I phoned up Blandford Forum Town Council this morning to ask them what time their meeting starts this evening and for how long it will go on for, as being a member of the public and a layperson I have never before considered local politics, let alone actually attending a town council meeting - anyway a friendly voiced spokeswoman told me that the public and the press (and of course humble bloggers) are by right allowed to attend the first quarter of an hour of any said meeting and then such meetings tend to be closed to the public, media (and bloggers). I asked the spokeswoman if I would be allowed to take any photographs of the councilors during the first quarter of an hour but the she did not know - fair enough I suppose.
A while later my phone rings brrr brrr brrr brrr, I pick up and answer yes and hear the same spokeswoman as mentioned above, anyway she called to ask me - no actually I wont say she asked me let me instead say that she suggested to me that it would be more beneficial to myself and the councilors if I didn't attend tonights quarter of an hour public session because firstly there would not be that many councilors actually there and that secondly quite frankly the councilors that would be attending wanted to push on early this evening, what with the hustle and bustle and rush of Christmas time...
The Blandford Buzz comments in regards to the above paragraph are as follows -
1) It is inappropriate for what ever reason to try and put off any member of the public including a blogger or the media from attending any Town Council meeting - even at Christmas time or any other time proceeding an official public / bank holiday
2) A town council is a public body and is there for bound by duty to serve the best interests of the public
3) If a town councillor can't be bothered to attend a town council meeting(s) which is presumably among the duties that a local town councillor is expected to perform, then any such councillor should step down or make sure that they do not stand for re-election
Anyway if your friend says to you don't turn round, so and so is over there no don't look what do you ?...yes that's right you turn around and look...So Blandford Forum Town Council because you've tried to put me off attending tonights meeting, guess what I'm gonna do ?...
