3rd June 2011

Tai Chi shows we are Top Town

Great stuff from Ipswich’s very own Anglo-Chinese Cultural Exchange.  This little group, run by the energetic Lydia Tse, runs Tai Chi classes for young and old, a Chinese drum ensemble for school kids, and lunches for members of the Chinese community where much mah-jong is played.

Now, a few weeks ago the kindness and courtesy of the staff at Ipswich Station won them a national award, which I presented to them.  Asked for a comment by the Star, I said it showed that Ipswich was the best town in the UK.  Some people questioned my sincerity on the web, I have to say.

We all know that there’s much wrong with Ipswich.  But we’ve got so much going for us, not least the richness of cultural life in the town.  Proof of this?  There were people at the Tai Chi class from Colchester, because there is no similar outfit there.

A few years ago Colchester was voted the best town in Britain.  I tell you, these Essex residents are now voting with their feet!

Suffolk’s Social Entrepreneurs

Last week I was thrilled to present a prize myself – to the graduates of the social enterprise school at the University.

These are the people who will be running our public services in the future: they are local, they are dynamic, and they passionately want to do things better.  I salute them, and am intensely proud that Ipswich is at the forefront of this exciting new area discipline.

Nothing’s Ever New

I’ve been spending the afternoons and the evenings of the past few days writing a policy paper with some research colleagues.  It’s dry as dust, I’m afraid: local government finance.  But in the midst of the graphs and tables I came across a funny tale from a book on Victorian councils.

I have huge admiration for Victorian councils – for what they achieved in terms of public sanitation, sewerage and housing, as well as for their impressive town halls.  Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds town halls are famous – and our own is proud testament to the civic vision of the people who the ran our town.

But not all was so different back then.  Guess what was the burning issue of Leeds town council back in the 1830s?  Water supplies?  Accommodating growing trade?  The railway?  Nope.  It was the controversy over the excessively high salary paid to the town clerk.

Heard that one before!?

Fifa’ing Unbelievable

I must be honest: I am no football expert.  I am a proud season ticket holder at ITFC but if you were to ask me to name the squad of AC Milan, the silence would be a long one.  One thing that I do know is that none of us deserves the bunch of jokers.  So when I heard my lovely colleague Thérèse Coffey – who does know (a lot) about football – demanding on the radio for the FA to boycott the presidential vote, I cheered loud and stuck my hands in the air, then quickly returning them to the steering wheel...

I think it’s pretty galling we have to kowtow to these jokers in any case.  Didn’t we invent the game anyway?  I reckon we should do more than refuse to vote in the coronation of this risible rabble: we should leave altogether and encourage those other countries who want to see football played for beautiful reasons, rather than corrupt ones, to follow.