Graham Ellis - my blog
Lessons from Tessin - how to run robust public transport?
Yesterday (20th May 2025) was one of those days so full of experiences that 8 hours away our "pension" in Warnamunde brought 80 hours of ideas to write up. Now that I am no longer a Town Councillor though, I ask myself if it's useful me having these thoughts and seeing these things or if they become merely personal experiences. Much of the Town Planning and development stuff *is* now just personal observation - but much of the travel and transport stuff relates to ongoing niche (but it's not niche - it's needed for all of us) getting around and there are so many good examples and some problems seen that help me appreciate that some things are worldwide or that we have some things right. Enough of the generallities.Tessin is a small town set inland from Rostock. The little local 2 carriage train runs there every hour, ans it was the one line out from Rostock I had not travelled on; Tessin was just a name.
The train was waiting on platform 11 at Rostock when I got there 20 minutes before it was due to leave (lesson - train arrives in good time and people can get happily seated) (lesson - if a train's in place to start its journey early, it can leave pretty well on time). Rostock Hbf is in parts a mess at present. Only 3 tracks in the large station throat are on place while a big bridge is being worked on, and the station canopies are half missing. People are working on the bridge - away from trains but with trains running (thought - we are very protective in the UK - perhaps even too much??).
A whole load of passengers joined just before the train left - other trains had arrived from further afield on other platforms (lesson - time and arrange trains to connect) and we passed through a maze of pointwork, past the signal box which looked like it's still in use (thought - local train control to aid local working if things are not 100% as planned). Train manager / conductor comes through to check tickets. (lesson - if tickets are routinely checked on train we do not need gates stations with all the expense of equipment and staff).
The tracks all filter out and we find ourselves on a single track in open countryside, 10 minutes of so to the first station. A single lowish platform (but the train has a low floor too and as doors open a shelf / blade is projected agains the edge of the platform to give level access (lesson - quick and easy loading of bicycles, wheelchairs, etc). A bus is waiting literally just across the platform (another benefit of "open" stations) and actually leaves even before our train does (lesson - have buses connect with trains and await their arrival) (lesson - a few extra seconds on the train schedule keeps it on time)
And so we carry on. The countryside is a mixture of man-made production - field of wheat and oilseed and of cows. Apart from the cows, the railway line is unfenced (lesson / thought - why do we fence our minor railways). And there are wooded / forest areas, solar farms and wind turbines. Love the or hate them, this is the modern countryside (question - why don't we have wind farms in Wiltshire?)
After a couple more stations, I feel us pull across to the right and we pull up at Sanitz (b Rostock) and passenger get off. A train coming the other way pulls up into the main platform. Passengers cross the track at the end of the platform on the level off our island platform (question - as smaller passing stations where all trains stop, why do we need subways, bridges, lifts).
On some crossings there are barriers ... lots of crossings in this flat land. Some have half barriers that operate as the train approaches, others have simple zig-zag fences to stop people accidentally running onto the tracks. But mostly the line in open. (thought - if you can walk along the pavement beside road traffic, why does the railway need the extra protection?)
After a minute or two at Sanitz, we carry on. There are colour light signals, but no picking up of a token as you'll see at places like Yeovil and Maiden Newton (lesson - tokenless block is modern and practical and works well) and after a couple more stations we pull into Tessin. Perhaps a dozen people get off - the busy train from Rostock has dropped off people as it's gone along so it's not all that busy at the outer extreme - rather it works as a whole. The driver cuts the engine while the train works for its return time (question - why are engines kept running so often at Westbury and other UK stations?)
The bus stop is across the platform. There's car parking, plenty of sheltered and used cycle space, and the old station building has been repurposed as a restaurant. Like Melksham, the station is a few minutes walk from the town and one of my fellow passengers asks me if I know my way / am lost. A mixture of lack of a common language and an my indication I am good with an international sign and he's on this way (lesson - even a small station can be friendly).
Oh help - that was a 35 minute journey and I have already written all this - observing how things are done here. The next 40 minutes of my walk around Tessin hasn't even been addressed yet.
Strikes me - no longer a councillor
It struck me ... that for the first time in my life, The Pope is a younger man than I am. I am not a Catholic - not even a Christian, but I can admire the many of their morals and some (but far from all) who proclaim to be Christian. It also struck me today how much has been done in Melksham and across the UK to celebrate the end of the second world war in Europe, and I thank and congratulate all the people who have helped bring these celebrations, and with it reminded us all of the horrors of the war that was ended in our part of the world. A thought for my children's grandfather who was a PoW in Japan; a GENTLEman in all senses - for him I think that war lasted a little longer.
And it struck me too how revleived I am to have turned the page as I have retired from Town Politics. I did take a look at the Agenda for next Monday's Town Council meeting but no desire to be there nor to be raising issues in the swirl that is clearly ongoing, both in public and no doubt behind the scenes. I wish those who carry on with that baton godspeed; I will be happy to answer and inform queries that come my way, but outside the areas I'll still be active in, I will not be pressing my views and questions onto them.
I have spent much of today sorting our Interrail Rules - not for myself, but in resolution of a query raised on a Facebook page "Interrailing for the Older Crowd" which had given rise to a sharp difference of opinion. All sorted by asking the people at Interrail and I note that my post to explain has 48 comments and 58 likes, so clearly it's somrthing of interest. On our local GWR rail passenger forum, 77 members have been logged in during the last day, therr have been 9 topics under discussuion since I woke, and four of my fellow moderators have also been around. The moderator team are now long term friends; in truth there is little moderation to do because we have an intrinsically friendly setup and members who are all a delight, even if at times we don't see things identically.
Pictures - from last Saturday, out with old friends and new ones bringing attention to issues that need to be addresses in our region with public transport.
Tomorrrow - out in the countryside. Next week - stating with 3 evenings of meetings / events and then on Thursday we start putting all that Interrail theory into practise. I will be around / online; for those areas I'm still much involved you probably won't notice that I'm away apart from exotic pictures shared of strange places, and tales of fascination, example, development and fun.
Published Thursday, 8th May 2025
Voting for the future - in Wiltshire
The Melksham Environment Group met last night (29th April 2025) and we discussed our local elections tomorrow, informed by the story of the last four years but to look forward to the next four - and to candidates who will be effective, trustworthy, consistent, active, representative and honest. The majority of us spoke with a view to qualities such as those, with only the odd one majoring on political party. Indeed, here in Melksham South I am - amazing for me - voting for my Conservative Candidate - that's Simon Crundell, who has by far the best match to my criteria as well as having credentials that align him with the environmental (including transport), openness and equality issues I have championed as a Town Councillor - not perfectly, but far closer in a package than any other candidate. I stress that after the election I will look to work in my specialist areas with whomever you elect to the best of my ability and the maximum of their willingness to do so.
Quoting (with permission) a follow up from Mike Saunders written after last night's meeting:
| Hi Team, Last night we acknowledged that local authorities and central government are not - to quote Shirley’s description - Exemplars ! Tomorrow when we vote at the local elections it is easy to dismiss that we are assembling parts of a decision making team who may not have the skills to make appropriate decisions ! Do we ever look at the way they operate their personal or professional life before we confer decision making to them ? So often people standing for election when asked why they are standing, quote something in the order of - “I want to make a difference and support society” - how ambiguous a statement is that, and how often do these people on whom we confer decision making base there vote on political leaning rather than the best interest of the community ? If public bodies were businesses what percentage would become bankrupt, can we as society afford to fund there decisions for very much longer ? Is local authority decision making often driven by personal gain like our lifestyle provides us with a toilet ? Mike. |
Mike's point about us assembling a team with skills is an important one. We don't vote based on making up a rounded team as would be done on a commercial board to make the whole thing well rounded - rather we choose individuals who are good orators, willing to promise results whether or not they are practical, and may not have experiences needed anywhere in the team.
Here in Melksham Town, and in Melksham Without, the fact that we have fewer candidates than seats actually offers an opportunity to the incoming people to choose the best people to fill the slots though co-option - to look for skilled people who will make up an excellent team overall, even if some of the additions lack the charisma that would have got them elected. At the same time whichever two of Saffi Rabey, Phil Alford and Geoff Mitcham get elected in the North Ward - the only place there's a parish election - will have an authority far and above that of any of the other parish councillors who will NOT be there by democratic vote, even though we live in a democracy.
Please - vote for your unitary choice tomorrow - for the right person for the team. Thank You.
Published Monday, 28th April 2025
Thank you - to the town from a retiring councillor
My final Melksham Town Council meeting (the Economic Development and Planning Committee) as a Town Councillor last night. I have - helped - achieve some things. I have been frustrated at some things (and by some people) and my heart has wept at a wastage of good people and the time and money associated with that turnover. There are now / remain some good people - different ones from before I joined - and I wish them well for the future and hope that some or someone on the team can ensure that these frustrations become a thing of the past.The "Class of '21" brought in some excellent councillors, and I thank them all for their comradeship through the four years. Five of them left the council during the term, and a further five of us are not standing for re-election. I will miss them - and add a note of appreciation to two in particular.
To Saffi Rabey, who I have not always seen eye to eye with, but has her heart in the right place, qualities I lack, and who's thanks last night were especially apprecitated. I would be voting for her as one of my Town Councillors on May 1st if I were in the North Ward
And to Simon Crundell who bravely received the mantle of mayor and ran with it through much of a difficult time. Simon is standing in the South Ward for Wiltshire Council on May 1st, and has my vote - that may surprise readers who see my tendency rather to the left of the Conservative Party, but it's very much for the person not the party; Simon is no "lobby fodder" and has a proven knowledge of and presence here in Melksham. Scroll down to my previous blog to read more of my reasoning for supporting Simon.
A huge thank you too to all the various staff who have left, who have arrived, and who have both arrived and left. In some cases (councillors too), departures have shattered dreams, lives and livelihoods. But everyone - yes everyone - who has arrived and who has left have some wonderful qualities and I wish you all well for the future. I have appreciated working with you.
Town / Parish councils are partners - with their communities and with wider local government both at the next level up (Wiltshire Council) and around us. In the case of Melksham Town, it is almost literally "around" as Melksham Town is almost completely surrounded, doughnut like, by Melksham Without Parish Council. We have a lot of common interests and co-operative projects and I have especially enjoyed working on those, and feel that the joint workings have been productive. So an especial thanks to the officers and councillors there.
Finally in my thanks - a big "Thank you" to the community - residents, volunteers, and others. It's an utter joy to have been working with you / serving you - and that comes even for those of you who have a moan at me about the council and are asking me to explain the scarsely-explainable. Hardly with exception, you are polite, listen to what I can say, and are testing me and helping me think and develop even if we do not always see eye to eye.
Personally, I am not going away ... I have put in thousands of hours to Melksham Town Council over 4 years. About half the time saved as I leave the council will be for a more relaxed life - the other half will be to help give me better time to learn and follow up on public transport projects. As I write this it's 08:15 on the morning after that meeting, and I'm seated in the buffet at Westbury Station. I have already met a regular rail commuter from Melksham to Bristol for an informal, unplanned, but welcome update ... and then our Transport Focus rep (the civil servant who's tasked with looking after passenger interests and systems with GWR) also for an unplanned but welcome update. Please keep in touch on bus and train interests and as friends and sharers of interests.
Published Wednesday, 23rd April 2025
Where my vote goes - Melksham South Ward
My postal vote has arrived and I'll be returning it in the next few days, voting for Simon Crundell to be my Wiltshire Councillor for the next four years. In the end, my decision was surprisingly easy. Let me tell you a few things you may not realise about Simon that helped me choose.Simon is one of two candidates I have heard from or seen on social media in the past three weeks, and he has been also available throughout the last four years. During those 4 years he has not been afraid to inherit difficult roles ("poison chalices"). So he comes with both local government experience to do an effective job, and a young keenness to do a fresh job. I don't always see eye to eye with Simon, though surprisingly often I do - he's very much his own man and aligns well on environmental issues, including but not limited to public transport. And I trust Simon and Melksham can; I know he will represent and consider my views as appropriate.
Over the past 4 years, I have been concerned at the same person being both one of my Town Councillors and my Unitary councillor, as I have seen that gives rise to conflicts of interest - look (in the South Ward) at issues where the Town and County have negotiated over both Melksham House and the Blue Pool. I would be delighted to have my Wiltshire Councillor being a different person to one of my Town Councillors - that would be good for both councils, and for the time the people have to give to the role. Simon is not standing for this or any parish council - he shares my concerns.
My decision is not a party one – far from it – but I do feel re-assured by a candidate who is on a consistent platform from one election to the next, as Simon has been. Simon's refreshing too - I learn from him.
We can learn from history - but we must look forward. To elect a candidate who has a record of supporting strategic planning across the whole Melksham area, developing and encouraging business development and environmental issues; we shouldn't have so many empty shop fronts (but neither should we encourage businesses that have little chance of success) and we should look to encouraging Melksham as a modern, connected city. Four out of our five candidates are known to me by their history and track record, and that knowledge helps me confirm that Simon is the best candidate to represent us for the next 4 years as we move forward.
I will - temper - my comment by saying that whilst Simon comes out top for me to the extent that I'm offering this public endorsement, we have other candidates too who put there heart into this, and I hope and look forward to working closely with whomever is elected as my Wiltshire Councillor for the common future good of Melksham and the county. I have personally stood down from the Town Council to allow me more time to specialise on travel and transport issues; it's 15 years since the train group became a partnership and passenger numbers have risen 25 fold in that time. Bus services have survived in Wiltshire unlike in other counties (we have some good staff at Unitary level), and are growing again – now full buses into Bath, increased frequency, etc, but we still have a lot of work to continue with. We need appropriate public transport use to grow in order to avoid gridlock as the population grows. Simon has been very much a protagonist, supporter and indeed user of public transport - and joined up train, bus, and cycling too.
Graham Ellis, 20th April 2025
- written as a retiring Town Councillor, and resident of Melksham for 25 years
- also a former business owner, and employer in the town
- member of the SCOB (Campus Operations Board) throughout its life
- past President of the Melksham Chamber of Commerce and Industry
- concentrating as I ease out many activities on making our public infrastructure and transport better for existing and new residents, the town’s economy and the environment.
Published Sunday, 20th April 2025
Melksham South Ward - who to vote for?
I have a decision to make - who to vote for as my next Wiltshire Councillor. I would say "on 1st May 2025" but with a postal vote, the decision really needs to be made next week. No choice given to the electorate for TOWN council - seats for everyone who volunteeredBefore I talk about my criteria for making my decision, I will stress - whoever is elected I will look to support in their working and activities for the good of the ward, where I was a Town Councillor for the past four years, and for the general good of the whole of the Melksham area and indeed Wiltshire.
We have five candidates in the South Ward - three representing political parties which have put up candidates in all 98 wards, one representing a party with 44 candidates, and one of 18 independents across the county. No less that three of our candidates are former mayors of Melksham, a further one has been very active in local politics over the years (and is brother of yet another former mayor) and the final candidate is new to me. For me, there is no blindingly obvious candidate to choose and I am listening, reading, learning all about the new candidate, and updates and manifestos from the others.
My criteria include:
* Is this person also going to be one of my Town Councillors?
* What does this person's track record tell me?
* Does this person live in or near the ward?
* Does this person listen?
* Is this person honest and complete?
* Is this person effective?
* Does this person know the ward and the town?
* Is this person informative, communicative and trustworthy?
* Does this person's vision align with mine?
* Is this person robust enough to stand up to bullying (and not a bully themself)
* Does this person support and cherish staff as a valuable team resource?
* Will this person have enough time and family support to do the job?
* Is this person looking at a national rather than Wiltshire Agenda?
* Is this person consistent in what they say, party/grouping, actions?
* Does this person see projects through?
* Is this person likely to have influence at WC?
Interesting list, isn't it? How much weight I give to each of these items and what my considered view/guess is to some of the woolier points will temper my choice.
Published Thursday, 17th April 2025
"All change, please" - or not quite!
I complete my four year term on Melksham Town Council at the end of this month. There will, I'm sure, be a separate post looking back on a time that has been character building and has kept my brain active - but what to do with that active brain for the next couple of years? 2000 hours spent on Melksham Town Council activities is "released" - I am not going to someone who spends my time released being a thorn in the side of the new team. Rather, 1000 of those hours will be spent on myself and family and friends ... and 1000 hours going back into public and sustainable public transport advocacy and promotion with the Melksham Transport User Group, the West Wiltshire Rail User Group, and TravelWatch SouthWest.There is much to be done in developing, changing, promoting our use of walking and cycling in Melksham, and on bus and train provision and use in and beyond the town - having them go where people want, when people want, at a price people can afford, users feeling and being safe, and with information at their fingertips to know what service is available. We have come forward hugely over the last 15 years (and I have been there) but it's still work in progress and it needs not only immediate advocacy, but also medium and long term planning so that as new residential, leisure and employment comes to the town and region, there are natural mass transit flows that are well catered for and people want to use the cycle, the bus, the train because it's really good for them. We HAVE come forward but we still have a long way to go in a changing world and if we are clever, we can make it better.
It is - to me - hugely significant that both Melksham Without Parish Council and Melksham Town Council have given grants for this year to the Melksham Transport User Group to help us rebuild after something of a pause based on campaign fatigue, and the "old guard" retiring. The grants may be small compared to other grants given, but they are hugely significant. They confirm support from our local councils to our group and its objectives - we are aligned and working with them. As we are with our MP (who I met in parliament in late March along with the Regional Development Manager of GWR, Network Rail and others) and with others.
A date for your diary - 13th May 2025. Location - Melksham Campus - Time - 19:00. The first AGM of the newly revitalised Melksham Transport User Group. Much more about this anon. This weekend I am in Devon and Cornwall - travelling around by bus and train and observing. There are some "I wish we did that in Melksham" elements ... and some of those would - or rather will - be small changes to make a big difference. We've done some of those before - let's do some more for the future too. And let's enjoy doing it too - as teams together - motivated by shared general goals, insprired by progress, and debating differences in a friendly way so that we come up with the strongset solution outcome for everyone .
Published Sunday, 13th April 2025
Bus getting better - but still work in progress?
A decade ago (top 3 pictures), and this year (lower three) - we may grumble, it may not be perfect, but my goodness have we come forward! All the bus stop just outside our home. We have moved from 2 buses an hour to Bath a couple of minutes apart to 2 buses at near enough half hourly intervals, and the bus stop is much cleaner and cared for. Recently, a new timetable has appeared showing (nearly) all services that call there, and there's bus tracking of most services on the MyTrip app and on the Bustimes website. All good stuff. A few things keep it short of perfect - it would be nice if the x34 service that calls at 07:46 Monday to Friday and runs to Chippenham (both railway and bus stations) was shown on the stop. It is a very useful pick up, and there's a return service from Chippenham at 14:40 from the bus station and at 14:46 from the railway station. For completeness, the SB2 bus should also appear on the timetable - from Seend into Melksham and calls here at 09:33 on Tuesdays. The 14, x34 and SB2 should be added to the flag. In terms of the actual services, last bus of the day is as early as 16:50; I know that later services (and Sunday) buses are available in the Town Centre - a five minute walk, but perhaps a line on the poster to tell people this?
Slightly wider afield - I would really like to see three extra bus stops on the routes that call at the stop outside and the one across the road on request. Unlike a train service, it costs nothing in run time to add an extra stop if there are no passngers.
1. The 14, 271, 272 (and 68, 69 and 273) should call on request at the top of Station Approach to provide connections between buses and trains (and the x34 and 14 should also call close to there on the Chippenham Road) - it is absurd that Melksham's buses and Melksham's trains don't connect when they run so close to each other
2. The 271 and 272 (and 273) in the direction of Melksham should pick up in Bath at Manvers Street just across from the Railway Station - they drop off there, on the way in but don't pick up on the way out. This is a tricky one as it would be very popular to the extent it would slow the bus down. It would also speed up train to bus connections and save passengers half an hour quite often.
3. The bus stop on routes 271, 272 and 273 at the entrance to The Spa in both directions has been swept away in the installation of the Melksham Eastern Relief Road. Residents of The Spa wanting to catch the bus towards Devizes now have to cross two busy roads to get to the nearest bus stop past two roundabouts, and to catch the bus towards Bath they have to make three crossings - one with lights and two over carriageways just off a roundabout with no control over road traffic
Published Wednesday, 9th April 2025
Ten Melksham Town Council matters
Melksham Town Council has cancelled its software contract with "ModGov" that has been in use for official business for all my time on the council. This decision was taken to save money as it was felt that the software and facilities offered were/are in excess of what is needed at our tier of government. I understand that a new web site will be fully operational by the middle of next month (May 2025) on which documents such as agendas and minutes will be published. In the meantime, notices of meetings, etc, will as a minimum be posted on notice boards and available on request by email from the Committee Clerk. I have requested them for this month while I remain on the council.Draft Minutes for my last full Town Council meeting - mirrored ((here)). The Mayor, Tom Price, thanked councillors for their support and commitment over the last four years and particularly during his year as Mayor. He also thanked everyone who made the Mayors Reception a success. And thank YOU, Tom, for leading us for the last year
Key points / outcomes from the meeting:
1. East of Melksham Community Hall - deferred to next council and noted that it might make sense to do one bigger and more useful hall in with other new developemnts.
2. £12,000 granted to Melksham Rugby Club to purchase two mobile floodlight units for Melksham Rugby Club Juniors. There were some arguments (with which I agree) that this should have come though the grants system for equal vigilance but that's an internal thing for MTC and pragmatically this is a good case.
3. After considerable discussion and explanation, it was resolved to proceed with the Shurnhold Fields scheme
4. It was resolved to pay Melksham Without Parish Council the £10,800 we owe then for payments they made last autumn with our agreement on the Neighbourhood Plan for which £10,000 was budgeted anyway, and to make a delegate the spending of up to £6,000 more for the conclusion of the plan.
5. £10,000 for tree planting has been moved from this (2024/5) budget to the 2025/6 budget because it had not been spent but the project was to go ahead
6. Various financial planning and signatory matters were considered, with changes to be allowed to happen over the next year. However, a suggestion that the Town Council bring payroll in-house to save money was rejected, on the grounds that we would be in trouble paying of staff if the RFO left.
7. We approved the signing of the deed for the purchase of the Blue Pool. I noted (but it's not in the minutes) that (a) the transfer includes the wall between the campus and the blue pool, but not the path beside the wall, (b) that the Town Council has unfettered access rights via the Campus to the rear of the Blue Pool, but not to the side, (c) that Wiltshire Councils' swimming pool equipment which is housed in the Blue Pool is not a consideration in the transfer and (d) the meeting that was called in February for early March to take ideas forward of what we do with the Blue Pool now was postponed and will not now happen until after the elections on 1st May.
8. Contrary to what the draft minutes say, we did NOT note the variance report, which I believe to be statistically misleading. It reports an overspend of £65,000 on Town Hall (cost centre 101) staff salaries, NI and pensions, but that's 9 months expenditure versus the full 12 months budget; salaries, NI and pensions are costs that carry on, and the difference against 75% of the budget would have been £121,831 or for the whole year I estimate an overrun on this one budget item of £162,441.
9. Quite a number of other items were lost off the agenda (perhaps they'll come back to the next council) including the passing of the minutes for the finance meeting in February which need to be passed and not just noted because the committee itself did not pass them.
10. The council approved a one year lease running 1st April 2025 to 31st March 2026 to continue its hire of the maintenance depot on Bowerhill.
Published Tuesday, 8th April 2025
A walk into Bowerhill
6th April 2025 - my Daily Mile was around Melksham South and the northern end of Bowerhill, with an objective to look at pedestrian crossings with lights. I used a dozen crossings, checking the spinner at the control box I used in each case.
They all had spinners, and 11 out of the 12 worked. Some had cameras to sense movement and check that someone was actually waiting. 11 out of the 12 correctly changes for me, the twelvth cancelled me out probable because I stand quite still while waiting. I wonder what the regime is for checking these things? 11 out of 12 does not sound bad until it leaves someone stranded and unable to cross.
The Spa and Bowerhill are old haunts – we lived there in the semi-detached at No. 404 from 1999 until 2018, and during that time restored our listed building from uninhabitable to very nice, and grew a business from a shell to a flourishing training company - so much flourishing that we bought another property as our training centre and hotel. We continued to have a home and office at "404" until we retired, and we sold that home and moved into what had been the training centre. It's more practical for us - 404 was thin and tall with 55 steps from the entrance to the top floor, and we were getting no younger. At 48 there is a single flight of stairs, and we have bus stops right outside. But another story there!
While we were living at 404, it was suggested to me that I was nosey enough about what was going on around, and making suggestions and helping with the immediate area, that should stand for Melksham Without Parish Council. After giving it some very serious thought, I declined.
* I was running a business and didn't have the time I felt the job needed.
* I lived in the Blackmore Ward as it was then, which was already represented by two excellent councillors I did not wish to displace.
* I was concerned at the drubbing I saw councillors getting from members of the public at a meeting.
Clearly those things changed after we had moved into the town and retired, and I had become closer with the residents in the ward in which we live and I ran for the Town Council and - against predictions of people telling me I didn't have a chance - I was actually elected.
It has been a mixed experience but old times come back and I have enjoyed working on wide Melksham area projects with some of the very people I chose not to oppose for a place on MWPC - they're good people who put a lot in to the parish.
Anyway - enough of history and an old man's musings - see instead some picture from the Bowerhill Ward of Melksham Without today! Some ah "aww - that is nice" others are good / better that they were, yet could be so easily tuned to make them hugely better.
Published Monday, 7th April 2025