Visit by Bicycling Baronet

My first job Friday morning was to pressure spray months of mud and grime off my trusty bicycle. This was in readiness for the journey to Surbiton to meeting Sir George Young MP, a.k.a. the Bicycling Baronet.

Here we are pictured by the Berrylands pub, for a campaign lunch stop. (From left to right: Berrylands ward council candidate David Hutchinson, Sir George, parliamentary candidate Helen Whately, myself and Berrylands ward candidate Karen George -- picture courtesy of the third ward candidate Peter Topp)
Unlike Sir George, I’m not yet up for taking my bike on the buses. However, hopping on the train is very efficient, though you have to avoid the morning and evening rush hours.

Winter Vacation

This time next week I intend to be on holiday. I’m not going to say too much so as not to tempt fate, because this time last year I chose the worst travel day of the year. I spent half the day getting to Gatwick, and the rest of the day waiting there, before giving up and coming home.
All I will say is that I shall be leaving my house at 6:40am next Wednesday, and I am one of the few people who make use of Heathrow Airport’s excellent bicycle racks, even if the route there is not at all cycle friendly.
At least the first leg of the journey is guaranteed.

True Grit

Despite the national shortage of grit for our roads the Prime Minister announced in Parliament that there’s plenty to go round. Now the Whitehall emergency planning committee (Cobra) has started rationing salt between councils. Somehow I don’t think Tory Surrey will get much priority.
My 4x4 copes just fine, though other offroaders seem to think they are immune to the conditions and drive like crazy. Negotiating the ice on my bicycle is not quite so easy, requiring both feet on the ground to come to a halt -- a bit like when I was a toddler.
Despite stockpiling thousands of tons of salt more than last year, Surrey County Council is now having to preserve dwindling stocks. Many key roads, like the one outside my house are missing out. This came as a shock to the drivers of a school bus and a car which collided head-on this morning. No injuries, but expect next year’s car insurance premiums to rocket.

North Surrey Bus Service Review

Again we find some campaigners are scaremongering, this time about the review of subsidised bus services in north Surrey.
The County Council spends £11 million on keeping uneconomic routes going, a figure which keeps on rising by about £1million each year which is unsustainable.
Yet some routes are seriously underused, so it is only fair that the network is looked at -- but without sacrificing vital services to vulnerable groups.
In fact Spelthorne Borough has a relatively high level of bus usage and is set to suffer minimally in the drive to save taxpayer money.
The Council is interested in residents’ views, so have your say.