Glos Pride: Rainbow flag flies at Ebley Mill

Well Stroud District Council's Ebley Mill flew the Rainbow flag on Saturday - this is something I've requested since 2007 and has received support from the Council each year. Sadly there was a mix up so the flag didn't get to fly on the Subscription Rooms but I 'm assured next year it will! Anyway I didn't make a video this year - see my film from last years here - but I did see this one and am sure more will be uploaded from the rather wet day: http://youtu.be/s2fsKRkNTJk

Gloucestershire Pride 2012 Sat 16th June

Ebley Mill

I've just had confirmation to my requests that Ebley Mill and Subscription rooms will again fly the Rainbow Flag this weekend. I made the initial request in 2007 that Stroud supports Glos Pride and have been delighted that every year they have flown the flag - with the exception of last year when there was a mix up and they forgot!

Pride started in 2006 and I was there with the Green party banner - a much smaller more tentative affair than it is nowadays - the County Council that year (and since) supported with flying the Rainbow flag - they were the first County to fly such a flag - clearly cities and others have done for some years.....

Anyway due to all the NHS protests I am unlikely to make the parade part but hope it goes well - unfortunately it seems the Pride website is down but for those who don't know the Pride event starts at Shire Hall at 12 noon on Saturday. Parade departs at 12.30 where it will end at Gloucester Park. Stalls, entertainment, inflatables, games and fun for everyone.  

See my film last year at: http://stroudcommunity.tv/gloucestershire-pride-2011-the-parade/

LGBT move: well done Keith!

See my Gloucestershire Pride 2011 video here

 The European Parliament has this last week passed a resolution calling on the European Commission to ensure sexual orientation and gender identity rights are fully upheld across EU Member States, including the right to freedom of expression and the right to non-discrimination. Keith Taylor, Green MEP for South East England, was one of the MEPs responsible for bringing the resolution to parliament.

MEPs also called on the European Commission to produce a comprehensive plan to tackle homophobia and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights guarantees the right to equality for all LGBT people, yet research carried out by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights concludes that LGBT people in the EU face discrimination and a vulnerability to verbal and physical attacks (see here). This is all the more important when we have seen our SW Tories join with anti-gay MEPs - see here.

Green Party stall last year at Pride

Keith Taylor MEP, a member of the European Parliament’s Intergroup on LGBT rights, said: “It is important that the European Commission is made aware of the need to protect and uphold LGBT rights in all member states. Whilst some countries have made significant progress in stamping out discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, others have seen a rise in homophobic sentiments and attacks. This is simply unacceptable. We have an obligation to create societies in which intolerance is rejected outright. I was shocked and dismayed that so many MEPs voted against today’s resolution. This is a sign of the stigma and prejudice which we need to work to overcome and signals the need for urgent action.”

GRIN campaign

No this is not about smiling more. Some might remember my video of Gloucestershire Pride - see here - well it finished with a photo of me with Respect on my face (see left).....this was all part of a newish campaign GRIN or Global Respect in Education.

The campaign was started by a British teenage student in response to the large number of LGBTQ teen suicides both in the UK and US.  They have been going to various events to highlight the problems of bullying and are seeking ways to empower people. They want enough of us to demand equality and respect for all in education. Amongst their activities they are creating a photo protest that seeks to grab attention - I had my pic taken as part of the campaign - not the one above but I understand it will appear soon on Facebook - you can see their Facebook page here.

UPDATE: See photo at 80 here.

Pride flag not flown!

Last year

The Rainbow flag has been flown at Ebley Mill every year since 2006 in recognition of Gloucestershire Pride. So why was it not in June this year? I wrote seeking an explanation as I had sent an email requesting the flag - as I have done every year. Well it seems an administrative error was made and the flag did not get flown.

Last year

I have now received assurances that this will not happen again. A new system has been put in place to ensure the error will not reoccur. There is no question that the District Council does not support the Pride event. Indeed Stroud along with Glos County were one of the first in the country to fly the Pride flag in a non-metropolitan area outside.

Anyhow if you missed it see my video of the Glos Pride event here.

Cotswold Pride - yes another Glos Pride event

Hot on the heels of Saturday's Gloucestershire Pride event in Gloucester - see my video here - we have, what is billed to be, an even bigger event. Cotswold Pride 2011 on 6th August is claiming to be the pinnacle event of the Cotswold Pride Charitable Trust's calendar and this year the Charity aims to provide the biggest and best Gay Pride event the Cotswolds has ever seen.

The main event will take place in Cheltenham’s Montpellier Gardens, the day begins with a March from Pittville Park through the town centre arriving at the ‘pride grounds’ just after mid-day. The pride grounds are where the days events will unfold, entertainment and hospitality are combined with numerous stalls, both community and commercial, which they claim are an excellent way to promote your business or get your message out to the thousands of visitors expected that day.

Who are the Cotswold Pride Charitable Trust? Well apparently they were established as a charity last year with the aim to provide support and representation to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender community of the greater Cotswolds, encompassing the 6 county area of Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire and Somerset & Avon. See more info at: http://www.cotswoldpride.co.uk/

Gloucestershire Pride 2011: YouTube of The Parade

Saturday was Gloucestershire Pride 2011 - a great day - I have rather hurriedly thrown together this YouTube - great to see how Pride has grown in Glos since the first one in 2006 (see here).  A big thanks to all the organisers.



Greens in Gloucestershire have joined all the marches and this latest parade since 2006. You can read more about the Green Party and LGBT issues at: www.lgbtgreens.org.uk/

Gloucestershire Pride: Sat. 18th June

Gloucestershire Pride is coming up on Saturday 18th June - march starts at 1pm. It is a great atmosphere and the organisers invite folks to join in. See details at: http://www.gloucestershirepride.org.uk/

The Green party were amongst those in the first Gay Pride march in Gloucestershire. Catch a glimpse of me holding the banner in the Youtube film below. Since then it has grown every year and is now a wonderful fun filled day. See previous Pride 2010 photos here and one from 2006 here.

Loving what I do!

Well this week is for films....after the eco-renovation open day film now comes another....back in June I was involved in a documentary to be shown as part of workshops for young people that accompany a performance called Epiphany - see my blog here. Well the results were out ages ago but are now also available on the web in the following video by Ruscombe artist Simon McCorry. The video has just the 6 interviews - the second is me - cut so that I sound even more enthusiastic than ever!

The general theme is 'people who love what they do and how they arrived at finding that out or finding themselves in that place'....each piece is cut to be only 3 mins long. Not sure I like being in front of the camera! Indeed usually try and avoid it when get requests...anyhow you can also see Simon's other films here.

Epiphany from Simon McCorry on Vimeo.

Another couple of films that Simon has been involved with or made include "Beauty and Brains", which documents a beauty contest promoting rights for gay and third genders in Nepal, info can be found here and here. And a short film here, "Venus in Transit" - which will be on in an experimental film festival in Croatia.

More photos of Gloucester Pride

Well my report on the pride march is here. This post is just an excuse for some more photos - first up the flag flying at Ebley Mill on the day.

Back in 2006 I requested Stroud District Council support the day by flying the flag - along with the county they were one of the first to show support. However this year we didn't get the Rainbow flag on the Sub Rooms - it was also Armed Forces Day and that flag flew all week. There has been some criticism over the Pride Day falling on this event - but forces like the Royal Navy have officially been part of Pride marches certainly in recent years. The Pride march also started with a minute of silence to remember our forces - I fail to see how both can't live happily alongside each other....

Anyway the next set of photos are from Don Forbes who kindly sent me some of the Green Party banner as it moved through the streets. The third photo was just before I realised the Chief Constable was in front of us and then managed to talk to him about 20 mph zones and more. Indeed he seemed not unsympathetic - well at least he did not reject the notion of 20 mph in residential areas like some have done.

Anyway today is Pride London 2010 and they plan to celebrate 40 years since the founding of the Gay Liberation Front. The Gay Liberation Front was born in New York in 1969 following the infamous Stonewall Riots which saw clashes between the police and gay community. It was brought to London in 1970 by Bob Mellors and Aubrey Walters, with founding members including the Green party rights campaigner Peter Tatchell. Although it wasn’t the first gay organization in Britain, it is widely regarded as the beginning of the modern movement for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender freedom and human rights.

Greens will be on that march - speaking ahead of the Pride London parade Jean Lambert Green MEP said: “I am proud to support this important celebration of equality, diversity and freedom for all. It is a great opportunity to showcase the achievements of the LGBT community, while also pay homage to a city which allows you to be whoever it is you want to be, regardless of your sexuality. Of course, events such as Pride London would not be possible if it wasn’t for the courageous, ambitious and revolutionary work of the Gay Liberation Front and other such organisations. And this year we celebrate 40 years since the founding of this ground-breaking organisation and the freedom it has afforded the LGBT community.

“However, we must not be complacent about fighting for equal rights for all. In many countries across Europe people still face discrimination and abuse as a result of their sexual orientation. What we need now is for political leaders at EU and national level to take a firm stance against homophobia and discrimination against LGBT individuals to help create a positive shift in public attitudes and behaviour.”

Indeed it is no time to be complacent - it is a sad fact that in recession prejudice often grows - the Archbishop warned that recession could lead to BNP support growing - but it is not inevitable - see here a view from US.

Indeed I have seen some worrying trends - I remember a survey that shows gay is the most popular insult at school - see useful BBC report here re the history of the word and how the meaning of 'gay' to kids maybe slightly different.....anyhow in Northern Ireland a 2008 survey found that homophobia and racism are on the increase there. Anti-gay prejudice had almost doubled in three years, from 14% of people surveyed admitting they would have a problem with a gay, lesbian or bisexual person to 23% in the 2008 poll. I've already blogged on homophobic bullying - some 65% of gay children experience it.....

Anyone who says we don't need Pride Gloucester is not living in the real world....but hey I'm sounding a bit gloomy - huge progress has been made in last 40 years - a vast vast difference.....but I well remember the poem by Martin Niemoeller, a victim of the Nazis, that no doubt I have had on this blog before...

When the Nazis came for the Communists, I remained silent; I was not a communist. When they locked up the social democrats, I remained silent; I was not a social democrat. When they came for the trade unionists, I did not speak out; I was not a trade unionist. When they came for the jews, I did not speak out; I was not a Jew. When they came for me, there was no one left to speak out.

Gloucestershire Gay Pride photos and more

What a great day today. The sun shining and lots of goodwill - I remember the first Gloucestershire Gay Pride march in 2006 - then the Green party was the only visible political party but today saw two Tory MPs attend the speeches before the march - and Tony Melville the new Chief Constable made a speech at the beginning - along with Peter Bungard, the Chief Exec of Glos County Council who has been supportive of equality issues unlike some Councils.

Chris Marsh, organiser was also there and opened the event with a speech and held a minutes silence for Forces Day - he has done wonders again to pull it all together.

From the steps of Shire Hall we set off up through the shopping centre - many supportive shouts from the crowded shopping centre. I even had one older woman ask what it was all about - when I told her she said 'that is good'.

Photos: Chief Constable, Chris Marsh and Peter Bungard

As we walked there was a chance to talk to other marchers - I even had a talk with the Chief Constable about 20 mph zones and our desire to have one in the village - trying to impress that we need that change of culture. I did also of course welcome his support for this event.

As we came out of the City shopping area we moved towards the docks where there must have been some 30 stalls from various organisations, charities and stalls selling everything from underwear with 'Spank me' on it to some T-shirts with slogans like "I am the Pink Sheep of the family".

We also had a Green party stall with a steady flow of people asking stuff about our policies - I also managed to visit many of the other stalls and hear about various projects locally.


Of course there was also music and I did join those dancing in the heat - some great singers - wish I could credit them but didn't get all their names - see many of the acts here. Ms. Kelly Wilde was the host (see left left) and also got me dancing to her songs. The former Eurovision entrant apparently has her own Management company which she was using to source many of the artists! Laura Harding (see left right) was another that had us dancing.

Photo: Some of the Greens at our stall

I wasn't able to stay on into the late afternoon as wanted to catch a school fair and then tonight it is Midnight Magic in Randwick. Anyway I've just been throwing together some words to send to the press...

GAY PRIDE IN GLOUCESTER

Ebley Mill flies Rainbow flag in support

Philip Booth, a Stroud District Councillor who initiated Stroud District Council being one of the first rural Council's to fly the Rainbow flag at Ebley Mill in support of Gloucestershire Gay Pride, said: "Pride is all about promoting acceptance of our diverse community, celebrating our differences and putting an end to the discrimination like homophobic bullying in our workplaces and schools. Some 60% of lesbian and gay children still experience homophobic bullying. This is unacceptable."

Government shelve Equality Act

Liz Hilary, a Stroud Green party member who joined other Greens on the march said: "It was a great positive atmosphere on the march. However we still have a way to go in terms of equality. We welcome that two Glos Tory MPs were at the speeches before the march, and Camerons recent speech on gay rights holds some hope. However he has made a number of serious gaffs about equality issues and their are new concerns this week as the Government have shelved most of the Equality Act. They will announce which measures are to go but these could include the provisions to make it illegal to discriminate against someone for being gay or disabled."

Well that's the draft....I may think of something more to say...Of course it wasn't so long ago that Tory MEPs - last year in fact - refused to support a motion that condemned Lithuania’s homophobic policies. Infact the Tories don’t have any official lesbian and gay rights policies. The Conservative Party annual conference has never voted for gay rights and gays rights policies do not feature in any Tory policy document!

St Petersburg's first gay pride march which was due to take place at the same time as the Gloucester march, has been banned by city officials. Gloucestershire Pride have sent a letter of support, but as of last week our Government had still not sent a message of support to marchers. InterPride, the International Association of Pride organisers and the IDAHO Committee slammed the ban which they claim goes against the European Convention on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. I have left a message of support to Petersburg on one of their public websites.

Photo: Smoking smurf and Liz with our Green party banner - really need something a bit more colourful.

It is 41 years since the first Pride march in New York. The first in Gloucestershire was in 2006 which was attended by members from Gloucestershire Green party.

I will have more pics sometime but wanted to get this up today before I'm out tonight - I am sure there will soon be more at:
http://www.gloucestershirepride.org.uk/

Sack Grayling

News broke over the weekend that Tory Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling had said people who run Bed and Breakfasts should be allowed to refuse business to gay and lesbian couples!! I am utterly appalled at this prejudice.

Photo: From 'Make My Own Cameron Poster - see here

Allowing certain business-owners to discriminate based on sexual orientation opens the door to discrimination based on race, religion, country of origin, and anything else - and to the sort of inequality that surely we have said goodbye to forever in this country?

Will Tories stand by or condemn this intolerance? Will the man who might be our next prime minister sit by and silently accept this sort of bigotry, or will he reassure the people of Britain that he means what he says that his party has changed?

Sign the petition to David Cameron, telling him to sack Chris Grayling and clearly state his party's stance on discrimination: http://action.compassonline.org.uk/grayling

See also Johann Hari, who spoke at this years Green party conference, on how the Tory party hasn't changed - see here.

Petitions: Uganda gay death law, BAE, Chevron pollution and Robin Hood Tax

Uganda’s parliament is preparing to pass a brutal new law that would punish gay people with prison - even death. Thankfully opposition to the bill is rising. Please sign the petition to stop the gay death law. Sign petition here. I note I have raised similar issues before with David Drew who took the issue forward - see here.

Photo: view across to Randwick

Another issue I've covered before is BAE - see for example here and here - the recent decision of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) to settle with BAE Systems is outrageous. BAE will be fined £30m as a result of technical infringements in Tanzania, but lets it off in relation to arms deals in the Czech Republic, Romania and South Africa, just as it did regarding Saudi Arabia. Sign petition here.

Next up pollution - and the oil companies seem to excel at this - the final judgment is imminent after a long legal battle between oil giant Chevron and the indigenous peoples of the Ecuadorian Amazon, who are seeking redress for the multinational’s dumping of billions of gallons of toxic waste in the rainforest. If Chevron is forced to pay billions in damages, it’ll be a big step forward in bringing the world’s polluters to account.Please sign here.

Robin Hood Tax - I have long campaigned for a form of 'Tobin Tax' - see here and here on my blog - but also long before that I was writing letters to politicians on this issue - there have been various proposals in the past which mostly have looked at both raising revenue and being a way of regulating speculative financial activity. Tobin was mostly about the latter - this Robin Hood Tax is putting the emphasis on the money raised. Even levied at a very low rate, a yield of $400 billion a year could be realised!! See more and sign the petition to show your support here: http://robinhoodtax.org.uk/

Anger at Bristol Tory Leader's outburst re project to tackle homophobic bullying

First I wanted to mention that I finally got around to seeing Milk last week - a great film that reminds us of Harvey Milk - a sort of Martin Luther King of LGBT - People told him no openly gay man could win political office. Fortunately, he ignored them - anyway it is well worth getting out on DVD....but let's get to this blog and why we still need to campaign on social justice....

Photos: Milk and below the recent Glos pride in The Citizen.

Greens have been surprised and angered by an attack by conservative city councilor leader on a Bristol-based project to provide support for a five year project across the Bristol, Bath, South Glos and beyond to support young members of the LGBT community who suffer from homophobic bullying (See Evening Post article here).

A National Lottery Grant of £391,668, has been awarded to Reach who have been set up by charity 'Educational Action Challenging Homophobia' for a 5 year project. However Cllr Richard Eddy has claimed the award as a waste of money.

Here is my comment to the press: "The reality is that homophobic bulling continues in many of our schools. We must not underestimate the impact such bullying can have on children. There are numerous cases where disrupted education has led to unfulfilled academic potential and worse where victims have been driven to despair with lasting consequences for their health. Funding for this five year project across the whole Bristol, Bath, South Glos area will be of enormous value in helping to challenge such prejudice and much more. I am very surprised and indeed angered that Cllr Eddy should choose to make such an extraordinary outburst claiming this is an 'outrageous' waste of money rather than giving it a warm welcome. This should have been a chance to celebrate a project that will help to build community cohesion and combat ignorance."

Ryan Cleminson, South West Green Parties spokesperson for LGBT issues, who has spoken to Each's executive director, Jonathan Charlesworth, said: "The comments by Councillor Eddy in the Evening post have caused such a storm that a Facebook group has already been started. It seems the Tories in Bristol still have a long way to go before everyone is valued as equal human beings. I can't think this outburst will do Cllr Eddy any favours."

Ryan also criticised the Evening Post saying: "Equally disappointing is the attitude of the Bristol Evening Post, which seems to be openly supporting the conservative councillor who made these misguided and homophobic comments."

Bristol Green Party's press officer Peter Goodwin also commented saying: "Once again we're seeing Richard Eddy picking on minority groups for the sake of a cheap headline, willingly provided by the Evening Post. If the local Tories have any ambition to be seen as decent and tolerant, it's high time they found a new leader."

See the Facebook group; http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=123781553250

Gay Pride in Cheltenham 2009

The third annual Gay Pride march, the first in Cheltenham was apparently a great day - I sadly missed it but reports were that it was as ever a wonderful colourful procession of more than 100 people who marched from Pittville Park through town to Montpellier Gardens. I was also delighted that following my request Stroud District Council flew the Rainbow flag in support at Ebley Mill.

The march had plenty of rainbow flags, pink union jacks, whistles, three drag queens and drummer Christine Murray who led the procession. Below is some of the report by The Citizen/Echo and then below that a list of the Green party's key manifesto points from the Euro elections....

Here is the press report:

One of the organisers, Martin Homer, 23, said: "This is a countywide march and we want to alternate between Gloucester and Cheltenham. It's important to bring everyone together from across Gloucestershire, because we have a higher than usual proportion of gay people in the county."

Friends Clare Connerty and Chris Alcock, who live in Cheltenham, were glad the march was in their home town. Clare said: "I've been to Pride in Gloucester which was much busier, but it's the first one in Cheltenham. There's still too much homophobia about but it's great to see young people coming out and coming on the march and having fun. And it is about pride, because I love being gay."

Clare and Chris were wearing T-shirts with the phrases 'bian' and 'homo'. Clare said: "I made them myself. They're homo-made."

Carrying a large rainbow banner at the front of the parade was Chris Marsh, 41, who lives in Gloucester. He said: "Marches like this are even more important than the ones in London or Brighton, to show that gay people live in smaller towns and are just ordinary people getting on with their lives."

After the march finished in Montpellier Gardens revellers were entertained by bands and cabaret acts and mingled in the park, visiting stalls of support groups, clothing companies and police and fire service offering safety advice. Drag queen Queenie Del Bra, who had marched with her friends Dolly Hollywood and Miss Theresa Tittytassle, was one of the singers. She said: "I'm Cheltenham's only drag queen. Dolly made our costumes and they take an hour to get into, because I've had a lot of practice."

To contact Gay Glos for advice and support on any issue of being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender call 01452 306800.

The Green Party launched eight pledges for equality for LGBT people this year...here is 'The LGBT Greens European Election Manifesto'.

The Greens will continue to campaign for:

* Full LGBT equality, including full partnership, insurance, pensions, employment, and housing rights. This includes campaigning to rid ALL EU member states of homophobic and transphobic discrimination in access to goods and services, such as insurance and mortgages.
* All EU member states to comply with the EU directive outlawing discrimination against lesbians gay men and bisexuals in the workplace.
* Equivalent and specific protection in society and in the workplace for trans citizens.

1. Greens will press for policing which reflects the diversity of the LGBT communities in the EU particularly in the new Eastern states, ensuring that homophobic behaviour by police officers is considered an explicit offence which can be remedied with disciplinary action. Also working with the police in deepening their relationship with the LGBT community, including LGBT organisations: improving the rapport between police forces and the LGBT community; addressing the continued under-reporting of hate crimes, and working with authorities to bring hate crime culprits to justice.

2. Greens will work to legalise same-sex marriages and registered partnerships across the EU, particularly in asylum legislation.

3. Greens will campaign to:

* Extend the EU definition of "family" to include LGBT partnerships
* Campaign for lgbt equal access to parenting and fertility treatment.

4. Greens will continue to lobby Police on non-prosecution of consenting, victimless gay offences, such as cruising. Police resources should be concentrated on violent, corporate and hate crimes and active, sustainable measures to create safer communities.

5. Greens will support a pan European HIV Action Plan:

* To improve safer sex education.

6. Greens will also campaign to:

* Cut transmission rates by remedying the financial hole in HIV services and large inadequacies in the provision and scope of HIV services.
* Upgrade the standard of treatment and after-care for people who have transmitted HIV. This will include pressing the UK government to resolve the under-funding and under-staffing of sexually-transmitted infection (STI) clinics.

7. Greens through their MEPs will lobby the European Commission to require all companies doing business with the European Union, or governments and local authorities within it, to be required to have equal opportunities policies that prohibit discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and HIV-positive people; thereby enabling local authorities to take a proactive role in encouraging businesses to end homo, bi and transphobic discrimination.

8. Greens propose to celebrate queer culture and history, for example by proposing the establishment of more Lesbian & Gay Museums.

See more: http://www.lgbtgreens.org.uk/

Gloucestershire Pride this Saturday

Gloucestershire Pride has fallen victim to a football league at Cheltenham, with the police asking that the march starts an hour earlier that originally advertised. We have to now start at 12 noon to avoid the expected football crowds for the game against Grimsby. The route is subject to minor change by the police on the day in the area of High Street.

The plan is still to assemble from 11:30am at Pittville Park, Evesham Road, Cheltenham -then from 1.00 after the march there will be plenty of live music including Bridget and the Big Girls Blues, Way Out West and Jaymi - see more at the website: http://www.gloucestershirepride.org.uk/

This year like previous years I've organised the flying of the Rainbow Flag on Ebley Mill at Stroud District Council in support of Pride - as some will remember I didn't manage to get it flown on IDAHO (see here) - somewhat understandable otherwise every day the Council could fly a flag for something.....anyway this Pride is number three for Glos - first year was 2006 in Gloucester then 2007 was cancelled due to floods - last year it was again in Gloucester and this year it is the first time in Cheltenham.

The logo above is interesting - the rainbow flag doesn't have that on but Glos Pride have adopted it - the symbol was originally chosen by the Gay Activists Alliance of New York in 1970 and became a quick way for the members of the gay community to identify each other. The reasoning was that the lambda would easily be mistaken for a college fraternity symbol and ignored by the majority of the population. Eventually though, the GAA headquarters was torched by an arsonist, destroying not only the building but all of the organization's records, and the movement never recovered from the loss. The symbol, however, lived on. Read more about the logo here.

Good luck to all the orgainsers and participants - let's hope some sun shines!

Australia's Randwick City Mayor visits Randwick, Gloucestershire

A busy week - all day Tuesday at the Council spending time with the Planning Department to learn more for the Scrutiny inquiry, a meeting of Greens with the Cabinet Member for the Environment, plus a good evening - a bit too short - in The Star putting together the new Allotments Association - more of that soon and then last night in The Vine Tree to meet the Randwick City Mayor - Bruce Notley-Smith.

Photos: John Hudson with Bruce Notley-Smith in The Vine Tree - first photo - the Randwick City tie, second presenting a photo of one of their beaches and lastly Bruce getting a photo taken earlier in the day after a tour around the District and Ebley Mill.

It was a meal with the Chief Exec David Hagg, his wife, the Chair of the Council Cllr John Hudson, Mayor Bruce, his partner Paul and two others from Australia. A good evening (and good food) with lots of talk about similarities and differences and the links between the two Randwicks....Randwick City in Oz even gave a donation to help set up our Village hall in 1949 - and indeed Bruce has been over a couple of times and the previous evening this week had met many local folk including the Randwick Wap Mayor Alan Tomlinson.

Randwick City Council is one of the largest councils in NSW. It has more than 120,000 residents - so larger than Stroud District - but only 15 councillors - three of which are Greens.

This year Randwick are celebrating 150 years of local government. Randwick was proclaimed a local government area on 22 February 1859. It was the first to be established in NSW after the City of Sydney and became a city in 1990. Before European settlement, there was an extensive Indigenous community living in this area. Visits to Botany Bay by Captain Cook, Captain Arthur Phillip and the First Fleet, and French explorer La Perouse, link Randwick to the earliest days of European exploration and settlement - a book is due out in October of the history. Interestingly Randwick, Glos also has a new history being written at the moment.

The first openly gay Liberal mayor, Bruce Notley-Smith has been a long-time councillor for the East Ward in Randwick. Back in 1985/6, I worked in Sydney for Community Aid Abroad, the Australian Oxfam, and at that time remember giving a talk to the local Randwick CAA group - I remember an audience of about 15 people in an old hall somewhere - many happy memories of those days.

Anyway I understand Notley-Smith has continued to focus on environmental sustainability, which saw the council take out the Keep Australia Beautiful sustainable cities award for NSW and participate in the Cities for Climate Protection. Although he courted controversy when he got rid of the prius in favour of a V8 Holden Caprice (see here). It was great to meet him and hear his enthusiasm for Randwick City - I'm not sure about encouraging air travel between the two but there are some great plans for links with Randwick Village School and one of the 22 (I think 22) schools in Randwick City.

Anyway strangely this evening I am not out to a meeting and have had the chance to catch up on some emails but I'm still a little behind so please bear with me if you are waiting for a response.