Time to stand up and be counted?

A few weeks ago there was a knock on my front door.  Chris Hughes, the Liberal Democrat candidate for Wiltshire Council, was canvassing.  I was surprised.  I have lived in this town for twenty years and have never met a candidate at my door from any party.  We soon got talking, and I found I was talking to an intelligent and compassionate man, who acknowledged with regret the misjudgments of the national party but could also point to their achievements and who mistrusts the alternatives on offer.  I decided I would vote for him.

A few days later, Chris called back with Jenny Stratton, who I have known for some years. They asked me to stand as a Liberal Democrat in the Town Council elections.  I was surprised, as I had given Chris a hard time the previous time we met; but said I would think about it.  A week or so later, I realised that, if I did not stand, there may well be only Conservative candidates standing for the ward I lived in.  I felt this was bad for democracy and agreed to stand.  As it turns out, there is also a UKIP candidate, but I was almost right.

This is the second time I have put myself forward for direct involvement in the town.  A few years back, I was Secretary to the Wootton Bassett Chamber of Commerce, arranging business breakfasts and lunches, persuading speakers to address the chamber, visiting businesses to find out what they wanted from the town and encouraging members to attend events.  It was an interesting time; and I worked with two different Chamber Presidents, Bridgett Tubb and Brian Taylor.

Since then, I spent a couple of years working for Morris Owen Accountants - a job I found rather dull - and then I went back to working with young people when I took a post as science teaching assistant at Nova Hreod college. As well as updating my science knowledge, I was delighted to learn that teenagers have not lost their penchant for bizarre and uncomfortable fashion traits (how do those boys walk with their trousers hanging below their underpants' and why would people want their ears to look like groundsheet eyelets? Clearly, I'm getting old.)

Well, in a couple of weeks I'll know whether enough people voted for me to put me on the Town Council. If they did, there's another learning curve coming up. To be honest, they are doing quite well without me.  I've just learned that visiting the Jubilee Lake at weekends now has the comfort of tea rooms, and last year's Jubilee and Olympic celebrations were wonderful. Excellent work, Royal Wootton Bassett Town Councillors of all political colours!

I shall update my blog more regularly if I find myself working (without pay this time) for the benefit of the town; if people elect you they have a right to know who you are and what you are about.

Janet Georgiou

*update*
Much to my astonishment, I was comfortably elected to the Town Council.  More blog posts to follow x