Alisdair Gibbs-Barton

Northumberland County Council have announced that the time restrictions for holders of disabled bus pass holders will be abolished from 1st April.

Currently we disabled pass holders are restricted to between 9 in the morning and 11 at night, but from April we will be able to use the passes at all times.

I’m not sure about the time restrictions in other areas, but for Northumberland residents this is great news.

I know that there has been a thaw, and that we’re basking in temperatures of 3 degrees, but the subject of the DWP cold weather payments has been raised. I can’t get any sense from them, so I’ve put my question in writing.  My point is, when the areas around here (Whitley Bay, Ashington, Bedlington and Cramlington) have received 4 payments, why has Blyth received only two.

Blyth residents have suffered just as bad weather (some would say worse) than these area, so why are we discriminated against?

 When (or should I say if?) I get a reply, I’ll let you know.   Or if you know… pass it on.

At this time of (relatively) low interest rates I’ve just seen a TV  advert for a loan company offering “Pay Day Advances”

The people that need short term loans are unfortunately the ones who will be attracted to this company (I’ll not mention its name here), but their APR is a staggering 2356% . No, I haven’t missed the decimal point, two thousand three hundred and fifty six percent!

At least Dick Turpin wore a mask!

In the worst spell of weather for 20 years (or so we are told) there have been complaints about the services of Northumberland County Council’s gritting of the roads.

But sorry, I’ll give praise where praise is due! For three weeks or so, the major  roads and the main secondary roads have been gritted twice per day every day. Today, the bin wagon arrived, as it has done throughout the holiday period, despite the weather and the road being icy.

So a large amount of praise for the workers at NCC who have done an excellent job to keep the roads open and to keep services running as close to normal as possible!

 The BBC local news yesterday aimed criticism at NCC for not gritting minor roads in the county, and “a certain politician” aimed criticism at the council leadership, but no-one, except perhaps that certain politician, can blame NCC for the weather!

I had a ‘phone call from a resdent yesterday on another matter, but in the conversation he said “The roads were always regularly gritted under Blyth Valley Borough Council”. Talk about showing your prejudices… BVBC didn’t grit the roads, NCC have always had that responsibility , BVBC never had the role!

So, a large pat on the back for the NCC workers for keeping the roads open and delivering the services, let’s not forget them!