Councillor Sylvia Russell's Personal Blog
Welcome to my blog†
My name is Sylvia Russell, Teignbridge District Councillor and Conservative Member for Teignmouth East Ward - part of Teignbridge District Council, in South Devon.
The purpose of this site is to try and keep you informed about my role and provide you with information about developments in Teignbridge District Council and our local Ward of Teignmouth East.
My committee responsibilities with the Council include Overview & Scrutiny, Development Control and Regulatory & Appeals committees.
Chairman of the Council 2009-2010
The Fire Service in Devon has not escaped the changes that have affected all major public services over the years. The service is now a separate Agency and has merged with Somerset to form the Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Authority www.dsfire.gov.uk. At the invitation of the Chairman, Councillor Bernard Hughes OBE I was pleased to attend a lunch for Civic heads at the Service Headquarters, Clyst St. George, nr. Exeter to hear about the changes and opportunities facing the merged service and to view aspects of Fire Service operations, including the Rapid Rescue teams responding to international disasters such as the Haiti earthquakes. There is still a questionmark over whether the new Command Centre, to be based in Taunton to cover the whole of the South West Region, will have the local knowledge to respond to emergency calls and there is much still to be discussed to satisfy outstanding concerns, but we were all very impressed with the dedication and vision of management and staff to make the service work for the safety of the whole area.
The lovely Church of St. John, Hooe was the spectacular venue for the Civic Service for the Lord Mayor of Plymouth Cllr. Ken Foster, conducted by The Reverend Ian Provost. At this 150 year old Church high on a hill overlooking Plymouth Sound the Civic guests were welcomed by the Mayor and afterwards were treated to a warming lunch of home-made soup, savouries and pud to ward off the winter's chill.
A packed congregation at the Baptist Church in Teignmouth gathered to celebrate the induction of the Revd. Jamie Redfern as Ministry Team Leader. Jamie arrived in Teignmouth with his wife and young family five years ago and quickly made himself very popular especially among the surfing comunity where Jamie proved that he could ride the waves with the best of them. He has served as Chaplain to the Mayor whose Civic Service last year was enlivened by the Samba Band from Teignmouth Community College. Jamie and his family carry with them the prayers and good wishes of the whole community as he takes up his new responsibilities.
Ready for the Off! The Prime Minister, Gordon Brown and his Cabinet visited the South West Region to meet a cross section of people gathered at Haldon Racecourse to discuss a range of issues followed by a Cabinet Meeting away from No.10. Fresh from a dash to Northern Ireland where the main political parties had at last agreed the outstanding parts of the devolution process, Gordon Brown and his colleagues soon got down to business answering questions from members of the public, school and university students and front line workers invited to participate. I was there to meet and greet and was able to chat to many of the Ministers and delegates, but it would have been more meaningful if, with my colleague the Lord Mayor of Exeter, we could have sat in on the question and answer session following the reception. Oh well - at least I managed to get a photo with Jack Straw!
The management of the Teign Estuary is vital to the well-being of this unique and diverse area. The Annual Forum provides an opportunity to hear from a variety of speakers on the latest work around the Teign, the impact of new legislation on the marine environment and the latest news around the flood defence schemes planned for both sides of the estuary. In addition we had presentations from the Teignmouth and Shaldon Museum
on Victorian resort heritage and the introduction of Bathing machines. Life beneath the waves as seen by a local diving instructor and the work to protect and preserve the threatened cirl bunting by the RSPB. The appreciate audience was able to keep up to date wit
h developments in estuary maintenance over the past year and the highlight of the evening was the usual sampling of local mussels in a creamy mariniere sauce washed down with wines from a local vineyard. The pictures show the Estuary from Shaldon, the popular River beach area and a tranquil scene at the Passage House jetty up-river. Want to know more? contact The Teign Estuary Partnership on
http://www.teignestuary.org/
A mention for the River Teign Rowing Club............... Based on the River beach in Teignmouth this Club is the largest in the UK and enjoys massive local participation with over 650 members. Rowing is widely accepted as one of the most beneficial forms of exercise and ticks all Government boxes and local plans to create and maintain a healthy lifestyle. The weekly activities of the rowers have a direct impact on the town's economy - boat builders, shops, cafes, pubs, etc. Alliances have been formed with local educational establishments which gives encouragement to local disaffected youth to try the sport. The Club is based literally on the beach and now has ambitions to create it's own functional waterside building to house a boat store, toilets, showers, a meeting room and small kitchen. To be able to enjoy a sport like rowing in the magnificent setting of the Teign Estuary is irresistable. For more information contact River Teign Rowing Club on http://www.teignrowers.co.uk/
Mendelssohn's "Elijah" was the choice of Teign Choral Society for it's winter concert. This is a great favourite with audiences who appreciate the opportunity to hear top class soloists singing wonderful Arias, Recitatives, stirring Chorus and orchestral pieces. For foot soldiers like me in the choir it was hard work sparing time to attend the many rehearsals necessary to satisfy the strict demands of our Musical Director, John Scarfe whose skill in keeping the large orchestra, soloists and choir in tune and on time throughout this magnificent work was impressive. Soloists were Naomi Marshall, Rebecca Smith, Iain MacLeod-Jones and Stephen Foulkes. A special mention of the orchestra, the JUPT (Joined Up Thinking Project)Ensemble, who despite losing vital funding still ensure that over 80 young string players regularly take part in activities and national events.
Youth Speaks 2010 - A public speaking competition sponsored by Rotary. It has been my pleasure over the past few years to be the Judge of competing teams from local schools in the art of public speaking. The young teams, ages between 11-13 and 14-17 comprise a Chairman, Speaker and Proposer and they are free to choose any topic they like - they never fail to surprise the audience with their knowledge of the subject, confidence in presentation and grasp of the finer points of debating. The teams this year were outstanding and the audience were treated to some very clever ad-libbing and quick-fire repartee from our young contestants. I see some future politicians in the making!
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