Plot to rename bonfire night

[Moos]

-

[RosieH]

Just a little late night rant. Nothing to see here.

%

[boosboss]

It's been cancelled!

[Siduhe]

The event in Dulwich Park has indeed been cancelled:

Statement on Southwark Council's plans for Fireworks Night 2011

A spokesman for Southwark Council said: "Following discussions with local councillors in the south of the borough, the Council Leader has confirmed today (Monday, 26th September) that the fireworks event in Dulwich proposed for November 4th will not go ahead.

"The Council is now working on an alternative venue for the borough's fireworks night 2011. As we have always said, there is absolutely no truth in the claim that we want to rename Guy Fawkes Night."

I can't help but think any kind of event in our part of the borough would have been better than none...

[James Barber]

I'm not clear its canned.

Yesterday all Southwark councillors were emailed and directed to the attached Southwark Events Strategy 2011-13 which became council policy yesterday - pending a one week period where it can be "called-in" which my group is considering.

This events strategy clearly shows something along the lines of the "The Colour Thief: A Winter Extravaganza Celebrating The Changing Of The Seasons".

It also shows that the total cost of the Dulwich event would not be ?55,000 as originally reported but ?78,000.

Below is the email my Dulwich Lib Dem colleagues and I sent the council leader Peter John - in summary we'd prefer these resources support an even better Dulwich Festival.

What do you think ?78,000 should be spent on?

"

-----Original Message-----

From: Barber, James

Sent: 26 September 2011 13:01

To: '[email protected]'

Cc: Rosie Shimell ([email protected]); [email protected]; [email protected]

Subject: FW: The Colour Thief - 4th November

Hi Peter,

We have been expressing concern about the proposals for The Colour Thief to Cllr Ward and officers for some time. It is unfortunate that these seem only to have been picked up at this late stage, once we had repeated our concerns at Dulwich Community Council and to the local press. While we appreciate that plans are underway, we had hoped for a fuller and franker discussion at an earlier stage.

We are keen to hold an event which will be based in Dulwich, and as you point out yourself, the north and middle of the borough have already benefited from large community events this summer. However, we fail to understand why the only alternative to the Colour Thief which you are proposing is a Southwark Wide firework event for the entire borough, based in Southwark park. In contrast, The Colour Thief was billed as a local event for 2-3,000 people.

It would be far more sensible, and comparable in scale to allow the people of Dulwich - and indeed the borough as a whole - to hold non council led public bonfire nights. This has happened previously, and we should encourage more schools and the like to run such events. They increase community involvement, minimise travel and are good fund raisers for them or the charities they support.

We were assured at the Dulwich CC that you have no contracts in place for an event that weekend but only options. So commercially you do not have to proceed.

Dulwich has many events during bonfire weekend so we would prefer that the new "The Colour Thief..." not take place.

That Dulwich Society and Friends of Dulwich Park think it would damage the park and we would not want to see any damage take place.

That local police tell us this is the worst possible weekend for an extra event in the Dulwich area.

That we would prefer to see the money spent on supporting the Dulwich Festival charity holding a bigger festival reaching more people and involving more community groups and schools. This festival already covers much of South Camberwell and Peckham Rye, as well as ED, Village and College. We would expect a bigger festival to reach further.

Frankly after seeing Southwark events team in action we would prefer that they not be allowed anywhere near an event in the Dulwich area.

They had planned to near completely outsource running this event and presumably did for the other two. Why do you have such a big team?

Our ideal would be devolving the complete events team budget to CC's. Then each CC could choose with its ?45,000 to support whatever local events they think most appropriate - this might mean some CC's clubbing together for major events or not.

The Community Fund mechanisms could be used.

In the Dulwich area I would expect us to club together around the Dulwich Festival which could then ensure more events within the whole CC area especially parts of College ward.

What to do with this years ?55,000.

You could decide to upgrade some Christmas lights supporting local shops and traders?

You could roll it over to support events next year on a slightly larger scale?

Regards,

Cllrs Barber, Shimell, Mitchell and Crookshank-Hilton

"

[mockney piers]

a pub crawl for 3000 people?

[DulwichFox]

15 Road Humps..

Fox.

[maxxi]

So after all the arguing and 'mind-changing' and accusations, the upshot is that we don't get a bonfire-night event in Dulwich?

Anyone know if there are any local organisations planning on having one or is it Crystal Palace/Brockwell Park again?

*roll on Imbolc*

[Alexthecamel]

Southwark Council are taking their ball home.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23992457-plan-to-rebrand-guy-fawkes-goes-up-in-smoke.do

[mockney piers]

How about they spent the ?55k gathering up all the column inches devoted to this tedious non-story and making a jolly big bonfire with it.

Or let's just burn the money, then I can have my feckin bonfire without it being a political hot potato everyone is using to their own nefarious ends. And yes James I'm looking at you!!

[StraferJack]

Than ES story looks like it was written word-for-word by James

Or an associated press-officer

[RosieH]

You know what, that really really pisses me off.

Political correctness???????????

James, can you honestly tell me that you have EVER been to a bonfire where the meaning of Guy Fawkes and parliament and Catholicism and Protestantism was on the agenda? I mean ever?

It's a bloody party. Has been all my years. Bobbing for apples. Parkin. Sparklers. Sneaking off and kissing boys in the bushes. Maybe it wasn't at first, you know, 400 years ago. But it is now, and that's all it is. And to sound off about political correctness is just cynical politicking of the worst kind to get middle englanders in a froth and divert attention from the fact that your leader has sold middle england a pup.

Poor.

[mockney piers]

...and apologies for mixing my metaphors. Unforgivable.

[James Barber]

Hi DulwichFox,

?78,000 at ?1,800 a road hump + ?20,000 officer overheads should buy 32 sinusoidal road humps in one scheme.

Hi Maxxi,

Several bonfire nights happen every year in the area - 5th November locally Dulwich Sports Ground, Dulwich College Prep School (Gallery Road), Brockwell Park, Crystal Palace Park.

Further afield Blackheath,Battersea, Beckenham.

Sunday 6 November Lord Mayors Show Firework 5pm.

If the council absolutely must spend the ?78,000 allocated to events in our area on firework we suggested Belair Park but its appears the council leader is looking at Southwark Park to punish us for the temerity to suggest the money could be better spent on the Dulwich Festival (which could end with Fireworks!).

Hi StraferJack,

I've not spoken to The Evening Standard and we've issued no follow-up press releases.

As councillors the council leader has not told us what he is planning.

[the-e-dealer]

A bigger Question is why the Liberal Democrats are to be called Tories due to their Political In-correctness

[Rolo Tomasi]

Southwark Park set to host Southwark Council's Guy Fawkes Night

As well as the traditional fireworks display, the council is also set to provide food and novelty stalls, a mulled wine and spiced cider bar and children's funfair rides.

Councillor John said: "I'm absolutely delighted to announce plans to hold our Guy Fawkes Night event in Southwark Park. It's set to be a great family fun event with an array of spectacular fireworks in one of the most stunning parks in the capital. Along with the rest of the council, I'm looking forward to celebrating this great national tradition with thousands of people from across Southwark and beyond."

Subject to final approval, the event will take place on Saturday 5 November and is scheduled to start at 6pm and end at 7.30pm at the south end of Southwark Park near the running track. The fireworks display itself is scheduled to start at 7pm.

[mockney piers]

Oh well, brockwell park again it is :(

[James Barber]

Hi the-e-dealer,

You've baffled me.

Generally, we're trying to find out what the new southern event plans are from sOuthwark Council. Clearly not something over fireworks weekend. And we finally think senior council officers understand the reluctance of FRiends of Dulwich Park, Dulwich Socieity and Dulwich councillors about holding large events and night time events in Dulwich Park.

[DJKillaQueen]

Dulwich park already does host some large events though James so who knows what you are on about? I thought your opposition to 'The Colour Thief' was because you had an issue with a non Bonfire night event happening over Bonfire weekend and because of the cost. Now you want to add that it's the large event that you disapprove of...epecially at night!!!!! (errr good job various other parks and heaths have no fear of nightime events or else there would be no fireworks anywhere eh?)

Beginning to suspect you are a bit of a nimby James and yes I agree with others...your behaviour over this hasn't reflected well on you I'm afraid. Are you really suprised that the council aren't telling you what they have planned after the press nonsense you created? And now Dulwich is getting nothing - well done!

You of all people know that funding is allocated via departments. If you have an issue with funding for any event under it's departmental allocation then you must oppose funding for ALL events - but then it seems what you really are moaning about is that that CC funding isn't high enough for your liking whilst the seperate events funding is too high.

Correct me if I am wrong but that system of funding was in place during the previous Lib Dem council. All that has changed is that the Labour council have cut the level of funding available to large events. CC and events funding are designed to fund completely different things with different scales and remits. It's completely ridiculous to suggest that borough wide events could be funded by CCs clubbing funds together. You obviously have no idea of what is involved in large scale event planning, and why it requires people in specialist employment to manage that - jobs it seems that you'd like to see go.

[James Barber]

Hi DJKillaQueen,

Dulwich Park doesn't hold any major events these days - it used to host a country fayre which generally left Dulwich Park trashed. Once the Heritage Lottery/Southwark Council renovation of the park started large events were considered too dangerous and expensive in terms of rebuilding the stone gate posts which were always being toppled over by visiting lorries. So the venue wan't a great idea for The Colour Thief......

The other issue was another event on Bonfire Weekend - the local Police don't have the resources to Police more events.

So if the council was going to fund a local event we'd prefer it to be not on the busiest most event filled weekend of the year.

If ?78,000 is allocated for an event in the Dulwich area we'd prefer the money be spent on something that lasts longer than one hour and can't be wiped out with rain. So we've suggest supporting the Dulwich Festival a proven successful programme of events that could then really reach out to even more people.

Lastly the idea and title of the event was bonkers - which strangely is what the press actually picked up on. I spoke to a number of reporters explaining our total position but they plucked out this point.

Yes, when the Lib Dems led the council we had a centralised system of funding for over a dozens events across the borough. On reflection we should have devolved the budget at that time. This years reduction of the events budget and making hard choices is a great time to devolve budgets to really ensure we get the events people want. It is also a great way for all councillors to own any difficult decisions. Currently the cabinet of nine councillors make all the events decisions and is being changed so one councillor Veronica Ward makes all the decisions.

I'm sorry you feel community councils working together for the events they want is ridculous. It would ensure all areas get a fair slice of the events pie and it's more likely that the 62 other councillors than Veronica Ward would know what event/s would go down well in their patches. Importantly communities could say whether they felt 3 bigs events was better value than suporting more local events.

NB. The central event was Elephant and the Nun. But really this central event was an umbrellas for local events happening on the same day. This would just as easilly be focused via community councils.

[DJKillaQueen]

So rather than force lorries to park outside or use smaller vehicles, large events were cancelled altogether in Dulwich Park? How do you think other sites manage James? They use well planned stategies for restoring the site afterwards...which of course cost money and require detailed planning by people who know what they are doing (hence the use of employed professionals).

You know as well as I do that most of those applying for CC funding are volunteers within voluntary organisations. The events being planned are small scale and local comminuty events. That is a far leap from organising a borough wide large event so yes, I do think it is ridicuous to suggest that CC applicants would in the main be able to (and quite frankly have the time to) organise a borough wide event (whilst also taking away jobs from those already employed to oversee and organise those events).

And even following the line of your other argument that changing the structue would enable CCs and local people to have more of a say on large events expenditure doesn't cut the mustard either when considering how few resients of Southwark actually attend CC meetings or get involved at any level in local government. It would still be a case of the few deciding for the majority and given the main demographics of those that do get involved in CCs (generally british white middle-class) not a few that would be in any way representative of the borough either. CCs are in many ways the least effective means of guaging what those living in the borough want.

And as for the press James...are you really so niaive? Of course they pluck things out and then misrepresent - but ultimately it reflects back on you. On your blog, you used the story and made more of it than necessary to score politcal points, and it backfired. Just as on this forum you regularly use opportunities to politicise things before being equally shot down by various forumites. What most people want from a councillor is someone that will sort out local issues (and you seem to do that well). But on the flip side you sometimes take a line without actually asking what local people think, because it's what YOU think and then try to tell the rest of us how awful the Labour Council is as a result.

As you have seen from this thread, quite a few of us had no problem with a title 'The Colour Thief' and would like to have attended the event. But you decided it was bonkers without taking on board any of the views of any local people it would seem.....and your subsequent activism saw the event cancelled, to be replaced by errr...nothing.

[the-e-dealer]

Oh its cancelled now is it ? Oh Thanks James my little boy was looking forward to it.

[Annette Curtain]

I've gone right off of local politics/james barber et al

But guess who's gonna be the "ignited guest" at our bonfire night.

" Come on down Jimmbo "

[the-e-dealer]

Barber the Firework Snatcher.

[mockney piers]

Perhaps we should start a Lewes stylee effigy burning tradition in East Dulwich.

If we set them on fire at The Plough and then carry them aloft down Barry Road to The Clockhouse perhaps?