Todmorden is a wonderful town, and I've discovered full of wonderfully regenerating people. A great deal of talk at their town team about the things they are doing, the skills they have. They are a great bunch including a great deal of professional people, business types and councillors.
It reminded me of a number of regeneration groups i've met who are good but not inclusive.
I suspect Royd Regeneration is mainly community
Does that matter, I am not sure?
Perhaps regeneration can only work amongst likeminded and like skilled people.
But what if we could get them all together...
Is it possible?
Thursday, 15 May 2008
Wednesday, 14 May 2008
I think they would get on...
A triple whammy tonight, three meetings and a hand shaking job.
Meeting one is Upper Calder Valley Renaissance Steering Group, and fairly high powered... Though slightly undisciplined despite my bestish efforts as chair. Because of this my next meeting Hebden Royd Churches Together lovely people arrived and appeared like creatures from another planet. I cannot work out why these people don't know each other. I suddenly realise how separate the regeneration world and the christian world are in my community. This matters because they both need each other. The regeneration people need the contacts and the building resources of the christians. The christians need the visioning and management resources of the regeneration people.
I also think they would get on.
I finally went to the mayor making with a brass band, a minutes silence for china and Burma, and the crowning of our lovely new mayor, a blogger.
From this I had to go and shake hands as President of the Amateurs at their splendid show "Calamity Jane."
Four different groups of people in one community and yet as separate as cultures from different countries.
I suppose what brings them together is geography, is that enough?
Not sure...
I think they would get on.
Meeting one is Upper Calder Valley Renaissance Steering Group, and fairly high powered... Though slightly undisciplined despite my bestish efforts as chair. Because of this my next meeting Hebden Royd Churches Together lovely people arrived and appeared like creatures from another planet. I cannot work out why these people don't know each other. I suddenly realise how separate the regeneration world and the christian world are in my community. This matters because they both need each other. The regeneration people need the contacts and the building resources of the christians. The christians need the visioning and management resources of the regeneration people.
I also think they would get on.
I finally went to the mayor making with a brass band, a minutes silence for china and Burma, and the crowning of our lovely new mayor, a blogger.
From this I had to go and shake hands as President of the Amateurs at their splendid show "Calamity Jane."
Four different groups of people in one community and yet as separate as cultures from different countries.
I suppose what brings them together is geography, is that enough?
Not sure...
I think they would get on.
Tuesday, 13 May 2008
Sticky Flu
I'm on the train back from a scary meeting about flu pandemics. This was a gathering of various voluntary groups who might be needed in a disaster. I felt pretty out of it untill they told us and I quote: "when the pandemic happens 150,000 people will die 50,000 in Yorkshire."
Still although it's a bit scary not likely to affect me... Then they said it would be over a period of three months and that there would be so many funerals that we would have to consider mass graves.
Hmmm!
Now I am listening and thinking and planning and wanting to tell others. I suppose its only when a crisis impacts on us that it moves from their crisis to my crisis.
Malcolm Gladwell? In his book The tipping point talks about sticky messages. Flu pandemic is now a sticky message for me.
I wonder how regeneration becomes a sticky message?
Perhaps that's why people get so upset by losing car parking spaces... That is something we can touch. The trick is to make the positive stuff stick as well and this we do through story and imagination.
Still although it's a bit scary not likely to affect me... Then they said it would be over a period of three months and that there would be so many funerals that we would have to consider mass graves.
Hmmm!
Now I am listening and thinking and planning and wanting to tell others. I suppose its only when a crisis impacts on us that it moves from their crisis to my crisis.
Malcolm Gladwell? In his book The tipping point talks about sticky messages. Flu pandemic is now a sticky message for me.
I wonder how regeneration becomes a sticky message?
Perhaps that's why people get so upset by losing car parking spaces... That is something we can touch. The trick is to make the positive stuff stick as well and this we do through story and imagination.
Monday, 12 May 2008
The missing Blog
It was only last night when I finally sat down to write my blog after a usual busy Sunday that I realised that I had missed my blog on Saturday. What is surprising that I had managed to write it everyday for three months, including two trips to foreign parts and numerous other busy days. So what stopped me this time... white out.
White out is that feeling when you are so tressed that your brain kind of white outs, it can take no more and it feels abit like it shuts down. it's a kind of tiredness, a kind of stress, a kind of... well it's hard to describe so white out will have to do.
The scary thing about white out is that in tis state of mind I still took three services, a confirmation class and a youth group. Thank goodness it was only temporary.
I suspect quite alot of people live their lives in a kind of permanent white out, desperately in need of stopping and probably a cup of tea.
Talking of which...
White out is that feeling when you are so tressed that your brain kind of white outs, it can take no more and it feels abit like it shuts down. it's a kind of tiredness, a kind of stress, a kind of... well it's hard to describe so white out will have to do.
The scary thing about white out is that in tis state of mind I still took three services, a confirmation class and a youth group. Thank goodness it was only temporary.
I suspect quite alot of people live their lives in a kind of permanent white out, desperately in need of stopping and probably a cup of tea.
Talking of which...
Sunday, 11 May 2008
Locally sourced food
Sunday and a special treat: the famous world champion dock pudding breakfast. In my case an extra special treat from one of our local farmers a double yolk goose egg fried egg. The yolk was the size of a saucer and bright orangey yellow and was the best egg I've ever tasted. Add to this that rare local delacy sweet dock pudding, a green slimey substance with a unique and delicious taste it was all great.
We talk glibly about locally sourced food and this was all that and some. I think when we talk about localfood we often in this country are looking for locals to grow the food we like... Instead of finding what grows well in our area and shaping our cuisine around that.
I'm sure they do that in other countries... Mind you I mentioned my idea to someone and they said: "in that case we need a cuisine built around slugs!"
We talk glibly about locally sourced food and this was all that and some. I think when we talk about localfood we often in this country are looking for locals to grow the food we like... Instead of finding what grows well in our area and shaping our cuisine around that.
I'm sure they do that in other countries... Mind you I mentioned my idea to someone and they said: "in that case we need a cuisine built around slugs!"
Friday, 9 May 2008
take your pick - no thanks
Errrrhgg...
I have just returned from a brilliant meal at an asian restaurant. Unfortanately it was a buffet, and so I have eaten too much.
I am wondering why it is, that if we are given a large choice we eat too much. "A little bit of each" is my downfall. Perhaps its that we don't like to make a choice. Like the old joke about:
"How do confuse an ...?
Put three shovells against a wall and say "take your pick."
They do say that people don't like making choices... If you are involved in regeneration you know this. Perhaps its because we have too much choice.
I have just returned from a brilliant meal at an asian restaurant. Unfortanately it was a buffet, and so I have eaten too much.
I am wondering why it is, that if we are given a large choice we eat too much. "A little bit of each" is my downfall. Perhaps its that we don't like to make a choice. Like the old joke about:
"How do confuse an ...?
Put three shovells against a wall and say "take your pick."
They do say that people don't like making choices... If you are involved in regeneration you know this. Perhaps its because we have too much choice.
Thursday, 8 May 2008
All Property is Partnership
I think it was Marx who said all property is theft, and some of my discussions today have left me thinking about who owns things, especially the land. As I’ve talked about before, we are trying to turn the church hall car park into a new Square for the village thus transforming Mytholmroyd into a new market town. The land we want to transform belongs to the church, is leased to Calderdale, and is used by commuters who see it as their car park.
So who owns the land?
The vision of the Church of England is that they and by extension the buildings exist for the nation, or the community that they serve…
“The earth is the Lords and all that is in it.” So there you are it belongs to God.But Calderdale maintain it …and the car owners, “own” it, it’s their car park.Perhaps it would be better if we saw all ownership as a partnership. Property is not theft but exclusive property may well be. All buildings all land development is a partnership… and so together we need to work out what to do with it. And that discussion is what regeneration is all about...
So who owns the land?
The vision of the Church of England is that they and by extension the buildings exist for the nation, or the community that they serve…
“The earth is the Lords and all that is in it.” So there you are it belongs to God.But Calderdale maintain it …and the car owners, “own” it, it’s their car park.Perhaps it would be better if we saw all ownership as a partnership. Property is not theft but exclusive property may well be. All buildings all land development is a partnership… and so together we need to work out what to do with it. And that discussion is what regeneration is all about...
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