Fridays are never a good day for blogging, as I'm either in meetings or rushing around. Started off by visiting Lawrence Hill Health Centre for an interesting chat with GPs, then met with some people from Bristol Civic Society to talk about their concerns about the Regional Spatial Strategy, then met the top man from BBC West to talk about Casualty and other matters, then over to Bedminster to meet Mr First Bus with fellow MP Dawn Primarolo, then back to the office... So - health, housing/ planning, media/ jobs, and buses all in one day. Plus signing Christmas cards (designed by a primary school pupil in my constituency - if all you libertarians post your full names and addresses on here, I'll send you one). Tomorrow it's an awards ceremony for young achievers, and on Sunday it's my first ever appearance on the Westminster Hour.
The meeting with First was quite productive, in that a 'full and frank' discussion took place, and various commitments were made, although the Blogger and his readers will no doubt be disappointed to know that no physical violence was involved. All will be revealed soon...
6 comments:
"The top man from BBC West". Is he one that's learnt to use the 3b pencil rather than the crayons?
I knew I would be in trouble for that, but can't remember his job title... something to do with public affairs. Had interesting chat about how the creative sector in Bristol could be brought together with civic society and the business world, as in Manchester, etc, to provide a more dynamic vision for Bristol.
There, that should give you something to play with (i.e. endless scope to exercise your cynical muscle).
Do you people really have conversations like that?
I might have to return to this. Can you try and remember his name?
Yes but I'm not telling you.
Ok fine. But the pair of you are clearly utterly clueless and demented.
Let's look at some world class 'creatives' from this city in recent years:
Nellee Hooper - Barton Hill punk. Probably unemployable on your terms.
Tricky Kid - Knowle West Boy. Definitely unemployable on your terms.
Banksy - Public School Boy. Doesn't want to be employed on your terms.
What on earth makes you and your mystery BBC man think that these kind of people would want to get involved in some weird partnership with David Garmston, John Savage, Jan Ormondroyd and the Labour Party to create a 'dynamic vision'.
They've already bloody got one. And it doesn't and never will involve you lot.
Toodle pip!
Well that was the point I made to him - that much of Bristol's 'creativity' if you want to label it that, is more part of the 'counterculture' (ditto) than mainstream, and has a healthy distrust of the establishment. But if in Manchester situationists and punks could play a major role in regenerating the city, why not in Bristol? Also - there's more to the creative sector in Bristol than the music scene - Aardman for example is working with SWRDA to set up an Animation Academy. And I'm pretty sure that plenty of the aspirant film-makers in Bristol wouldn't mind getting a bit of a helping hand from the BBC.
On 'unemployable', that's the straw man approach again. Most of my best friends are musicians, and their musical tastes are far more left-field than the artists you cite. But in Luton you have the ex-guitarist from UK Decay helping young kids learn about recording studios, with funding from the local council - surely that's a good thing, to get involved rather than be 'cooler than thou' on the sidelines?
PS When I say unemployable, think Shannon Matthews' family. Would you give that woman a job?
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