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Friends and readers. Hogmany is upon us again and the merriment will soon get into full flow. Princess Street will again try to run the street party weather permitting and many thousands are expected to attend,probably boosted in the knowledge that the nations favourite presenter with the plastic smile Jackie Bird will not be there,she has been transfered to the back water of sunny Glasgow,our gain is their loss.

We hope everybody has a good time and takes care of themselves. alchohol will of course play a strong part in these celebrations and we urge caution as moderation is the key not over indulgance which can lead to harmful side affects. This will be a busy time for our accident and emergency units mainly due to over indulgance,they are already over worked and can do without stupid drunks to deal with.

For those who have more sense and stay at home to enjoy the celebrations with family and friends and try to avoid Jackie Birds smile grining back at them from their TV sets you to must be careful as family arguments and differences can normally surface at this time of year and you wouldn’t want the delightful prospect of spending the new year in one of the luxuery suites at Fettes Police Station. We understand they have the worst breakfasts in Scotland,that alone should persuade everybody to behave thenselves.

Pilton Sucks is having a little shindig for it’s associates this year nothing flambouyant just 8 or so people who will bring in the new year together and then rush home to bed hoping to miss Jackie Bird telling us all what a wonderful time she is having and that’s before she counts her fee.

Friends and readers. The second part of our yearly review starts with our associate George who threw himself into bringing to people’s attention the scourge of workplace bullying. George had heard strong rumours from within the community and with leaks from the Social Work Department[Health and Social Care] that serious workplace bullying had been taking place at Muirhouse Social Work Cenre over a long period of time.

Over the year these rumours and leaks grew stronger and bit by bit details started to emerge putting together a picture of serial bullying which had gone unchecked. There had also been a very strong rumour that a member of staff at this centre had attempted suicide over the treatment they received.George on behalf of Pilton Sucks dug deeper and found evidence which indeed pointed to terrible behaviour towards staff at this centre,

Our campaign to have workplace bullying outlawed and treated as a criminal offence has received much support from around the country. We made representation to the Scottish Parliament on this matter and we received a very sympathetic hearing from two members of the executive. Since then It was reported in all the Scottish Daily’s that a member of staff employed in Grampian NHS trust had received compensation for bullying she had to endure from her line manager.

This was great news that at last this workplace disease had gained public recognition and that the trauma that victims of this thugary suffer was been made known to the public at large. Grampians answer,to employ a dignity at work officer,certainly shutting the gate after the horse has bolted. The cost to the country as a direct byproduct of this kind of behaviour is massive as is the damage done to the victims. Employers ,Trade Unions, and all staff concerned about the moral sapping and dignity stripping, along with the health damage to victims this behaviour causes must make sure that workplace bullying is stamped on and the culprits dealt with. The workplace must be a safe place to work ,with the duty of care and attention uppermost in employers minds.

The Community Councils seemed to be moving forward,apart from what apppeared to be almost a meltdown along at Royston/Wardieburn Community Council,still not fully explained and we suspect skull duggery,but we will leave it at that.

Demolition continues along at Muirhouse to make way for the already announced delayed new school. Let us hope that the developers are not allowed to run wild and do what they like without proper consultation,just look at the mess of the Waterfront consultation-what consultation we hear you ask-exactly.

We also await the planned new Community Centre but rumours are abound of back stabbing and monies not in place,never mind the growing rumour of mis-spent money that was directed for the new centre. This could be another scandal in the making,so we wait and watch. It also appears to be that a growing number within the Community believe that the existing centre in Pilton Drive North has been deliberatly run down in attempt to shut it and flog the land it stands on to private developers.

We have been unable to contact any of the Management Committee for comment but a source close to the new ruling Council group is suggesting monies be spent on the existing centre to haul it out of the 20th century the 1960’s to be precise. We think this is a sensible thought and there may be mileage in this line of thinking.

The former Muirhouse Six Circle Project has never been far from the surface and the dedicated PEP staff group gave us an insight into the murky going’s on of the merger with PEP. How many people where actually involved in the whole murky affair we may never know that in itself leads to suspicion,and the deafening silence confirms this. What ever became of Mr. Nicol.

On a lighter side our old friend Dave fatboy Hewitt continues to seek out community jobs where he is now seen as the expert in jumping from one community job to another. So much expertise for one person. Mathisons the bakers are delighted as well as Dave is a regular customer regularly seen munching on their overpriced greasy pies. What next for our Dave,we are sure he has a plan up his sleeve for the new year.

The Pilton Partnership changed to form a trust and we wish them well in their new venture. The Spartans football and sporting academy is under way to the side of the Ainslie Park Leisure Centre,this could be a great facility for the community,as long as it is not hi-jacked  and the community put to the back of the queue.

Our own Newspaper the NEN continues to report on local issues-well sometimes anyway- and we can only hope that the NEN has a non political bias something it was short of this year. Our pavements and streets still give cause for concern and last monday 24th a member of the community tripped over and broke their ankle,the cause no man hole on one of the drains on the pavement. Get it sorted.

We also ran  a couple of contests this year. For the second time we ran our very own Oscar Prat of the year. Hundreds of people took the time to join us in this bit of festive fun,and the title of Prat of the year was retained by our old pal Lizzie[call me mam] Maginnis. Although she did not have it all her own way as NEN’S Mary Burnside gave her a real run for her money,almost to the wire. Dave fatboy Hewitt retained   his affections in the hearts of the punters by getting into the top four again. And new comer Irene Garden put up a credible effort after being nominated by her own community council.

Our second contest was the tacky and tasteless Xmas deckies contest. Although we had a late nominee in Telford Road,the contest was won by our friend in Royston Mains Crescent. Thanks to him for brightening up the area and giving us something to smile about.

Greater Pilton or the Forth Ward as it is now known has a number of dedicated activists who strive to make this community a better place to live and work in. These people are unpaid volunteers who give up their time to work for everybody in the community and special praise must be singled out for them. No community can survive or thrive without these volunteers, and our undying thanks goes to them. WELL DONE.  

Just in case you think we have forgotton about it,fear not as the second part of our yearly review will be winging it’s way shortly to you. This will include our campaign against workplace bullying which has steadly gained momentum,and the terrible and destructive behaviour that was dished out to staff in a statutory funded project in this Community. The continuing journey for the Community Councils and the uncovering of what really went on with the PEP,  Muirhouse Six Circle and the murkey merger.

All this and more including the  festive frolicks,our Prat of the Year contest,and one or two suprises there,and of course our newest competition,the trashy and tacky Xmas deckies contest.      

Friends and readers. You may or may not know that there are helicopter trips available round the scenic area of North Edinburgh and beyond. One of the wonders you can see from up in the helicopter which leaves from Crammond is the wonderful roof improvements on Royston Primary School. Isn’t that good to know,the kiddies will be safe and warm while they learn.

Three cheers for that. But wait a minute where did the money come from who authorised it,what capital spend budget did it come from if indeed it came from there. Why where these improvements not openly known about. Pilton Sucks smells a rat here,and we will find out who is the rat involved in this skull dugery. It smells to us like a case of robbing from one to give to the other and kept quite.

So as Alan enjoyed his copter journey he pondered lonely as a cloud and wondered where this money could have be robbed from and friends be sure this was not a thirty quid quick patch up job with cardboard slates and selotape. There are two possibilities and Pilton Sucks thinks it has them both.

But we will let the culprit or culprits sweat for just a little longer until we dot the i’s and cross the t’s. Word has it that it was a very sizeable amount of money,shouldn’t be too hard to trace back to the source then. Like a game of Cluedo there are a few potential suspects and Pilton Sucks is convinced that there is more than one culprit,but there would have to be a lead culprit,someone brazen enough to think they would get away with it.

Wonder who that could possibly be?

Answers on a postcard. 

For all those lucky punters who read Friday’s Evening News,you may have managed to read,if you could be bothered the desperate headline grabber herself and her leaflet deliverer. When will Lizzie and her pals realise Labour is finished in this Community and she is merely hanging on to the dying embers of what was once,sadly a Labour dominated Community.

Mabey Lizzie and Dave could form thier own mutual appreciation society,we would advise Dave to be careful as we would not want his biased opinion coming over in the NEN,after all the peoples paper is supposed to reflect what goes on in the community in an open handed way,unlike their handling or more to the point thier mis-handling of the PEP scandal which they brushed under the carpet,to cover for their once political pay master.

Let us put Dave and lizzie in the right direction. Pilton Sucks understands there is a Clean Green and Safe group,and also a Physical  Regeneration Group, did either of these two desperadoes bother to consult with either of these groups before they gave us their words of wisdom. No chance our two diehard democratic defenders,bypassed the democratic process and came to their own view on things.

Voices from the past,these are the same voices and one or two more who told us all that the Labour Party would deliver social and affordable housing on the Waterfront. That was the first lie. These are the very same people that denied the community access to what was really going on down Waterfront Way. Not a suprise when you think what was revealed about the amount of money wasted and then denied. Labour lost locally because of incompetence and down right in your face corruption,backed up by the Labour lackies,many of whom had prominent places on various groups in the Community.

These people where used for political ends,and some of them knew it,but in a few cases their job’s depended on second hand Party loyalty. That’s the reality of Labour rule in this Community,and at last it is gone. So whatever voices from the past we hear, a wry smile should come accross your face, for these voices are distant and of no concequence,as this community moves forward and looks forward to inclusion,and not the limited inclusion that Lizzie and her lackies had in mind.

Friends and readers. 2007 has been an eventful year in Greater Pilton,where elections have seen an overdue change at local level and of course a change of national government.

Greater Pilton or the Forth ward as it is now known elected four councillors Alan Jackson, Elaine Morris, Steve Cardownie,and Elizabeth Maginnis. We lost our good friend and regular sucks reader Bill Fitzpatrick or nowght to his friends who retired to private life. We seen Malcolm Chisholm returned as MSP but to a Labour Party in disaray,having lost all direction in a haze of complacency.

We did not have to wait long for the first scandal to break,the Waterfront cover up and denials. The new ruling group looked into what had been happening down there and found thousands of pounds had been spent on everything but the most important issue,involving local people. Of course nobody seemed to know anything about what had happened,Mr,Izzat the former chief executive had flown the nest so that got him off the hook leaving the chair Elizabeth Maginnis to deny any wrong doing and lamely trying to justify some of the spending particularly the jolly’s she was involved in.

Of course nobody really believed her,and the community quickly realised why she did not want any community representation on the WEL board. This was a shameful episode in this community’s history and it happened right under our noses. Of course it did not end there as further revelations and the usual denials came out. Amongst all this sleaze where was the social and affordable housing we where all promised?

We where treated to ructions at Community Council level where it was reported although we have never had a satisfactory explaination from anybody that Royston/Wardieburn Community Council practically self imploded amid smears and accusations. This of course is unconfirmed but in this case where there is smoke. It all seems to have settled down now but we would like to have been a fly on the wall that summer’s evening. Community Councils have a lot to offer with great experience amongst some of it’s members,the great danger is that what is left of the Labour Party lackies will try and use Community Councils to their own ends. All the rest must be wary of this and use Community Councils to benifit the community not the Labour Party.

Back as early as March-April it was clear that change was in the wind as the Labour group and their unelected officials where making heavy weather of running the city,the Meadowbank farce being one example of not reading the peoples feelings and listening to fat overpaid officials who in the main are still employed, while many of the Labour Group are not. Down here in Greater Pilton it was also clear to all but the most foolish that Labour could not return two candidates at the may Elections. Only rose coloured spectacles could make you believe that was possible.

And indeed as predicted it happened Labour only returned one candidate and only just,as the people woke up to the mis-management of a community on a massive scale with the few benifiting and the rest left to moan about their lot. As you know Bill nowght to do with me and Labour stalwart lost out with the empress herself barely scraping in. Afterwards many felt the wrong person had been elected. But the people spoke and a new broom was elected to sweep away the corrupt years that had gone before.

They have gotten off to a reasonable start exposing the obscene mis-spending of monies down Waterfront Way and exposing those responsible.

Everything was now in a state of change and leaks started about the management of PEP,co-incidently managed by our old friend Councillor Maginnis. A group of staff decided enough was enough and began to reveal the workings of PEP and very interesting reading it made. It appeared in document form and came into our hands after Helen our associate found them behind the windscreen wiper of her car.

What transpired has cast a large grey shadow over this project which has remained. Of course we where treated to the usual denials. One of the biggest scandals surrounding this project was the merger with the Muirhouse Six Circle Project,something which has never been fully explained until the staff group documented it. What happened to the original Manager Jim Nicol? did he as was rumoured take funds from that project? and if he did where the police informed. What part did Don Millar a manager within the stautory criminal justice services play in all this,after all he was on the management committee suposedly looking after the stautory grant that this project received. What happened to that money Mr. Millar? There are now serious questions over this lightening quick merger,which are now coming to light now thanks to the staff group.

The building in Muirhouse Crescent now lies empty a testement to mis-management.

This friends and readers was the first part of our yearly review,there is of course more to come.  

Friends and readers. Some time ago we wrote to the European Parliament regarding the outlawing of workplace bullying. We have received a reply outlining what other member states have in place regarding this issue.

It seems that there is a joint approach to this problem in particular from Italy,France, Germany,and Eire. These four countries have outlawed workplace bullying and it is now classified as a crime of violence punishable by a jail term. It now appears in the light of the adverse publicity the rest may follow suit. Britain now also takes or is saying it takes a hard line against workplace bullying and organisations are now being encouraged to take stern action against these workplace thugs.

It seems the message is getting through,there is no hiding place for workplace bully’s and organisational management have to get their act together or face hefty fines for not acting and dealing with bully’s. For too long workplace bully’s have gotten away with it,hiding behind whatever or whoever they can. Serial bully’s are past masters at concealing their guilt and activities but as more and more organisations fall into line in rightly condeming and dealing with these thugs,the bully’s room for lies and dodgeing are becoming more limited.

Pilton Sucks is pushing for legislation to be put on the statute book outlawing workplace bullying making it a crime of violence punishable by a jail sentence. For organisations who have dealt with their workplace bully’s and not through make believe management intervention,but properly directed action including dismissal,have seen a direct improvment in all aspects 0f employee relations.

Those that would seek to do nothing about bullying are as guilty as the bully themselves. Those that turn a blind eye,worse still those that know and still turn a blind eye only encourage workplace bullying as the thug is given a green light to carry on ill treating staff.

Pilton Sucks has amassed a large dosier on this subject and numerous examples of how workplace bullying was orchastrated,carried out and hidden from view. Our dossier was passed to the European Parliament,also a copy to the speaker of the House Of Commons,and to the House of Lords who have already heard representation on the subject.

Laws are needed to deter, catch and punish the bully. There is now recognition that workplace bullying is a serious issue and the damage it inflicts on the victims. The media have realised that workplace bullying is a major problem in the work force and have jumped on those organisations who do not deal with it. More publicity is good publicity for this most dreadful behaviour and we must all do what we can to expose these criminals and rid the workplace of them.

Pilton Sucks and other groups like ourselves will continue to campaign to have workplace bullying outlawed in what ever fashion in presents itself. Pilton Sucks will of course continue to monitor the situation in this community and spread the news to others.

Unless others know what is going on then nothing will happen,and the bully’s will escape justice. The more public pressure that is applied the more these thugs will be pushed out into the open,and the easier it will be to punish them and free up the workplace for those that just wish to do their job in peace and without fear,safe in the knowledge that bullying will not be tolerated in any shape or form. If any workplace bully is reading this watch out YOU COULD BE NEXT TO BE EXPOSED.

Friends and readers,we will soon be having our yearly review. At the moment Anna,Helen and George are putting together the review and it should be ready for the new year. They will try and condense it as best they can,but as you can imagine there is a lot of goodies to condense. The scandal at the Waterfront,the grey cloud which continues to hang over PEP. Our campaign to have workplace bullying outlawed and all the rest of the juicy bits that have come our way this year.

Also we lost Bill nowght to do with me Fitzpatrick who is now retired and spending more time with his family.We wish Our old friend and regular sucks reader a happy Xmas and a fruitful New Year. All this and more will be put together in our annual review,a sort of greatest hits of community happenings.

May we take this opportunity to thank everybody for reading Pilton Sucks the peoples website,and those that took part in our festive frolicks,Prat of the year and the tacky and tasteless Xmas deckies contest. We wish you peace and harmony over the festive period. Take care and enjoy the holiday. Pilton Sucks will continue to monitor what’s going on through out the holiday and update you if need be.

Happy Holiday.

Alan, George, Helen, Anna,John and all our contributors.

Pilton Sucks .com 

Well friends and readers we have a winner of the tacky and tasteless Xmas deckies contest. 96 votes came in and the winner by a distance is our friend in Royston Mains Crescent. This display polled 72 votes and was a clear winner. The twenty quid voucher will be winging it’s way to our friend shortly.

Friends and readers. £60billion yes you read it correctly £60billion of taxpayers money has been spent by Brown and Darling on proping up Northern Rock. Will we ever get that money back-no chance,and would the Labour Government have spent that amount helping out British Industry and the jobs that go with it,don’t think so.

Bad management is blamed for this farce which was played out before our eyes,so why have the management not had to foot the bill instead of the hard pressed taxpayer. To hell with everyone else seems the attitude ,the financial institutions must be protected at all costs. It dosen’t matter that the cold wind of an economic downturn is heading our way and the potential problems that will bring,as long as Labours city friends are protected.

We are the real losers in all this. That huge amount of money could have been spent far better than throwing it at a banking institution. It should have been spent on front line services where it is really needed,helping the weak and needy the sick and the frail and improving their quality of life,not some fat arsed banker.

These parasites already rob us blind with all their hidden charges,they stand ready to crucify anyone who owes them money. They will take your home if you have one,they will hound you to the grave and beyond until they get their money. So then why are we the mugs and their victims so quick to bail these punters out.

As usual we did not have a say we did what we where told pay up and shut up. We are mere fodder in this financial run world,we pay they benifit,we don’t pay they still benifit,heads they win tails they win and they have a Government to back them up. The hapless Chancellor dosen’t seem to know what day it is and is quite simply a fish out of water,it is all beyond his ken and is a lost soul being operated by a few greedy bankers who pull the strings.

Brown our Prime Minister has been a huge disappointment and is driving a rapidly sinking ship. He seems lost and out of place as he stumbles from one mess to another. Not so easy after all is it Gordon,all those years stabbing Blair in the back has done you no good. Okay you may have the top job but you can’t handle it and it shows. Their vote and support is slipping away and in Scotland it is no better. Ms Alexander who denies any wrong doing when everybody and their cousin knows she is guilty of accepting illeagle donations or is it loans even they don’t know.

It’s almost a case of ,if you can fuck it up, so can we. The labour party is rotten to the core and is full of wannabees and has beens. Ordinary voters are sick of what they are seeing and what the Labour Party has become,a bunch of cheap crooks,both at local which we have witnessed in this community and at national level. It’s a pity Brown did not give the people a chance to cast their vote a few months back,we would have seen just how low this Party has sunk.

Labour may well be heading towards oblivion and are merely holding on by the skin of the ballot box. What was promised as a new beginning is fast becoming a sorry and sleazy end.