AROUND ‘AMPSHIRE

I am not after sympathy but I slept really badly last night, the deluge of rain didn’t help, and neither did the cat who wanted god knows what at two thirty in the morn, and this morning I feel like a two day old doughnut.

And as the “local free” paper dropped on the mat in the evening I thought I would feature some of the news from my part of the world.

MPs expenses-yes I know-boring, but I think my local MPs sum up the attitude of those esteemed members of the Palace of Westminster.

Now just to put it into perspective, Aldershot is 37 miles from the centre of London, which is about 40 minutes by train or just over an hour by car.

News - gethampshire The five Tory MPs representing the News area claimed a total of £712,710 in expenses for one year.

New figures show that the MPs claimed an average of £142,542 on top of their £63,291 salary.
Mr Gove, Mr Howarth and Mr Arbuthnot claimed the full amount for second homes. Mr Hunt claimed the least second home allowance, £11,610, but Mr MacKay had just under the full amount, claiming £22,575. Mr MacKay and his wife Julie Kirkbride topped the list as the most expensive married MPs to take full advantage of their second home allowance. They received a total of £45,658 for the year. Mr Gove said he claimed the allowance for his house in Elstead (very posh), where he spends weekends to be near his constituency

Among some other allowance claims, Mr MacKay got the most for travel expenses, at £5,562, and Mr Howarth the least, with £4,971. Mr MacKay also claimed the most for stat-ionery, receiving £729.

The Aldershot (or Rushmoor) member is Conservative Gerald Howarth, who I believe is a member of the “Johnsons Wax” family, and is not poor.

Mr Howarth, who has a second home in Farnborough, said he spent most of the week in London and weekends in his constituency.

He said the second home allowance was necessary to help MPs fulfil their duties at Westminster and in their constituencies.

He said forcing MPs to commute across the country every day as well as keeping on top of all their parliamentary commitments would “drive people to an early grave”.
He added: “This is not a job but a way of life and a calling.”

“I make it completely clear, the people of Aldershot are my employers.”

Just remember, these five MPs have constituencies that are less than an hours travelling from London, so why do they need “second homes”, millions of people commute from this area and further away to London each day, it seems that it is alright for us plebs to be driven to an early grave but MPs are special and need a longer life so that they can enjoy their pensions for as long as possible.

Our loss-Historic Para landmark lost another landmark piece of aviation heritage is to be lost to the area.

The Dakota aircraft on Queen’s Avenue, between North Camp and Aldershot, is being dismantled and will be shipped to Colchester.

The old Dakota has stood on the Queens avenue for many years and is a well known landmark much loved by all.

Many of the brigades that were in Aldershot have taken up residence in Colchester in Essex.

There are still hundreds of former serving Paras who live in Aldershot and Farnborough, many of whom are upset that the visible reminder of the link with the regiment is to be lost.

Pat Sheehan, 86, of Church Lane East, Aldershot, who served with the Paras between 1942 and 1962, said the loss of the aircraft was a blow to the town. He jumped from similar aircraft during airborne raids on Ardennes and the Rhine in 1944.

“It is a shame the Airborne Forces have been completely severed from Aldershot,” he said.
“Whatever happens, Aldershot will remain the home of the Parachute Regiment.

Although Aldershot was the home of the Parachute Regi-ment for 50 years, the main body of Paras left in 2000 and the last airborne forces soldiers left in 2003.

Many of the brigades that were in Aldershot have taken up residence in Colchester in Essex.
There are still hundreds of former serving Paras who live in Aldershot and Farnborough, many of whom are upset that the visible reminder of the link with the regiment is to be lost.

Pat Sheehan, 86, of Church Lane East, Aldershot, who served with the Paras between 1942 and 1962, said the loss of the aircraft was a blow to the town. He jumped from similar aircraft during airborne raids on Ardennes and the Rhine in 1944.

“It is a shame the Airborne Forces have been completely severed from Aldershot,” he said.
“Whatever happens, Aldershot will remain the home of the Parachute Regiment.”

The site currently occupied at Browning Barracks by Queen’s Avenue will eventually be covered with housing as part of the 4,500-home Aldershot Urban Extension

Which brings me nicely to Rushmoor Borough Council - Aldershot Urban Extension The release of army land for private redevelopment means that Aldershot will be able to grow significantly for the first time in nearly a century.

Rushmoor Borough Council is producing a framework for the future expansion of Aldershot to provide 4,500 new homes.

Now the last thing we need in Aldershot is 4,500 new homes, which I would think means at least 4,500 more cars, more strain on the sewer systems, water, and other services, yes it may mean more trade for the town but Tesco’s is full to the gunnels now, and they have no space to expand, the town centre lacks any of the big high street names and is like a ghost town most of the time.

The Victorian buildings in the town centre have been replaced with concrete “carbuncles” and the character has been lost in favour of “modern” shopping centres.

But it does explain why they built the new “centre for health” at the top of the most remote and steepest hill in the area, because it is right next to the “Urban Extension” site on which will be accessible without the need for mountain climbing gear or oxygen


But despite all this I still love living here, the people are good in the main, and within ten minutes on foot or in the car I can be in the country side-open spaces and beautiful scenery.


"Only the wisest and stupidest of men never change."- Confucius


Angus

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