UPDATED Let there be light! Pontefract Lions Lantern Festival tonight 19th October

Coming from a generation where we were no strangers to sticky back plastic and washing up liquid bottles I found myself at the Carleton Grange Club last Wednesday evening. Joining in with a number of members of the Pontefract Lionesses, family members and other volunteers with withies, masking tape, tissue and pva glue and a variety of clippers pliers on the last of a series of evening and afternoon sessions at the Grange or at the Castle visitor centre making lanterns for tonights lantern festival.

Before anybody goes off on a diatribe about setting fire to lanterns or releasing them to the night sky, this is no such event you have completely got the wrong end of the stick . The lanterns include tiny electric night lights so we won't see the great fire of Pontefract tonight. Or at least not from our activity.

What will be happening is a lighting up session at the castle, a procession up to the Market Place and a final procession to the Friarwood Valley Gardens and hot drinks to celebrate the second Pontefract Lantern Festival.

Last year there were 300 people this evening who knows. But I will be there with one of the lanterns that I made and there are spares available if you have not made one yet.

So thanks to all the people that have made this happen.  Jeannette Morgan, Bernie Weston and all the Lionesses, Ian Downes at the Castle, the Neighbourhood Policing Team who will be riding shotgun or at least helping with traffic safety. Finally the Friends of Friarwood Valley Gardens for their hospitality tonight. Not forgetting the Pontefract Councillors who signed of the application for funds for materials for the Lantern Workshops.

I hope to see as many you as can make it? 

See you there?

UPDATED++++++++++++++++++++++
Brilliant evening. short sharp heavy shower at 7pm but had stopped by 7.20, procession grew and grew and set off with an advance guard from the neighbourhood policing team who kept us safe!

Processed up Horsefair, pausing at the Town Hall and looking back several hundred with hundreds of lanterns sparkling in the night, There is a photo on my Facebook page, onwards up Salter Row then from Cornmarket into Beastfair on into the market place, back to Pontefract Town Hall, down Gillygate onto Southgate and down a candle lit pram path into a magical Friarwood Valley Gardens. 

This was the second Festival, next year will be even better with lots more fancy lanterns and other groups joining in.

Well done Pontefract Lionesses you have really started something!

Local People, Local Action

Whilst it often seems a struggle to see progress, there have been a number of partnerships with the Pontefract CivicSociety and Friends Groups allowing local people to take a hand. 

Friends of Pontefract Castle have provided fundamental support helping secure funds through grant applications.  

The Friends of Friarwood Valley Gardens have made a much loved garden and public park accessible with a feeling that it is cared for. 

Other Organisations such as the Lions and Lionesses have worked to raise funds and created events that have pleased and delighted many. 

To those who step forward and help protect our town and its assets, you know who you are, thank you!

Where does the money go?

Despite hard times and the budget reductions WMDC has raked together up to £4.5 million to put a “Northern Relief road” at the back of the Prince of Wales site. 

This would be fine if Wakefield planning committee hadn’t given permission for 540 new houses to access Park Road directly, a recipe for absolute chaos.  Why not invest in our crumbling roads, resolve the grid lock at Town End, sort out our under-funded parks, improve pupil teacher ratios and add PCSOs? All a much better use of the public’s money!   

Decisions for Pontefract

As a Historic Borough and Market Town, with a Royal Castle, three railway stations and a Racecourse, the first election in the western hemisphere to hold the secret ballot. Our big decisions were made for Pontefract by Pontefract people. That stopped in 1974 when the Borough of Pontefract ceased to be and the key decisions about the town's growth, investment and well-being moved to Wakefield. 

The district has developed, there have been a number of schemes, initiatives and projects brought forward over recent years with promises made about protecting and improving what we have. However, whilst many schemes have been delivered across the district it seems all too often that projects in Pontefract slow down or in some instances stall completely.

In 2007 the cabinet in Wakefield lauded the new Pontefract Masterplan. Others across the district were delivered, we still wait to see the improvements promised and face a dash to develop new estates around the town without the improved infrastructure to support them.

Cllr Brian Holmes - A sad loss

Recent days have drawn tributes from across the political divide for Cllr Brian Holmes the Mayor of Wakefield who sadly died suddenly a week ago.

Brian was inducted as Mayor in May and since that time along with his wife and Mayoral Consort, Cllr Mrs Janet Holmes had proved to be model first citizens and ambassadors for the people of Wakefield.

His manner and approach fitted the role to perfection and his experience as a Football Referee stood him in great stead in the council chamber.

For information, in addition to countless public occasions, frequently visiting schools, charities, community groups, sporting events on an almost daily basis, on hand for visiting dignitaries, officiating at openings and memorably in July greeting and taking the salute when the Yorkshire Regiment came to exercise their freedom of the city as they marched with bayonets fixed, colours flying and band playing through the centre of Wakefield. The Mayor also acts as Chairman at the monthly meetings of Full Council in Wakefield where the political divide can be at its most cavernous.

That has proved to be challenging over the years for the incumbent of the Big Chair in the Council Chamber. Surrounded by advisers including the Council Solicitor, escorted by his Deputy, Chaplain and Mace Bearer the Mayor is Chairman of those meetings and directs proceedings that can range form somewhat cordial through to tense and sometimes undiplomatic and heated.

In the meetings he conducted, Brian never needed to fall back on a Red or Yellow card to calm matters. A raised eyebrow invariably sufficed.

A good man, potentially a great mayor a sad loss to family and friends and a sad loss to the City of Wakefield. 

He will be missed.