Christmas Message via Holdingham Sleaford

This was originally written by an American solider but just as valid despite the tweaks!!

  

T'WAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,

 HE LIVED ALL ALONE,

 IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE,

 MADE OF PLASTER AND STONE.

I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY,

 WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,

 AND TO SEE JUST WHO,

 IN THIS HOME, DID LIVE.

I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,

A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,

NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,

NOT EVEN A TREE.

NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,

 JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,

 ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES,

 OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.

WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,

 AWARDS OF ALL KIND,

 A SOBER THOUGHT,

 CAME THROUGH MY MIND.

 FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,

 IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,

 I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,

ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.

THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,

 SILENT, ALONE,

 CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR,

 IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.

THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,

THE ROOM IN  DISORDER,

 NOT HOW I PICTURED,

 A TRUE BRITISH SOLDIER.

  

WAS THIS THE HERO,

OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?

 CURLED UP ON A PONCHO,

THE FLOOR FOR A BED?

I REALISED THE FAMILIES,

 THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,

 OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS,

 WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.

SOON ROUND THE WORLD,

 THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,

 AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE,

 A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.

THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM,

 EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,

BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,

 LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.

  

I COULDN'T HELP WONDER,

 HOW MANY LAY ALONE,

 ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE,

 IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.

THE VERY THOUGHT BROUGHT,

 A TEAR TO MY EYE,

 I DROPPED TO MY KNEES,

 AND STARTED TO CRY.

THE SOLDIER AWAKENED,

 AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,

 "SANTA DON'T CRY,

 THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;

I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,

 I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,

 MY LIFE IS MY GOD,

 MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS...."

THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,

 AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,

 I COULDN'T CONTROL IT,

 I CONTINUED TO WEEP.

I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,

 SO SILENT AND STILL,

 AND WE BOTH SHIVERED,

 FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.

I DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE,

 ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,

 THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR,

 SO WILLING TO FIGHT.

THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,

 WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,

WHISPERED, "CARRY ON SANTA,

 IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE."

ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,

AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,

AND TO ALL A GOOD  NIGHT."

This poem was written by a Peacekeeping soldier stationed overseas. The following is his request. I think it is reasonable

PLEASE. Would you do me the kind favour of sending this to as many people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to all of the service men and women for our being able to celebrate these festivities.

Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us.  Please, do your small part to plant this small seed.

Bus Shelter and Stop/Start

I took this photograph today (12 December 2011).

The lady this side is waiting for the Bus coming up from Town. If things go as they seem the unfinished Bus Shelter may stay unfinished - whilst the Lady, and many others, will have to find a pick-up point elsewhere. The road safety partnership I believe may have stepped in. I will check.

Now we have two spare bus stops on Covel Road and Chapman Road so why not use them (again)?

 

Successful Town Meeting: Bus Shelter Hold-up Criticised!!

It was a good town meeting with the usual key issues being discusssed: Rec Road/Mareham Lane Bottle- neck and Station Crossing being top of the agenda.

However there were one or two from Holdingham criticising the apparent stoppage (and wasted expenditure) on the Bus Shelter on Lincoln Road. So why not, they said, use the now disused Bus Stops on Covel Road and Chapman Road and takethe buses round that estate again.  The main reason for the cesssation, on the Lincoln Road, seems to be the dangers to cyclists, near the cycle lanes, and traffic on the road itself, by having buses stopping and starting.

Too many cooks spoil teh broth as they say (or used to say)!!

Public Meeting Sleaford

There is a public meeting next Wednesday (Dec 7th)  at the Source starting around 7.00pm. Ward Councillors will be attending. Maybe it is the first stage of the Big Society.

Here is the offical line but basically come along and tell the Council all the things you would like to change.

"TOPSY TURVEY TOWN THINKING.


Sleaford Town Council is to start applying some radical new thinking to identify the needs and skills in the community.

The Council will be adopting elements of the Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) methods of creating a community Asset Inventory. This challenges the traditional approach to solving urban and rural development problems It focuses service providers and funding agencies on the needs and deficiencies of neighbourhoods, towns and villages. Community assets are key building blocks in sustainable urban and rural community revitalisation efforts.

These community assets include:

 the skills of local residents

 the power of local associations

 the resources of public, private and non-profit institutions.
In a practical sense this means that people called community connectors work in their communities to find out exactly what the community wants and what skills exist.

For Town and parish Councils this is an ideal way to connect directly with their residents.

The first steps will be taken in the Town Meeting on December 7th. The Town Councillors can be considered as community connectors and start to compile an community asset inventory.

Councillors will ask residents :

“What would you like to learn? (individually or as a group)”

“What would you be able to give or teach? (either skills, time, dog walking, part of an unused garden etc).

“What would you like to see in your community?” (Improved services, new groups etc).

This will be the start of forming a community inventory, which will match needs to offers. It is hoped that a future Town Plan will emerge from these first results.

It is the same approach as some organisations such as the U3A, are already taking, but this approach is set to be rolled out nationally.

Charitable organisations and other groups as well as local governments are being encouraged to use this approach. Communities can then start to come together:
A young couple in a flat wanting to grow their own vegetables – could be put together with an older person who can no longer manage their garden. Someone wishes to learn a language – can be put together with someone who speaks it.

An ‘older group’ who collectively with to learn more about computers could be put together with a school project group who have that as a target."