See you at the Oxford Road Community Fun Day!

It's the Oxford Road Community Fun Day on Saturday, 12-4 at Kensington Park.  I have been for the last few years (though I was on my holidays last year) and have always enjoyed it but this year will be different.

#Rdg Arts Week - a great week to look forward to

Last night I was lucky enough to go to the launch of Reading Arts Week.  It was a great event, so full of people involved with or supporting local Arts.  I was only there for an hour before I had to head off to a previous engagement but I got a sneaky peek of the art on display and I was so impressed.

Reading is lucky to have a wealth of artists, and the art I saw was so diverse.  I really do recommend getting along to the Penta Hotel this weekend to take a look.

There are other events running this week:


Artists Place
Wednesday 27 June 2012 | 1pm - 6pm
Market Place (outside Nino’s), Reading Town Centre.  This is an outdoor art market.

The Big Art Picnic
Friday 29 June 2012 | 2pm - 8pm
Caversham Court Gardens, Church Road, Caversham, Reading & Caversham Lock


More information can be found here, on Facebook and by following @Rdgartsweek on Twitter.

Continuous path for Cow Lane please

The current plans for cyclists and pedestrians to pass under the Cow Lane bridges is to have to cross over the road and change pavement sides to continue their journey from Portman Road.  Although the route for pedestrians and cyclists will be much improved from the current precarious situtation, having to cross the road is far from ideal. 

Battle councillors have been asking for a continuous path under the bridges and, at last nights Transport Management Advisory Panel, I asked that the council does everything in it's power to ensure there is a route for cyclists and pedestrians that does not require them to cross the road to continue their journey.

I was assured this is something they are looking into. I hope we get what we, and many other people, have been asking for.

On a slightly different note, here is a picture I took going over the bridges this week, showing the work that is going n above our heads!

Back from a course with some interesting questions

I have been in Manchester for the past 2 days on a course with my union, Unite.We got on to discussing class and I have come away with some serious food for thought.  Firstly, is class relevant anymore?  It is still referred to and most people will place themselves within a class when asked: working, middle or upper? 

It was clear that the old ways of defining class are no longer adequate.  Working people; those facing cuts to tax credits, erosion of their pensions and rights as workers, the granny tax, changes to disability allowance, forced acadamisation of their schools, cuts to their council services, are the people that need the representation of trade unions in the workplace and in the community.  What about those not in work who have a voice that needs to be heard? Both traditional working and middle classes fall into this group.

Although there were no answers what did become clear is that we all need to work together to protect each other and our rights.

Cllr Chris Maskell : Tesco need to act before someone is badly hurt

Posted by Cllr Chris Maskell on June 9, 2012

'What will it take for Tesco to take their responsibilities seriously? That is the question Battle Councillor Sarah Hacker will be asking Reading Borough Council and Tesco.

She said: “In January this year Councillor Maskell emailed the council because of concerns he had about the maintenance and safety of the strip of land at the bottom of Chester Street. He pointed out that there was an accumulation of rubbish and fly tipping and damage to fencing caused by fallen tree parts, which suggested the trees are not safe. He asked if anything could be done to get Tesco to clean the area up, clear the shrubbery and make the area safe. That was nearly six months ago.

Fallen tree could have caused a fatality

“I, like many others, use the connecting footpath from Chester Street to Tesco to do our shopping. It is not a very pleasant walk as thick undergrowth and low tree branches border the path. There the undergrowth is strewn with litter, fly tipping and the occasional Tesco trolley. It really is a thoroughly unpleasant footpath to walk along. What is also a concern is that during the summer the footpath becomes hidden by overgrown trees”.

Tesco are fully aware of their responsibilities yet appear not to be interested in maintaining that strip of land. At the request of Battle councilors Reading Borough Council has attempted to engage with Tesco in an effort to get something done but without success. Young mothers walking to Tesco with their children frequently use the footpath. It is very fortunate that when the tree came down no one was on the path. If the tree had fallen on anyone the consequences could have been tragic.

In January a tree fell into some ones back garden, now a tree has fallen across a pedestrian footpath. What will it take for Tesco to take action and get that area cleaned up and made safe?'