The king looked out from his balcony on his kingdom. How nice it would be to have a new bus station he thought.

But the fool pointed out that the current station had everything his people needed! If the road passing his “mate’s” super store ,Marciano Spensorio, was just adjusted a little bit with the road cutting through to the old bus station. Well then everything could be done for nearly nothing. The people thought with all the other expenses the king had this would be a good idea.

But his officials thought maybe they could earn prestige or something by something elsewhere completely new. So guess what the old king got the bill.

Or at least his people did…they always payed eventually…and when the fool pointed this out even the King thought a bit, about not fixing what was not broken.

So he sent out the fool to stir up the locals to do a demo to tell the officials to get lost…in a round about way that is.

The fool realised the King needed to pay debts and fill his treasury…

The king’s no fool of course that’s why he hires a fool.

So he said

“I appreciate you work hard and I give you things occasionally to encourage you.

So don’t worry about those who say do not consume…it is Christmas and you and my people are only human.

We need to have toys and more so we can generate money to pay for the pensions of those people who only push paper around.

Don’t get me wrong they need what they have too, we all need each other…in fact that is why we all have to help each other rather than wander off,and giving nothing to our local community.

Our Long lost deceased cousin Richard …”Coeur de lion” they called him. Well he spent most of his time spending and travelling elsewhere ,not working for his own country. Henry VIII one of our other predecessors he wasted too, and left us broke.

So let me tell you so you can tell everybody. I recommend you go out this Christmas locally to where you live and spend and have fun and make yourselves the best time you ever had, this will give wealth to your country for the future so we all can continue to give to others next year.

No more travelling 2000 miles to another country for a day’s shopping trip. We love you all and Our foolish friend loves you too. God bless you all. Your mate …the King.”

All are welcome to a discussion group about the environment at the Forum Cinema Café on Thursday 1^st at 7pm. I am a 2^nd year geography student at Lancaster University investigating the perception of the environment by individuals from community environmental groups, therefore my focus is upon Transition Tynedale. It would be great to get as many members of the group who are willing to discuss their perception of the environment and how it led them to become involved in Transition Tynedale. This discussion will also explore the political motivations as well as the group dynamics and environmental learning involved inside and outside the group. Through this discussion participants should be able to share each other’s knowledge of the environment leading to discussion of future environmental action, etc.

This is an opportunity to discuss your story with Transition Tynedale and learn about other participants experiences of the group and environment. I urge as many to come as possible as my aim is for at least 6 people.

I will also buy drinks throughout the evening for all who partake in the discussion!

Hope to see you at the discussion,

Rowan Jackson (Lancaster University)

Telephone: 07807753217

Email(s):

• rowan.c.jackson@googlemail.com
• r.c.jackson@lancaster.ac.uk

The fool played out the game with county planning for six years. The fool realised he had been playing games with his band of supporters for many years. Finally pointing out that what he was doing did not harm anybody and it may just do some good ?

Well he then asked the king if he would tour with him. So the royal train visited Todmorden.

There it seemed that a group of people were just doing and stuff it worked. Children were learning how to live …disciplined and hard working and helping adults in
learning skills to live rather than rely on hand outs…hand ups or all the other stuff the kings bureaucrats offered. They found it worked . In Fact the king loved it and his son said they could go to his place and do it for him!

The king’s no fool of course that’s why he hires a fool.

So the fool said can I send a message out to others and the king said well yes…so 200 French Towns tried it and hundreds of others did too…but the king did find his
bureaucrats did not all like to be toyed with.

Some towns the fools told him would never allow themselves to change. Why would we ever want education …good food, an organised life??

Statistics prove education …good food….rest…and more…means less children, better skills, better discipline, more fulfilment in life for everyone so “why would we want that”…. said the fool? But privately he wept…..

Spring equinox. Time, for shoots of new things to find their way out of the ground…this week.

Hexham has elections coming soon and the fool looked at the possibilities…are they new..?

The town meeting this coming week and all the good people can enter the court of the King….but then walking down any street …in Hexham and it’s silence is deafening during the day.

The Council have realised this ,county and town council Why clean it?…that is why Hexham
town centre looks tatty…no one is using it.

But the fool hears there are people shouting “save our shops”…save our town , put art work in shop windows if they are empty! Let artisans work there …producing whatever for whoever! But if our residents are not there …to look.. well why bother?

The fool was told a memorable thing about his bladder. ..when he was young…the great old fool as teacher offered him his new bladder to beat people with ,in the spring of his youth, and he was told… ” use it or lose it…”

Perhaps that applies to our towns resources?

Uproar …but we do use the town ,we sleep here ,our children school here and we expect everything else will be here when we want it…won’t it?

But then the fool would not be a fool if he got the message even..now would he…he thought as he drank his tea!

The queen added last year.. the Localism act.

First we have to persuade in all cases that the bureaucrats take up the reins of such law…

Aesop had a tale to tell when he spoke of ‘a wolf in sheepskin clothing’.

One wolf in the last few weeks was the planner who told us that the Railway goods yard was a tasteful and quality project for Hexham.

Look at the evidence…the best bits are being knocked down said the fool.

Continue reading “Hexham Transition – The Fool Returns” →