When I was 8 or 9 I pestered and pestered my Dad for a Christmas present he really probably could not have afforded. I was hell bent on a guitar. For weeks I went on about it and sure enough Santa delivered a shiny student sized acoustic guitar on Christmas day.
This thing I had wanted so badly, that I had risked the wrath of the old fella for was now there sat in the corner of my bedroom.
And that’s where it pretty much stayed.
Upon reflection I was never going to be the next Clapton or Paige or even the next Andrew Ridgely actually, Dexterity and coordination were never attributes that I held in buckets. I have always been very much more built for speed, as much power as I could muster alongside a dogged some might say misplaced willingness to work hard.
That all-consuming want , desire for that guitar however has stayed with me. It was simply so important.
When the news coming through that our Levelling up fund bid had been successful it was much like that frosty Christmas morning a lifetime ago.
Except this time the excitement goes beyond the first strums of the strings.
A massive boost for the Forest of Dean. This will make a huge difference to our entire community, and I was desperate for us to secure it, I wanted it like I wanted that guitar. I wanted it because the opportunity it gives us and the message it sends out about this fabulous district goes beyond anything in my time in local politics.
Our officers, our partners my fellow councillors, the MP and his office put the yards in, we learnt the chords and they did one hell of a job.
I can’t thank them enough.
We will now go on to make sure something that I promised during the bid and I included in a letter to the PM happens. That being ,we will make sure that in terms of community return this is the best £20m quid the government will ever spend.
I truly believe we will do this. I believe in the Council , in our partners and in the value of our projects.
Of course, since the news broke, I’ve had to do some media. And putting your head up once again attracts the trolls. Every radio interview, every posted video gives them the opportunities they want. And of course, my 4 trolleteers have been out in force. I’m taking all the credit, I’m wasting the money or nicking some of it. I’m not thanking anyone and Im looking after my own patch.
But this time they cannot spoil the celebration.
Yes they still hurt, of course its not nice reading that stuff or being told about it.
But much of it is politically motivated.And I think politics based on emblems is bullshit.
And like my boy , who is wise beyond his years tell me , they do it because they are scared of me and what I can do to their political ambitions and views.
"Why do you think other teams fans boo or have a go at Salah ?" he asked me. “ It cos they are scared stiff of him” my 13yo Confucius informed me.
And hes right, and they have cause to be, and that's the last notice I take of them
We are on the road to success, we are turning the district around
And we will continue to do so.
Now , anyone fancy a jam ?
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