Like many my age I was brought up listening to music played on Radio 2, Despite my protestations that such a hip and chic 6- to 10-year-old should be allowed to listen to the equally hip and chic Radio 1 my Dad was quite insistent that his station of choice was pulsating out of the Pye radio in the kitchen. It was usually Jimmy Young or Terry Wogan, the latter who I would grow to appreciate much more in later life.
As well as the radio soap Waggoners Walk this introduced the young future Political wannabe to singers like Andy Williams, Dean Martin, Tony Christie and of course The King . I also regularly heard tunes from bands such as The Bellamy Brothers, Gallagher and Lyle, The Eagles and Dr Hook.
Now I always liked the songs or should I say the “ TOOOOOOONS” of Dr Hook. The singer had an engaging voice and that chap with the eye patch and the maracas seemed like a laugh. Those mid to late 70s classics , “ If I said you had a beautiful body” , “ Sexy Eyes” and “When your in love with a beautiful woman” will still have me putting a hand over one eye and shaking a pretend maraca with the other as my youngest son looks on as if his Dad needs some help , should Alexa agree to play them when prompted.
However this week another of theirs has been on my mind and that is the 1976 lesser know number “if not you”. Its initial lyrics are ,,
Who's gonna water my plants? Who's gonna patch my pants? And who's gonna give me The chance to feel brand new?
Who's gonna iron my shirts? Who's gonna kiss where it hurts? And who needs a man when He flirts the way I do?
Who, if not you? Who, if not you?
Now I agree that its not exactly Shakespeare but its pleasant enough and it rhymes at least. But it’s the chorus that I’ve had in my head this week with a slight change in the words. I've been humming
Where, if not there?
Where, if not there?
This week we launch our new strategy to deliver the 7000 odd homes the Government tell us we must build by 2041. We’ve collectively decided on a plan to do things differently and look to create a Forest Gateway at Lydney and bring in all the infrastructure. You can see all the whys and wherefores on the Council web page, so I wont bang on about it here.
Its release obviously brought with it the usual pile of trolling nonsense from people who don’t bother reading anything bar the headlines and just want to create the loudest biggest furore, with the odd insult thrown in and that’s to be expected.
Also a few Councillors including the opposition leader and one party in particular said quite categorically that they would be campaigning against the plan, it wouldn’t work we won’t get the infrastructure and a new town, a new single settlement was the answer, both in terms of housing number delivery and from a climate emergency point of view. Well, I think The Forest will attract business and from that we can get the infrastructure needed, and if we can’t? Well, we will have to try something else but its got to be worth the effort surely?.
Its not that though that really made me think of Dr Hooks single.
Its because one thing is missing from the statements, the announcements of how terrible an idea it was to put these houses where we propose to put them. And simply that is,
Where will you put them then?
The lack of an alternative option in these press statements and rallying calls actually show them up for the political game playing and cheap politics that they are.
We must deliver those houses; we have no choice but to do so. We have tried to come up with a way that will gives us a chance to sort out some much need infrastructure at the same time as creating something good for the district.
To dismiss it without proposing another site or sites is politics and its very leanest, self-serving and cowardly worst.
And the reason they won’t give an alternative ?
Because they want to protect their votes next May in the Local elections and don’t want to alienate whichever area, they may think development should happen or their new town should sit.
Cowardly, misleading, and disingenuous and much of what is wrong in local politics.
So next time a Councillor tells you how bad the idea we have put forward is just remember Dr Hook and ask them?
Where we gonna put those houses? Where we gonna create some jobs ? And where's gonna give us the social homes that we need?
Where's gonna have enough land? Wheres's gotta train and bus station at hand? And wheres gonna give us the chance To make peoples life fair ?
Where, if not there? Where,if not there?
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