Louise adopts the annoying celebrity ‘we’ thing, Jody holds back on gold post boxes, council blames computer error for bring back Brown and Osbourn gets standards gig at East Cambs

SHE slipped back into March at the weekend to catch up with her mum, family and friends, to babysit for a close relative and to catch up with Eastenders. Not, unfortunately, for Louise Hazell, 26, the civic parade that might have been hers had The Olympics given her a medal or even proximity to one.

But with her own website, a burgeoning career as a model and TV celebrity, Louise is clearly not going to be without prospects anytime soon.

Her old school, Neale Wade, must be immensely proud although Louise has adopted the characteristic of ‘celebrity’ by transferring herself into the third person.

For instance she told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire that her life was in limbo for now so far as sport is concerned “and we are not sure what direction we are going to take next”. I think, you’ll find Louise that is somehow your decision.

Likewise when quizzed about her forthcoming appearance on Question of Sport she talked about “we are going to film it in a week or so” whereas in fact Louise is going to pop into a TV studio on her own as part of a celebrity line up.

Louise did have a surprise for listeners, though, discussing the possibility of a change of sport that would see her ditch the Heptathlon and “hanging up my spikes and donning some other sporty kit.”

ACCORDING to my favourite TV and radio mag, Kevin Eldon is to get his own series of Radio 4. His fame didn’t immediately wash over me but never mind. He has, says the magazine, some illustrious guests.

“Appearing in this episode are Amelia Bullmore (I’m Alan Partridge, Scott and Bailey), Julia Davis (Nighty Night), Rosie Cavaliero (Peep Show), Paul Putner (Little Britain), Justin Edwards (The Consultants) and David Reed (The Penny Dreadfuls)”.

And there it might have concluded save for this additional line which announces “special guest Phil Cornwell as a man shouting “Wisbeach”.

I can hardly wait.

The programme is said to be ‘A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4’.

QUITE how a reader got two letters within two days of each other from Fenland Council and giving him conflicting information on a planning application has been put down to a computer error.

Not that this is much consolation to my reader who had argued forcefully against the building of two large homes nearby on the perfectly reasonable grounds his home would be grotesquely overlooked.

What intrigued Brakespeare was the decision to grant notice had been signed by Nigel Brown, development delivery manager of Fenland Council, and arrived two days Sheila Black, senior development officer, wrote to say it had been refused.

Mr Brown, of course, has long departed the authority but my reader wasn’t to know that.

A council spokesman tells me “There is a simple explanation - a computer error. The application in question was refused.

“By mistake a standard letter was sent out on August 7 to the objector saying it had been granted. We are not sure how that happened. However, as soon as we became aware of the error, a second letter was sent out, correcting it and making it clear that the application had been refused.;

“The decision itself was never changed. We are sorry for any confusion that has been caused.”

That’s as maybe but I wonder if others were sent similar letters?

The lack of an apology only a “thank you for your interest in this matter” letter from Ms Black has enraged my reader even more.

MORE leaks from within the Conservative Party, this time someone kindly dropped me off, under cover of darkness, a letter from Fenland Council Leader Alan Melton to his 34 colleagues. It says on the bottom “not to be shared or discussed with opposition members, officers or the press. Thank you.”

Well thank you to the disaffected group member’s thoughtfulness in providing me with a copy although much of the content – such as provision for Christchurch homes blighted by a bust developer- were known.

However hidden within are the usual gems that brighten my life, so let’s go through some of the points made by Cllr Melton.

On Liberal Democrats he when first elected to the county council in 1997 he was told “never trust them”. Alan says “I was told that they will use every dirty trick in the book to discredit Conservatives. A recent incident has reinforced this view. As far I am concerned all co-operation is off!!”

It seems Gavin Booth, the Lib Dem leader on FDC, is “clearly getting briefs from Cambridge, furthermore he has no control what so ever over his members.”

That, of course, would be a reference, made elsewhere in the letter, by Councillor Dave Patrick who dropped off to this newspaper another email- a copy of a speech made by Cllr Melton supporting the building of a home outside the development boundary for Chatteris and against officer recommendation. The house got approved.

BRAKESPEARE liked the heading on one section of Cllr Melton’s leaked email which was headed ‘the Conservative family’.

Cllr Melton then proceeded to say how he had watched on this newspaper website “a spat unfold between an ex mayor of Wisbech (that’s Jonathan Farmer of course) and a Cabinet member from Chatteris (Peter Murphy, oh do keep up)’.

Cllr Melton complained that the dispute over trade waste from Wisbech market “was played out in the local press and on the website. This is most unhelpful (apart, of course, to readers of this newspaper!). With the demise of local branches, Conservative councillors are the shock troops of the Conservative Party,

“The only people who gain n from such public spats are the Liberal Democrats and the Independents (and of course the readers of this newspaper!).”

A QUERY raised by Lib Dem councillor Dave Patrick this week has been over the funding and operations of FACT, the Fenland Association of Community Transport.

Cllr Patrick, himself a taxi driver of course, is questioning whether FACT is beginning to rival traditional taxi firms, especially with their rapid growth. Indeed only last month Fenland Council have FACT nearly �18000 to buy two second hand mini buses.

Cllr Patrick is questioning whether FACT always adheres to the principles of its charter to insist people are �10 a year members before availing themselves of a booking, and claims FACT has an 8 seater minis “blatantly advertising airports, seaports and weddings.”

His points have been set out in emails to both the council and to FACT and I feel confident of robust explanations anytime soon.

A FAMILIAR name in the minutes of the revised standards procedures within East Cambs Council and that is Grant Osbourn, appointed to the �500 a year role of ‘independent person’ to assist with code of conduct complaints.

Mr Osbourn, of course, is better known in Fenland where he served for a time as chairman of the now defunct standards committee and has also been an (unsuccessful) council candidate for Labour.

NEWS that Royal Mail had reversed its policy and are to produce stamp for each individual or team ParalympicsGB gold medal win has been broadly welcomed.

None more so that Jody Cundy who is hoping for medal success to add to the considerable tally he has already attained.

Jody is also delighted Royal Mail is to turn one of its historic post boxes hold in the home town of every ParalympicsGB gold medallist just as it did for TeamBG winners during the Olympic Games.

But would Jody pick his home village – Walpole St Andrew of his home town- Wisbech and the town which famously made him a Freeman of its borough a couple of years back.

“A good question” his partner and manager Christina Patricia Kelkel but after popping off to put it to Jody I’m none the wiser.

“Jody said he doesn’t want to tempt fate by choosing a post box already, so I’ll have to come back to you on that one.”