Grade II Listed building since 2006. The Council are sunk with the ship.

   “November: The Horsham people finally take things into their own hands and start to rebuild Horsham, along the lines of the Trust’s tourism plan submitted back in 2006 (and as independently approved by the Faculty of Social & Environmental Studies at the University of Liverpool).”

Hip Hooray.

   “December 2015: A very Merry Christmas is had by all of Horsham’s residents, as the flotsam that is now Horsham District Council has finally lost all of its self-important and delusional influence - and the people are finally free from these destructive despots.”

   The despots that have trashed our town and wasted its opportunities over many years. Hip Hip Hooray. Onwards and upwards

   Next update: Back to the current antics of HDC. 

230

posted 28th January 2015

Question: Why do you think that Horshambles District Council (HDC) is so hypocritical?

   Answer: HDC have just issued a press release opposing the second runway at Gatwick. Fair enough! Yet they waited until the second runway had effectively hit the skids before doing so it seems. We congratulate ‘the people’ on their much more timely opposition to bring it to that stage. Council leader Ray Dawe said:

   “Such numbers would bring with them new pressures – pressure for more homes and business space, pressure on our roads and railways and pressure on our schools, doctors surgeries and hospitals.”

   It’s a pity that the Council didn’t consider this when they concentrated proposed development in North Horsham – rather than spread it evenly throughout the District - as they don’t give a’ monkeys’ about the town. The Council’s majority - and the majority of the HDC Cabinet - don’t come from the town of course. The ruling majority simply looks after its own!

   Talking of planning and monkeys – we reckon that a collection of monkeys, pressing two buttons randomly – ‘approve’ and ‘not approve’ - could do a better job on planning. Check out the HDC shambles over Horsham Football Club and the response to the government Inspector. In our view, HDC are desperately trying to protect Billingshurst and the separatism of Southwater by the same selfish, politically driven philosophy that is mentioned above. Add in the debacle over Broadbridge Heath (because the Council greedily overvalued the land) too.

   The Council Leader’s column in the West Sussex County Times (WSHDCT) mentions Neighbourhood Development Plans being advanced by the parish Council’s. These are well advanced because the rural areas are tolerated by the Council to have their own Parish Councils - whilst the town is unfairly denied the opportunity by HDC to have the same (because the townspeople don’t overwhelmingly vote for the Council’s ruling majority).

   Finally, the Leader moans that the government Inspector is judge and jury in the matter. How does that compare with the Council approving its own planning application for the Old Town Hall (paid for by [HDC Commissioned] taxpayer’s money) and then handing the plans to Bill’s? Also, HDC falsely claiming to the Government Offices (and not disclosing to the High Court similarly) that the Council’s own application was actually, an individual application by someone else (who also happened to be the Council’s consultant!) - i.e. the Council deliberately misleading the authorities, so that HDC could improperly act as both judge and jury in the matter.

   When it comes to selfish, hypocritical, politically driven and destructive Governance – we think that HDC takes the biscuit! (also paid for by taxpayer’s money - just as ruling Councillors arrogantly walk out of the Council Chamber as the HDC Scrutiny Report is given [please see previous update]) 

Next update: More on HDC and Bill’s.

231

posted 5th February 2015

Question: What do you think about Francis Maude’s retirement?

   Answer: Yes, the Horsham MP’s standing down is the big news of the week. Francis is a nice guy, but in our experience – maybe a bit too nice to be truly effective. We think that he was very much in the pocket of the local Conservative party, dominated by the ‘out of town’ dinosaurs at Horsham District Council. For example, Liz Kitchen (then Leader of HDC) assured him that the Old Town Hall in Horsham would remain in community use. When Mrs Kitchen reneged  on the agreement and handed the Old Town Hall to Bill’s at the taxpayer’s expense, Francis simply ran away from the issue. The HDC tail was clearly wagging the parliamentary dog.

   We also remember the question about the prospect of a second Gatwick runway at the 2005 general election. Francis effectively said that we should all get together and evaluate the issue – group hugs all round. He appeared on the BBC’s Question Time at around the same time. The only definitive opinion he had was to keep the Queen as value for money. ’50 Shades of Grey’ (the book and the film) is also currently in the news – Francis has generally been “one shade of grey” throughout it seems.

   This is how the local dinosaurs at HDC like it of course. Expect them to be dominant in selecting a new parliamentary candidate that is much the same. Someone that they can easily control and dictate to. Horsham will still be the loser.

   The good news is that dinosaurs eventually became extinct. The bad news is – dinosaurs were around for a very long time – much too long perhaps!

   Next update: The role of the West Sussex County Times.  

232

posted 12th February 2015

Question: So much for Francis Maude, but what about HDC

in the forthcoming May elections?

   Answer: There was an interesting article by Councillor Jim Rae (Conservative, Holbrook East) last week, attempting to put some distance between himself and his party over the controversial North Horsham development. In his article, Cllr Rae seemingly attempts to argue that former Conservative administrations under Liz Kitchen and Robert Nye were to blame – and that as he wasn’t elected until 2011 – he should not be held to account by the voters.

   The answer is a simple one. Accepting the prospect of 4,500 houses in exchange for land being set aside for a new hospital - and then letting developer Liberty in on the act in 2010 were known quantities. Anybody with half a brain would have also known that a new hospital was never going to happen too. Large general hospitals were clearly an out-dated mode of delivering health care by about 30 years at the time. We believe that the whole hospital ‘thing’ came from the dinosaurs at HDC pulling another fast one over the voters, with their usual ‘jam tomorrow’ pledges. ‘Jam’ that mostly doesn’t materialise, or doesn’t bear much resemblance to the jam originally promised.

   In spite of these known quantities, facilitated by his own local party, Cllr. Rae put himself forward to stand in the 2011 election on a Conservative ticket. If he was opposed to these moves, why did he stand for such a party in the election? In reality, Cllr. Rae was selected by his local party on the basis of the policies they were pursuing. That’s how politics works. We don’t recall Cllr. Rae personally opposing development in North Horsham when he went before the voters in 2011 either. This looks to us like an attempt to save his own skin now.

   In our experience, HDC is characterised by unaccountable arrogance and self-interest – as well as a lack of honesty, integrity and honour. It’s not a question of politics it’s a question of culture. For example, we think that HDC Conservatives past and present, are not fit to lick the boots of principled Conservatives like former Cabinet Member Alan Harris. When Cllr. Harris was shafted by Councillor Kitchen and her colleagues over Horsham’s Old Town Hall in 2006 (actually within his own remit as Cabinet Member for Leisure and Chair of the Old Town Hall Advisory Group), he did the honourable thing and stood down at the next election a few months later. Councillor Rae now has the option to do the same thing if he disagrees with his party. As things were in 2011, Cllr Rae also had the option not to stand for election in the first place, stand for another party, or stand as an independent (with less prospect of getting elected perhaps). Will other Conservatives like Christian Mitchell and Liz Kitchen who have declared their opposition to the North Horsham development in the last couple of years stand down similarly? We doubt it! In fact, Liz Kitchen said in her 2013 manifesto for West Sussex County Council that she believed the North Horsham development would never happen. Now that it has, will she ‘fall on her sword’?

   Just to be clear, the problems at HDC are not a question of the ruling party either. The Lib Dems are just as part of the sickeningly unprincipled culture that grew up under Cllr. Kitchen’s leadership of the Council - a culture lacking in honesty, honour and integrity. On the bright side, the Lib Dems will soon be wiped out for the same lack of principles that their party demonstrated over tuition fees nationally. We believe that the Lib Dems will similarly always put self-interest first, party second and voters third. As a minority, the Lib Dems will sell their souls for a committee place, a year’s Lib Dem chairmanship of the Council etc. 

   Just to emphasise a point, as a non-political charity, we are no fans of the Labour Party either. For example, we remember the Labour general election candidate for Horsham in 2005. Once he had used the local Horsham Labour Party members to boost his profile, he promptly got talking to Francis Maude and joined the Tories once the election was over. We think that he quickly went on to lead the Tories on Medway Council. 

   As an ‘acid test’, we wrote to all HDC Councillors appealing to them to rectify the unfair HDC claim for costs against our charity eleven months ago. To recap, HDC not only lied to the Government offices that the Old Town Hall planning application was an application by an individual, they failed to disclose to the High Court that it was their own planning application by the Council. This was later revealed in a leaked agreement with Bill’s restaurant i.e. that the Council themselves would make the application. It was also confirmed by the District Auditor that HDC paid for the application out of taxpayer’s money and commissioned and paid for the plans to be produced. During the time that we could appeal against the obviously erroneous Court judgement we were offered a meeting by HDC. However, once the appeal period had passed, the offer of a meeting with HDC was dishonourably withdrawn.

   They say that an error only becomes a mistake, if there is no attempt to put things right. In fact, no existing HDC Councillor has had the honesty, honour or integrity to help put things right and assist in having the unfair costs that were paid by us to HDC reimbursed. No HDC Councillor has even replied to our letter of eleven months ago. Such are the kind of people that currently govern the District. We shouldn’t kid ourselves that the forthcoming ’class of 2015’ will be any different perhaps.

   Some used to say that ‘any old goat’ could get elected with a blue rosette in the rural areas of Horsham - and with a yellow rosette in the town. Having observed a few Council Committees in our time, any old goat sometimes does! The political class of 2004, 2007 and 2011, although mostly as a result of HDC culture rather than lack of potential personal ability, have been a disaster for Horsham. In our next updates, we’ll remind people why. Let us pray for a miracle that the HDC class of 2015 will change their ways. But don’t hold your breath!

233

posted 19th February 2015

Question: What do you think about the de-selection of Horshambles District Council (HDC) Councillors Helena Croft and Jim Rae?

   Answer: It’s hardly surprising. The complaints made to the national Conservative party (probably with considerable merit we think) were very naive in their timing. Complaints handling is very little to do with justice, even by so-called independent regulators which are generally funded by Government, or alternatively, funded by the bodies that they are supposed to regulate. He who pays the piper calls the tune and you therefore get politically palatable outcomes rather than justice. On the bright side, the political meltdown amongst HDC’s Conservatives (due to poor behaviour and culture, rather than politics), as featured in our New Year’s predictions on this site, seem to be starting early.

   In this case, we believe there was no way that the Conservative national party board was going to uphold the complaints made by the two Councillors so close to local and national elections. This is why Christian Mitchell (focus of the ridiculous West Sussex County Times’ ‘Free Speech Charter’) and his political master, Liz Kitchen could get away with their comments on the North Horsham Development some time ago. Their timing was better (more time until the election) and their power was greater (Liz Kitchen had just been elected to West Sussex County Council in a bi-election). Jim Rae also signed his own metaphorical death warrant with his recent article in the District Post of course (please see previous update). Nevertheless, consistency of principle or fairness hasn’t been a feature of the local Conservative party since 2006 when Liz Kitchen and her followers managed to shaft Cabinet Member Alan Harris over the Old Town Hall (and shaft the interests of the town and taxpayer at the same time). 

   So, in summary, it’s not surprising that the dinosaurs of the local party chewed up and spat out the two Councillors, aided and abetted by some kangaroo court up at head office we think. Nor that Councillors Mitchell and Kitchen proved a bit too chewy and unpalatable for even the largest of the local dinosaurs to take on.

   The West Sussex County Times (WSHDCT) was also pretty ridiculous in some of its early analysis on its website...

   Often there is a shortage of potential candidates which means that, within reason, those seeking to stand do so unopposed. But on Saturday both Mr Rae and Mrs Croft faced an internal election because there were more people willing to be councillors for their wards than there were seats available.

   Ho ho!! Could it be that senior HDC Councillors from elsewhere specifically approached other Conservative party members and convinced them to stand against Mr Rae and Mrs Croft, with the guarantee of heavyweight support in the selection process?

   What the County Times isn’t telling us - is - what the specifics of the complaints to Head Office were, and what were the motivational drivers for this. Being the WSHDCT, we think they never will. As usual, we think that they don’t want the Horsham people to judge for themselves.

   It’s a possibility that Mrs Croft, as a result of her Christian beliefs, was finally driven by conscience to make the complaints. We also think that this might be the reason she has opted to ‘go quietly’, it seems. She and her Christian supporters will no doubt be comforted in the belief that “God’s mill wheels grind slow, but they grind sure”. Let’s hope that they are right on both counts; both that there is a God, and as far as HDC is concerned - the currently despicable body that has been HDC since 2006 is ground to dust.

   Jim Rae, on the other hand, is much more of a loose cannon. However, this political chameleon – once Labour – once Liberal – former Tory – who cares?- is not likely to be able to make much of a ‘pop’.

   Both, would have been better off using their influence from within - to try and clean up HDC as soon as they got elected. However, noticeably for example, neither of them wanted to make things right with us over our unfair court costs at the hands of outrageous HDC actions - and help implement the original tourism plan in the interests of the people i.e. to correct the huge waste of cost and opportunities to the town. As far as we are aware, neither of them made an attempt to overthrow the unfair political system that hands the ‘out of town’ Councillors and Cabinet Members disproportionate power over the town either – a power that has been destructively wielded for many years. Perhaps it’s just a case of ‘two down, many more to go’?

   Next update: The trouble with the political ‘class’ (coincidentally a term referenced by Councillor Rae in a different context) and the link to Bill’s restaurant.

234

posted 25th February 2015

Question: What do the current politician and banking scandals have to do with Horsham District Council?

   Answer: Anybody who watches the news now knows about MPs Straw and Riffkind; and Green and Gulliver from HSBC. Many would like to start with ‘everyone likes to evade a bit of tax’ Green and ‘now you see it, now you don’t’ Gulliver, the latter hiding his bonuses via Panama (Panama of all places!) and is ‘domiciled’ in Hong Kong for tax.

   However, we start with the fact that Horsham District Council gave Horsham’s Old Town Hall to a billionaire backed Bill’s Restaurant at a knock down price. The billionaire in question was Richard Caring. Given Caring’s wealth, no-one knows why HDC originally gave the Old Town Hall to Bill’s at an original price of £52,500 per annum. This was much less than the original Bill’s offer of £75,000 (the actual market value) and much less than the £72,500 offered by Gondola. Who gained from this original agreement which would cost the Horsham taxpayers half a million pounds over the term of the lease? And what are the other connections?

   Richard Caring is a political chameleon, a bit like HDC and County Councillor Jim Rae (please see previous update). A good mate of Tony Blair, Caring once loaned the Labour Party half a million pounds (a loan that looks like it was never repaid). He was also the former tennis partner of Blair’s controversial fundraiser Lord levy. Caring was revealed during the ‘cash for peerages’ scandal in 2006 and was thought to have loaned some £2 million to the Labour Party overall. Last month Caring was also revealed to be the black and gold jet known as ‘Blair Force One’, which the former Prime Minister uses for private travel. Blair is now said to have amassed an £80 million fortune. 

   ‘Chameleon’ Caring later went on to be a good mate of David Cameron’s too, hosting lavish fundraising bashes at Annabel’s for example (a swish London nightclub).

   Caring is also ‘non-dom’ for tax purposes, due to his late father having been American. This status means that he can legally avoid paying British tax on money he makes elsewhere in the world. Caring originally made his money from getting clothes from the Far East, more quickly and cheaply than could be made by UK workers. He supplied, amongst others, his close friend Green (knighted by Tony Blair in 2006) of brands like Topshop, BHS and Dorothy Perkins fame. Green is UK based, but Lady Green is resident in Monaco for tax purposes and is registered as the main beneficial owner of many of Green’s companies.

    According to the Telegraph, Caring’s UK clothing arm International Clothing Designs has turned over £1.5 billion in 40 years, yet it’s overall tax bill has been just £1,932,795, equating to just 0.12 percent of turnover. Even Caring’s UK Hospitality firms (restaurants, nightclubs etc) are controlled from (you might have guessed it!), Jersey. 

   The one thing that Jim Rae got right we think, was to talk about the political ‘class’. This ‘class’ includes, not only the politicians themselves, but big business and the banks that buy influence - influence bought off the back of money which is stashed overseas. The recent HSBC saga revealed that Caring personally travelled to Switzerland to draw out the equivalent of some £2 million in cash (coincidentally the same amount as was said to be loaned to the Labour party) although there is no suggestion that he did anything improper with the withdrawal. The chances are that it was used for other purposes we think, although we don’t know what.

   Jack Straw, caught in the latest ‘sting’, said that he operated under the Radar (because he wasn’t a Minister). The trouble with HDC and Councils like them, is that they predominantly operate ‘totally off of the Radar’. When the occasional ‘blip’ occurs (revealed by organisations such as our own) then others are bullied into covering up. Take for example the District Auditor’s comments that HDC did not have the mechanisms to reliably detect and prevent fraud (off the back of their Old Town Hall investigation) and the consequent advice to have sealed bids for the subsequent competition between Bill’s (big business) and W J King (local) for the Old Town Hall. HDC declined to accept the advice and have sealed bids, yielding the possibility that Bill’s could always match W J King as cheaply as possible. The taxpayer consequently ended up with £60,000 per annum instead of a possible £75,000. The Council Leader also went to the local press at the time and attacked the Audit Commission. Fearing that they might not remain as preferred auditors the Audit Commission rolled over. Organisations like English Heritage, rolled over similarly. One minute ‘the Old Town Hall’s historic in-filled arches had to be retained’, the next minute - ‘Bill’s glazed arches will make an interesting feature’. The local press will not confront bad behaviour either it seems – they are too reliant on HDC advertising perhaps.

   One thing for sure from the recent news is – that we now live in a very sick, unprincipled and self-interested society – courtesy of the example set by a ‘class’ establishment that few have the courage to combat. HDC is proven to be very much part of that class; with its lack of honesty, integrity and honour, particularly over the Old Town Hall – a behaviour that it seemingly has no intention of correcting. HDC also trumps ‘community’ with ‘big business’ every time it seems. More on this in the next update.

   Next update: How HDC actions misuse the word (and the concept), ‘community’.

235

posted 2nd March 2015

Question: What is the Trust doing at the moment?

   Answer: We are very involved with the Suzanne Green Centre. The Blue Flash Music Trust was set up to make music making more easily available, for the Horsham community in particular, by providing an appropriate space and facilities in a central location. After some searching the ideal space seemed to be the Horsham Town Hall, with its excellent acoustics and great location, but unfortunately this will not be possible until Bill’s vacates the premises and the building is returned to the community. Fortunately, however, the Trust remains active by helping to support the Suzanne Green community centre. Suzanne Green ran the WSCT as a community paper and the centre, opened in her name in 1988, is very much a centre for the community.

   As beneficial as the centre has proved to be for those in need of such places, it did not appear to be as well-known as it could be. So over the last two years working at the centre I realised it was very important to bring the centre to the attention of the community it was serving. However, it struck me that this might be easier to do if the community knew something about Suzanne Green and her legacy. After some enquiries it became clear that little was known, and so there began a search to find out more. Eventually her obituary was found in the microfiche at the library. Neither the museum nor the WSCT had anything because the serious fire in 2012 had destroyed the enormous archive plus pictures of Suzanne Green.

   With help from Tim Hopewell Ash, content editor of the WSCT, and David Briffett, formerly of the paper, the obituary was unearthed and a lot of significant details were uncovered. One detail in particular that was of help was finding the date of Suzanne Green’s birthday because it would be a wonderful way to celebrate her life by holding  a Suzanne Green open day on her birthday; 8th June.

   Mr Jeremy Knight, the museum curator, was delighted to be given a copy of the obituary as suggested by Tim Hopewell Ash, as the museum had nothing on Suzanne Green at all. With the approval of others connected with centre it looks very possible the museum will erect a memorial plaque at the centre because the intended proposal ticks all the boxes to raise the profile of the centre since the Horsham District Council wishes the town to be seen as a dementia centre, and Suzanne Green, besides being a community centre, certainly meets a great need in that respect.

   Follow the link Current Trust Activities to read Dame Evelyn Glennie’s comment regarding the work of the Trust at the centre.

Robert Mayfield

The promised update as mentioned in update 234 will be published later this week.

236

posted 5th March 2015

Question: How does Horshambles District Council misuse the word “community”;

how does the West Sussex County Times not represent the Horsham community;

and how is Bill’s doing?

   Answer: With local elections coming up there is a lot of “community” ‘hot-air’ building up again at HDC. 

   First we have the Community Safety Partnership, another quango and a poor substitute for organisations like the police and social services simply getting on with the job in our area. A nice opportunity for HDC to ‘sound off’ and pretend they are doing something useful however we think.

   Then we have the recent ‘Our Future Together: Partnership Conference’. This is a rebadged of the failed and unachieving HDC quango, the Community Development Partnership, that was once chaired by Gary Shipton of the County Times. Other HDC inspired quangos such as that on arts & heritage under the Rev Toovey also quickly sank without trace. A nice opportunity to try and appease the Horsham public for a short time in the puppet West Sussex County Times perhaps – nothing more in our view.

   In reality, HDC has shown that it has no time for the community. When the Horsham community said they would take on the running of the Old Town Hall at zero cost to the taxpayer (at HDC invitation) and deliver an approved tourism plan independently validated by the University of Liverpool, most Councils would have metaphorically ‘bitten the community’s hand off’. Not so for the arrogant and self-important HDC however, who then dishonourably decided to implement a community solution for the Old Town Hall themselves. When this collapsed in a heap of the usual HDC incompetence they reached for big business in the shape of Bill’s restaurant once more. When the first Bill’s deal went ‘pear-shaped’ too, the community were denied the use of the Old Town Hall in a childish ‘fit-of-pique’ by HDC. Big business seems to be the only community HDC know and understand. HDC also denies the opportunity for Horsham town to have democratically elected representatives of their community via Parish Councils. They only want Parish Councils in areas that predominantly vote for the ruling party it seems. There was a poll originally conducted by the West Sussex County Times that supported the community solution for the Old Town Hall over two other options. The puppet WSCT subsequently ‘sold out’ and backed Bill’s. With Bill’s now at ‘no.42’ in the Tripadvisor ratings the WSCT may, like HDC, live to regret this soon. 

   HDC don’t even want representative views of the business community either. Many areas have a member based Chamber of Commerce and Industry for example. HDC preferred their similarly un-achieving (but much heralded) Business Unlimited quango. The Horsham CCI was marginalised after its Chairman criticised HDC on things like parking many years ago.

    The West Sussex County Times went on to promote Bill’s with their Pedro Martins column, an alleged ‘community enthusiast’ and manager of Bill’s. This was a mixture of entertaining ‘psychobabble’ some weeks (presumably written by Pedro) and a fawning HDC ‘What’s on’ (presumably written by a County Times journalist under orders) other weeks.  Under pressure as a result of our website, we think that the WSCT wanted to drop the Pedro column, but vowed to continue it. It seems to us that they learned all about childish behaviour from their HDC masters. The challenge was doubled when Pedro moved to Wabi. The WSCT subsequently moved Pedro’s column to the back of the newspaper, but under challenge from our website again, briefly moved it to the front once more. This was a bit like the Sun newspaper and its Page 3. When campaigners claimed victory in the news, rather than accept a ‘move with the times’ in good grace, the Sun briefly printed some bare boobs once more. Pedro Martins column last week was at the back of the paper again. Nonsense once more we think, but at least it seems that he wrote it himself. At one time, the WSCT used to print balanced articles with counter opinions so that people could make up their own mind on an informed basis. These days it simply reproduces HDC press releases and not much more when it comes to Council affairs it seems.

   So how is Bill’s doing? Not very well still we think. Here is another review that has been sent in to us...

   “Nice building, shame about the food and service,” reviewed 28th February 2015

   This restaurants menu is no better than an average pub in the late 90's but with a higher price tag. Most of the food is pretty beige. This is backed up when you go to the loo and walk past the kitchen that reeks of an old fashioned pub and deep fat fryers. 
The building is nice but the staff lack training in basic service skills and the young staff seem to plod along with no management to oversee proceedings. 
This is so far departed from the good old days at Bills in Lewes as to be unrecognisable. 

   Next update: We are on holiday for a week, so back on Tuesday 17th March with another update.

237

posted 17th March 2015

Question: What do you think about Horsham District Council’s special ‘Partnership Conference’ entitled "Our Future Together" on 2 March 2015 at the Drill Hall, Horsham?

   Answer: Not much! Additional presentations were made on behalf of e.g. Horsham Town Community Partnership, the mother quango of all quangos (the Neighbourhood Councils). HDC likes to control it’s quangos and historically, these have achieved very little. Instead of a representative Horsham Chamber of Commerce and Industry we have Business Unlimited. Their recent ‘achievements’ have been to ‘look on’ at a nice big advert for Guildford (not Horsham) Christmas shopping and help provide a naff, cardboard, artificial Christmas Tree in the Carfax. The Neighbourhood Councils helped with the latter (although we are not sure HDC gave them much choice about spending the hated ‘town tax’ in this way). HDC turned down the chance for the town’s Neighbourhood Councils to become elected Parish Councils so that they could undemocratically ‘roll over’ the town. Does anybody know what happened to the Horsham Community Development Partnership that was once chaired by West Sussex County Times Editor-in-Chief, Gary Shipton? No, neither do we! Does anybody know what happened to the HDC Arts & Heritage quango led by Rev Toovey? No, neither do we!     

   According to HDC; 

   There was constructive discussion throughout the event, with questions and answer sessions with each of the speakers as well as a workshop in discussion groups to capture ideas and comments from all those present. 

   In other words we think;

   This was a load of hot air at an event timed to give a false impression of something happening just before the forthcoming local elections.

   HDC obviously still believes that the Horsham public are ridiculously gullible and have the memory capacity of the average goldfish with learning difficulties. Expect nothing tangible to come of this, just as before. The real problem is that the HDC Cabinet is so self-important, they don’t understand the meaning of the words ‘partnership’ or ‘community’. It was that mindset that led them to renege on the community solution for the Old Town Hall and hand the building over to big business in the form of Bill’s.

   Next update: More on HDC’s diversion tactics.

238

posted 25th March 2015

Question: What do you think about Deputy Leader Councillor Helena Croft’s selection to stand at Henfield in the forthcoming Horsham District Council elections?

   Answer: It’s no surprise! We already predicted some time ago that the ruling Southern dominated HDC elite would find the Deputy Leader a ‘safe’ seat, as Mrs Croft was likely to lose her existing one – mostly as a result of her unrelenting service to that very same ‘out of town’ elite in the HDC Cabinet (please see our relevant, historical update). The political class will always look after their own it seems - and the recent de-selection of Helena Croft, along with Councillor Jim Rae, for alleged complaints to head office - was always going to be a simple diversion for ‘moving’ Mrs Croft in our view - and she was only ever going to be temporarily ‘thrown out with the bathwater’ (the bathwater being Councillor Rae). We never believed, unlike the politicians perhaps, that the Horsham people were stupid enough to swallow this manoeuvre .

   From their recent Editorial piece, it seems that even the West Sussex County Times (previously referred to by us as the West Sussex Council Times [WSWHDCT]) has finally woken up and ‘smelled the coffee’. However, it’s way too late for Horsham town! On the bright side, it seems that the civil war in the ruling party, a further civil war that we predicted in our new year predictions (please see relevant update), has started early. We have long talked of the ‘North, South divide’ in Horsham District; with the cynical serving of the South against the North by HDC. With elections looming, it was perhaps inevitable that this ‘(un)-civil war’ would spread to the ruling party itself.

   We part with the County Times on the question of Councillor Christian Mitchell however. Councillor Mitchell served the South well with regards to the Old Town Hall for instance. While he supported a despotic regime that denied the Horsham people the right to utilise their own town hall for the benefit of all Horsham residents and businesses, the people of the South were allowed to continue with their own traditional use of village halls – often getting grants to continue with this relatively minor usage. Dial Post Village Hall for example, was given an HDC grant of £40,000 on the say so of a single Cabinet Member without due process. Similarly, Christian Mitchell was a key player in denying the right of many Horsham town residents to form Parish Council’s, whilst the South of the District enjoyed the protection of theirs. In our view, it was only when Cllr. Mitchell had been regularly passed over for a Cabinet position - and lost out as Deputy Chairman of the party - that he finally chose to speak out about the North Horsham development, enlisting the ready assistance of his adoring ‘fan club’ in the shape of the West Sussex County Times. Will this diversionary campaign save Christian Mitchell’s seat on the Council? We hope not! The word’s ‘hypocrisy’ and ‘hypocrisy’ spring to mind. We realise that is the same word, but it’s probably important enough to mention twice!  Another word might be ‘self interest’ (although we realise that this is two words also!).

   Until, Horsham town is allowed its right to form Parish Councils – or combine into a Town Council – the interests of the town will always be easily trampled on by the South. The political interests of the elite few, will always trump the public interest. From various stories in the press, we realise that this is a national disease across all political parties. However, for many years in Horsham – this has been an epidemic! Under the current system, it doesn’t matter who the residents of Horsham town vote for, the ruling elite from the South will still be ‘in power’ (via a despotic HDC Cabinet). 

   Next update: HDC’s ludicrous ‘spin’ about moving to Parkside.  

239

posted 2nd April 2015

Question: What do you think about Horshambles District Council’s move to West Sussex County Council at Parkside?

   Answer: Not much! It’s probably helpful to put things in context. Parkside is one of the old Royal & Sun Alliance buildings in Horsham. As the Sun was sinking and Novartis was on the rack, we think it went like this:

   HDC under Liz Kitchen turned to her West Sussex County Council mates to help her out. WSCC duly established WSCC North in Parkside. Mrs Kitchen then went to the local press crowing about increased footfall etc. (whilst forgetting about the people that used to work in Parkside it seems). As it turned out however, WSCC had over-reached themselves and Parkside remained very under-utilised. The cost simply wasn’t justified. Now, rather than face the shame of WSCC pulling out of Parkside, HDC is attempting to bolster up the original stupid decision by moving in too. This further emphasises how the cosy relationship that existed between the ruling groups of WSCC and HDC has always been an unhealthy one. HDC enjoys much more autonomy on e.g. licensing than its other Sussex District counterparts for example.  

   The cosy relationship simply means there is less County Council scrutiny and challenge to HDC’s stupid ideas. The waste and massive business disruption in Horsham’s West Street is a case in point. £500,000 of WSCC money (and heading towards the same by HDC) was an insult to taxpayers across the County. HDC have spouted loads of guff in the fawning local press about supposed benefits to the move. However the question is this –  if so, why didn’t HDC do it years ago when WSCC first moved in and found that they couldn’t use enough of Parkside? 

   Amongst the HDC guff is another telling fact however ... in what is believed to be one of the first co-locations between a district and county council in the UK.

   So the second big question is – if it’s such a great idea, then why is no-one else doing it?

   Because all it will mean is that WSCC and HDC can cosily continue to make stupid decisions and waste taxpayer’s money, but perhaps do it easier from the same building.

   On the brighter side, it will eventually make the well-deserved abolition of the undemocratic and despotic HDC that much easier – and replace HDC with Horsham town and parish councils (as exists elsewhere in Sussex) – all  under a unitary authority!  

   Next update: Democracy, what democracy?

240

posted 9th April

Question: What do you think about the latest signing to the West Sussex County Times Free Speech Charter?

   Answer: First things first, we think the Charter is a naive waste of time. With a South of the District dominated Cabinet wielding disproportionate power there are plenty of subtle incentives for keeping Councillors in line. It’s not all ‘stick’. Another ‘carrot’ is the possibility of becoming Chairman (the HDC equivalent of Mayor) – and since the coalition, this works for keeping Lib Dems and independents in line too. How many times have we had to suffer sham debates in the past? A waste of time followed by a pre-ordered vote. Things may not be as extreme as the days when Robert Nye went around the Council Chamber instructing his colleagues how to vote on previously unpredicted amendments, but the influence is still well and truly there we think.

   As we understand it, the latest person to sign the Charter is a Conservative candidate who once used to be a Councillor and ex-Mayor of Ashford Borough Council, so he should fit in very well. We hear that Ashford became one of the largest Borough Councils when the Urban Council was abolished and all the surrounding rural areas were incorporated. Hey presto! – a natural rural Conservative majority that set about ‘sticking the boot in’ on the town. Any unpopular developments – in the town! Any cuts or stripping of assets – strip them from the town! Any subsidies to be had – mostly make them out of town! Sound familiar to us in Horsham? Even in the eighties, the Ashford Conservatives also realised the ‘incentive’ of revolving the Mayorship around the opposition parties on an equal basis. A nice plush office and lots of importance went with the job.

   Apparently, this situation of unfairly ‘sticking it’ to the town by the out-of-towners went on for years - until even rural voters’ conscience got the better of them and power was briefly lost to a liberal-labour pact. Although the Conservatives quickly recovered from the results of their excesses, it seems that they learned a lesson. The Cabinet are said to be much less extreme at Ashford now, much less extreme than at Horsham District Council it seems. ABC’s independents are also more organised together as a cohesive unit and Labour did better out of the Lib Lab pact long-term.  

   Lessons for us all we think!

   Next update: Let’s not forget Bill’s – Horsham District Council’s “icing on the cake” – ha, ha!

241

posted 15th April 2015

Question: What do you think about the Italian Cars event and the comment

in the local press?

   Answer: Nice cars, shame about the coverage......Not only did Horsham Piazza Italia attract people from far and wide it also gave residents an even greater reason to be proud of their town and its community! (West Sussex County Times)

   The cars were Italian - and we are not sure why that should make us proud. On the other hand, it is a great shame that HDC denied the Horsham community the opportunity to celebrate their own unique heritage with the denial of the Horsham Old Town Hall project in 2006 – one that would have significantly boosted tourism in the town and benefited all businesses and residents. Many permanent Horsham Businesses do not favour the Italian and French festivals because, in spite of the numbers of people visiting over three days, it diverts their normally anticipated customers out of the shops and onto the streets. The Horsham community’s Old Town Hall proposal, validated for its tourist potential by the Faculty of Social & Environmental Studies at the University of Liverpool and originally approved by the council’s own Old Town Hall Advisory Group, would have been a permanent solution to the tourism problem however.

   Overall, we are not sure of the Cost & Benefits case for e.g. the Italian Festival. How much money was raised for local charities for example? What were the  costs of staging the event? What was the overall impact on local businesses? 

   HDC have just hypocritically announced a new Wayfinding scheme for Horsham town. This doesn’t include the Old Town Hall of course.  The Old Town Hall used to be one of the features on the Horsham Heritage Trail before it was unethically handed to Bill’s Restaurant by HDC (rather than Gondola), below market value and costing the Horsham taxpayer half a million pounds over the term of the lease.

HDC says...

   Horsham District Council is in the final stages of introducing an exciting new wayfinding scheme across strategic locations in Horsham town centre. 

   The scheme features new fingerposts, monoliths, and wall mounted signs showing items of historical significance in the town and directing residents and visitors to key areas of interest. These updated wayfinding features form part of the final phase of the West Street Enhancement Scheme which was initiated in 2013.

   It doesn’t excite us much – and neither did the wasteful West Street scheme in general as far as the public is concerned.

   By the way - how is the Council’s icing on the cake (Bill’s) doing in the Old Town Hall? We are not sure apart from the restaurant being reported as languishing in the forties on Tripadvisor – but we have also had a couple more reviews forwarded to us lately ...

   “Nice venue, disappointing food!” reviewed 3rd April 2015

   Bille used to be such fun, so quirky with over the top ideas and presentation. But Bills has lost its lavish flair and slid down the scale to just slightly off-beat, mainly thanks to the retro, shabby chic decor. The food has little to commend it. Sad. Another victim of cut- backs. 

  “Loud music” reviewed 6 April 2015

   We dined here despite friends not rating it. The staff were very friendly and efficient. Food was OK nothing special. The evening was ruined though by the music drowning out any conversation why do restaurants always play music so loud we go out as a family and want to talk to each other but impossible at Bills. Speaking to other people since then they have same complaint.

   Next update: Analysing more ‘guff’ from the West Sussex County Times about the welfare of local trade and some comment on the General Election.

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posted 22nd April 2015

Question: What do you think of the Horsham Gazette’s headline front-page “It’s official – the town is tops! Horsham second on the Times’ list of best market towns in UK.”

   Answer: Ha ha. We’ve been down this route before with Horsham District Council. A few years ago HDC were crowing that Horsham was voted the second best place to live. They wouldn’t say who was doing the voting however. Then they claimed a top 5 place – and then under challenge from our site as to what the research methodology was – they dropped the claim altogether. 

   Yes, the Horsham Gazette is the new ‘freebie’ sister paper of the West Sussex County Times. It seems to us that not enough people were buying the sycophantic, non-investigative, unquestioning nonsense - and so new avenues had to be explored by the ‘thought police’.

   First things first, is Horsham simply second on the Times list, or is it ranked second in some form of hierarchy as the headline might imply (although second is still not top)? Also, you would need to read the small print to ascertain who was compiling the list; the Times’ property experts. It seems the Gazette declined to use the horror label of ‘estate agents’. The only thing more tragic for Horsham we think, is if we had been voted ‘first’ by a bunch of lawyers.

   The message from this newspaper group still seems loud and patronisingly clear i.e. Don’t worry your pretty little heads about a thing – simply soak up the guff.

   However, we did think about it for a moment. Who is saying that Horsham is a ‘best’ (whatever that means’) market town. Is it the residents and businesses in the town saying this? No! Even if it was, would we be in a position to know its ranking against other market towns unless we had lived there previously too? No! This piece of ‘research’ (term loosely applied) by estate agents is about as useful as an ash tray on a motorbike. In reality, our market town has been reduced to a plethora of empty office blocks (which property agents would love to be paid to fill) and a ‘lego-land’ style sprawl of unsustainable housing development (which estate and property agents love to sell). The Times was also well-placed to compile the list, because as far as estate agents are concerned Horsham is now a great place to retire – plenty of time to read The Times then. With a steadily ageing population we are now the ‘home of the silver surfer’ where as twenty years ago we were the ‘home of family & community’. As an aside, we are also now the ‘home of the commuter’ with some 25% of workers working outside the District, spending a good proportion of their income elsewhere whilst still utilising local amenities like schools, doctors surgeries etc to the full. The particular tourism strategy that would have countered this and made good use of the town’s rail links in reverse was inexplicably canned by the destructive, self-important asses on HDC in 2006.

   On the bright side, under the Gazette article are pictures of Giggling Squid, and Wabi, with the caption, The Giggling Squid and Wabi, two of the restaurants that contribute to the reputation of East St as Horsham’s flourishing gastro scene. No mention of Bill’s as the Council’s “icing on the cake” anymore then (went down to 45 in the Tripadvisor ratings we hear)! Is it really a flourishing gastro scene according to the figures either? Once again, the Gazette seems to want to brainwash residents with its own, or HDC’s (?), unsubstantiated opinion.

   For another example, go back to the previous edition. Horsham is set to get even busier .... allegedly because two new businesses are opening up. Once again the Gazette seems to treat the Horsham people like imbeciles, thinking that we have the memory of a goldfish suffering from dementia. Were there not two businesses in those premises before? Take HMV for example. This was one of the places, other than Crawley, where people could go, browse and buy CDs and DVDs. It’s now to be replaced by another ‘outdoor’ store to compete with the other three already in the town. The existing outdoor customer base will likely simply spread their custom amongst the extra store. The likely-hood is that Horsham will be even less busy than it was therefore. HDC and the Gazette seem to understand nothing about business differentiation.

   We also recall that HDC had a short burst of business measurement activity in the town a couple of years ago. When this didn’t give the right answers the response was perhaps predictable and characteristically complacent – stop measuring so keenly! 

   Next update: More analysis on Horsham District Council and newspaper puppet ‘guff’. 

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posted 30th April 2015

Question: What do you think about the District Post’s ‘follow up’ (to the Horsham Gazette) article on Horsham being voted the second happiest place to live by property agents?

   Answer: Not much - other than that it was a giant mental-leap for the paper. Apparently we are just behind Bridport. The reason that property agents voted for Bridport was summed up by one of these agents as:

   "Four-bedroom family homes in Dorset grew in value by 19 percent in 2014, which was more than in London and the home counties."

   Lots of four-bedroom home owners read The Times too perhaps.

   Horsham has a lot of legoland homes to build (along with the others already built) in order to unsustainably, further decimate it’s market town image of course. Throw in a quarter of a million square feet of empty office space in Horsham town and it’s an estate agent's dream too. 

   Not to worry, as long as we can take the opportunity to be convinced by employees of Horsham District Council in a local elections campaign period that we are all happy (courtesy of the District Post), then what’s the problem? 

   We’ve been fairly critical of the rival West Sussex County Times in the past but it seems that they do have the edge on accuracy over the District Post. We think that the primary location for the ITV hit ‘Broadchurch’ was not Bridport as claimed for example – but West Bay and the coast along nearby Burton Bradstock (one of our members regularly holidays there). Bits and pieces were also filmed in Cleveland and Portishead in Bristol too we understand.  

   Alternative to all this guff in the local newspapers - we think our site does offer a bit of reality. Sometimes the truth hurts, but it is only when we are honest with ourselves that we can make progress. Being ‘delirious’ – sorry, ‘deleriously happy’ - is a recipe for complacency, getting things wrong and not fixing the things that need fixing. In that way, our site has a campaigning function that has been successful in influencing HDC. For example, it wasn’t long ago that then HDC Leaders were hostile to the arts (including the Capitol subsidy) & heritage (turning the Old Town Hall into a restaurant, and looking to sell off the museum) and closing down events such as Horsham Music Week. Thanks to our interventions, HDC is now waxing lyrical about arts & heritage, ‘bigging up’ the museum, promoting more events and praising the Capitol. We have therefore been fulfilling our aims and objects as a charity via this campaigning activity. Our stance on the Old Town Hall has been valuable in this respect too. For example, HDC is now waxing lyrical about community and charity in their latest bulletin about the Rotary Clubs forthcoming ‘Elephant Trail’. By having the courage to speak out, we have been more successful in influencing events at HDC than any amount of mealy-mouthed ‘opposition’ local politicians.

   However, the rejection of the community’s tourism solution in 2006 (based on our unique arts heritage) is still a big mistake by HDC – one that needs urgent correction if Horsham is to thrive.

   Next update: More on deluded HDC ‘back-slapping’.

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posted 6th May 2015

Question: What do you think about Thursday’s General election and

Horsham District Council (HDC) elections?

   Answer: As an apolitical charity dedicated to the arts in Horsham, we don’t have a view. That said, we don’t apologise for speaking out over the years and exposing the wayward behaviour of previous HDC administrations. Nor do we apologise for speaking out against the changed role of the local press in recent years, as they knowingly turned a blind eye to this behaviour. Finally, we do not apologise for speaking up about our retiring MP, Francis Maude’s apparent lack of influence over his local party. 

   One thing is for certain however, there will be a new clutch of Horsham District Councillors and a new MP after tomorrow. One or two of the old dinosaurs will probably remain, but those that do, have fortunately, already lost their influence we feel. The time has therefore come to give a new MP - and a new Council a chance – and attempt to build some bridges with the new administration. Also, to attempt to build some bridges with the local press too.

   We welcome the positive comments and moves towards Horsham’s arts and heritage in recent months. We believe that we have played a significant part in bringing this about. Horsham’s artistic talent and history, always has, and always will be, its future. Capture and encourage this  - take the opportunities for tourism that can be derived from it – and Horsham’s residents and businesses will surely prosper. We will continue to play a positive part in this quest wherever we can.  

   Before this however, we feel duty bound to mention a couple more of Bill’s reviews sent in by readers. Bill’s took over the Horsham people’s Old Town Hall at a knock down price and knocked down a good piece of this much loved Grade II Listed building along the way – a building with so much potential. Was it worth it? We don’t think so! Can things be corrected when Bill’s goes with its tail between its legs? We think so! 

  “food standard” reviewed 29th April 2015

   I have been working in Knightsbridge for the last four years up to now and have had the pleasure of the areas prices for food and the like. I now find myself in Horsham and had a extremely very expensive breakfast and Bill,s (circa £16.10) and was very disappointed at the presentation food in general was not very palatable. one of my dislikes with any breakfast is food on toast, at Bill's it was all on toast with one mushroom small portion of beans in a side dish a sausage that looked distorted and I had two. poached egg, the tea was alright and I did not look to see how much they charged me for the freshly squeezed orange juice. The whole experience was off putting and certainly would not use Bill,s restaurant again. Whilst frequenting establishments in Knightsbridge over the years for breakfast and lunch and other areas within London I have not experience such poor quality food for such prices charged at Bill,s. 

   “Poor, very poor - Just say No to rock hard bread” reviewed 26th April 2015

   Spent this afternoon 'celebrating' a baby shower at Bill's with friends from work. We had the afternoon tea - well, some of us did. One of my friends has an intolerance to gluten and Bill's had been forewarned about this. She was looking forward to enjoying a scone but Bill's couldn't supply a gluten free scone so apparently they went to a nearby bakery instead and returned with two gluten free cakes. But things got worse, the bread in the sandwiches was ROCK HARD - almost offensive weapons. If you had thrown them at someone, they probably would have been knocked out. £12.95 for four sandwich strips (egg & cress, cream cheese, smoked salmon and something else unmemorable) so two slices of bread. A slither of lemon drizzle cake and a strawberry shortcake along with one scone, cream and jam. Plus a cup of coffee - rather extortionate, I think. I have had a far better experience for much less money in the heart of London.
   Won't be returning to Bill's as I feel very let down and so sorry for my friends who came along to a shambolic afternoon tea.

   Next update: Our take on the election results.

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posted 14th May 2015

Question: What do you think about the review of your patron in the

Horsham District Post and other local news?

   Answer: Yes, it was great that the District Post printed the Julian Lloyd Webber review. Our thanks goes to them for a great picture to go with it too. (Article can be found on the Current Activities page). 

   Lots of stuff in the local press about the election this week. The County Times editorial warning us against complacency in the new Council at HDC was interesting. We personally don’t think the number of (or lack of) opposition politicians will matter – as, even in slightly greater numbers previously, they were rarely influential in the past. It was left to our charity to defend and secure Horsham’s strengths i.e. its arts and heritage, during the last two administrations for example.   

   The way forward for the new Council is still, to package up certain aspects of our arts and heritage and turn it into a unique proposition for tourism. This is the only way that the problems of empty office space and former businesses will be solved – and any new development will become sustainable. If this task is to be achievable, partnership links between Horsham District Council and Horsham’s artistic community will need to be rebuilt – rebuilt back to their pre-2006 levels. 

   We think that the new ruling Councillors in the town will have to achieve much in order to hang onto their seats, as in four years time it is unlikely perhaps that there will be a ‘general election factor’ and the Green Party is obviously a significant new ingredient that will be in the mix. The implementation of a  successful, unique tourism plan for Horsham, will be the ‘acid test’ for the new HDC. 

   Next update: What Horsham arts & heritage matters most in a tourism plan?

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posted 21st May 2015

Question: What do you think about the news this week and how is Bill’s

doing in the Old Town Hall?

   Answer: There was a piece about the possibility of a large, unitary authority superseding Horsham District Council in the County Times this week. We’ve written about this often in the past. In order to survive, the new regime at Horsham District Council clearly needs to deliver. The news that the Novartis deal with Brighton University has fallen through, is obviously not a good start. However, a unique tourism solution based on Horsham’s arts, heritage and links with rural culture, still remains a way forward. 

   There was some concern in the County Times Editorial about the way that things were going politically already e.g. HDC changing the previous rule that a minority party or independent should chair the Council’s Scrutiny Committee and Accounts, Audit & Governance Committee. Our view is that these committees have been chaired by Lib Dem and Independent Councillors in the past; yet these committees have both been useless. We once witnessed the then, Lib Dem Chairman of Scrutiny get up to give his report - and nearly all the ruling Councillors walking out of the chamber to get a coffee. These ‘Chairs’ have often stood down or lost their seats at the last election. Such is their recognisable achievements it seems.

   We racked our brains to come up with a Lib Dem success in the last twenty years. We came up with:

   Councillor Christine Costin had a good run talking up Horsham in Bloom for a while.

   The Lib Dems certainly didn’t adequately defend and promote Horsham’s arts & heritage when it was under attack, even when they sat on a quango for the purpose (now defunct of course). This was left to us. In fact, Lib Dems and Independents have sat on a lot of quangos to zero effect over the years.  

   So, to us, it doesn’t matter who chairs these committees. The real test is whether the new ruling Councillors can change the culture at HDC, put history behind them and exploit the limited opportunities that we have as a town. Both their own survival and our town’s prosperity depends on it!

   And on Bill’s .....

   People have sent us a lot of reviews of Bill’s on the Old Town Hall in the past, given our historical stance on the issue. We’ve just had a couple more. Whilst we are committed to remaining positive and looking for a way forward in the interests of the town, we think it would be rude to our supporters to stop reprinting them:  

   “I’m going to be nice” reviewed 20th May 2015

   So ... where do I start? Great building and awesome atmosphere, I ordered a Bill's burger with cheese (£11.15) and the waitress asked, "it will be medium, is that okay?"; to my delight, I said "that would be perfect.". The burger came out, average wait time, I cut into it and of course ... it was well done! Sigh ...
   Okay, not many places can make an exceptional burger, that's fine; but should an £11.15 burger be exceptional? I'll let you decide. As titled, I'm going to be nice so I'm just going to judge on the food alone, everything was average so I'd give it a three star.
   (The star rating does not take the following into consideration, I said I'd be nice) However, WHY ON EARTH was the burger presented on a piece of wooden chopping board? 
   Okay, rhetorical question, we all know the answer, it is because once upon a time, it was in trend and Bill's is just following the trend ... a rather outdated trend; and it was based on giving the emotional connection to rustic food, like a ploughman's lunch ... blah blah blah. Okay, I get it, Bill's hasn't got round to moving on ... SO THEN WHY IS THERE A SHEET OF PLASTIC-LIKE PRINTED PAPER on top of the chopping board as well? Google "Bill's burger UK" and you'll see plenty of examples. 
   Of course, chips were served in a mini metal garden pot, rusty around the rim, yes rusty, I double checked. So because the chips were bunched up in a metal bucket, the ones on top are fine but the middle and the bottom ones inevitably turned limp.
   I have to be fair and I scored it based on the food, the plating choice is a personal preference but if you agree with me, please Google "bring back plates campaign" and see some of the hilarity around.   

   “Not satisfied” reviewed 19th May 2015

   Today 4 of us went to bills myself and my wife had their fish and chips towards the end of my meal I almost swallowed a large bone l then found more at least 10 bones and not small ones but really large thick ones this put me Off finishing my meal my wife also had bones. I said to the waitress that you can go to a back street fish and chip shop and pay a fraction of the price and you don't get bones. When I pay your prices I do not expect this. I got a packet of biscuits very nice but did not compensate for ruin our meal £110.00 for 4 people

247

posted 1st June 2015

Question: What do you think of the news this week?

   Answer: Lots of stuff in the press about the possibility of a unitary authority i.e. a powerful Sussex County Council with Parish and Town Councils underneath - and devolved powers from Government to that authority. We would only ask where West Sussex County Council was - when Horsham District Council denied the right of Horsham town residents to consider forming Parish Councils or a Town Council since 2007. HDC also rushed through the handover over the people’s Horsham Old Town Hall to Bill’s restaurant at a knock down price, in order to beat the provisions of the Localism Act. Devolution only goes so far it seems and the words ‘empire’ and ‘building’ spring to mind.
   Since the handover, Bill’s seems to have floundered in the historic Grade II Listed building that they were allowed to decimate against all known guidelines. Here are a couple more reviews that have been sent recently....
   "Pleasant staff, very poor food" Reviewed 30th May 2015’ 

   Took our Grandchildren here for breakfast as a treat. Children's menu pancakes were soaked in maple syrup that 1 child said 'makes me feel sick'. All meals were only luke warm including the drinks. Bacon not crispy but bread too hard to cut. Very disappointing and not cheap either. Only saving grace was very pleasant staff. Will not be going back! 

   "Awful and it wasn't even busy" Reviewed 29th May 2015 

   Went for a night out with friends and it was awful. Sat for 20 minutes before waitress realised we hadn't even been given a menu. Waited ages for water to arrive at our table. Waitress forgot to write down one of our main courses so one of our party had to wait for their lamb to be cooked and when it arrived it was lightly sealed around the edges but totally roar (sic) throughout. We sent it back and had to wait even longer for the main by which time everyone else was almost finished. When the other mains were brought out the waitress held one plate in the air and said I have no idea what this is, who wants it!! The fish pie should really be described as salmon and baby onion pie. There were no scallops, only 2 prawns (the smallest I've had) barely any peas yet lots of salmon and a baby onion in every single bite. To top it all off 3 out of our party of 7 were ill in the night. I will avoid this restaurant in future

248

posted 9th June 2015

Question: What do you think about the highlight of various charities expenditure

in this week's national press?

   Answer: We think the press has a point. Our charity, the Blue Flash Music Trust is solely funded by donations. We are locally based and have voluntary trustees. Occasionally charities need specific expertise but our Business Advisor also gives his time voluntarily. We have no paid staff. Since 2003 we have been a charity dedicated to preserving arts & heritage in the Horsham area and have an excellent patron in the esteemed cellist Julian Lloyd Webber. 

   Along the way, we have project managed the Horsham Community Festival in 2006, managed the Forum stage for Horsham District Council's Horsham Music Weeks in 2007 and 2008 and jointly project-managed the Ralph Vaughan Williams '50 year' commemoration concert at St Mary's church. We have regularly provided entertainment to care homes in the District over the years, with music as a therapy. We have also supported local musicians, both young and old. 

   Additionally, We have had a campaigning role to save the museum and Horsham's Capitol Theatre when it was under threat from the previous HDC Leader, Robert Nye and his close HDC Cabinet members. As a consequence of our campaigns, HDC reversed its thinking, and now values Horsham's arts & heritage once more. This would probably not have been possible if we as a charity had had a Chief Exec on £160,000 a year, 'cosying' up to HDC at various functions! 

   One campaign we have failed so far in; is to make the Old Town Hall a unique tourist attraction based on Horsham's equally unique arts & heritage. Nevertheless, in spite of the Council's destructive move to hand the people's building over to big business (Bill's restaurant) we were successful in achieving a clause in the rental agreement. If and when Bill's pulls out, they have a duty to restore the Old Town Hall to its former state (having previously vandalised what was supposed to be a Grade II Listed building). Whether this clause is enforceable or not remains to be seen. However, we will campaign for HDC to make the pledge good - and work with them to fulfil Horsham's true tourism potential at last, when the situation arises.

   Next update: A review of our predictions for 2015.

249

posted 16th June 2015

Question: How is the Blue Flash Music Trust doing on its predictions for 2015?

   Answer: Not bad so far!

   Our prediction for January: Yes, Bill’s in the Old Town Hall is still struggling it appears. The poor reviews on Tripadvisor keep coming to us;

   “Underwhelming” Reviewed 13th June 2015

   We used to visit Bill's in Brighton so were excited at the prospect of Bill's in Horsham. it is not the same restaurant. Each experience has been disappointing. The staff seem inexperienced and the food has been cold, wine warm and service mediocre. Trading on its name it needs to up its game in a competitive dining environment.

   February: Yes, lots of talk in the press about a new ‘unitary authority’, particularly with the move of HDC to Parkside (the former Royal & Sun Alliance building).

   March: Yes, still not much net progress in Horsham’s economy. It still seems like ‘one step forward, two steps back’.

   April: We got this one wrong. Pedro Martins’ column in the West Sussex County Times is still alive and well. It has attracted some hostilities in terms of letters to the paper however.

   May: Slightly more Lib Dem Councillors survived the local elections than we thought (slight reduction); although former Lib Dem Leader, Francis Haigh seems to us to have paid the price for not demanding that the town should have parity with the Conservative areas and be allowed to turn powerless Neighbourhood Council’s into proper Parish Councils. Former Cabinet member, Helena Croft did lose to an independent candidate – bang on! The Conservatives do still win most of the seats as predicted too. The anticipated Conservative ‘revolution’ over the North Horsham Development takes place slightly later than we predicted (by one month).

   June: The new Broadbridge Heath leisure centre is not quite announced as ‘dead’ yet. Although, with the previously published ‘capital underspend’, it still perhaps looks that way. The total underspend does look to us that it reflects some dodgy thinking and planning as well.

   All to play for on our predictions therefore i.e. in the second half of the year. Meanwhile, we will concentrate on promoting and defending Horsham’s arts & heritage as we always do.

   Next update: The way to get the town moving.

250

posted 8th July 2015

An open letter to Horsham’s new Councillors and our new MP, Jeremy Quin.

Dear Sir/Madam,

   It has now been 16 months since we wrote to all HDC Councillors about a miscarriage of justice that led to us paying £884 in costs to HDC. You will not have received that letter. Due to non-disclosure by the Council, the High Court erroneously ruled that the planning application for the Old Town Hall was not the Council’s own application but that of an individual. The document that was subsequently leaked to us revealed otherwise. For this reason perhaps, we were offered a meeting during the appeal period by the Council’s Chief Executive (on behalf of the then Leader, Robert Nye) – yet this offer was withdrawn after the appeal period had passed. 

   We recently learned from a source within the Council that HDC Councillors had been advised by HDC’s legal department not to respond to our letter. We reluctantly ‘get this’. Sometimes, the legal position does not reflect the moral position. 

   The current question is therefore whether a new Council can set a moral compass and guarantee the town’s prosperity. As a charity that is devoted to Horsham’s arts and the links to its heritage, we obviously have no collective position on the North Horsham development. However, this and the housing development that has already been undertaken, is obviously a threat to Horsham’s market town image and heritage, and the ability of local amenities to sustain such development. With so many people already working outside of the District, combining with the ageing population, there are real challenges. 

   In 2006 we presented a tourism plan based on Horsham’s unique arts & heritage and its links to rural history. It was a plan that also met the challenges contained within the Council document (commissioned from consultants) ‘Tourism Strategy for Horsham District’. Unfortunately, the proposal was squashed by the Council’s Leader at the time. However the plan (also independently validated by the Faculty of Social & Environmental Studies at the University of Liverpool) still remains the way forward for bringing national and international tourism to the area; thereby sustaining development and at the same time, going a long way to preserving the image and history of Horsham as a market town. 

   We hope that you will help to embrace such a plan and positively work with us to implement it.

Yours sincerely,

Robert Mayfield

For the Blue Flash Music Trust         

www.blueflashmusictrust.org.uk

251

posted 16th July 2015

Question; Did you get a reply to your open letter?

   Answer; We received a reply to our open letter today (16th July) from Jeremy Quin (Horsham's new MP). It is re-printed below.

   We are grateful for his reply and very much welcome his personal support for the arts in the Horsham area; and fully recognise that he cannot intervene directly in HDC affairs. 

   One other interesting feature of the local press this week is the sale of Press House, the former West Sussex County Times building next to Bill's Produce at the site of the Old Town Hall. Given that these are 'for sale' luxury apartments at Press House now; we hope that the previous reports of smells and noise from the fans at Bill's are sorted - and the rubbish collection has been sorted too - picture below.

   We featured an article a couple of years back about the difficulties faced by the local press, with the rise of social media etc. Johnston says that profits will be down 5.5 % this year due to lower advert and circulation revenue. The share price has recently crashed further - down 97 per cent from 2007 to 113.50 pence the day before yesterday.  

   We were obviously disappointed that the West Sussex County Times latterly switched its allegiance from the community's tourism solution for Horsham in 2006 (originally, the obvious 'right thing' to do - and still is), but recognise the possible advertising revenue pressures from public bodies like Horsham District Council (as it was before the recent election) that might have been under consideration. Nevertheless, we congratulate the West Sussex County Times - and the many other local papers under Johnston press - for its unerring support for local community and charity initiatives; irrespective of personalities, politics and past disputes. 

   That said, we still wonder whether a return to a more investigative strategy, as was evident eight years ago, might benefit the sales of local newspapers. Just a thought.

   Next update: What can be achieved for Horsham with the right support and investment!

252

posted 23rd July 2015

Question: Is there money to invest in a tourism solution for Horsham?

    Answer: Yes, and it could come from a number of grant sources - and not necessarily fall on the ratepayer.

   By the way, congratulations to Councillor Andrew Baldwin for The Andrew Baldwin Community Room at the newly rebuilt Horsham Trinity Cricket Club. It shows what can be done with the right commitment.

   The Council has just upped its property portfolio by 5 million we hear - and has about 30 million invested in this way. The trouble is that it may give a little return to Council coffers, but does not help to boost the general prosperity of the area.

    Investing in a tourism solution would do this, and indirectly boost Council coffers as well.

   Next update: More specifics on tourism possibilities. 

253

posted 30th July 2015

Question: What is the potential for tourism in Horsham?

   Answer: We anticipated the national trend about right in 2006. In the last eight years the income from music festivals in this country has grown by about 40%. The number of people attending these festivals has grown by the same amount. One third of those attending are international visitors. 

   Folk music in Horsham and it's links to English rural culture would be particularly attractive to the American and Scandinavian market as well as our own national one.

   It's a shame not to take advantage of this.

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posted 6th August 2015

Question: What else makes you think that the Blue Flash Music Trust

Tourism Plan of 2006 was a good idea?

   Answer: The Prudential has just completed a survey to find the top 20 counties to retire. East Sussex was fifth and West Sussex was eighth.

   Horsham has a steadily ageing population, so a tourism plan based on  Horsham's unique folk offering, with its links to the great classical composers and Sussex rural history, would have increasingly appealed to the local population and secured popular, core support.

   The bonus would have been that the plan would have also provided employment - in the creative, entertainment support industries - attracting younger people to work locally - and stemming the ageing tide. Approximately 25% of our current workforce now work outside of the District. This tourism  solution, in turn, would have also helped to solve the 250,000 square feet of empty office space in Horsham - and the spending of these workers would have further boosted the local economy.

   HDC's alternative retail solution of the moment, with the likes of John Lewis at Home, is not unique enough to do the job. It also brings its expensive problems - such as traffic chaos, highlighted in the news recently.

   The tourism solution would have bypassed these problems, given Horsham's rail links from London and Gatwick.

   It is thus a 'no brainer' that HDC, regretfully, still fails to embrace. 

255

posted 11th August 2015

Question: What is a lack of honour amongst politicians?

   Answer: Lots of things really. Unfortunately, these things hit the news almost daily – particularly lately. But what about the things that don’t hit the news? 

   When Bill’s first pulled away from the Old Town Hall in a proposed secret deal with HDC in 2006, our Business Adviser was called upon by Horsham District Council’s Leisure Services to tweak our tourism plan so that it could be agreed by the September 2006 Council meeting. In return, our Business Adviser was asked not to reveal details of the collapsed Bill’s deal to the local press. Having kept to his word, the then Leader of the Council, Liz Kitchen, metaphorically stabbed the responsible Cabinet Member (Councillor Alan Harris) in the back - and reneged on the agreement. Instead, Mrs Kitchen proposed a Council solution that predictably, soon disappeared in chaos. Hence, the Council had to give up Park House to the Registrar - and the desperate Bill’s solution was consequently reached for by HDC once more. This treachery, was then too hot to handle for the local press of course.

   What was achieved? A ‘drop in a bucket rental’ (£15,000 less than market value and £12,500 less than was offered by Gondola) and the trashing of a unique Grade II, heritage building – compared to a tourism solution that would have benefitted all of Horsham’s businesses and residents. What a shame!

   Thanks to the people that keep the Bill’s reviews coming, and here is the latest one that has been received......

   “Great building, but not anything special for food.”  Reviewed 6th August 2015

   The building is impressive, but the magic of what was the original Bill's in Lewes before it became a chain, has been lost.

   The staff are not great, yours is a distinct feeling that they only do what they really have to. Some of the food is way over priced for the standard, and the service is really slow and lazy. Also for some reason the staff insist on calling you "guys" every other word is "Guys" this and "guys that - as a woman it feels weird; it's too casual, too familliar and lets be honest here it's poor manners. I noticed the level of dust in this place (gross). I've eaten here twice once with a crowd on a Saturday AM, and once for mid week lunch with my husband and we don't want to do it again when this place is surrounded buy places selling far better quality food, in cleaner and smarter surroundings with better service.

256

posted 13th August 2015

Question: Did the taxpayer get anything out of the Old Town Hall deal with Bill’s

   Answer: We know that we got less than the going rate and less than what was offered by Gondola. It also cost six years of indecision and waste.

   The first Horsham District Council Advisory Group’s working on the community tourism solution was squandered at the behest of the the Leader, Liz Kitchen. This cost the taxpayer a lot of money, as well as us.

   The follow-up hiring of consultants by HDC, only to write a bogus and misleading report in their name, cost money too. The second Council Advisory Group that went nowhere cost the taxpayer money as well.

   The Council also unethically paid for the designs, planning permission and planning fee on behalf of Bill’s. It will be a long time before this money is recouped from a meagre Bill’s rental.

   We’ve now been sent yet another review of Bill’s below, this time with a photo!

   “Disappointed” Reviewed 10th August 2015

  This is my second visit to Bill’s. I was disappointed with the cleanliness....It was very dusty I understand the building is old etc... But as a food establishing it should still be clean I felt the food was over priced also I ordered a chicken Caesar salad the chicken was pink in the middle...Please see photo which is not good especially as I’m pregnant.

   Reviews can be good and bad of course, but the apparent amount of bad ones seems unusual to us. We have two other bad ones as well below so it certainly seems a far cry from Bill’s being the ‘icing on the cake’ as heralded by the Council in 2012.

   “Very over priced food” Reviewed 10th August 2015

    very disappointed, slow service had to send one meal back as chicken was raw in middle? Extremely, overpriced and very small portions. I will not be retuning.

   “Great building, but not anything special for food” Reviewed 6th August 2015

   The building is impressive, but the magic of what was the original Bill’s in Lewes before it became a chain, has been lost.

   The staff are not great, your is a distict feeling that they only do what they really have to. Some of the food is way over priced for the standard, and the service is really slow and lazy. Also for some reason the staff insist on calling you “guys” every other word is “Guys this and “guys that - as a woman it feels weird; it’s too casual too familliar lets be honest here it’s poor manners. I noticed the level of dust in this place (gross). I’ve eaten here twice once with a crowd on a Saturday AM, and once for mid week lunch with my husband and we don’t want to do it again when this place is surrounded with better service.

   Did the taxpayer get anything out of Bill’s occupying the people’s Old Town Hall? In any event, we don’t think so!

257

posted 20th August 2015

Question: What is the way forward for Horsham?

   Answer: There have been letters in the press recently calling for a judicial review of Horsham District Council's alleged 'undemocratic' behaviour. We understand a lot of the frustrations here, but based on our experience, we would have considerable reservations about judicial review as a way forward.

   Firstly, judicial review has to be about narrow specific legal argument, with specific evidence. Wide ranging, complex argument is not looked upon sympathetically by the courts. We have fought three judicial review cases against HDC on specifics with good hard evidence - and have still lost each time.     

   The reasons for this are:

   If you can get a hearing in front of a Judge then the British legal system is fair. However, hearings are potentially very expensive if you lose - and most applications for judicial review are granted or otherwise on the basis of the papers submitted. Behind each application sits a case lawyer advising the Court, so if you are unrepresented, you are at an immediate disadvantage. Representation is expensive, so like many, we were forced to do our best unrepresented. Applications on the papers are generally ruled on by a Deputy Judge (rather than a Judge) who we think are less likely to question the advice (as they don't quite have the security of being a Judge yet). Without a hearing it is harder to adequately question what has been submitted by the other side and errors can creep in.

   For example, a ruling against us said that the planning application on behalf of Bill's for the Old Town Hall was an application by an individual. However, Horsham District Council failed to disclose the documented agreement with Bill's that HDC would (and indeed did) make the planning application. There is no doubt that the Council (with taxpayer’s money) paid for the planning application, as was also determined by the District Auditor. We could have appealed the ruling on this basis, but were duped

into accepting a meeting with HDC instead. This offer of a meeting was dishonourably withdrawn by HDC after the appeal window had closed.

   In spite of ruling against us, we believe that the Judge had considerable sympathy with our application. He only awarded £884 against us (although this was still a lot of money to a little charity such as ours). This seemed to be a feature of all our judicial review cases against HDC, where the costs awards were expected to be in the thousands, but were not. It seemed to us that although Deputy Judges/Judges were reluctant to rule against a public body (perhaps on the basis of case lawyer advice) and therefore, potentially set other legal and regulatory hares running, they could see the merit in our applications.

   Most applications are settled in advance of any application to the Court with a 'Letter of Claim' and response between the opposing parties. However, HDC have historically been an uncompromising body. Councillors have an army of staff at taxpayer's expense. They also have their own legal department

and can hire expensive legal representation at taxpayer's expense. If you are unrepresented, the chances are that they will try and ride things out, whatever the moral or legal argument - and whatever the evidence.

   So, in spite of the 'David versus 'Goliath' task, Goliath lived to tell the tale. However, David gave him a good run for the money - and Goliath took quite a few blows over the long and hard battle. 

   On the bright side, behind the scenes, Horsham District Council's previous hostility to Horsham arts and heritage was modified - so all was not lost. However, it was a costly, mammoth task for all and not for the feint hearted.

   In our view, the easier way forward is to bring democracy closer to the people.

1. •Influence your Parish Council's and petition for the formation of a Parish Council where there isn't one (particularly if you are in a town Neighbourhood quango like Denne, Trafalgar and Forest - where HDC hypocritically oppose you becoming a proper Parish Council).
   

2. •Petition for a Sussex unitary authority with Town and Parish Councils underneath (including a Horsham Town Council) - effectively abolishing HDC. This will be cheaper too. Perhaps only petitions like these will encourage HDC to reform its behaviour in the meantime.
   

  For the reasons set out above, Judicial Review is more unlikely to achieve the same we feel. 

258

posted 5th September 2015

Why does the mystery continue?

A few days ago a long time Horsham resident discovered that the Town Hall was being shrouded in scaffolding, as shown above, and began asking questions as to why this was happening, as she knew that such cleaning could have a detrimental effect on the old stone work. No one could answer her questions; HDC said she should speak to Bills, and Bills said it was being done by HDC! In the case of a listed building planning permission should be sought, and English Heritage informed, but on further inquiries none of these things had been done. So once again the Town Hall is shrouded in mystery, and once again the people of Horsham are kept in the dark, and will possibly find in the end that they have to foot the bill, as has happened before when that the people of Horsham had to pay £10,000 some years ago to help Bills go into the Town Hall, denied by HDC, but revealed as being the truth by a whistleblower in 2013.  Plenty of information in this respect on this website.

259

posted 15th September 2015

Concerns as scaffolding goes up around historic Horsham building

Article and picture taken from WSCT website 15th September 2015

   Concerns have been raised by residents after scaffolding went up around a historic Horsham building. Work is currently being undertaken at the old Town Hall in Market Square.

   The building is owned by Horsham District Council (HDC) and is currently being leased to Bills Restaurant.

   The county Times has received concerned calls from residents who have been worried about the future of the historic building.

   In response to the concerns a spokesperson for HDC said: “Bills Restaurants leases the building from Horsham District Council and is responsible for its maintenance and repair.

   “It is currently undertaking the cleaning of the exterior stonework and in connection with this has submitted details to the council and has been in liaison with the council’s Planning Department throughout.”

   “As landlord, the council will monitor the progress of the operation. There is no cost to the taxpayer in performing this operation.”

   NB The concerns of the Trust were originally raised by a long term resident of Horsham, as was mentioned in our last update 5th September. The resident’s inquiries began 2nd September 2015 and even though it is now 15th September finds that the whole operation is still shrouded in mystery!

260

posted 21st September 2015

Question : Is the £300,000 spent on the misguided legal case by Horsham District Council a big deal?

   Answer: Not in the grand scheme of things. It's a big deal politically perhaps because HDC likes to spend money looking after their own, whilst dumping on the town and having the townspeople contribute to their own oppression.

   For example, HDC had the townspeople maintain the Old Town Hall with the hated town tax [special charge] for years. It's still taxation without representation - i.e. while the out of town Council majority are determined to deny the townspeople the right to have their own Parish Councils. The town was actually happy to maintain the Old Town Hall though - so the Council took it away from them and gave it to Bill's at a knock down rent.

   To rub salt in the wound, they had Horsham District taxpayers pay for the designs and planning applications for Bill's - not to mention inexplicably robbing the taxpayer of half a million pounds over the term of the lease by denying it to the higher bidder (Gondola).

   The Old Town Hall deservedly remains a big thorn in HDC's side therefore. If you add up the cost of all the officers time and other costs the resultant dispute cost us taxpayers an extra million. Bill's continues to underperform the Council's high expectations and are now embroiled in another row about 'washing the building'. Will this alter the Grade II listed building in any way? Is the amended, alleged 'certificate of lawfulness lawful? We'll see!

   Watch this space. 

   Dear Robert,

   Thank you for your email, which I read with interest. The situation you describe is very unfortunate, and I am sorry to hear of the difficulties you face. You are not alone in this, the arts in general are taking a back seat across the whole of the country whilst the focus of education is increasingly on numeracy and literacy.

   Music for everyone is something that we at Making Music continue to promote at a national level, along with many other organisations both national and local across the country. It is useful for us to hear about things happening in the locality of our member groups, as we can use these as examples when talking to and campaigning with representatives of major organisations. Thank you for adding your story to our cause.

   Please don't hesitate to let us know if you come across any other issues where music appears to be being sidelined - we are always grateful to our members who are able to alert us to happenings at a local level that we might otherwise miss.

Best wishes,
Sharon

Sharon Moloney | Member Engagement Manager
sharon@makingmusic.org.uk | 020 7939 6046

Making Music
020 7939 6030
8 Holyrood Street

London, SE1 2EL
makingmusic.org.uk

261

posted 1st October 2015

Question: What do others think of the Horsham Old Town Hall situation?

   Answer: We do not think it has done the reputation of Horsham District Council any favours for the last ten years – or even still today.

   Check out this latest e-mail from Making Music below received ....... 30th September 2015

262

posted 5th October 2015

Question: What is the latest activity from the Blue Flash Music Trust?

   Answer: We are sponsoring the latest exhibition in the Hurst Room at Horsham Museum, until 9th November, and we hope that all our readers and contacts will get to see the work. Here is a description from Sue Pettet, the artist, about the exhibition;

   I have always had an eye for colour and detail and took great pleasure working on different crafts, but all this was to change at the age of 58 when doctors discovered a tumour on my spine which had to be removed. The location of the tumour meant that the operation was high risk and when I came round I was paralysed down my left side. Having been left handed this had a devastating effect on all aspects of my life.

   With determination and patience, I have taught myself over the last 8 years to do a great range of things with my right hand, but it was obvious that the intricate card and craft work I had previously done was no longer accessible to me. With the help and guidance of staff and volunteers at the Suzanne Green Day Centre, I was introduced to the world of acrylic painting, and threw myself into it.

   Painting for me is more than paint on canvas, it's a chance to experiment and to express myself under difficult circumstances and to produce pieces of art which I'm proud of. I hope that you enjoy the exhibition of work and gain an insight into how valuable the making of art is for everyone.

   I would like to thank Horsham Museum for providing the venue for this exhibition. It has been a long term goal and it is immensely pleasing that it has now been realised.

   Thanks to all the artistic help from Jane Hitchins, and to the Blue Flash Music Trust for the sponsorship of the exhibition.

Sue Pettet,

263

posted 20th October 2015

Question: Is a Neighbourhood Plan worth the paper it’s written on?

   Answer:  We don’t think so. There is currently big trouble with the Loxwood Neighbourhood Plan just down the road. Crown Hall Estates (the developer) have just raised a couple of judicial reviews against their Neighbourhood Plan apparently. 

   The three Neighbourhood Councils in Horsham once opposed the plans for the Old Town Hall having had its town tax (a compulsory and undemocratic levy imposed by Horsham District Council) payers maintain the hall for the people over many years. It  didn’t make any difference to the predominantly out-of-town Horsham District Council who rubbed salt in the wound by having Horsham’s taxpayers, in general, pay for the Bill’s Plans to convert the Old Town Hall and even the planning fee. Yes, the Non-Dom backing Bills couldn’t even raid his offshore tax haven for the £300 planning fee it seems. Due to the unelected, undemocratic nature of Horsham’s Neighbourhood Councils (almost unique in this country) and a significant Conservative presence, Denne Neighbourhood Council subsequently turned tail and watered down its position. In local terms, democracy is trumped by subtle, almost invisible power every time it seems.

   The Old Town Hall ‘cleaning’ exercise by Bill’s has now been completed. Will this have altered the character of this Grade II Listed building? Certainly from our photograph below, it (the Old Town Hall) seems to us to have been damaged in the process. Bill’s has a responsibility under the terms of the lease (leaked to us by an HDC employee) to restore the building to its former glory when it leaves. This is likely to be an expensive remedy given the huge conversion impact on the building (against all known planning guidance) at the time. Will an offshore conglomerate that couldn’t afford £300 for a planning fee, or £10,000 for its own accompanying plans, honour this remedy when the time comes? We doubt it!   

These are the severely dislodged stones on the Causeway side of the Town Hall

264

posted 23rd October 2015
Question; Does anyone care about the Horsham Town Hall?

   Answer: Well not from the state of the hole on the Causeway side of the Town Hall wall as the photograph taken 23rd October 2015 shows. The hole has been open to the elements for at least five weeks. Let us hope that some kind of covering will be put over it, or that the hole is suitably mended before the bad weather sets in!

265

posted 26th October 2015

Question: How is it possible that anyone can be allowed to put a ‘hole in the wall’ on a Grade II Listed Building like Horsham’s Old Town Hall?

   Answer: It seems that there has been a bit of confusion and some people have interpreted a ‘hole in the wall’ as one of those ATM cash machines. We hope that our picture from Friday update, repeated below, cleared things up a bit.

   No, we are talking about a real hole in the wall of Horsham’s Old Town Hall. We assume that this hole was an accident as result of the claimed ‘cleaning’ exercise. All we can think is that someone must have been scrubbing very hard! Why does a building that has stood proudly for more than a hundred years need this kind of risky cleaning? We don’t know. Is it because the trendy inside now doesn’t match the outside? Surely, Bill’s could have thought of that before they took the building on? English Heritage have been asked to investigate. 

   Of course, a ‘hole in the wall’ cash machine would never be allowed in a Grade II Listed building by Horsham District Council. Or would it? HDC approved cutting a massive hole in the upper floor against all planning guidance before now. Perhaps anything’s possible as Bill’s struggles against the competition. We think that the latest Bill’s offer as advertised on half a page of the current issue of the West Sussex County Times is significant. It seems that with a steady ‘number 42’ or  thereabouts in the Tripavisor ratings, Bill’s has lost a bit of confidence amongst its original supporters. We remember that it often used to get its publicity for free – a powerful snub to the opponents –fair enough – but unfair against Bill’s competition in our view. 

   The trouble was that HDC put Bill’s in the Old Town Hall for ‘political power’ reasons. This was against the wishes of the people, the interests of the taxpayer (given that Gondola had originally offered significantly more and W J King had a more acceptable offer at the subsequent lesser price) and against all known planning guidance at the time. It was also unethical to have the taxpayer pay for Bill’s plans and for the Council to approve its own application of course.  

   The trouble for HDC now is that ‘political power’ motivations are difficult to sustain.   

   The trouble for Bill’s similarly  we think is, that it went into the Old Town Hall for ‘rich and powerful’ reasons, rather than good business reasons. It should be remembered that Bill’s had already walked away from the Old Town Hall twice – latterly because it hadn’t made the anticipated profits at its Reading branch in the first few weeks. However, ’big business’, based offshore, with its COTE project managers working hand in hand with HDC at the time, was similarly minded to crush the opposition it seems. As time has gone by however, the need to sustain the business has come further to the fore. How long will the commitment last? 

   Time will tell!

266

posted 5th November 2015

Question: Should the people of Horsham give up on the Old Town Hall?

   Answer: At least one person in the Horsham Society seems to think so. Of course, it’s certainly hard work when supposed regulators like Government Offices, agencies like English Heritage, the local press and District Auditors turn tail and run from obvious and well - evidenced irregularities.

   But aren’t these issues experienced with the Old Town Hall over the years - the same issues that are being bitterly voiced by the Horsham people over everything else these days e.g. on planning and development? The disrespect of public opinion, the political manoeuvring at taxpayer’s expense, the lack of democracy, the unethical handling of bids etc. - all spring to mind.

   The truth is that the old Town Hall remains the iconic, foundation struggle for all matters. Give up on this and the Horsham people are effectively giving up on everything. The Old Town Hall is where the current behaviours of Horsham District Council and developers started back in 2006. Endorse this behaviour over the Old Town Hall and you endorse everything - putting the people’s opposition to any latest proposals on the back foot before you’ve even started.

   Some say that things have ‘moved on’ over the Old Town Hall, Bill’s long lease and the Old Town Hall has undergone some alteration by Bill’s etc. However, the termination clauses are very sketchy and under the lease agreement leaked to us, Bill’s has a responsibility to restore the building to what it was if they go bust or walk away.

   The latest from English Heritage urges taking the recent damage to the Old Town Hall by Bill’s (please see previous picture) ‘cleaning exercise’ up with the Council. That having been done, the Council simply says that Bill’s is responsible for the maintenance of the building. Stalemate! The regulators have all effectively said ‘take it up with the body that caused the problem in the first place - too hot for us to handle I’m afraid’. Common sense however, says that the body that so extremely and willingly provoked the problem is not likely to want to solve it without a push. We doubt the Russian dissidents that ended up in the Siberian salt mines made much progress taking things up with Stalin for example. The only thing that matters in the end is ‘people power’, widespread opposition that will make the leaders either listen, or be overthrown.

   Is Bill’s a responsible outfit? We previously featured the rubbish piling up on the back steps. It took a while but we finally got through - while others were tamely prepared to put up the insult to Horsham’s Causeway environment, give up and let the issue go. Similarly, we campaigned against the noise and smells from Bill’s extractor fans, when others feebly held their noses and cocked a deaf ear.

   Featured below is a picture of the latest insult to the Horsham people and lack of respect to the environment by Bill’s. Nearly every time we go past the Old Town Hall there is at least one member of staff puffing away on a cigarette outside the building and throwing the butt on the ground. We’ve never eaten at Bill’s in Horsham on principle but we wonder how many of these nicotine stained hands there are handling the food on a regular basis?

   Does the Horsham Society really want to stick to their ‘blind eye’ position and leave us, and our supporters to do something about this issue too?

267

posted 20th November 2015

Question: What has the Trust done as a result of the complaints regarding the disrespect shown to the Horsham Old Town Hall by Bill’s Restaurant?

Success as a result of our pressure; no longer is there a hole in the Old Town Hall.

Our thanks to the Horsham resident who took this photo and sent it in today!

   Answer: Following the photos and the complaints received as highlighted in previous up dates the Trust has written to the WSCT in an effort to bring the situation to a wider audience. These two photos have been sent in

 

by Horsham residents; first is the hole in the rear wall of the Hall, caused by the cleaning of the building by Bill’s Restaurant, which has now been open to the weather for some considerable time, the second is the mess that has built up at the bottom of the steps at the side entrance to the hall which is caused by the constant use of the area for cigarette butts and bags of rubbish. We hope that contacting the WSCT will produce a better regard towards the Old Town Hall by Bill’s Restaurant. Since the Old Town Hall is a listed building we have kept English Heritage fully informed. We have also brought the situation, regarding the hole in the wall to the attention of Horsham District Council Conservation Officer who expressed some considerable concern at the state of the wall with the words …gosh, the damage to the stonework is pretty severe.... The Trust looks forward to a reply to our email.

Our next update will hopefully feature replies from both the WSCT and the Conservation Officer.

269

posted 8th December 2015

Question: Does Horsham’s Old Town Hall look better or worse?

   Answer: There was much controversy over the recent ‘cleaning’ of Horsham’s Old Town Hall. Particularly, people asked how a cleaning exercise resulted in such damage to the rear wall (now fixed after being highlighted by our Trust). Please see our previous picture for proof of the damage.

   Now that the cleaning exercise is complete, we ask about the difference it has made. The Horsham Society say this: “The stonework was professionally cleaned by hand under the watchful supervision of a heritage expert. The algae which had accumulated over the years giving the stone a greenish hue has been removed and it now glows magnificently in the sunlight.”

   We, on the other hand, are not convinced. Published here are two pictures, before and after, so that people can judge for themselves. We think that the cleaned up building looks unnatural.

               1                                                                             2

                Picture 1 taken by BJ Walters in 2010.                                Picture 2 taken by R Mayfield 4 Dec 2015

   It’s not clear who the “heritage expert” is in the Horsham Society’s statement. If it is meant to be a representative of English Heritage it means nothing. For example, EH originally sought to protect the in-filled arches as an essential feature of its original function as a Court of Law. Following pressure from HDC on behalf of Bill’s restaurant they rolled over. We believe that the glazed arches significantly degrade the architecture of the building and that you don’t have to be an expert to realise this.

   As for the claim by Horsham District Council in the local press that members of the Horsham public might be responsible for the cigarette smoking and fag butts down the steps at the side of the Old Town Hall (in a Conservation Area); we still can’t contain ourselves laughing (or crying that we are ruled by such people!).

   More on this in the next update.  

270

posted 16th December 2015

Question: When is a letter to the West Sussex County Times no longer a letter?

   Answer: When it’s completely accurate! One of our supporters recently wrote to the County Times about Horsham District Council’s ludicrous claim that the fag butts around the back steps of Horsham’s Old Town Hall might be down to members of the public. The letter said:   

“Dear Sir,

   Although I live in East Grinstead, I generally like to pick up a copy of the West Sussex County Times, particularly when I am visiting my dentist in Horsham’s Causeway. As a former resident, I was pleased to read the recent damage to Horsham’s Old Town Hall had been put right; although I did wonder how such damage had been caused by what was claimed by Horsham District Council to be a mere cleaning exercise. 

   However, reading the additional insinuation by HDC that the many cigarette butts littering the side of the building might be down to members of the public almost made me laugh out loud, as I had personally witnessed the perpetrators on two consecutive Monday’s at 12.25 and 2.25 respectively.  

   Perhaps one of your Horsham readers might be able to shed some light as to why members of the Horsham public have this irresistible urge to congregate at the top of the rear steps to the Old Town Hall and puff away dressed in black and white striped trousers and blue and white stripy aprons?”  

   The County Times immediately responded with a request for the full residential address, as a P.O. Box had been given – presumably so that it could be printed with name, street and town as per the editorial policy. Otherwise why bother to ask? 

   At the same time, our supporter noticed a typo in the letter and corrected ‘black and white striped trousers’  to ‘black and white squared trousers’ as worn by the Bill’s chefs in question.

   Did the County Times originally think to print the letter followed by a retort by Bill’s that their chefs didn’t wear striped trousers and so discredit the writer? Did the County Times then seek to protect Bill’s and the Council, i.e. by no longer wanting to print the corrected letter? We think so! If the corrected letter pops up in this week’s edition however, we will publicly apologise on this site.     

   Meanwhile, we have been sent another recent tripadvisor review of Bill’s .... 

“A flawed business model” reviewed 9th Dec 2015

   “I really wanted to like Bill's. It looks nice, the staff are good with the right level of customer service, and the building itself is great. So far, so good. This was my first trip to Bill's and i brought my son for lunch on Sunday. I had duck pie, he had the burger, and we shared the sweet corn and coriander pancake to start. So the good bits: the starter was good if small, and the burger looked fine, although the extra charge for the slice of Monterey Jack made it not great value and the side portion of chips in the dinky miniature bucket was a bit mean. I had the duck pie. When you read the word pie, you expect it to be a hearty, filling and comforting thing, and this just wasn't. The pie dish they use is very shallow, and the dish is essentially very small chunks of duck mixed in with potato and cabbage mash. The side portion of pickled red cabbage was miniscule. All in all, it feels like Bill's are carefully calibrating portion sizes to ensure that you do order 3 courses. Given the cost of the ingredients is usually only 10% of the price you pay on the menu, I think this is calculating and mean. In addition, they do no real ales and the house beer is a tiny 275ml bottle, again forcing you to order more. 2 hours after leaving I was starving - I don't expect to order a pie and then want to order another meal 2 hours later. This is a very clever business strategy you part you from as much of your money as possible, but it's also a cynical policy. It's a shame - an extra 50p on the ingredients and this could have been fine - instead, greed triumphs. This is no reflection on the staff or anything else - it is a decision no doubt taken at strategic level, and it's quite simply greedy.”

   Is the Bill’s big business greedy? We don’t know as we have never eaten there since the Old Town Hall treachery. However, we do know from recent news that non-dom, billionaire, big business backers like Richard Caring like to fly by helicopter, offshore finances have been prevalent in the Bill’s operation, that Bill’s reneged on its original £75,000 a year offer for the Old Town Hall - and then somehow inexplicably and unethically secured the building at an offer £12,500 a year less than the rival Gondola offer from the Council. Perhaps it does look a bit greedy therefore. 

   Next update: We are taking a break until Monday 11th January. We’ll be back then with our traditional New Year specials; the review of the HDC pantomime, the review of our predictions for 2015 and our new predictions for next year, 2016. Until then a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all our readers.  

271

posted 23rd December 2015

Question: Did the West Sussex County Times print your letter?

   Answer: Fair play to the West Sussex County Times, they did print the letter that was featured in our previous update below. Our apologies all round and a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to those at the WSCT. 

   Could it be that Bill's is finally falling from grace with the powers that be?  

   Christmas and New Year holiday

   Don't forget to put in a diary note for our next update on 11th January. We'll be back then with our traditional New Year specials; the review of the HDC pantomime, the review of our predictions for 2015 and our new predictions for next year, 2016. Until then a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all our readers. 

272

posted 11th January 2016

Question: What about the Horsham District Council Pantomime at the

Capitol Theatre this year?

   Answer: Firstly, a happy new year to all our readers. It was not such a happy new year for Bill’s at Horsham’s Old Town Hall this year it seems from the review that was sent to us below. This followed on from the letters in the press about Bill’s chefs/kitchen staff smoking and littering the back steps of the building in the run-up to Christmas. However, the fag butts are a bit of a step forward on the Jan 15th 2015 picture of the back steps here.

                                                                      

On January 1st 2016 it seemed that the rubbish had moved more tidily around the back of the building as pictured here.

   However, it begs the questions:

1. •         What is the bin store actually used for?
   

2. •         Or, didn’t anybody question the capacity of the bin store (bottom left) at the planning stage?
   

3. •         Are these unsightly bins appropriate in a Conservation Area?
   

4. •         Why did Horsham District Council ever think that restaurant use was appropriate for the building and ‘steal’ the townspeople’s Village Hall?
   

   And so to this year’s Horsham District Council pantomime which was ‘Beauty and the Beast’. Here is the promised review .....

   “Set in 2006, an arrogant young prince and his castle's servants (played by Horsham District Councillors) fall under the spell of a wicked enchantress (played by Councillor Mrs Liz Kitchen), who turns the prince into a hideous Beast. Unfortunately, the spell will last until he learns to love and be loved in return. The Beast gets up to some really dodgy stuff over the next ten years, but finally the young Belle and her supporters (played by Horsham residents and businesses begins to draw the cold-hearted Beast out of his isolation.”

   Well it is a fairy tale!

   And the Bill’s Review..... 

“Lovely venue, great staff, bad overpriced food” reviewed 31st Dec 2015

   New Year's Eve "treat" for the family consisted of: 1 very dry overcooked burger, greasy, sticky fish & chips, kids 3 tiny meatballs in watery broth with dried herbs, sent back and seconds later (probably straight from microwave) arrived a tasteless macaroni cheese minus any cheese. Really disappointing experience.  

   Next update. Our New Year predictions for 2016. 

273

posted 19th January 2016

Question: What are your Horsham District Council predictions for this year?

   Answer: They are:

   January – nothing much happens as the Government have taken all the brakes off of planning. The Council is scared to turn anything down as it will get granted on appeal. There’s not much else that Horsham District Councillors are used to doing historically. The officers take care of the routine stuff like emptying the bins etc.

   February – nothing much happens still as Waitrose in Piries Place, numerous office spaces and other units continue to lie empty. There’s still no ideas towards a tourism solution to replace what was irrationally turned down in 2006 at no cost to the taxpayer.

   March/April/May there’s no elections this year when Councillors would normally be out campaigning. Nothing happening therefore.

   June to December. Nothing much happens for the same reasons as the first half of the year. Meanwhile, the North Horsham Development rumbles on as lots of other space and little spaces in the District are concreted over for housing without too much in the way of supporting infrastructure (which the District Council doesn’t have much to do with).

   ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzz.

274

posted 29th January 2016

Question: What has come to the public’s notice regarding the

music potential in the Horsham area?

   Answer: This article below from the WSCT is a good reminder of the kind of potential in the Horsham area.

   An eight year old cellist, tutored at Horsham’s Stringbabies, has been awarded a place in the prestigious National Children’s Orchestra.

   Stringbabies founder Kay Tucker tipped Suzannah Clark as ‘one to watch’ when she first came to her aged three and a half.

   She was not wrong. As well as achieving a place in the NCO, she has also gained distinction in her Grade 6 exam and won a music scholarship for Burgess Hill School last year.

   Her cello is sponsored by Soundpost, the UK’s second largest distributor of bowed string instruments and she has regularly won cups at the Mid Sussex Music Festival for being the most promising string player in her age group.

   Suzannah said: “My favourite pieces are fast and lively pieces. My favourite composer is Tchaikovsky. At the moment I am learning Bach’s first cello suite”.

   She added: “I also love composing and arranging music.

   “I have done an arrangement the Lincolnshire Poacher, a duet, and composed a short piece called The Palomino And Chestnut Stallions.”

   As an adjudicator of festivals, tutor Kay often sees how other musicians of Suzannah’s age and level perform around the country. Within months of teaching Suzannah using her child friendly methods, she knew she had exceptional talent.

   She said: “She’s by far the most naturally gifted child I have taught. She’s easy to teach on one level because she is so gifted, but I am having to work hard to make sure she can fulfil her potential and continually keep her challenged.

   “She really does love making music. One of the challenges with children is getting them to comprehend music from an early age.

   “Her mother brought her to me having heard of the success of Stringbabies and sure enough this little lady was able to pick it up. She was reading music fluently before school age and was playing Grade 1 level piece at the age of five.”

   Mum Clare added: “We are delighted with Suzannah’s progress and are so grateful to Kay for enabling Suzannah to develop her talent.”

   For more information about Stringbabies go to www.stringbabies.com

Kay Tucker and Suzannah Clark

The Trust contacted Kay Tucker to ask permission to put up the article, to which she gave approval, and she added;

   “I think only to flag up Horsham Performers Platform, which runs from 18th to 25th June at St. John’s Church in Broadbridge Heath. Suzannah has performed there and so have her siblings!

   You can always include a link to my website www.stringbabies.com and perhaps mention that Oxfordshire County Music Service are the latest to start Stringbabies classes.”

275

posted 4th February 2016

Question: Besides running this website what else has the Trust done to raise the profile of Horsham as a music centre that would be of national significance?

   Answer: In 2003 the Trust found an enormous upsurge of interest in retaining the Town Hall for such occasions as is highlighted by this photograph taken in 2003 of a Sunday morning concert held by the Trust in the Town Hall,

   This has never been forgotten and the need for such a centre has been brought to the attention of many people and organisations, as is demonstrated by inviting Julian Lloyd Webber to be our patron, and writing to such people as Evelyn Glennie, whose reply can be read on the Trust Activities page in the update for 23rd February 2015. We have also found considerable support in the organisation Making Music, which is a national organisation for amateur musicians, as is evidenced here in the article Making Music has published in their regular magazine called Highnotes. Here is the article that has just been published in their Spring edition.

   To read details regarding the art exhibition sponsored by the Trust referred to below please go to the update for 5th October 2015.

276

posted 12th February 2016

Question: Does the Trust think that Bills is treated with kid gloves?

   Answer: This is an interesting question and one that is worth pursuing, as it might possibly be the case.
   1. A special rubbish bunker was built at the side of the Town Hall that encroaches upon the pavement area. This special provision did not fit Bills requirements and rubbish got strewn down the emergency steps and onto the pavement. Rubbish in colourful bags then started collecting on the steps, then large wheeled rubbish bins appeared in the road way overflowing with more bags. More bags appear by the side of the bins. This is now party time with the two bins sometimes three bins sashaying round the corner from the road, onto the pavement, and then back onto the road again, over the course of the week. What a grand development in a conservation area!

   2. We’ve also had this review sent into us ....

   “Bad Bills” reviewed about 29th January 2016 by a level 5 contributor

   Arrived for breakfast at 10am .....restaurant cold with few customers. Orderd tea & coffee together with toast & preserves with eggs royale for daughter. Waited a long time for tea/ coffee that we saw sitting on bar having been made . No wait staff in sight other than two members appearing to be having a meeting over a lap top a few tables away. My daughter approached bar and asked if it was our order ....the staff member said it was....no offer to bring it to table so my daughter had to carry it! Breakfast arrived with my order being wrong but was offered this order free. Declined and asked for it to be returned to the kitchen with my original order prepared fresh and hot. This arrived shortly only to find 3 open & mainly used preserve jars with a spoon in each. Not only did this raise concerns about the health & cleanliness issue for me but on closer examination found the jars use by date some two weeks out of date! Asked to speak with Manager who explained it was the policy to serve conserves this way but apologised for them being out of date. Really???....in this day and age.....heavens only knows what bacteria was in the open Jars. I declined the preserves that were replaced as they were open too! When the bill arrived it had the optional service charge included. This in my view showed total lack of customer focus....how could anyone add a service charge in light of the lack of any service. I asked for the service charge to be removed.

Overall an extremely poor experience,in terms of service and product and I will not return to this branch again. With so many other venues to choose from in this restaurant quarter these premises need to up their offering and quality of service substaintally.

   Bills was to be “the icing on the cake,” as the HDC announced. Mmm, I wonder what that HDC cake covering is made of? 

The rogue bins escape the clutches of Bill’s bin store!

277

posted 1st March 2016

Question: What do you think about the newly announced Horsham Festival?

   Answer: We welcome any initiative to back the arts of course - and the fact that this seems to be a charitable initiative from an organisation like ourselves. We also welcome any opportunity to showcase the wealth of Horsham talent that has always existed. 

    It’s a shame that it is coming ten years too late after the successful Horsham Community Festival back in 2006 however. Unfortunately the festival was never repeated after Horsham District Council reneged on their agreement over Horsham’s Old Town Hall and the community’s enthusiasm and energy was dissipated by the treachery. The difference back then, was that the festival was a real drive from the community itself – so much so, that a three stage festival could be organised and implemented in just one month. Since then, we have had ten wasted years - and a new ‘one off’ festival without the backdrop of a wider tourism initiative, will still not bring the targeted tourism that Horsham so badly needs.  

   We therefore think that Paul Bellringer OBE as Chairman of the festival has his work cut-out for him. Following the betrayal over the Old Town Hall and the equally bizarre  decision of HDC to discontinue Horsham Music Week (in which we were also involved) two years later, HDC have tried various arts initiatives of its own, sandwiched around the attempts of ex-Leader and Councillor Robert Nye to undermine our local arts altogether. With significant resources and a lot of staff effort the Council haven’t managed to cut the mustard however, partly due to a lack of knowledge and partly due to a lack of true integration with the community in our opinion. Initiative after initiative has shown us that the Council likes to be firmly in control - and that these initiatives have under-achieved expectations as a result.

   Mr Bellringer OBE will need to learn a lot from history if the newly announced Horsham Festival is going to be truly successful. We wish him very well, particularly now that our ten year campaign to protect and extend our local arts finally seems to be touching a nerve at the Council. 

278

posted 14th March 2016

Question: What happened to cause Bill’s sudden escalation from somewhere like 45th to 11th in the TripAdvisor ratings?

   Answer: We don’t know. We think there have been a few articles in the national press recently (e.g. Daily Mail on 12th February) after the Competition and Markets Authority expressed fears that customers were wasting money because in general, some site feedback cannot be trusted. We understand that the Authority were generally investigating sellers and businesses about fake positive feedback and other watchdogs were asking if sites like TripAdvisor were doing enough to weed out false positive or negative reviews and/or businesses paying for endorsements.

   We still don’t quite understand the algorithm that TripAdvisor uses to calculate rankings either, given that someone like Bill’s, after languishing in the forties for months and gradually sliding to there from its initial tenth three or four years ago (regularly reported on by us), could make a sudden meteoric rise to eleventh again. This appeared to us to have happened in such a short space of time, with no obvious signs of why. However, there is no suggestion here that any of Bill’s feedback on TripAdvisor (either positive or negative) is dodgy. The reviews below that we have been sent recently both look and sound genuine we think. 

   “Not as good as it has been” reviewed 12th February 2016

   Bill's in Horsham used to be my 'go to' place in town. I'm having to rethink that. Met here with friends this morning. First thing I noticed was that it was cold - not the warm and inviting atmosphere I'd been looking forward to. I went for the pancakes with banana, blueberry and strawberry. Strawberries should never have made it as far as the table. They were badly bruised and I was surprised that nobody had spotted this when plating up. Did they think I wouldn't notice? Better quality control needed. The ladies toilet has 3 cubicles. The middle cubicle door has been without a lock for months. How can it be that this has not been sorted? It's just all a bit sloppy really and I doubt I'll go back until I hear that standards have gone back up again.

 “Once a family run local business, now a franchise”  reviewed 20th February 2016

   Now that Bills has become a chain, things seem to have gone downhill in all aspects, from food, service and value. Such a shame as it was so good to support a family run local business who only used locally sourced products. How things have changed now that more chains have opened.

279

posted 21st March 2016

Question: What is Horsham and its people becoming?

   Answer: As a charity for music and the arts in Horsham, we have always kept a close eye on campaigns to protect music venues, especially after the Old Town Hall was turned into a restaurant by Horsham District Council (via its own planning application paid for by the local taxpayer - with the results subsequently being handed on a plate to billions-backed Bill’s).

   Following a campaign by the Musicians Union, the Music Venue Trust and UK Music there are some new regulations coming on the 6thApril, meaning that developers are required to seek prior approval on noise impacts before a change of use from an office building to residential dwellings. Previously allowed changes of use have made music venues and events prone to noise complaints - and many have closed down.

   As a result of Horsham’s residential development in general (without much consideration or supply of social amenities to go with it seems to us) we believe we are heading for a Horsham area full of NIMBYs (not in my back yard). Even then, new residents to anywhere have often moved into an area in full knowledge of what’s ‘there and happening’ BEFORE they arrived – anticipating that once they take up residency their moaning and complaints might be effective.

   We hope the new regulations might offer some respite to any events in Horsham Town - as HDC watches more and more of its huge amount of empty office space gets turned into flats perhaps? Meanwhile however, the sprawl of new development around Horsham - and all the problems that come with it, looks set to continue.  

280

posted 30th March 2016

Question: How have values changed amongst Horsham politicians

in the last ten years?

   Answer: Quite a lot. Horsham District Council and the current local MP are now giving a cautious welcome to arts festivals it seems. However, it is nearly the tenth anniversary of when the anticipated repeat of the free festival staged by the community on 3rd September 2006 was de-mobilised by Horsham District Council. The Council followed up by scratching the highly acclaimed annual Horsham Music Week in 2008 (where we ran the Forum stage).

   Beales was a good supporter of the Horsham Community Festival in 2006 and Horsham Music Week. They wanted to publicise the area and promote as much footfall as possible in the Forum - so that it wasn’t simply considered as dead space between the town centre and Sainsbury’s. Now Beale’s is set to close. It’s not the only reason of course, but the Council did not help with its previous hostility to arts and music events (those with the involvement of the community) as well as staging their own project disasters like the Forum Fountain and troubles with the paving, which did nothing over a number of years to encourage the Horsham shopper into the area.

281

posted 8th April 2016

Are there any signs that businesses in Horsham are working together

to bring new life into the town?

   The East Street loyalty scheme, organised by Rob Cole, of Exceloffice, for the Excel Networking Club Horsham, is a welcome initiative, as far as the Trust is concerned in terms of shaking off the complacency and previously misdirected effort by HDC that we believe existed over the last twenty years in keeping the town centre vibrant. 

   This is the ‘thank you’ that our Treasurer sent to all the businesses involved;

   “May I take this opportunity to thank all the businesses in the East Street area for so generously donating all these wonderful prizes. It is nice to win something, but also very pleasing to take part in an exercise aimed at bringing new life into a part of Horsham that has taken a hit since Waitrose left for pastures new.

   (the rest of the ‘thank you’ below was left out of the District Post article).

   East Street, and what has now become the Forum area, are parts of the town that I have been familiar with for almost forty years. Through my work for the Blue Flash Music Trust, since 2002, we have been trying to bring a new lease of life into these areas for many years such as the arts stage in Market Square for the Horsham Community Festival in 2006, and the Forum stages for Horsham Music Week in 2007 and 2008. Beales were great supporters of these past events for obvious reasons and they will be a big loss to the town as well.”  

   The businesses involved in the loyalty scheme are; Strada, Brock Taylor, La Source, B52’s, iL Figaro, Pretty Things, Mungos Bar, Wabi, Smart Park Horsham, Exceloffice, Carmelas, Steamer Trading, Marion De Montfort, Posche, Pizza Express, Mapp & Weston, Classic Bags, Piries Bar, Fiesta Tots, Wagamama Horsham.

   Charity Auction announcement; the prizes donated to the East Street loyalty scheme by the East St businesses will be put up to auction to the benefit of St Catherine’s Hospice and the Blue Flash Music Trust at the Midsummer Music Festival, Staplefield. More details later.

282

posted 12th April 2016

Question: Does offshore money buy influence, get favours and

make even more money?

   Answer: Well it used to we think. However, we have witnessed quite a bit of squirming since the Panama leak. 

   We have featured a few articles in the past about the offshore, non-dom, billionaire backer of Bill’s restaurant (the restaurant currently occupying the people’s Horsham Old Town Hall), Richard Caring, a suitcase full of cash, the wooing of UK politicians like Tony Blair and then quickly onto wooing the Tories, flying around by helicopter etc. There’s no suggestion of Richard Caring’s link to Panama however - as we think he may be more of a Jersey Boy.

   David Cameron is not the only one struggling after previous announcements on tax either it seems - and Hilary Clinton seems to be politically struggling with the same issue across the pond in America since the Panama story broke.

   The charitable foundation run by Hillary Clinton and her family was once reported to have received as much as $81m from wealthy international donors who were clients of HSBC’s controversial Swiss bank. Leaked files from HSBC’s Swiss banking division previously revealed the identities of seven donors to the Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation with accounts in Geneva.

   They included Richard Caring, the British retail magnate who, the bank’s internal records show, used his tax-free Geneva account to transfer $1m into the New York-based foundation in apparent return for Bill Clinton’s attendance at a charity ball in Russia in November 2005.

   Caring was legitimately permitted to keep his assets offshore by a hereditary quirk of UK tax law, under which he is registered as “non-domiciled”, courtesy of his Italian-American father. We should point out at this stage that it is not unlawful for US or other non-Swiss citizens to hold accounts in Geneva and there is no evidence any of the Clinton donors with Geneva accounts evaded tax.

   For the charity gig in 2005 it seems Richard Caring was reported as arranging for 18th century Russian costumes, borrowed from the Hermitage Museum, to be tailor-fitted for each guest at the event at Catherine the Great’s Winter Palace. Photographs from the event are said to have shown Bill Clinton, dressed as a Russian general, partying with other VIP guests such as Elizabeth Hurley. Entertainment was provided by Tina Turner and Elton John as well. Quite a do!

   Does money buy influence? We think so yes. How else would one (particularly Horsham District Council) explain Bill’s Restaurant being blessed with the Horsham Old Town Hall at a knock down price of £60,000 per annum when Gondola offered £72,500 per annum? How else could you explain Bill’s being given the Old Town Hall at £60,000 per annum when they were reported by the Agent to have already given a verbal offer of £75,000 per annum.

   The real salt in the wound was HDC shelling out £10,000 of taxpayer’s money for the plans and then handing them over to Bill’s after the Council had self-approved their own plans in a conflict of interest.

   “To them that hath, more shall be given” it seems.

283

posted 22nd April 2016

On a scale of one to ten how does the Trust rate the success of the scheme created by HDC to find a lasting and valuable contribution to the wellbeing of the town by creating the East Street eating area?

   East Street was set aside by the council so that visitors to the town could enjoy an air of relaxation with tables and chairs in a newly pedestrianised part of the town, providing of course that the weather was sympathetic.

   However what has shown up the limitations of the whole scheme is how it relies heavily on the areas surrounding it; ie conservation areas, local shopping, plus the entertainment value of the bandstand and the market stalls in the Carfax area. These have to be in place for the restaurant area to succeed, and remain as such.

   What skewed the whole scheme from the very start was to close the Town Hall to the community, and make it into just another restaurant. So a unique supporting feature was taken away. East Street has shrugged off the effect as best it could and has gone on its way. However another item so necessary to just such a scheme is the attraction of Waitrose and now that has gone there is an air of desolation around Piries Place. Had the input of the community been in place, ie in the Town Hall then East Street would have continued confident it had a unique hall and similarly unique tourist attraction with a regular audience just around the corner. Such has been the effect of the loss of Waitrose to East Street too, that the local businesses feel the need to run a loyalty scheme in the hope of bringing custom into the area. 

   Surely a council should have some eye to the future. Ok, it was not prepared to see Waitrose disappearing totally from the town after 25 years, but this has made it even more difficult to survive the loss of just such a big attraction in the town centre in our opinion. By denying just such an amenity as the Town Hall to the area and to the community as a whole also, we find it difficult to award as much as 2 on the scale of one to ten to the council. HDC appears to have shown a total disregard for any changes that might be just around the corner.

   Shut your eyes to change then trouble starts bubbling up! This is after all the year of change; the year 2016 is the year of the Monkey!

284

posted 29th April 2016

Question: Has Horsham District Council really succeeded in 

rescuing the Horsham arts?

   Answer: This would appear to be the case judging from reading the latest articles and a letter in the latest copy of the West Sussex County Times.

   In the first instance the article by Michael Neilson describes the Horsham Festival set for July over a nine day period as being the “first ever Horsham Festival”. However there were many Horsham festivals in the past and in particular the Horsham Community Arts Festival on September 3rd 2006. (See update below for 30th March. This and other events like Horsham Music Week were scuppered by the Council.

   Then letter writer, Councillor Christine Costine, refers to three pieces of sculpture; two of them being The Swans in Swan Walk – and Shelley’s ‘ball’ at the bottom of West Street because “they have been neglected becoming victims to a lack of commitment, proper management and maintenance.” We have asked around but have not yet located the Light Tree!

   HDC snuffed out an arts tourism strategy in 2006 with the handing over of our one piece of historical value, and centre of community life in the Old Town Hall. It was passed over to Bills restaurant with an ‘incentive’ of £10,000 of taxpayer’s money to help the business into this wonderful building! All the Horsham restaurants would have welcomed such a sweetener we think. This was a particularly bitter pill to swallow after a large number of people got together and staged the Horsham Community Festival in 2006! 

   Time will tell about the latest apparent Council tolerance shown towards the arts. Remember the saying of Sussex “we won’t be druve!”. Eventually that will be shown to be true!

285

posted 6th May 2016

Question: Will the loss of Shelley's Ball and more restaurants make

a difference to Horsham?

  Answer: We think not. The monument to Shelley has been plagued with ongoing problems, as with many Horsham District Council projects. The Council has never been in a position to shout about it therefore, even if it did have a realistic tourism strategy and promotional budget - which it hasn't it seems. No real publicity has meant that few people have ever come to see the Shelly 'Rising of the Universe' fountain for the right reasons therefore. They also haven't flocked to see much else either.

   HDC seem to believe that simply having more restaurants in a particular place is sustainable. However, this seems to defy logic and the available evidence. For example, the 'O2' in London has a high concentration of restaurants purposefully situated all around it because people go to the arena to watch a show and eat out. The West End theatres are surrounded by restaurants similarly. In Horsham, the restaurants are concentrated around ????? - what? Another restaurant! What are people drawn to the town to see and do - and eat out before or after? Shopping says HDC - but overall, is the Horsham retail offering any better - or more diverse - than most places elsewhere? Probably not.

   In our view, simply adding more restaurant space to Horsham, will just mean that the local restaurant market is spread thinner - and the eventual limitations on profitability will become critical. We think that without any unique tourist attraction, the 'critical mass' has just about been reached. 

   Where do we go now? How the Council must secretly regret reneging on our proposed tourism solution of ten years ago. Unfortunately, it has been the residents and businesses of Horsham that have paid the price for such illogical treachery as was dished out by HDC at the time."  

286

posted 13th May 2016

Question: What did the Trust think of the English Festival over the

weekend 7th-8th May?

   Answer: This was an enjoyable festival with enormous potential as Horsham has a great deal to offer in bringing this celebration to a wider audience and expanding the whole event. As with a lot of events in Horsham it is ruled very much by the weather since the occasions have to be held in the open air and in this respect the weather over the weekend was very kind.

   It was good to see Ken Harvey playing keyboard by the AgeUk tent, and to see a lot of children taking part in the different types of folk dancing and music.

   One of the highlights, for the writer, was to be suddenly confronted with Henry 8th and a selection of his wives at the top of Middle Street! Wolf Hall has brought his ‘majesty’ very much to the fore in recent times with the public, and the actor Tony Strange fills the part brilliantly exchanging quips with the people mingling round him as he presents his case for his many wives in a very humorous style. What a challenge to be constantly presented with daughters when you are looking to have a son!?

   The festival also gave Horsham folk veteran Dave Toye a chance to perform his self-penned ‘Horsham My Old Town’, as part of his set on the bandstand followed by a rousing rendition of his other great hit ‘England For Me’.

287

posted 19th May 2016

Question: Why does Horsham need a tourism solution based on

its historic arts and live music?

   Answer:  With the move of Waitrose to the other side of Horsham many businesses are finding it difficult with a drop in footfall. Besides the creation of an East St loyalty scheme, to overcome the effect, a couple of the businesses have recently started putting on live music!

   What is the point of this one might ask? The reason is not very difficult to find; live music brings in a different type of customer as confirmed by one of the East St businesses recently. Generally there has been an increased appetite for live music in recent years, as was anticipated by the proposed tourism solution of ten years ago. Indeed, the commercial record industry has changed beyond recognition and artists generally make much more from live performance than record sales these days.   

   These days, customers find themselves surrounded by piped music in all types of venues, even banks and blood banks, so we understand from our patron Julian Lloyd Webber!

   Julian Lloyd Webber was quite outspoken recently, in Music Matters on Radio 3, April 4th when he described piped music as a ‘scourge’, and that it is ‘a sure sign that the proprietor does not have confidence in what they have to offer.’ He went onto say that ‘live music’ shows the proprietor likes to hear their music, ‘fresh not canned!’

Next update will be after the bank holiday. Have a good one, with lots of ‘live music!’

288

posted 4 June 2016

Question: Since the Blue Flash Music Trust was set up in 2002 what has the Trust observed that supports the belief that a community centre in the heart of Horsham would unleash a lot of skills both musical and otherwise?

   Answer: The last fourteen years has shown that there is a tremendous need for such a centre combined with a tourism solution as highlighted by a Council report in 2003. Unfortunately it seems HDC is still pursuing the vulnerable retail world, a vulnerability highlighted recently by the collapse of BHS and others. Restaurants and coffee bars alone will not be enough to sustain the town centre.

   Music and the arts is about the personal, not the political. There are limited facilities for a Horsham musician to practise, or play an integral part in the life of a community, or for people to meet up together and find new interests. Coffee shops have played their part in setting up a network that will go towards supporting the centre as seen in the connection with HackHorsham and its creator Nik Butler. The Ocarina Project found its beginnings when putting on birthday parties and meeting up with blind James, who, until he fell in love with the ocarina, had been scared of music. Then working in the Suzanne Green Community centre led to finding a love of music in John Evans, who had never been able to speak in his life, so he had not been able to make that love known. The connection with Horsham Folk Club also produced invaluable contacts.  

   Many people find that, say with the loss of a friend or partner that they would like to stretch them-selves and find a new activity. The BBC has realised that changes lead to taking a fresh look at life and interests that have been forgotten on the way get looked at once again. One example can be found by going to BBC radio 3 website, and do a search for ‘Get Playing’ which is an initiative encouraging people of 16 and above to take up a long forgotten instrument, and with the aid of a virtual music programme start practicing Bizet’s Toreador song with the help of prompts on the Get Playing website, and the downloadable music that is arranged for any instrument under the sun, from banjo to cello! The aim is to film oneself playing the piece of music, and uploading your piece to the virtual orchestra conducted by Marin Alsop. The closing date is August 27th 2016, the whole orchestra playing at the last night of the proms.

   The whole reason behind setting up the Trust was to generally reawaken a love of music so an initiative like this is to be welcomed, ‘for, from the combination of the personal, comes the community – and it is the strength of communities that will ultimately replace the discredited and much weakened political system in this country.’

289

posted 4th July 2016

Question: Why do you think people voted to leave the EU in the recent 

referendum and what does it have to do with us?

   Answer: Firstly, we have to say that as an apolitical charity supporting music and the arts that we have no political affiliations. However, we too have observed and experienced the cynicism about the political parties at both national and local level. Increasingly, people no longer talk about the Conservative Party, the Labour Party, the Liberal democrats, they talk about the 'political class'- a political elite that is both divorced from ordinary people and condescending towards them. 

   All of the 3 political parties mentioned above were in favour of Europe, but all of them had MEPs (with very little influence compared to the Council of Ministers and unelected Commissioners) that rode the Brussels gravy train. Too many fiddling expenses (like their MP counterparts) and too many signing on to obtain allowances before 'swanning off'. Too many MP leaders parading their (self) importance on the European stage - and even at a local level, too many Councillors on twinning junkets, Councils often twinned with more than one European counterpart for maximum gluttony and guzzling. 

   As a music charity, we naturally have an affinity with the stance of the Musicians Union on Europe. Free movement gives musicians and artists easy access to wider audiences. However, like so many of those that voted leave in order to give the political class a black eye (that the recipients are still grizzling about), we have also experienced the arrogant, untouchable forces of the state.

   To us, Bill's Restaurant occupying the Horsham people's Old Town Hall will always be an iconic reminder of arrogant and irrational politicians exercising personal power, political party interests and finally the needs of the community - in that order. Furthermore, it will serve as further evidence that the political class will stop at nothing, including widespread unethical behaviour to get their way. It can do this with impunity of course, as they are ably protected by so called independent instruments of the state such as the Audit Commission, Ombudsmen etc. (about as independent as the Bank of England appeared in the recent EU Referendum perhaps!).

   In our view, 'Remain' lost because too many people like us had brushed up against the state - and had been badly treated by a middle/upper class whose self-importance outstripped their sense of fair play, their ability and the needs of communities. 

   The fallout from the Referendum vote has thus been fairly predictable. Delay in enacting Article 50 and so carrying out the will of the majority whilst we have a Conservative leadership contest (and beyond?); arrogant has-beens like Tony Blair questioning the vote altogether; terrified Labour MPs trying to oust Jeremy Corbyn - as it's all about the politicians and nothing about the nation and it's communities it seems. In our impartial view, it is unlikely that Jeremy Corbyn lost Remain the vote. Hysterical claims by leaders of the campaign - 'posh boys' Cameron and Osbourne and their over-the water mates (with Cameron putting party before nation by calling the vote in the first place it seemed), the apparent dependence of so called independent bodies, the 'lectures' from the likes of Blair, Mandelson, Brown and Harman were all going to have the opposite effect we thought. In our observation on the morning after, Corbyn was one person that called for the immediate enactment of Article 50 as soon as the result of the vote was announced.

   The reaction of the political class reminds us of the same sort of rearguard skulduggery that was witnessed at a local level 10 years ago in Horsham when Cabinet Members overturned the recommendation of the Old Town Hall Advisory Group after due bidding process from community organisations as requested, in order to subsequently unethically select Bill's restaurant over a rival bidder as a 'big business' option, install them at a knock down price and furthermore, unethically pay for the plans and planning fee in order to trash a Grade II Listed Building with taxpayers money. At this point 10 years ago, although being apolitical, we did suddenly become 'politically aware'. We also became aware that no regulatory body was prepared to take such behaviour to task. Given the national scandals that quickly followed such as MPs expenses (and the subsequent rearguard action on this by the establishment), the 'Leave vote' was an accident waiting to happen perhaps.

                                               Yes, our weekly updates are well and truly back!

290

posted 12th July 2016

Question: in what ways has the Trust been spreading its wings?

   Answer: We hope this new update fully answers the question, plus an update on Things the Trust does page as well.

Musicfest 2016 in Staplefield raises £1,683 for St Catherine’s Hospice

                                                  Chris Brazier, Will Lewis, Vickie and Martin Jeremiah

                                 Honey and the Monsters                                                      On your marks!

   On Friday 8th July The Jolly Tanners Musicfest 2016 team (shown above} presented a cheque for £1,683 to St Catherine’s Hospice from their annual summer event on 19th and 23rd June. Musicfest is now in its third year and takes place every Father’s Day in the extensive grounds of the Jolly Tanners in Staplefield from Noon until 8.30 pm. This year saw top performances from Camilla Royle, Brian Paige, Alan Atkinson, No Strings attached, Snakes & Ladders, Jodie Munday, The Toons, Pedro’s Ghost, Something Else, Neal Hayes, Honey & the Monsters and Unprovoked.

   Landlord at the Jolly Tanners, Chris Brazier, hosting the event  said:

   “Once again, we are grateful to the musicians that gave their time and waived their normal fee to play, as well as all the helpers that staged this excellent event. The introduction of the pantomime horse racing was a really fun addition to the format and we hope to develop Musicfest even more next year.   I’m aware that St Catherine's cared for more than 2,000 patients and their family and friends since Musicfest 2015 and that it costs the hospice more than £17,000  a day, to provide their care services.  Further thanks therefore go to all those that supported the event once more, helping us to reach such an amazing total.”

   Indeed, the pantomime horse racing brought out the competitive side from many in the audience. After all, they were competing for a highly prized Midsummer Musicfest rosette!    

   Administrator for the event, Vicki Jeremiah, added :

   “It was particularly poignant for me that Musicfest 2016 took place on Father’s Day as my own Dad was cared for so well by St Catherine’s. When we were selling raffle tickets at the event, it was sometimes hard to get round to everybody in the audience, as so many people had a similar story to tell about a friend or family member. I can’t thank St Catherine’s enough for what they did for us back then, so working on Musicfest has an added bonus for me, of being able to give something back. It is also wonderful to hear that they have just been rated by the Care Quality Commission as ‘outstanding’  - such a well deserved recognition!”

   The total of £1,483.04 raised on the 19th June was topped up on 23rd June by the grand Music Quiz and an Auction of items donated by local arts & music charity the Blue Flash Music Trust which had been won by one of the Trust Trustees in the East St loyalty scheme. The donated vouchers came from  Fiesta Tots, Wagamama, Il Figaro, Wabi, Exeloffice, Pizza Express, La Source, Steamer Trading, Strada, Mapp and Weston, Smart Park Horsham, Brock Taylor, Marion de Montfort, B52’s, Pretty Things, Mungo’s Bar, Carmelas, Poshe, Classic Bags and Piries bar.  The total sum of £452 raised at the auction was divided equally between St Catherine’s Hospice and the Blue Flash Music Trust.

   Event Manager Martin Jeremiah said:

   “Midsummer Musicfest will be back at the Jolly Tanners Staplefield even bigger and better next year, and with few more twists and turns too no doubt.”

  The event on 19th June was videoed by the Blue Flash Music Trust, a copy of which will shortly be available to patrons of the The Jolly Tanners. The Panto Horse races are well worth watching, particularly where a horse loses its way. (pics above by Vickie Jeremiah)

   More information about the other recent activities of the Blue Flash Music Trust can be found on the Tablet Ocarina Project etc page.

291

posted 21st July 2016

How has the Blue Flash Music Trust developed as a community based charity?

   Answer: The Trust has been encouraged by the way things are progressing on the networking side in the following ways;

1. •Working with James, who is blind, the Trust has developed the Tablet Ocarina Project, more of which can be found on the Things the Trust does page.
   

2. •Last October the Trust sponsored and put on a display of the painting of Sue, in the Horsham Museum, who, has, under very difficult circumstances, developed her skills as a painter quite dramatically. The event was very pleasing and delighted Sue considerably. More of this event can be found on the update 262 dated 5th October 2015.
   

3. •Then working with 13 year old Jonathan of HackHorsham, we have learnt to use the Raspberry Pi phenomenon.
   

4. •The Trust took part in the Music Festival at the Jolly Tanners, Staplefield 19th June, videoing the whole event, and donating all the prizes won through the East St loyalty scheme for an auction 23rd June at the Jolly Tanners, more details of which can be found on the Things the Trust does page.
   

5. •Taking part in a display at the Horsham Festival event in the Capitol, 10th July, and meeting up with the founder of the festival Paul Bellinger, who said that the Tablet Ocarina Project was just what the festival was all about; developing and bringing out skills in both young and old alike.
   

6. •The Tablet Ocarina Project, has pleased James immensely, for without his input it would never have started. The project will help James because he has a poor memory, and the keyboard will act as a backup for him, so he could work on his own, with the keyboard, if he so wished.
   

7. •This demonstrates an important point about the Trust and its reason for being; to help to realise whatever artistic qualities an individual may like to develop.

292

        posted 4th August 2016
Question: What is the latest news about the Tablet Ocarina Project?

      photo shoot for the Magpi magazine

by Marcus Tyler-Moore

   Answer: A year ago the Trust began the Tablet Ocarina Project with the aim of helping James, who is blind, to play the ocarina more precisely. Initial prototypes were made using the finger patterns of the ocarina, with which James is very familiar. Then things began opening up on seeing the kind of work being done by HackHorsham, and so the keyboard featured in the picture above was created, and was connected to a Raspberry Pi, a monitor, a mouse and a keyboard, and endless possibilities became apparent. News of this has excited a lot of interest through HackHorsham, and the display of the keyboard at the Horsham Festival. On seeing the project, Paul Bellinger, the founder of the festival, said the project was exactly what the festival was all about; bringing the community together, particularly since it involved people aged from 12 to 76 years working together! This has generated a lot of interest in the world of the Raspberry Pi community, with the result an article is to be published about the project in the Magpi magazine in September, hence the photo above.

293

posted 17th August 2016

Question: How is the Blue Flash Music Trust on anniversaries?

   Answer: Very good, even though we do say so ourselves!

   On Friday August 15, 1986 (30 years ago) there was a great article in the West Sussex County Times, reprinted in the current copy, with the headline ‘Town Hall freed up for community use’ - which describes how the council was planning to move facilities and part of this would be to "release the Town Hall [Horsham's Old Town Hall] for community use" - which of course the Old Town Hall was! 

   About this time 10 years ago Leisure Services at Horsham District Council called us in and asked us to slightly amend our winning bid for a tourism solution based on community use for the Old Town Hall - to be finally recommended to Council in September 2006. In a couple of weeks time it will be the tenth anniversary of the great Horsham Community Festival - and a couple of weeks after that - the tenth anniversary of Horsham District Council treachery and the economic folly that went with it. We'll cover these anniversaries in more detail as they arise.

   Indeed, councils and governments of all shades still make all kinds of pledges and then sell out to big business (as the Horsham Old Town Hall was handed over to billionaire Richard Caring's Bill's restaurant). For example, Labour Mayor of London Sadiq Khan pledged to build loads of homes in London half of which would be affordable housing. Whoops! Councils up and down the land, as well as Government, have pledged to build houses too - and yet they have sold off publicly owned (in theory) land to hotels, big business etc rather than for housing as highlighted by Channel 4's Dispatches programme last night, on15th August.

   There are sayings that 'Money is power' and 'Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely". The political disease that exists at government and local level in Britain is regularly accompanied by equal 'taking the p**s' goings on in the Corporate world of course (BHS, RBS etc). 

   The danger is; that the people forget how things once were, what could have been, and what still could be. Lose sight of these things and it all becomes the 'norm'. Once it becomes the norm - there is no way back!

294

posted 24th August 2016

Question: Why would the Blue Flash Music Trust want to become a

Social Enterprise? Does Horsham need this?

   Answer: on seeing the Tablet Ocarina Project working, and being used by the blind James for whom the project was created (please see Tablet Ocarina Project etc page) it was suggested that this should be taken to Dragon’s Den as a way of raising funds to develop the project. However, after some thought the idea was abandoned, and it led to the Trust considering joining Social Enterprise, which at one time ran its own version of Dragon’s Den.

   Looking further into this idea we found that the driving forces behind Social Enterprise were not dissimilar to our own. Indeed, the Trust has worked since its inception in 2002 to further raise arts and heritage awareness in the Horsham area and give an outlet to its talent. In spite of Horsham’s relative wealth we consider that there is increasing social deprivation in the area - as there is no real community centre in the town; the lack of which has caused the area to suffer in many ways.

   More details on our progress soon.

   The Magpi magazine with a two page spread is out today!

295

posted 1st September 2016

What is the further news on the membership of Social Enterprise

and the Tablet Ocarina Project?

   Answer: Here is the Trust member profile for Social Enterprise;

   A passion for music and its links to Horsham heritage led to the formation of the Blue Flash Music Trust. Horsham had always been a market town, but in the transition to retail and housing, it was arguably losing its sense of community and connection with the District’s artistic capital.

   The Trust spotted an ideal hub in Horsham’s Old Town Hall. Business plans were set up and agreed upon, and with Julian Lloyd Webber as patron, a great future was in sight. Sadly, forces on Horsham District Council did not see things the same way however. Since then, the Trust has brought together many different and varied elements in the community in the most unexpected ways; as featured recently with the Tablet Ocarina Project, at the Horsham Festival, created to help a blind man with his ocarina.

                       This is an ocarina

   The Trust has just learnt that as a result of the two page article in the Magpi magazine other people are beginning to make a similar device for their blind friends. James, the blind man for whom it was created, will be delighted at the news.

296

posted 6th September 2016

Question: What now for the festival season next year and was Bill’s in the Old Town Hall and the de-mobilisation of Horsham’s artistic community worth it?

   Answer: So, it’s back to school time and the summer season of festivals have wound down. Horsham saw a welcome resurgence of festival activity summer and hopefully it’s not too little too late.  One striking thing though, was the apparent lack of ambition in the Horsham Festival programme - in the stated hope that it would become a regionally recognised festival. That’s the trouble really – now, everyone is doing it – and Horsham will have to work hard to achieve the aim.

   Go back 10 years and we were looking at being a nationally and internationally recognised festival based on Horsham’s unique folk history and its links with rural heritage. Just very occasionally the ‘stars’ align -  and in 2006 we had the energy of the community based around Horsham’s Old Town Hall, Council Advisory Group commitment, business expertise, charity status and the prospect of grant funding, the local artistic talent, the lot. Then came the unethical treachery of a small group of Horsham District Council Cabinet members. Since then, the Council has, recently, tried to make amends and rectify the situation. However, the tourist offering is still far too diluted - and those ‘stars’ remain unaligned - since Horsham District Council’s darkest hour in September 10 years ago.

   We still remain in hope that the aforementioned stars may align once more - and in spite of stiffer competition now, we can create a unique, internationally recognised tourist attraction and festival based on Horsham’s folk heritage. Was it worth it for the unprincipled HDC Cabinet Members that stabbed Horsham’s businesses and residents in the back in 2006? Here are some of the reviews we have been sent about Bill’s in the last few months (the restaurant currently occupying the people’s Old Town Hall).

   “Bad service”

2 of 5 stars  Reviewed 17 August 2016

Went to visit Bills, my friend who lives in Horsham has had some good times there, I didn't .

Appalling service , average food & so so noisy.

Maybe if we were in a party of 20 with 10 very wild children it would have been a more enjoyable experience ?

We weren't !!!

We booked a table on a Saturday afternoon & the only table they had left & willing to give us was in a party room upstairs at the back of the restaurant under speakers, that were blasting out music.

Just as well because every time a member of staff wanted to move a chair or table, they dragged them across the floor

When I had the audacity to ask them as a paying customer to not do that & please lift the furniture , I was given such attitude.

I will never darken their doorstep again & part with my hard earned money

   “Got it badly wrong this time”

1 of 5 stars  Reviewed 13 August  2016

We've been here for breakfast on several occasions. Sadly today was not great- blueberry pancakes were soggy dough- yuk. Tea came up late and they got another breakfast order wrong. I guess coming here can be a luck or bad luck.....

   “Over priced, nothing special”

1 of 5 stars  Reviewed 12 August 2016

Unfortunately, despite being one of Horsham's most iconic buildings, "Bill's" were given the go ahead to lease the "OLD TOWN HALL"

Bill's was started out as a one off in Lewis (I believe) and then decided to market this as a franchise.

Not sure why, as this has brought nothing but negative vibes from patrons.

I wouldn't go there out of principle;

Staff are paid below the minimum wage as it is assumed that tips will make up their wages.

However; these tips rarely go to those who actually do the work. Management get a cut but do nothing.

   “Appalling all round”

1 of 5 stars  Reviewed 29th August 2016

Food burnt, service appalling. We were an inconvenience . Highly advise you don't bother. Our evening was spoilt and we had to pay for the privilege. We were considering coming here for a party, not now.

   The two page August Magpi article on the Tablet Ocarina Project is available on the Tablet Ocarina Project etc page. We are now on holiday, and the next update will be Monday 26th September 2016

297

posted  26th September 2016

Question: Is Horsham town centre being sustained by the Council's

 restaurant/retail strategy?

   Answer: We don't think so. Look no further than the decline of Piries Place in the last couple of years. Some of this decline even appeared to be taking place before Waitrose went West so to speak. Various plans for Piries have been floated but none of them seem to us to fit with the Horsham demographic or add anything meaningful to the towns offering other than what might be attained elsewhere. Many people are also sceptical that these plans will actually see the light of day at all. 

   As we have said many times before, the lack of democratic influence and meaningful representation in the town will always be a problem with an out-of-town Council Cabinet ruling the roost. The question is: How big will be the decline in the towns fortunes - as allowed by the current District Council - before there is a unitary County Council and a Horsham Town Council to replace it?

298

posted 4th October 2016

Question: What about Teresa May's pledge to sort of clean society up?

   Answer: We were a bit encouraged by this and so wrote to the new Prime Minister about the skulduggery of the Council over the installation of Bill's restaurant in Horsham's Old Town Hall. Predictably, the reply came from the Department of Communities & Local Government (DCLG) rather than No 10.

   Based on the reply, it seems that Ministers cannot intervene in matters of local government unless by Act of Parliament. However, we thought that there could be independent inquiries into say, Rochdale's response to sexual abuse. Also, what is to stop the Conservative party at Government level

bringing its wayward local Councillors into line via the party apparatus? This we think could have been an approach by Mrs May rather than simply passing things onto the DCLG.

   So, when a local Council acts unethically: Government offices have "no policing function" and cannot intervene The Local Government Ombudsman will not take on a Council that is determinedly acting unethically because its recommendations are unenforceable. The Government cannot intervene in the affairs of the Ombudsman and with the Ombudsman being the highest tier of the complaints

process it is not worth making a complaint against a Council that is minded this way. The District Auditor similarly backs away from criticising a wayward Council that is determined to act in this way even when her recommendations of how to proceed properly have been ignored.

   So, it seems that things will never be cleaned up after all.

299

posted 12 October 2016

Question: What is the Blue Flash Music Trust’s involvement in Richard Caring’s divorce?

   Answer: We are not quite sure at the moment. Richard Caring, who bankrolled Bill’s Restaurant, has been regularly featured on our site for many years. One thing that always intrigued us on our Statcounter for the site, was the regular hits from the same location and IP address in Brazil. It seemed hard for us to believe that there should be so much interest in a Horsham charity like ourselves and the Horsham Old Town Hall. However, when we found out about  Brazillian Patricia Mondini recently, we wanted to get in touch and ask her the famous Mrs. Merton question:

    “What first attracted you to billionaire Richard Caring?”

    Richard Caring enjoys “non-dom” tax status in the UK  and owns a host of properties including The Ivy and Le Caprice - as well as a 50-acre shooting estate in Somerset. Apparently we hear, Richard Caring has also moved into a new £32 million pad with Ms Mondini too.

   Prime Minister Mrs May recently stated that she wanted ‘everybody to play by the same rules’.

   So, why was a restaurant bankrolled by Caring (Bill’s) granted £15,000 per annum off their original verbal offer for Horsham’s Old Town Hall?

    Furthermore,  why was a restaurant bankrolled by Caring (Bill’s) unethically granted Horsham’s Old Town Hall by the Council for £60,000 per annum when Gondola offered £72,500? (thereby cheating the Horsham taxpayer out of half a million pounds over the term of the lease).

    To these two questions - and many others – we have never had answers. Does Richard Caring live by the same rules as anyone else? – we don’t think so! There still seems to be one rule for the rich and one for the poor. 

    Just an aside – it seems that you don’t have to be a tycoon to live by different rules. If an ordinary person is useless in their job for example - they are generally fired with perhaps a month pay. If you are Chief of the Metropolitan Police Hogan-Howe - or Katrina Percy of the failed Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust however, you disappear into the sunset with a £187,000 pension or £190,000 pay off. Powerful public figures and/or senior people earning high salaries play by different rules too it seems. 

    So, were the Conservative Cabinet at Horsham District Council playing by the rules when they were quietly negotiating with Bill’s against Council policy for ‘community use’ of the Old Town Hall in force at the time? Were the Conservative Cabinet playing by the rules when they charged the taxpayer for the conversion designs and plans and handed them over to Bill’s? The Conservative Cabinet at Horsham District Council even unethically had the taxpayer pay the planning fee for Bill’s. Did Richard Caring’s Bill’s really need the money?

    In our view, the above examples are the kind of rule breaches that underline a currently sick society. It’s the kind of thing we think, that Prime Minister Mrs May waxes lyrical about, but in practice (as it seems from the reply received from the Department of Communities & Local Government on her behalf) does not want to do anything about. The Horsham Cabinet Members responsible were members of her party - and it is obvious to us - that it is well within Mrs May’s power to start with cleaning her party up. If Mrs May cannot and will not do this on a small scale in her own party, then it seems an almost certainty that she will not succeed in cleaning up the nation as a whole.

    So back to Richard Caring. We are grateful to the Daily Telegraph, Guardian and Evening Standard for the following snippets:

       “Richard Caring, the rag trader turned restaurateur, has come under fire from MPs for refusing to reveal how much Sir Philip Green’s wife paid him for his stake in the now defunct BHS. The clothing tycoon - who owns The Ivy and Le Caprice - revealed in a letter to MPs, published on Tuesday, that he originally took a 22pc stake in the department store retailer for £10m in 2001.

   Mr Caring made £93.5m in dividends between 2002 and 2004 from his shares, and his company received a further £169m in sales from his company’s supplier arrangement with BHS.

He has previously claimed that he has been left with bad debts of around £850,000 from BHS’s administration.

   Mr Caring said in a letter to a joint Commons select committee investigating the reasons behind BHS’s collapse that “given I was a supplier to most of the brands in the high street, the belief was that it would be better if it was not public knowledge that I was a supplier and shareholder to a retail competitor”.

The multimillionaire says that he did not give BHS any discounts on the goods he supplied. Mr Caring went on to he sold his stake in 2006 to Lady Green, wife of Toshop tycoon Sir Philip, because he was “exhausted”.

   However, he declined to answer a written question from MPs as to how much he received from the sale. Robin Saunders, the City financier who helped Sir Philip and his wife buy BHS in 2000 when she worked for at German bank WestLB, told MPs she received £800,000 for the sale of her 0.5pc stake in 2009. If done on similar terms, Mr Caring could have made as much as £33.6m for his much larger holding.

   Frank Field, chair of the Work and Pensions select committee, criticised Mr Caring’s failure to disclose the sale proceeds: “Understanding these mutually beneficial secret deals, understanding exactly how Sir Philip Green managed to make BHS so lucrative for his family in the early years, is crucial to understanding the mess we are in now, with 11,000 jobs and 22,000 people’s full pension entitlement on the line.”

   Richard Caring has refused to disclose how much he made from selling his BHS stake. A spokesman for Mr Caring responded: “This was a private transaction that took place ten years ago between Mr Caring and Lady Green. There was no commitment of BHS funds involved in the sale of shares, nor did it have an impact on the BHS pension fund.”

   Separately, it has also emerged that the UK’s accounting watchdog, the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), is prepared to widen its investigation into PwC’s audits of BHS to the Green family’s other retail companies.

   In June the FRC opened a probe into PwC after Richard Fuller MP questioned why the firm signed off BHS’s accounts as a “going concern” when the retailer was dependent on the continued financial support of the Green family’s Taveta Investments.

   Iain Wright MP,  chair of the Business, Innovation and Skills select committee, urged the FRC to accelerate its investigation into what he called the “murky details”.

   “I welcome the FRC’s indication that they are prepared to widen the scope of their investigation into PwC audits of BHS and of other Taveta group companies,” said Mr Wright.

   "However, it’s deeply concerning that the FRC’s current inquiry on the PwC audit of BHS up to 30 August 2014, the last full year when it was controlled by Sir Philip Green, may take as long as two years.

   “Given the murky details the Committees have uncovered during our inquiry and the questionable stewardship of BHS by Sir Philip Green, the FRC need to conclude this inquiry as thoroughly whilst at the same time as quickly as possible to ensure appropriate action can be taken where performance has fallen below professional standards”.

   As above, we’ve covered other stuff on our site over the years concerning Mr Caring. We also think there is a saying about knowing someone from the company they keep – but we can’t quite remember how it goes for sure.

300

posted 1st November 2016

Question: What do you think of the recent Henry Burstow

celebration concert in Horsham?

   Answer: It was great to see the collaboration between Horsham Museum and Horsham Folk Club (HFC) celebrating Henry Burstow recently. He was of course part of Horsham's rich Folk Heritage and it's links to the great classical composers such as Ralph Vaughan Williams, and the likes of the great folk song collectors such as Lucy Broadwood (of Broadwood Piano's fame, as favoured by many of the great composers). The latest concert had echoes of a similar collaboration between HFC, Horsham Museum and our Trust in 2008 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Vaughan Williams death at a concert in St Mary's Church.

   However, the outstanding quest is still to turn Horsham's rich history in the above respects; and it's links to Sussex rural culture; into a PERMANENT tourism solution for Horsham. This still remains the proposal that was so foolishly rejected by Horsham District Council in 2006. We think that time is running out before Horsham's identity and history is totally obscured by the almost unfettered development in and around the town.  

301
posted 14th November 2016
Question; Want to see what the Trust has been developing?

Then just follow this link for 14-17 November to see the contribution made to the Social Enterprise movement by this Trust, and thousands of other Social Enterprise members across the country.

                                            http://www.socialenterprise.org.uk/social-enterprise-day

Half way down the page above the celebrity item there is this link;

If you need inspiration check out our album on flickr

click on that underlined link and it will take you to photos of members of Social Enterprise celebrating the event.

  More information in the local press 18th November for a fuller background, which will also be covered on the Trust website the same day.

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posted 15th November 2016

Question: What does the Trust think about Trump's victory?

   Answer: It looked like Brexit in America. Although as an apolitical charity we had no support for Brexit either way, it did seem a kick in the teeth to the establishment (and now echoed across the pond). The interesting thing to us is how the elite were kicking and screaming against Brexit in the UK

culminating in the Appeal Court ruling on a case led by a rich business woman. It intrigues us how the Courts seem to quite readily and regularly intervene in Government affairs, but decline to intervene in obvious 'lower echelon' abuses by Local Government, and the Public Sector, even though those abuses are cumulatively much more costly and the evidence often much stronger (as was with our case against Horsham District Council - and particularly when HDC failed to properly disclose a key document).

   One therefore wonders whether the High Court, Appeal Court and Supreme Court are making hay out of the more opinion based arguments at Government level for the greater publicity and to keep the legal wheels well oiled with cash e.g. High Court goes one way, Appeal Court goes another and Supreme Court back again? We think that with Trump’s election across the pond, and Labour not standing in the way of Brexit, the path that ordinary people voted for, the Supreme Court will reverse the decision on Parliament’s say in Brexit for publicity and political reasons, rather than the legal reasons the courts should be there for! Many will of course argue that the politicization of the Courts started with Tony Blair - as with other things! Only big business that can afford it, and politicians that are happy to risk the taxpayer’s cash (rather than their own) can afford to go to the Appeal Court and Supreme Court mostly of course.

   One of the worst High Court rulings in favour of big business and against the little guys upholding community spirit was the recent case of the Watford allotments. Gardeners at Farm Terrace allotments in Watford believed that a favourable ruling would save not only their own allotments but other similar sites under threat.

   However, afterwards Mrs Justice Lang ruled that Watford borough council and the secretary of state for [non-?]communities and local government - who backed the local authority's plans - were entitled to concrete over them!

   This is described as a "developers charter" and now all of the little communities focussed around allotments across the country will be under threat it seems, with the loss of all that camaraderie and occupation for ordinary folk who cannot afford to fight the case further. Theresa May's pledge to look out for ordinary folk doesn't seem to be working out all that well so far we think. It rather seems to us, that the rules and the interpretation of those rules by the Courts, still keep steadily changing in favour of the rich and powerful. Perhaps the Appeal Court ruling and forthcoming Supreme Court hearing on Brexit will focus Mrs May a bit more - one can only hope!  

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posted 18th November 2016

Question; Did the local press celebrate Social Enterprise Day 17th November?

   Answer; Well this is not quite a mainstream event, so we were at least pleased to get some kind of mention, even though the Social Enterprise Day itself got no mention at all, but it highlighted the work the Trust is engaged upon in the Tablet Ocarina Project. Both local papers published details about the TOP, and in one case published the photo in the Social Enterprise style. We have added a better version of the photo so that the connection with the event is legible. The aim of the day is to celebrate what the 70,000 Social Enterprise members do across the country. The link further down the page shows more about the day, see update 301.

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posted 22nd November 2016

Question: What do you think about the development in and around Horsham?

   Answer: We’ve long pointed to the seemingly unfettered development in and around Horsham without extending amenities and community facilities at the same pace. Things are made even worse when Councillors hand community amenities such as Horsham’s historic Old Town Hall over to big business like Bill’s restaurant chain. The Old Town Hall was the townspeople’s village hall.

   The latest development in planning atrocities in our view is to try and overturn long-standing planning rules that say that developments shouldn’t be built higher than the surrounding buildings. This, if it comes to fruition, is a further charter for stuffing high rise, high density, inappropriate development into the town we think – rather than eat up the rural areas where the ruling majority of Horsham District Councillors come from. However, it is not totally a local problem – as Councillors of all parties have referred to things such as “grubby, garden grabbing developments” before voting to approve them. They do this because they know they are going to get overturned on appeal as their own Government have torn up the planning rulebook in recent years. Cameron’s Big Society dream is now firmly in the bin it seems!

305

posted 5th December 2016

Question: Has the restaurant bubble burst in Horsham yet?

   Answer: It’s probably bursting. Market stats in the UK show that although there is a record number of new entrants, it is more than matched by those leaving. Many market analysts currently believe that a Brexit driven drop in the value of the pound and rising inflation (partly fuelled by Mark Carney’s printing of money perhaps) will accelerate the decline of the restaurant sector in the next few years. Britain currently imports most of its food and rising food costs as a result of the exchange issue might be a problem. Wage rise projections are also poor for the next few years - and many restaurants think that any curb on European immigration will starve them of cheap, willing labour (many on zero hours contracts) for the industry that they have become used to.

   All this is probably bad news for Horsham District Council that put most of its development eggs in the restaurant basket we think. Ironically, Bill’s in the Old Town Hall might have been partially protected by an old style, local brand based around the original store in Lewes. Even though Bill’s traditionally advertised it’s seasonal produce, a lot of people probably misinterpreted this as local seasonal produce. However, things like Spanish oranges at Bill’s have always been seasonal, but not local. Nevertheless, it all seems irrelevant now as Bill’s new ‘big business’ brand is thought to be a pale shadow of its former self. 

   There is a lot in the Daily Mail today about Local Enterprise Partnerships which were set up in 2010. They control billions of pound of public money, which they are supposed to use for investment that will help drive economic growth in their region. No real scrutiny of LEPs appears to exist and the Government complacently claims it is the job of councils to check on their decisions. Sounds familiar?

   We have always asked how Bill’s was unethically chosen over a superior bidder (Gondola). We have also questioned how Bill’s plans were unethically paid for via the Council’s own, unethically self-approved application – paid for by the taxpayer – and the plans handed over to Bill’s!

   Quoting the Daily Mail on the current LEP issue mentioned above  ... “But no councils contacted by the Mail were willing to investigate the questionable payments we found” .. and ... “Despite being asked for details of all their expenditure via Freedom of Information requests, they (LEPs) were unable or unwilling to provide details of at least £3.7 billion of the money they have been given.”

   Sounds familiar once more? Horsham District Council refused to give details under FOI of the subsequent bids between Bill’s and W J King, when the District Auditor’s advice of ‘sealed bids’ was not followed by the Council either.

   It is a sad and demonstrable phenomenon (particularly experienced by our Trust), that whilst the Courts seem to readily intervene in Government affairs (such as the Supreme Court deliberations on Brexit today [please see previous update]), the Courts are reluctant to tackle the real lack of integrity - and resultant misuse of taxpayers’ money - which appears to happen on an accumulated, much larger scale at local level.   

   What happens if Bill’s pulls out of the Old Town Hall as the restaurant market declines and the competition gets even keener? More in the next update!

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posted 20th December 2016

Question: What do you think of 2016 and what will happen in 2017?

   Answer: People will have to wait until 11th January when we will be back with our traditional review of the Horsham District Council pantomime (based on Aladdin this year) and our annual New Year's predictions.

   2016 was a year of numerous national scandals and cover-ups that had finally seen the light of day. It was also the year of the tenth anniversary of the Council's unethical behaviour and treachery over Horsham's Old Town Hall. 

   Nationally, the press are worried about the establishment's current moves to silence them - and make them pay for cases against them - win or lose. They say that the independent press locally and nationally will be compromised. The rich and/or the powerful will be immune. They have a point - up to a point - as there is no independent press in reality. All national newspapers have an editorial policy that lies somewhere on the political spectrum and serves that point of view. For example, The Sun will regularly bang on about bias in the BBC (and nepotism at the BBC), but at the same time, ignore its

own bias against Corbyn's Labour Party for example. Papers simply take a position in the market to attract advertisers of a particular ilk. However, the national papers are coming under increasing pressure from digital competitors that cheaply steal their news, as well as nick a lion's share of advertising in the process.

   What is less obvious however, is the bias in the local press, due to local advertising, much of it being statutory advertising from the local Council. Hence the local press everywhere can possess full, well proved knowledge of unethical behaviour at the Council (as was the case at Horsham from 2006 to

2012) and choose not to report it.

   Yes, we will be back in on January 11th 2017 and in the meantime, wish all our readers a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. We are particularly looking forward to January 28th when it is the Chinese New Year and the Year of the Rooster begins. The Rooster is symbolic of unswerving principles we are told. Principles have been in short supply at Horsham District Council in the last ten years so 2017 - bring it on!

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posted 11th January 2017

Question: What are the Trust's predictions for the coming year?

   Answer: The signs are not good we believe. Theresa May made her speech about the 'shared society' a couple of days ago, which sounds great, but people are naturally sceptical about it's likely chance of success. Our first question would naturally be "where does the 'shared society' begin and David Cameron's failed push for the 'big society' end?". Here in Horsham, the Conservative Horsham District Council so easily sidestepped the 'big society' spirit and legislation regarding community assets (Horsham's Old Town Hall in our case) and handed the building to big business in the shape of Richard Caring's Bill's restaurant for example. Traditional Conservative 'values' are likely to be the first thing that gets in Mrs May's way we think. 

   The second, more public, (sceptical) point is the Brexit 'eclipse'. A lot of people might miss the fundamental point about Brexit however. The problem is not Brexit itself we think, but the fact that the Brexit debate was dominated by the prospect of economic growth driven by 'turbo-consumption', on both sides.  Would 'in' or 'out' best serve the cause of buying (including eating and drinking?) more stuff that we didn't know we needed, with money we don't have, to impress people we don't know?

   In practice therefore, the nation faces a cultural problem that is rocketing away from any realistic thoughts of 'community' and a 'shared society'. This consumer-growth driven economic focus has increasingly separated politics from power and power from politics; as financial flows and corporate investment further escape the nation state and go global. A focus on a shared sense of community, centred around community events and facilities such as pursued by our Trust, couldn't be more remote in the current circumstances it seems. 

   We ourselves don't think that people die wishing they had owned an even bigger television. We hope that people really long for more time to be with the people they love, among mutually supportive friends and colleagues, doing things they love doing.

   Mrs May might think the same way as we do, that the ever faster treadmill of 'turbo-consumerism' pursued by our political and economic masters (locally, nationally, and globally) is unsustainable, whatever anybodies political colour. A major re-alignment of peoples values where we learn to enjoy getting by with less - and 'pulling together' for the common good, will surely have to come - a sort of World War 2 situation without the war and enemy nation states perhaps. The only question in our view, is the manner in which this all comes about, as it will naturally be resisted by the rich and powerful - the people who are privileged enough to enjoy the temporary fruits of the 'status quo'.  

   Things are getting so politically, economically and environmentally 'hot' lately, this re-alignment may come sudden - and it may come soon. Perhaps a visionary Prime Minister is trying to mitigate the risk and/or ease the path? But can such an attempted switch of emphasis be successful? 

   We think we are likely to see some answers in 2017.

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posted 26th January 2017

Question: What is the influence of the Blue Flash Music Trust updates?

   Answer: We’re not quite sure, but there does seem an uncanny resemblance between the theme of Theresa May’s speeches e.g. “everybody playing by the same rules” and our updates that pre-date those speeches. The office of No.10 is obviously aware of our site from previous correspondence, but surely it must be a coincidence?!

   Nevertheless, there was also a lot of interest in our article about press freedom, including from representatives of the press themselves. Having been the victims of the rich and powerful playing by different rules, we are naturally supportive of press freedom. However, the press have been their own worst enemy with non-stories from made up sources, or staged events set up by the paparazzi and lazily reported by journalists – mostly without question for the masses mindless entertainment.

   As we previously stated, there is no impartial press. Wealthy tycoons mainly control the media and defend their interests, with a few others like the Mirror and the Guardian going a tiny way to balancing things out with their own bias the other way. The wealthy also regularly bash the BBC for going roughly down the middle as far as they are able.

   Take The Sun newspaper. They regularly trumpet that Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour is unelectable. Privately, they are seemingly so unconvinced of this that they take the trouble to write a non-news article rubbishing him almost every day. The truth is that they know anything can happen in politics at a turn of a switch (as things did last year) and are naturally terrified of a Labour Party with a socialist agenda.

   Take an article recently titled “Labour’s 4th place poll fears”. It goes “Labour bigwigs fear the party will lose .....” What Labour bigwigs? “One told The Sun ...” Who? What was their name? 

   We are all for protecting sources for those that need to be protected for good reasons, but protecting these sources here – in the unlikely event that they actually exist – discredits that principle of protection and undermines the press’s stature.

   The article goes on “Jeremy Corbyn faces humiliation if Labour is beaten ...” However, this is a selective opinion and Jeremy Corbyn will have done well if Labour wins - in spite of the combined media being overwhelmingly against him. “Party members in Cumbria have already spurned the union activist he picked for the seat ....” It seems very unlikely that a majority of local party members in the Copeland seat (not Cumbria) would consent to a candidate they didn’t want. How many party members? Who were they? Did they come from the constituency? – again, in the unlikely event that they actually exist. How did they spurn the candidate? All the evidence points to the conclusion that this was a completely made up article, in line with The Sun’s editorial policy. The press generally rely on the fact that people are unquestioning and just soak this stuff up these days.

   The World’s press recently got its knickers in a twist about Donald Trump denying their ‘facts’ about how many people attended the inauguration.  The real underlying bone of contention for the press however,  is that Trump just bypasses the media with Twitter etc. - relies on his celebrity status – and the fact that people just want to be entertained in a non-thinking way these days. The media has surely played a big part in bringing us to this unhappy state of affairs.   

   While Trump is castigated for denying ‘facts’ for example, the media in this country overwhelmingly and hypocritically tries to deny or distract from the ‘fact’ that a Trident test missile went wrong. Instead, they focus on how the test was actually a great success e.g. that the submarine came back in one piece etc. Our own press doesn’t like to report ‘bad news’ – bad news being the news that doesn’t fit its particular editorial stance.

   The power of the ‘edit’ is just as bad on TV. Things get put in different orders on some shows so that the judges look intelligent – all in order to please and entertain an audience. In fact, the judges are just commenting on things that have already occurred. This undeclared prior knowledge makes them look good and gains trust from the audience in their ‘expertise’ (although under false pretences). Very little is ‘real’ anymore and no-one really cares what’s real or not. The media has therefore brought about its own downfall and direct contact on the internet with an audience increasingly rules.

   The local press had full knowledge of the unethical dealings by Horsham District Council - over its handing Horsham’s Old Town Hall to tycoon Richard Caring’s Bill’s restaurant. They didn’t print things because it didn’t ‘fit’. We naturally therefore turned to the internet.

   On the plus side, due to the above factors, the press and news media will finally eat itself and become irrelevant in any matters of important judgement.

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posted 1st February 2017

Question: Why is the Blue Flash Music Trust interested in national affairs?

   Answer: Because local affairs are influenced by the same disease - and show the same symptoms - as national and international affairs. Take the latest Trump debacle. The ‘special relationship’ remained just that bit ‘extra special’ for only a couple of days. It seems that Donald Trump is just too ‘out there’ to be allied with reliably, even if you go hand in hand. Or is it hand in glove?

    Our last update caused a bit of a stir in some quarters perhaps. Don’t get us wrong, the BFMT has no political affiliations. We simply cited Jeremy Corbyn in the last update as an example of press bias. We could have equally targeted The Guardian in batting the other way (as opposed to The Sun being featured), although the Sun’s journalistic camp is the more common. We do feel sorry for Jeremy Corbyn however as, after years on the back benches quietly doing a pretty decent job for his electorate (or he wouldn’t have kept getting elected we presume), he was thrust into the limelight attracting all this vitriol. It seems on a personal level that he is doing his best, and his best is never good enough for the likes of The Sun. For example, he was castigated for a lukewarm Brexit stance even though he said in an interview that Article 50 should be triggered immediately - on the very morning that the result was announced. Nevertheless, the Sun wrote an article last week stating that Jeremy Corbyn refused to say whether he was ordering labour MPs to vote for the Brexit Bill. When he did order MPs to vote for the Bill, the Sun tried to imply that there was some sort of crisis - because some Shadow Cabinet Members were going to resign. If it had been Theresa May and the boot was on the other foot however, then no doubt The Sun would have said that Theresa May was taking a ‘tough stance’.

    But back to international and national affairs - and their common factor with local affairs. The trouble with many politicians is their extreme ego. Trump has it big time and it shows. Blair and Bush had it too. The unhappy results of Blair and Bush are there for all to see - and Trump is already making things worse it seems.

   For the record, Blair also played his part in the prevalence of the Cabinet system in local Government. It attracts people with big egos and this lack of humility leads to bullying, bad decisions against the interests of the people they represent. To paraphrase an old joke:

   “People who actually aspire to be President, Prime Minister, Council Leaders or traffic wardens should be barred, as they are obviously unsuitable!”

   It would be an affront to democracy of course (except for the traffic wardens), but you get the point.  

    Wind back ten and a bit years - and the Leader of Horsham District Council scuppered an ideal tourist solution for Horsham based on Horsham’s Old Town Hall. It was against all rational common sense, as debated by the Council’s own Advisory Group and the Advisory Group’s Chairman (the Cabinet Member with delegated responsibility) was metaphorically ‘stabbed in the back’. All for the sake of power and ego of the Leader it seems.

   Horsham is not unique - and these scenarios locally, nationally and internationally often go unnoticed as a result of the ‘sleeping gas’ emitted from people’s TVs and popular press. In their sleepy state, most people just want to be entertained in their little boxes with their big or small screens, in increasing numbers. Gone for the moment mostly, are the checks and balances of community interaction. Gone increasingly (in spite of the protection of charities such as ours) are the arts that made people think - the kind of arts that Hitler was careful to exterminate along with Jews, Gays and Trade Unionists in the thirties.  

   Take a look at any local Council, which will not be a million miles from Horsham District Council. Mostly old men, mostly with no money worries and plenty of time on their hands – mostly, completely ‘out of touch’ with the real world experienced by the masses. Mostly unnoticed and  not scrutinised by those sleeping masses at present too.

   Will it take the ‘Leader of the Free World’ (as he is often referred to), to wake the people from their slumber internationally, nationally and locally? Time will tell!

310

posted 20th February 2017

Question: Do you think the Blue Flash Music Trust’s defence of the community

has wider support?

   Answer: Yes, we recently wrote articles about the decline of community, false entertainment (the fore-runner of false news) and the resulting divergence from the political apparatus. Coincidentally, it seems we found a lot of echoes in a recent article by George Monibot in The Guardian. For example:

   “Without community, politics is dead. But communities have been scattered like dust in the wind. At work, at home, both practically and imaginatively, we are atomised. Politics, as a result, is experienced by many people as an external force, dull and irrelevant at best, oppressive and frightening at worst. It is handed down from above rather than developed from below....”

   “When people are atomised and afraid, they feel driven to defend their own interests against other people’s. In other words, they are pushed away from intrinsic values such as empathy, connectedness and kindness, and towards extrinsic values such as power, fame and status. The problem created by the politics of extreme individualism is self-perpetuating....”

   “There are hundreds of colourful examples of how this might begin, such as community shops, development trusts, food assemblies, community choirs, free universities, time banking, Transition Towns, potluck lunch clubs, local currencies, men’s sheds (in which older men swap skills and make new friends), turning streets into temporary playgrounds (like the Playing Out project), secular services (such as Sunday Assembly), lantern festivals, fun palaces and technology hubs.

   “When enough of such projects have been launched, they catalyse a deeper involvement, generating community businesses, co-operatives and hybrid ventures, which start employing people and generating income. A tipping point is reached when 10 to 15% of local residents are engaging regularly. Community then begins to gel, triggering an explosion of social enterprise and new activities, that starts to draw in the rest of the population. The mutual aid these communities develop functions as a second social safety net.

   The process, the study reckons, takes about three years. The result is communities that are vibrant and attractive to live in, that generate employment, that are environmentally sustainable and socially cohesive, in which large numbers of people are involved in decision-making. Which sounds to me like where we need to be....”

   It is just over ten years since Horsham District Council (HDC) turned down the offer of a community hub based in Horsham’s Old Town Hall. One that took the artistic strengths of the town, combined them with the District’s heritage - and produced a detailed plan and feasibility study that would make the most of the opportunities for the District in terms of tourism and employment – also drawing in the tech companies that have been increasingly called upon to support the arts over the last decade. With the benefit of hindsight ten years on, all economic, social and technological trends were called right. At no cost to the taxpayer, it was simply the destructive egos of local politicians that denied the opportunity to implement the vision.

   Does our political system support removal of the perpetrators of such mistakes? Without a critical local press, missed opportunities and mistakes by Councils are hard to spot, even for those that are interested. The ‘sleeping gas’ of the mainstream media largely prevails at present.  HDC should have been infamous for mistakes over its Acorn Scheme for example, with a £1.3 million overspend (a good slice of HDC income) over two accounting years. It’s not the only significant error by the Council to have been previously featured on this site either. We never became aware of what happened to HDC’s ‘reviews’ into the Acorn Scheme – only recalling that later on, the Council Leader resigned due to problems with his own personal finances.

   Perhaps we are finally seeing the start of something now. Unfortunately however, it’s now ten years later than it needed to have been!

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posted 2nd March 2017

Question; How are things developing in the HackHorsham community hub?

(In response the Trust wrote this letter to the WSCT as there is such a good positive feel about the ‘hub’ development that is sorely needed these days.)

   Answer; What a wonderful innovation it is to have a community hub like HackHorsham in the town. The initiative is bringing new life into the area, and giving people of all ages the chance to work together, including people from outside the District like Crawley.

   George Monbiot wrote in the Guardian recently calling for such community hubs as a way of bringing new life into areas, and here with HackHorsham we have a wonderful example.

   The Blue Flash Music Trust had been working for years with James, a blind musician, and realised great potential when visiting a HackHorsham event. The Tablet Ocarina Project came into being because of the chance of meeting up with people who could help to find a way to bring sound into reading braille tablature for the ocarina. This was achieved through a technological innovation dubbed the Raspberry Pi, so helping James. It is a delight to meet up with the community once a month and see how the project can be taken further. The aim is so that James can read the ocarina tablature with his fingers, and at the same time hear the sound the tablature generates when he touches the metal studs on the ‘purpose made keyboard’ attached to the Raspberry Pi. Flynn, an eleven year old from Crawley, has been a great help along with teenager, Jonathan, who first spotted a way of generating sound through the Raspberry Pi device. Things have moved on further and now Peter Ross, who is on loan from local tech company Red River, to HackHorsham, has taken the project even further. Without HackHorsham any development like this would not have been possible. I believe that such a community hub is indeed the way forward for Horsham.

   There are many intriguing projects taking shape at HackHorsham; a giant Dalek, and a giant ‘Frankie’, all being developed with the use of the Raspberry Pi. The Frankie will be traveling from Horsham to a show in Cambridge for the Raspberry Pi Birthday weekend, 4/5th March 2017.

Frankie enjoying the Raspberry Pi birthday party in Cambridge 4th March 2017. (pic Chris Knight)

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posted 4th April 2017

Question: What does the Trust think of the new development at Piries Place in Horsham's town centre?

   Answer: It seems that we at the Trust are in keeping with the recently revised thinking of the Horsham Society. Quoting from their recent Newsletter:

   "... we have significant concerns over the appearance of the hotel, which he (Ron Bates on behalf of the Horsham Society) described as an uncompromising box. It will be highly visible from the North, and from the West its five storeys will overlook the Carfax, the heart of the town and a conservation

area. It will be seen clearly over the roof line of the Carfax shops in all weathers and seasons. This will be further amplified once the likely roof plant and equipment is added which will protrude above the building's parapet. The design conflicts with the style and character of all surrounding buildings as well as dominating, rather than complementing, Piries Place."

   Unfortunately in our view, the Horsham Society was once again, hoodwinked by Horsham District Council (HDC). As the article freely admits:

    "The Society (originally) welcomed the proposals and the substantial investment, in principle as an opportunity to refresh Piries place and fill the hole left by the move of Waitrose to Albion way. We (the Horsham Society) recognised the changing face of our high streets and the move away from traditional shops to leisure and entertainment. Whilst many regret this trend it is unfortunately unstoppable given our changing shopping habits and the internet."

   This is where the Blue Flash music Trust and the Horsham Society diverge. We would rather make a stand for something we believe in - and something we believe to be right, rather than concede to a Council whose record in planning matters, quite frankly, leaves a lot to be desired. We believe a

move to "leisure and entertainment " in terms of a cinema and hotel is another naive strategy by HDC, just as its encouragement of large office blocks in the 70's was. Times do change, and the lack of balance re.development in order to mitigate obvious risk - and the lack of differentiation compared to other towns' offerings - is likely to prove a problem in the longer term. A couple of months ago we produced a well argued article about the dangers of the nation's dependence on unfettered consumer

growth. Couple this with a likely Brexit economic factor where disposable income in the long term (rightly or wrongly - we have no view) is traded for independence, the future looks bleak for Horsham in the absence of an unexpected, radical rethink. With its inability to assess risk and strategically plan around it, HDC will likely continue its repeated legacy of wasted resources, reflected in long term empty premises and rebuilding.

   Perhaps all of the town will become the ghost town that Piries place currently is.

   Unfortunately, the battle for Horsham's Old Town Hall some years ago was the decisive battle over planning. The Horsham Society and the local press failed to similarly challenge the Council's unethical behaviour and the flouting of planning laws to install Bill's restaurant in this historic building (No. 7 on the Horsham Heritage trail). Even the Department of Communities and Local Government thought that planning laws in force at the time should have adequately protected the building. Since this precedent,

the planning rulebook has all been metaphorically 'torn up' altogether. The loss of the Old Town Hall opened the floodgates to all the other planning travesties as we rightly predicted at the time.

   The loss of the Town Hall was also the tragic loss of Horsham's economic opportunity for tourism based on a different kind of leisure offering to modern cinemas and the like. The Old Town Hall project, as approved by the Council's own Advisory Committee, was a building and tourism proposition

based firmly in what the Horsham Society calls "the heart of the (traditional market) town and a conservation area". Horsham was (and hopefully still is) a town steeped in folk music tradition along with its links to the great classical composers and rural Sussex history. In other words, this was a differentiated offering based on Horsham's strengths and traditions - an offering capable of bringing a long-term and consistent prosperity to the area - rather than Horsham District simply being an

'accident waiting to happen'.

   With only the principled position and stance of the Blue Flash Music Trust to stand in its way, HDC, mostly from their lofty 'out of town' position, will be likely to simply watch the 'bubble burst' on another failed strategy of cinemas and the like - and resort to something else. Anything but the

obvious solution - a solution that their actions make more and more remote as each day goes by.

314

posted 9th April 2017

Question: How is the quest for a blue plaque for the old Capitol Theatre progressing?

   Answer: Our proposal is shortly being put to the landlord of Swan Walk by the management of the Mall who like the idea. We have just learnt that the committee of the Horsham Society decided last Wednesday to support our proposal, which is very welcome.

   In the meantime we have discovered from the Royal Sussex Regiment Museum Trust some interesting facts about the men of the 4th Battalion featured in this photograph.

   The 4th Battalion was reformed as a Territorial Force unit after hostilities had ended in 1918, historically recruited from West Sussex. The photo was taken at their annual camp which took place in Arundel Park by kind permission of the Duke of Norfolk who was an ardent Patron of the 4th Battalion. The TA was made of people from all walks of life, which was why there were a high proportion of tradesmen and artisans in their ranks. This was an ideal platform and mix for the creation and building of the Capitol.

                                          The photograph is courtesy of the Royal Sussex Regiment Museum Trust

   The photograph dated 1930 shows Major Middleton MC and bandsmen of the 4th Battalion who made up the staff of the Blue Flash Cinema Company that ran the Capitol Theatre, Horsham.

   A history of the early cinema in West Sussex describes the Blue Flash Company’s Capitol Theatre as ‘the inspiration’ of Major Middleton, and a testament to his inspiration is that it was the only cinema of that period that was designed as an Italian Villa, quite something for 1923!

   More information about the Capitol, the inspiration of Major Middleton, and its unique history can be found on our page Blue Plaque Quest - Capitol Theatre.

   It has to be said that sometimes Horsham tends to scrub its history in the interests of so called ‘progress’ without realising the unique nature of that history as the background to the old Capitol shows!

316

posted 2nd May 2017

Question: How are things progressing with the Tablet Ocarina Project?

   Answer: Well quite unexpectedly our Tablet Ocarina Project (TOP) has been nominated for the Accessibility Awards by local community group HackHorsham with whom the Trust works regularly. The Awards are for any project aimed to help those affected by a disability, which in this case was originally conceived to help a local person called James Wilson, who is blind.  

   Many of the developments of the project and James’ progress can be read about on the “Tablet Ocarina Project etc”  page going back as far as April 2016 when we made the first break through using a technical device called the ‘Raspberry Pi’. Our research has now also led us on to another technical device called the Arduino.

   This is very much a work in progress. There are two aspects to the way things are going; teaching and training James to use the braille type of tabs, and the other side is developing the technical side of the project. 

   Taking part in the Awards will make people aware of what can be done to help the blind, particularly if the TOP does well.

   At the latest lesson James (mentioned above) was given a newly created book put together by the Trust of ten tunes with which he is familiar. The challenge for him is that he has to work out the tune by touch and the use of his ocarina. He was first given a sheet without being told it was Jingle Bells. He started feeling over the sheet on which the ocarina tabs had been marked out using stuck down lentils. Coming down to the bottom he guessed the tune Frere Jacques, which he had worked on earlier. He then went back up to the top, named the note he could feel as B, which was correct, but then started humming Kumbaya. He then went to check by playing the note B on his ocarina and realised this was not Kumbaya as the next note on the sheet was B as well. “It can’t be!” he exclaims, and starts playing the sequence of notes on the sheet - almost immediately realising it is Jingle Bells. James's explanation of, "It really works!" was wonderfully heartwarming.

   The biggest plus of all is to have had the good fortune to be able to work alongside James on the Tablet Ocarina Project; something that will be of benefit to both the sighted and the non sighted in the course of time, resulting in a better level of understanding all round.

317

posted 9th May 2017

Question: What does the Blue flash Music Trust think about this year's

 Horsham English Festival?

   Answer: Firstly we must applaud the efforts of Horsham Folk Club and particularly Caroline for staging much of the event. We know it is not easy. Unfortunately however, the Horsham English Festival, even using the long-standing traditional annual Horsham Day of Dance as a basis, has thus far failed to reach it's true potential, such as was originally witnessed at the Horsham Community Festival in September 2006.

   Since the destructive actions of Horsham District Council in denying the community the chance to make the most of Horsham's tourist potential based around the Old Town Hall - and make the most of Horsham's unique links with Sussex folk and rural heritage, the council have obviously struggled to put things right. 

   After the treachery of 2006, the Council soon bought up the website domain name www.englishfestival.co.uk (which now switches into the generic Horsham Time Well spent facebook page) and attempted to recreate the energy and expertise that it had so callously dissipated - dissipated via reneging on the Old Town Hall recommendations from its own Advisory Group. For many years now since, Horsham District Council has struggled to truly establish the English Festival brand, cobbling together bits of other Horsham events such as the subset of classic cars (Aston Martin) and Motorcycles (Dresda), getting the street market to stay on and diluting the brand's true potential with other 'bits of this' and 'bits of that'. The commitment to the event has also been variable over the years, with not all of the billed acts showing up.

   The odd bit of costume last weekend e.g. Henry VIII was quirky, but didn't really fit with or sell the obvious brand in our view. For instance it seems to us that Henry and others had not been made aware that one of his wives, Catherine Howard, caught here using a ‘medieval’ cash machine, lived just outside Horsham at Chesworth until she became his wife!

   Things were also getting pretty desperate this year with HDC's press and poster publicity for the 2017 English Festival, utilising Horsham's Old Town Hall (minus the Bill's restaurant flag of course).

   As one of the performers at last weekend's English Festival agreed, 'things could have been so much better if the Council hadn't done what they did ten years ago'.

   When Bill's restaurant quits Horsham's Old Town Hall and it is restored to its original Grade II listed state; and once it is turned back to the community, the Horsham English Festival and much more of Horsham's tourism potential besides, will be properly fulfilled. Does the current set of Horsham Councillors have the humility to correct the mistakes of their predecessors? - or will they (and the people that are nobly doing their best each year to support the English Festival in less than ideal circumstances) continue to struggle? Time will tell!

318

posted 24th May 2017

Question: What other projects apart from the Tablet Ocarina Project is the

Blue Flash Music Trust working on? 

   Answer: The Blue Flash Music Trust was founded in 2002 to make music and artistic heritage more accessible and celebrated in the Horsham area. The need had become rather apparent, particularly after finding there was a perceived lack of medium-sized affordable venues in the area.

   Our latest heritage project is to place a ‘Blue Plaque’ in Horsham town centre’s Swan Walk. With the commemorations surrounding the 1st World War, it seemed only too appropriate to celebrate the actions of the Royal Sussex Regiment in the building of the Capitol theatre which used to stand in the place of M&S. The reason for this was that it was the name of the company that built the Capitol, the Blue Flash Company Ltd that gave rise to the name of the Blue Flash Music Trust. As a way of celebrating what had been achieved by Major Rupert Middleton in 1923 the Trust is pursuing plans to secure the blue plaque in Swan Walk, which so far, has been enthusiastically approved all round.

   In working with the Royal Sussex Regiment Museum Trust we have unearthed a lovely photograph of the men involved in the building of the Capitol, as can be seen on update (314) 9th April. We have also discovered that the name Blue Flash does not come from the shoulder flash of the regiment, because there wasn’t one (in spite of what the history books say)! The title ‘Royal’ in the name of the regiment indicates that it was a ‘royal’ regiment, which means the regimental colour was ‘blue’, hence that part of the name. As to ‘flash’ well we think it was the inspiration of Rupert Middleton who must have felt that the name Blue Flash Company had more of a ‘ ring to it’ than anything else. After all he had shown his artistic bent by building the Capitol Theatre as an Italian Villa- a very novel feature for the time!

   In respect of the Blue Plaque project, the Trust is more than delighted to find an enthusiastic supporter in local MP Jeremy Quinn, who has just sent us a letter asking to be kept in the loop where the Blue Plaque developments are concerned.               

319

posted 5th June 2017

Question: What happened to the issue of community in the General Election?

   Answer: We don’t know. David Cameron made a big issue of community during his tenure. As a charity dedicated to bringing people together through arts heritage and music, he was right to do this we think. Cameron’s only mistake was, in our view, to rely on some fairly vague and toothless Big Society legislation in order to tick the box, instead of winning the necessary hearts and minds.

   Is community important? Yes, more than ever. People often say, following the terrorist atrocities, as news of those involved emerges, “they very much kept themselves to themselves”. The collapse of universal community involvement and community spirit over the past 50 years in this country probably denies us the possibility of early warnings from ordinary people - and most likely makes us a lot less safe, as well as having many other downsides in terms of people’s wellbeing. 

   Ariana Grande’s ‘One Love’ Concert was undoubtedly the right response in uniting people from all walks of life, beliefs and backgrounds around music. The politicians and newspapers still might have a lot to learn when they single out measures for specific terrorism though - and talk about pushing nebulous, present day ‘British values’ - which they can’t really define and don’t understand. It’s worth reminding ourselves as we approach the Jo Cox community activities on 17th/18th  June that Jo Cox was shot, stabbed and murdered by someone who singled her out as  a "passionate defender" of the European Union and immigration. It was reported that extreme right-winger Thomas Mair viewed the Labour MP as "one of 'the collaborators' [and] a traitor" to white people. Terrorism is terrorism and violence is violence whatever. 

   The sad fact is that real British ‘values’ have declined along with a parallel sense of community in general in the last five decades. There is also the problem that the values of the political class and big business leaders don’t match the values of ordinary people anymore – the expenses scandal, MPs increasingly employing relatives to do very little, (Sir) Phillip, M&S, fat-cat salaries and bonuses for poor performance are just example ‘drops’ in a very large and dirty ocean. Local politics, particularly in our South East region, is largely dominated by fairly well-off, retired men – well out of touch with ‘real life’ - and not very qualified to make decisions affecting us we feel.

   As a local example in Horsham, we need to look no further than the example of the people’s Old Town Hall. This Heritage building, used by the community and arts organisations such as ours (No.7 on the town’s Heritage Trail originally) was shamefully handed by Horsham District Council to big business, a business bankrolled by a billionaire contributor (first to Blair’s Labour Party and then to the Conservative Party). This iconic, people’s Old Town Hall building was also handed over we might add, at a knockdown price - and at less cost than had already been offered by a competitor. These are not the kind of “British values” we subscribe to – and are not the kind of values that we would like to see pushed.

320

posted 12th June 2017

Question: How did the Blue Flash Music Trust know how the election would

turn out weeks in advance?

   Answer: We didn't know completely of course, but true enough - when we wrote that Theresa May's election was "by no means certain", all those weeks ago, some of our readers thought we had lost the plot. At the time, Saint Theresa was riding 20 points clear in the polls. (See update 315 dated 20th April 2017)

   The reasoning we used to dismiss the polls, was to apply the lessons from our local history. Saint Theresa reminded us very much of the former Horsham District Council Leader, Councillor Elizabeth Kitchen. Strength can be good, but it has to be used with wisdom. The worst kind of strength is that driven by unaccountable arrogance and a strength that throws decent values such as fairness and honesty to the wind.

   Saint Theresa's message was basically "trust me". We thought that this might be a dangerous message from a politician - given lessons both national and local. Didn't the Liberal Democrats say 'no tuition fee increases' before they went into coalition government with the Conservatives? Nick Clegg has now finally paid the price for this U-turn. 

   Mrs May got away with the U-turn on National Insurance increases for the self-employed by blaming it on her Chancellor Hammond. Did anybody really think that Phillip Hammond would announce such a move without the prior approval of the Prime Minister? Good leaders take responsibility, and don't stab their comrades in the back and hang them out to dry. Mrs May had got away with a personal U-turn on voting Remain, but then started surfing the wave of "Brexit means Brexit" after the vote. She also got away with another U-turn on calling an early election. Based on our unhappy local experience of Horsham District Council's Leader ten years ago, we at the Blue Flash Music Trust thought Mrs May might be just one 'flip-flop' (rather than kitten-heel!) away from a show-stopping U-turn in the heat of an election campaign - one that would nail her coffin. It wasn't a long wait - enter the disastrous social care policy in the manifesto. Good leaders consult and include to prevent mistakes. Even then, mistakes get made - and good leaders admit those mistakes - then try to correct them. The more Mrs May tried to fudge the social care mistake, the more any previous trust in her evaporated.

   Local Conservative MPs such as Horsham's Jeremy Quinn must be really embarrassed that their election posters said "Standing with Theresa May". Their next election posters will have "Conservative" in bigger writing no doubt - but will they also be saying "Not standing with Theresa May"?

   The former Leader of Horsham District Council mentioned above, metaphorically stabbed her colleague in the back over Horsham's Old Town Hall in 2006. Leisure Cabinet Member, Councillor Alan Harris was the honourable man with responsibility for Horsham's much loved Old Town Hall and he ran a wise, objective process to find a solution for the building that involved and benefitted the whole town. Alas, he was unwisely overturned by his Leader, Mrs Kitchen and unfortunately felt that he had to stand down at the next election. When the substitute, unpopular, unfair and unethical process that had first selected Bill's Restaurant for the Old Town Hall then disappeared up its own backside, Mrs Kitchen didn't admit the mistake and opted for doing nothing; assuring Francis Maude (Horsham's MP at the time) that the building "would remain in community use". She broke her word and for quite a while, the building remained empty and denied to the community in an apparent 'fit-of-pique'. When another arrogant move to install Bill's in the building materialised, with plans that drove a cart and horse through Grade II listed building planning guidance paid for by the taxpayer and unethically self-approved by the Council, Mrs Kitchen's colleagues had had enough it seemed. She was given a 'behind the scene' push. 

   The same will soon happen to Mrs May.

321

posted 29th June 2017

Question: What might be behind Government attempts to discredit on-line platforms like facebook, and how do politicians influence local media?

   Answer: It may be that Theresa May simply wanted to return the favour by discrediting on-line platforms perhaps. The rich and powerful media moguls were mostly unrelenting in their support for the Conservatives and vitriolic attacks on Labour during the UK General Election recently - and as we have pointed out on this site before, their advertising revenue has been steadily losing out to on-line by some 40% in recent years. Maybe there was a subtle attempt to try and reverse the trend. The trouble is, platforms like facebook simply reflect all of society, with people posting stuff that is good or bad. Sensibly, it is perhaps unreasonable and impractical to suggest that facebook polices content when it has no political or judicial mandate. Which comes first? - clean up society and you clean up the internet we feel.

   As we have also said before, there is no impartial news. He who pays the piper calls the tune. This was evident at a local level with the disposal of the people’s Old Town Hall in Horsham. Politicians were easily able to reverse support from the local paper and its readers, probably with the options of the threat of withdrawing statutory local advertising and/or little carrots of making the editor Chair of the local economic development partnership (it was so ineffectual we cannot now remember what it was officially called).   

   The current Cabinet Member for Local Economy said in the paper at the time:  "the plans for high class eatery would save tax payers money and generate extra income into the district." The article went on: ‘The decision brings to an end a long running battle by folk arts charity the Blue Flash Music Trust to retain the building for public use’. 

   However, the battle was still raging and councillors were still arrogantly using taxpayer’s money to stifle the opposition. Is Bill’s a high class eatery? Many reviews seen by this site would seem to dispute this claim. Did Bill’s occupying the people’s Old Town Hall generate extra income for the District? Even if true, an extra £60,000 per annum would be a drop in a bucket (compared to the value of retaining a heritage building for public use and generating tourism income) and by unethically selecting Bill’s over Gondola’s superior bid initially the taxpayer lost out by half a million pounds over the term of the lease anyway. The whole shooting match was undoubtedly a costly error.
   Fortunately, the politicians can rely on friendly newspapers that have short memories, the power of selection and the power to rewrite history. On-line platforms naturally undermine this power and influence, so hence the grizzling perhaps.

322

posted 3rd July 2017

Question: What fresh steps is the Trust taking to open its doors to the public?

  Answer: Sunday 9th July the Trust, along with HackHorsham, Rebel Makers and Code Club, will be filling a spot in the special Rebel Makers, Code Club Festival as part of the Horsham Festival, firstly at Parkside Building (Council Offices) at 12.30-3.00 and then 3.15-4.00 at the Capitol Theatre. The Trust was nominated by HackHorsham for the Accessibility Awards this year for the Tablet Ocarina Project, which the Trust started in 2015 to help blind people play music. The Trust is very much indebted for the efforts put in by members of HackHorsham in progressing a digital way forward in helping the pilot project centred on helping a local blind person (James) play the selected test instrument (the ocarina).

   About a year ago the Trust added a Social Enterprise wing, and this year will be taking part in Social Saturday 14th October. Being a Social Enterprise member we felt it would be appropriate to include our allies, so that the event to be advertised nationally by Social Enterprise will also include local organisations like HackHorsham, Rebel Makers, and Code Club. This will in some way capture something of the inclusiveness that Nik Butler, the founder of HackHorsham has tried to achieve with his STEAMfest, where the A for the arts is very much an integral part.

323

posted 10th July 2017

Question: How did things go at the HackHorsham event Sunday 9th July?

Answer:  This proved to be a very successful and busy event for everyone whether they were from HackHorsham, Rebel Makers or Code Club. This was also true regarding the Tablet Ocarina Project, which was worked on by Peter, James and Jonathan during the event. Peter, of RedRiver, had donated

this Korg keyboard for the project. The three had set themselves quite a task to programme the keyboard and record the sound of the ocarina. During the whole project recording the sound of an ocarina has proved to be a problem, and it involved a lot of ingenious manipulating of sonic pi by James, also of RedRiver, to achieve this. They managed it in the end so that the whole octave of the ocarina was played and recorded at the touch of each of the pads on the keyboard. This is the hallmark of one of these HackHorsham events in that there is a lot of discussion but a lot of useful input as well. One of the visitors made the point that often in the digital world it is not always easy to have a project to work on, and he was delighted to see this project in full swing. Thanks to RedRiver http://river.red for their support.

NB For additional details re the HackHorsham event 9th July click on link below for facebook video. Turn up the sound button for audio!

324

posted  15th July 2017

Question: What measures has the Trust taken to make the public aware as to how things are developing with the Blue Plaque Quest?

325

posted 24th July 2017

Question: What did you think of the Horsham Festival?

   Answer: On the plus side - it was very good - and brought together a lot of the local talent that has always been there. On the downside - it took us to a place that we were nearly at ten years ago; with the Horsham Community Festival of 2006 and the Ralph Vaughan Williams 50 years commemoration concert of 2008. Back in 2006 we predicted the growth and potential of festivals and put the 'Impact of Festivals' report in front of Horsham District Council. They did not listen - and now the competition from numerous places across the south-east - and indeed nationally - is much keener. Instead of 'stealing the march' on the competition over the last ten years, others have most often stolen the march on us.

   Another downside is the lack of unique cohesion in the offering that would be capable of attracting those outside the District in greater numbers. HDC prints the festival programmes, but the marketing could go a lot further. With a cohesive offering based on Horsham's folk arts history and connections to the great composers, there needs to be a lot more imaginative use of low-cost marketing channels. For example, the Horsham Community festival of 2006 was marketed on-line through the South East Folk Arts network (SEFAN) and brought in people from all over the region. 

   The Horsham Community Festival of 2006, based around the campaign to turn Horsham's Old Town Hall into a major tourism attraction based on English culture, was the binding together of Horsham, Cecil Sharpe, Lucy Broadwood, Ralph Vaughan Williams and  the other great composers, Michael Turner and Henry Burstow - plus their integration into Horsham's rural history. Through the right marketing channels, this package represented an offering that could secure Horsham its elusive tourism proposition that would benefit its local businesses and residents.

   However, Horsham District Council and its puppet press still remain in denial. Check out the latest announcement about the planned Horsham year of Culture in 2019. From the West Sussex County Times' 'Staff Reporter' (probably a lazy reproduction of an HDC press release therefore) - "from Hillaire Belloc to Perce Bysshe Shelley...." - arguably a lot less connected than many of those mentioned above.

   It's time for HDC to stop skirting around the obvious strategy, admit it was wrong to follow the lead of an arrogant Cabinet in 2006 - and embrace the long-awaited tourism opportunity in the interest of Horsham's businesses and residents. Otherwise, the planned Horsham District 'Year of Culture 2019' is destined to achieve a fraction of its potential - all in the misplaced cause of Council wounded pride.

326

posted 3 August 2017

Question: What does the Blue Flash Music Trust think about the latest acquisition of The Forum by Horsham District Council for £15 million?

   Answer: In short; a complete folly. We think they need to go back to school and study a bit of economics. The restaurant and retail strategy currently being pursued by HDC is largely reliant on people's disposable income. We are already seeing the squeeze on disposable income via a number of indicators, the long-time 1% cap on public sector pay, the return of household debt to near pre-2008 crash levels and the accompanying latest FCA warnings to banks, the bubble bursting in the car industry and the slowing of the housing market. Austerity policies pursued by the Cameron/Osborne government in previous years have made the economic situation even more vulnerable during a prolonged time of low interest rates. Fiscal economic policy of tax and spend in order to promote growth works best at a time of low interest rates and indeed, if productivity had stayed at the pre-2008 trend then everyone would broadly be a fifth better-off than they are now. It'll come as no comfort to the many that the sacrifices of the last eight years have been largely worthless and we are facing our economic future at a very low ebb. The tool of 'quantaitive easing' (effectively printing money) over the years is now increasingly untenable too. 

   Eating out and the high-end furnishing offerings of the likes and John Lewis and Dunelm in Horsham are therefore likely to find it hard in the months maybe years to come, particularly in the face of ever-increasing low-cost internet competition. Almost unfettered building of 'legoland' homes in the District might ease the tension a bit, but it is unlikely to be enough. If you add in the factor that many of these homes are not affordable housing and many are 'buy to let'; exploiting our young people with high rents and  leaving them with little in the way of disposable income; the effect of the unfettered house building is further minimised. Supporting infrastructure and the provision of supporting amenities is obviously not really keeping pace either.

    The parking income junkies at HDC also set a lot of store on further parking potential at the Forum. They don't seem to understand that their traditional addiction to parking income has led to what many believe is an uncompetitive offering. They also don't seem to understand that the parking potential at The Forum is directly dependent on the success of the retail and restaurant strategy. Any downturn will directly affect parking income too. Any "prudent" investment (a term used in the latest reports) would take care to diversify this risk. 

   Then you look at the history. The Forum has been beset by pseudo-structural problems from the outset e.g. the paving and leakage issues. Can we remember The Forum fountain pipes lying in pieces for ages in a closed off area? Indeed, the Council has never really covered itself in glory on a number of projects, such as the Shelley Fountain and the Acorn scheme that lost £1.3 million over 2 accounting years. What happened to the inquiry into the latter we wonder?

   The local press (WSCT) dutifully reports broad approval for the £15 million HDC investment in its editorial, as it needs to hang onto its share of statutory advertising from HDC against a heavily reduced share of advertising revenue in general. The newspaper appears not to quote any comment from the sellers but we think it would have gone like this:

   "The Forum has been a thorn in our side for a number of years and we are particularly pleased to get shot of it. £15 million from the Council was beyond our wildest dreams given current economic prospects and we are truly over the moon with the deal. The champagne is flowing as we speak." 

327

posted  10th August 2017

   Question: Are the on-line articles by the Blue Flash Music Trust simply 

criticising the actions of Horsham District Council just for the sake of it?

   Answer: Not at all! For example, we were once offered the chance to include the Council's 'Acorn Scheme' affair along with the Old Town Hall investigation by the District Auditor. We turned the offer down because, although the Council was on a 'sticky wicket' (£1.3 million over two accounting years) we decided the issue wasn't directly to do with our aims and objects - other than that a loss of this scale made the action of trashing a heritage building like the Old Town Hall and throwing away the potential of its clearly identified tourist potential for a mere $60,000 per annum look even more ridiculous (also illogically less than the £75,000 offered by Gondola).

   Our long-standing opposition to the Council is quite reasonably based upon the Council not pursuing and investing in a tourism strategy, backed by their own consultants report in 2003 and the Feasibility Study called for by the Council's Old Town Hall Advisory Group (study in conjunction with and verified by the University of Liverpool) in 2006. The latter study also quoted the 'Impact of Festivals' report which the Council has only truly woken up to in practice, years too late. 

   We oppose the Council's retail and restaurant strategy because we believe it is the wrong strategy, will end in tears, and bear an 'opportunity cost' to the tourism strategy that has a chance of long-term success. The Leader of the Council at the time of the Acorn debacle was Robert Nye, who also pursued a strong campaign against the arts in the District whilst in office before his own personal financial problems. Our trust was arguably the sole, brave voice that held the line for the arts and campaigned in opposition to someone whose style reminded us of Donald Trump. There is credit to the Council as a whole however, for quietly listening to us in these dark times - even if some of their subsequent initiatives haven't quite worked out and we are now just back at the place where we were ten years ago as far as arts in the District is concerned.

   At this point we are therefore legitimately questioning the wisdom of the £15 million Forum investment, while the press and public are seemingly not. We questioned things in our previous update with reasoned arguments which appear to be now confirmed elsewhere - like the month on month recent falls in consumer spending announced recently (home furnishings one of the areas showing greater vulnerability) and the surveyors findings today that that the housing market in the South East is cooling. There are further arguments that we haven't even used yet, such as that nearly a quarter of workers in the District work outside it, many of them in London. What will be the impact of the well-publicised poor perception of Southern Rail services as this works through the consciousness of commuters and their families that might have otherwise settled here for example?

   We firmly believe that the Forum is the wrong place to prioritise Council investment - in that it does nothing to support the potential tourism offering. We are further aware of the traditionally flaky infrastructure at the Forum and feel the two previous owners didn't hold the maintenance of the area as an absolute priority. We also have no idea why the owners unloaded the Forum fairly quickly after purchasing it an unknown price (to us anyway) from the owner before that. We currently have no idea about any maintenance costs or projections in the pipeline, and how these are expected to impact on future profitability. The truth is; we will not know the answers about the wisdom of the HDC investment until:

   a) The expected profit materialises, or b) There is a thumping great loss for the Council again, or c) Sooner than that hopefully, someone sees and analyses the business case on which the decision was based. Did it consider and mitigate the risks that even we have already been able to identify, along with other risks that we haven't?

   Even if we were interested, it is not for us to request a copy of this business case from the Council under Freedom of Information. As an organisation who have traditionally stood up to the Council when necessary, the Council might not give it to us anyway - as has been the case on occasions with the Old Town Hall before. We have then had to rely on anonymously leaked documents.

   Until c) above takes place, we see no merit in the press and public not asking any legitimate questions - and perhaps falling over themselves to praise the Council for an investment that may yet go the same way as many of its other projects.

328

posted 24th August 2017

Question: What do you think about the Council’s additional parking income from Sundays and Bank Holidays?

   Answer: Not a lot really? The Council, more or less admits its addiction to parking income in the press (which we’ve mentioned on this site many times before), but at what wider cost? Sunday trading has always been a half-hearted affair in Horsham town as the Council hasn’t really been clear about its policy on this issue, one way or the other. With a pronounced retail  and restaurant strategy however, it seems strange that HDC should risk killing the goose supposedly laying its golden eggs - with high parking charges including evenings, Sundays and Bank Holidays. Restaurants are already suffering from higher costs of imported food due to the weak exchange rate and today’s announcement that EU net migration to the UK has dropped by a quarter is likely to have put a lot of pressure on the food and drink industry. Wage rises are being outstripped by inflation which means people’s disposable income has dropped. Horsham has shed a number of higher paid jobs in recent years (e.g. RSA and Novartis) and the trend for fixed hour contracts (sometimes only 1 or 2 guaranteed hours per week) to get around the bad publicity surrounding zero-hours contracts is on the rise. Inflation is being pegged at 2.6% recently by things like lower fuel costs rather than things like food, clothing and home furnishings. Plus a number of other risk factors that we have mentioned recently.

    For businesses and arts events to have been able to publicise ‘free parking on a Sunday’ was a bit of a boost in the past, in our view. We also think it was an essential differentiation of the Horsham offering to other towns. 4,500 others that signed the petition seemed to think roughly the same way. By contrast, the extra £262,732 raised by the Council is probably fairly insignificant. It’s not much more than a Council Chief execs salary in a lot of cases.  

    To us, HDC has been fairly complacent and short-termist. This is understandable perhaps, because they have never had to try very hard in the past. However, times are changing and changing fast. Only an urgent tourism strategy as researched and proposed as much as ten years ago now, can save the day it seems.

    Wishing all our readers a very good Bank Holiday and we hope that you don’t have to park your car for too long!

329

posted 5th September 2017

Question: Are there any other threats to Horsham District Council’s restaurant and retail strategy, besides the ones in recent posts?

   Answer: Yes. Primarily because the two HDC strategies of ‘restaurant’ and ‘retail’ are in some senses competing – plus the fact that HDC further enables the undermining of their own strategy with other competing initiatives.

    Firstly, with the movement to on-line shopping, retailers with premises in towns are having to diversify in order to attract people to visit the store - and see the goods in real life in order to prompt a purchase. One of the most obvious ways of doing this is to provide relatively low-cost in-house catering facilities. This puts competitive pressure on the dedicated eateries – particularly on their lunchtime trade. Supermarkets and bigger stores have been pursuing their coffee shops etc. for some time now, but many other types of business are increasingly doing the same.

    Secondly, Horsham District Council has also embraced the recent popular trend towards street food - with its French and Italian Markets - as well as the regular market offerings in general. Horsham’s street food sellers are reported to be doing very well – which is great – except that it further undermines the Council’s permanent restaurant strategy. As people’s disposable income drops, the relatively lower-cost options might become even more attractive. Without a permanent, unique tourism offering to attract people from elsewhere - and thus swell the size of the overall market, the town perhaps faces a bleak future of ever-decreasing circles.

    We hope our readers had  a great summer holiday and look forward to more challenging questions in the weeks ahead.

330

posted 13th September 2017

Question: Are there any other final risks to Horsham District council’s restaurant strategy in the town centre?

   Answer: We had yet another reminder this week that restaurants often have an enhanced risk of fire. Also, with a concentration of restaurants in the East Street area, there may also be an enhanced threat to the drainage system, with drains that were not originally designed to handle the likely composition and load of the waste water possibly clogging up and/or producing bad odours in a pedestrian area. However, it will be most interesting to see how the economic risks that we have previously outlined on this site over the years pan out. The latest figures are still likely to show that inflation (particularly food costs) are still well outstripping wage rises for example. Nevertheless, we’ll be moving on to other subjects in the next update.  

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posted 21st September 2017

Question; How can a music trust play a part in helping shoppers shop locally?

   Answer: Over the last year the Blue Flash Music Trust joined Social Enterprise, an organisation given to encourage local shopping. Social Enterprise is very much supported by the COOP, and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport for local shopping, and it is for this reason the Trust is hosting the Horsham Digital Day as part of Social Saturday 14th October alongside our digital partners, HackHorsham, Rebel Makers, and Code Club at Parkside, Chart Way, Horsham, RH12 1RL from 2pm- 5pm. www.socialenterprise.org.uk.  The press release of this event is on the letters page wsct 28th October.

  This event will be a chance for the general public to see the Blue Flash Music Trust, HackHorsham, Code Club and Rebel Makers at work with people of all ages, from school children and upwards. These community groups will show the advantages of working in the digital world and how it can be used to support the world of the Arts. Amongst many of these collaborative projects, members of HackHorsham, with the help of a pilot client called James, are beginning to develop a way to help blind people with playing music. This ‘Tablet Ocarina Project’ was initiated by the Blue Flash Music Trust in 2015 on seeing some of the work being carried out by HackHorsham members. Further information about the Tablet Ocarina Project can be found on this site.