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Friends and readers. Pilton sucks and it’s friends occasionally wander round the Community to see for ourselves what’s going on. Things are certainly improving of that there is no doubt, simply because they couldn’t get much worse.

But within all this improvement there is one or in our case more than one black spot, and that dear friends you may have guessed is, anything  our old pals Halcrowe have had their sticky mits on, or even been in the vicinity of.

Now you may have already guessed that Halcrowe are no busom buddies of Pilton Sucks and definatly not on their Xmas card list, which is a relief to us. The mind boggles at their total ineptitude when it comes to doing anything the proper way, or even better totally ignore Community consultation and please themselves helped along with one or two of their co-horts at the Housing Office in West Pilton Gardens.

How did this mob ever get across the threshold to do work in this Community, one must question the tendering process if indeed there was one, which we sincerly doubt. The work they have carried out to date if you can call it that is, well we don’t have the words to describe it certainly not ones we could print, after all we are a family site. But something you stepped in comes to mind.

They are being well and if the truth be told overly paid for this poor standard of work. What are they? When Pilton Sucks enquired we were told they were project managers, they are certainly not that, then when we asked again we were told they were design consultants, wrong again. So which is it or is it neither, who knowes it becomes more confusing every time we try and find out, so we have given up and had a bash ourselves.

Could Halcrowe have an inside man or woman who is shall we say leaning towards Halcrowe if you get our drift, maybe Neighbourhood manager and general good egg Peter Strong might be able to throw some light on the matter, although it would help if he knew what was going on or just what day it was, that would help.

We tried to contact Mr. Strong for a quote,but he was unavailable, to busy trying to figure out which way to hold Halcrowe’s plans up, he will be retired before he works that one out. If it wasn’t so funny it would be serious, hang on a mo it’s not funny it is serious this is taxpayers money that’s getting flung at Halcrowe willy nilly, while they lord it over everbody else.

Once friend Strong works out exactly what Halcrowe are up to and that’s in doubt we will have colonised another planet, we pray to any God that Halcrowe dosen’t get the colonised planet design contract or is it project managers, ah work it out for yourselves.           

Friends and readers. We are now being bombarded day in day out with grey suited politicians telling us that there will need to be cuts in public spending,but front line services will be protected.

Someone should tell these brains of Britain that all services are front line,and that any cuts in services will result in those most in need suffering. Pilton Sucks has already said that ID cards should be cancelled as well as the Trident upgrade, with at least a 50% reduction in Neuclear weaponary reseach and development.

We have also pointed out the merits of the introduction of a Tobin tax on all cash transfers overseas resulting in revenues in excess of 400 million a year. So whats the problem, the real issue seems to be the weakness or unwillingness to upset their friends in the city, and risk the wrath of the money markets.

So to make things as simple as possible take from the cake of public spending and fill the gap left by those who caused this financial problem, what seems to have been forgotton in this mad rush to cut is that they only transfer the gap,this time to the public sector and all services.

Don’t be conned by slick presentations look behind what is being said and realise that we the victims of this financial mess are the very same people who will have to end up paying for this mess. We the mass of the populace are an easy target and since there are a lot of us it’s hard to miss.

All parties are now singing from the same hymn sheet announcing with apparent glee that the public sector will take the brunt of the greed and betrayal engineered by the faceless wonders of our financial sector. If they say it long enough, the theory is we will believe it.

The plain stupidity is hard to comprehend in times of economic slowdown to consider cutting spending, in fact the opposite is the case, and put in place the necessary tax laws to raise the revenues required.

Our noble elected ones tell us that this is the only answer to the mess created by others, the opposition who are desperate to form the next politburo say the same thing. The Lib Dems, well  friend Clegg may pick up the odd seat in the South and might if things fall the right way, hold the balance of power.

That scenario presents us the plebs in all this with an interesting problem from the outside looking in. The Torries want to cut Labour wants to cost cut— can’t really fathom the difference— and the Lib Dems are in cutting mode as well, so who would they jump into bed with. Either way the punters lose out yet again.

Pilton Sucks in it’s own very small and insignificant way has offered up an alternative with the introduction of the Tobin Tax,will anyone out there listen, we think not,nobody wants to listen certainly not those in a position to introduce such a tax. Regulation and control of the financial sector is a necessity to avoid this travesty ever happening again.

They must be made to pay back and repair the damage they caused, not just bailed out with taxpayers dosh then business as usual. This is a time for courageous decision making not thinking about how high an office you can obtain. The voter come election time is on a hiding to nothing,which ever way you vote wheather it be Labour Tory or Lib-Dem, maybe it’s a time to consider someone else, if that possibility exists.

Interesting thought. What happens if nobody votes? and protests against the total lack of ideas other than cuts cuts and more cuts.          

Friends and readers. Looking at the calender and facing October, we had a thought. Ever wonder were it all came from. So as you settle down to brace yourself for Mondays excertions,let your mind drift back to a different age in the company of Pilton Sucks.

From a very early time, the Egyptians had a form of calender based on the phases of the moon. From around the end of the Second Dynasty [2700 BC], they developed a more accurate calender that divided the year into 365 days. Their new year began with the arrival of the inundation at Memphis, and was more precisely marked by the heliacal rising of the bright star Sirius.

It was divided into three seasons, each of four months lasting thirty days. There were five extra days, designated as feast days and spread throughout the year. As they made no provision for a leap year, the calender and the seasons drifted out of step, and by the end of the old kingdom there was a discrepancy of five months.

The invention of the calender has been seen as one of the great Egyptian contributions to human knowledge. It’s amazing what comes to you as in this case looking at your calender.      

Friends and readers. We strive to leave a better society for our children to inherit. Has any generation ever managed that enormous feat? Todays generation some may say benefit from lessons learnt and experiences gone through.

Someone once said Can’t quite remember who, A cynic is a realist who has been happy slapped by reality. Our friend the cynic would say that this generation will fall into the same traps as the previous one. Possibly the form guide say’s there is some truth in that, and history will repeat itself at some stage.

We have yet to rid ourselves of wars between people and Nations, there does indeed always seem to be enough money around for weapons either of the conventional nature or the kind of mass destruction. We have yet to master ridding ourselves of the sins of hunger and poverty,which engulfs our planet on far to large a scale.

Alms for the blind one man shouted as another was lead to his crucifixion. Power and money have become twins joined at the hip, and for those that possess them control the destiny of millions.In so many ways the blind man still shouts for alms and the other one is still being lead to his crucifixion.

Do we still have a way to go to understand that man must come to terms with the world around about him and try to realise the worth of others. We cannot bomb our way to a better world, nor can we allow others to do likewise. Difficult problem and in todays world it seems unsolveable.

In reflective mood todays generation and the ones to come may have to try and solve what we could not, and put in place a bridge of hope that can easily be crossed without fear of falling off. For the present  if you listen closely you can still hear the Roman Legions marching into Jerusalem as the carpentors son awaits his fate.

Friends and readers. Wedensday evenings public meeting on the future of Royston Primary School left a number of people confused over which set of figures are in fact accurate.

The meeting itself was well attended and very vocal as you can imagine,the big problem with the meeting from the outset was the idea of a roving chair person, it just didn’t work and a bad idea. It should,  as many people attending pointed out been a local person who chaired the meeting giving it some sort of ownership.

So off to a bad start and it never really left first base after that. Questions and points from the audience were in the main emotionally based which was quite understandable,which left a gap for a more progressive sort of thinking. It materialised briefly but faded just as quick in the heat of the moment. This dear friends is not a time to select a target to blame but an opportunity to raise the issues of alternative uses as well as retaining an educational element.

This sort of thinking will not find favour amongst those that take a hostile view of progressive change, and therefore will catapult the school into closure. The days of wine and roses are over regardless of who controls what and we must be able to rise to the challenge of change exercising an element of control by being at the table of discussion.

Clearly Royston can have a future,maybe not as it exists at present but more of a Community asset which encompasses Community activity as well as educating our kids. Proving that this can be done we can challenge the closure threat and embrace what needs to happen.

Is there time left to do this? not a lot the decision one way or another will be taken on December 17th, so time is not on the side of those that see that alternative uses are the way forward.

Emotion is one thing and used properly can be beneficial to the argument. Used unilaterly it’s not, and sniping from those that come for a fight does nothing but harm. This is a time when bullets need to be biten and pride swallowed,and a time to listen to those that have enough savey to rewrite the script, and to try and lay the foundations of a new era.     

Friends and readers. Answer this if you can. Who made the following statement and when.

 THE LABOUR GOVERNMENT’S MAIN WEAKNESS IS VANITY, THEY ARE ALL……. DELIGHTED WITH THE GOOD IMPRESSION THEY ARE MAKING ON THE MIDDLE CLASSES.

Don’t know,  let us put you out of your misery. It was made on the 19th March 1924 By William Wedgwood Benn. Suprised so were we, it plainly appears that Labours love affair with the chattering classes predated New Labours pandering to the chattering classes. It seemed even then that to win power Labour had to body serve it’s core support and promise a new Jeruselum to the up and coming yuppies of their day.

New Labour have long since deserted the working class Communities in search of pastures newer and richer in an attempt to present themselves as just slightly lefter than the Conservatives and less splinters in their backsides than the Lib Dems from sitting on the fence.

Now of course all has changed and the new super duper just as cruel Conservatives have transformed themselves more due to Labours inadequate reaction to events that have befallen us than any ideas they have of their own.

Oh we will get all the usual claptrap about hunting down Social Security scroungers,while their own pals dodge paying their rightful share of tax. We will be told once again about the growing virus of Council spending while they forget to tell us of the necessary services that Councils deliver to the public,this of course in an attemp to flog off the family silver to their mates in the private sector.

It seems all this and more has found favour with Labours former pals in the chattering classes, who remain as fickle as ever when it comes to their voting intentions. So Labour now find themselves friendless as they go into their last conference before the election trailing badly behind Camerons cuddly new Conservative Party.

What will our PM face as he comes to the rostrum in an attempt to rally the troops to fight a rear guard action. Let us hope we do not hear once again about his strict upbringing and how it shaped his life into adulthood and made him the man he is.

Moves are afoot to remove our once decorated Chancellor with a newer New Labour leader, all shiney and clean untainted by the Blair Brown era. But timing is all important here, and with just a few months to Election day would a change of leader work against the plotters and who are the likely pretenders to Labours fallen crown.

Perm any one from half a dozen potential saviours,all saying nothing but screaming at the top of their voices—Look At Me—. No doubt if Labour lose our ex PM will retire to spend more time with his family preferably in the House Of Lords were Lord Fife has a nice ring to it.

Of course miracles do happen, after all water was changed into wine, walking on water was a daily event even Lazerous was raised from the dead, but these were minor happenings compared to Labour winning the General Election. So as the poor and infirm to name just two vunerable groups in our society brace themselves for what will surely be an onslaught from uncle Dave and his band of cut throats, let us take a moment or two and spare a thought for good old Gordon who used Tony Blairs back as a dart board every chance he got to try and wrest the keys of No 10 from Tone’s hand. 

One chance remains get up on that rostrum and go for it. Never mind the spin doctors telling you what colour suit to wear and the matching smile to go with it. Give this nation what it cries out for, hope and a future to cherish for all the people,and those to come.

Be warned if you don’t and fall back on the dour uninteresting safe pair of hands nonsense,then we all might as well batton down the hatches as Captain Cameron takes up the wheel to steer us to oblivion.

Friends and readers. As you meander down Pennywell road in a relaxed mode of thought, day dreaming of the delights that await as you near the hub of activity that is the Muirhouse Shopping Centre, you may pause for a moment to ask yourself that burning question that has kept you awake for hours night after night, who actually owns this covered delight of shopping heaven?

Well Pilton Sucks can at last put you out of your misery. After intense research which took all of 5 minutes it turns out dear friends that our shopping mall is owned by none other than Prudential Muirhouse. Who are they we hear you cry out, well they are in fact not a local lot as you may think on first seeing the name, but a Glasgow operation who buy so called run down shopping areas in Communities like ours, and then try to flog them off at a profit.

But wait on dear friends it gets better and the plot thickens. Enter stage left our old friends Lothian Health and their wad of cash burning a hole in their trouser pockets. Add the sum of Muirhouse Prudential and Lothian Health, and what might some conspiracy minded individuals get, why a nice little sale of our covered delight to cash rich Lothian Health and lo and behold, one new all singing and danceing Health Centre.

Makes Strictly come dancings quick step look snail like in comparison. But hold on a mo and let’s take a couple of steps back and have a closer look at this. £800,000 of taxpayers hard earned cash to put a roof on it possibly not the best investment there’s ever been, but that aside, heavy almost impossible to open steel doors,which if someone is coming the other way in a hurry might hurtle you backwards at some considerable speed, with you only being saved by the piles of Lottery and betting slips scattered around breaking your fall.

Can’t remember the last time the inside of the mall was ever washed, so a familiar pungent oder eminates around as you casually walk through at breakneck speed hoping that the monster steel doors at the Library end will open for you and you can enter into the rarified air that is Muirhouse Cresent.

Think on dear friends, all that could be lost to us if a clandestine deal is done behind the Communities back as is usual with cash heavy no sense Lothian Health and the McCauber like instinct of Prudential Muirhouse. That begs the obvious question, if something akin to that did indeed transpire, where would the punters go to revel in the delights that they currently enjoy within their covered mall? Morrisons perhaps, where one can enjoy all the fruits of modern shopping and even relax in their en suite cafe, being careful if you are of the female persuasion not to use the powder room as a number of unfortunate ladies have come into contact with a mysterious male member of staff who insists for reasons only known to himself to check them from time to time when they are in use, yes strange but true, must be part of Morrisons customer satisfaction policy. 

Another little tip for the more enlightened shopper. Don’t attempt to use the cafe during the Telford College dinner break it’s full of scallywags whose mobile phones seem to go off incessently with tunes if you can call them that so loud there should be a health warning on them. Don’t forget it’s a feeding frenzy so be warned, abandon hope all ye that enter here, at that particular time anyway.

But back to the real issue and the slight of hand that might transpire between in the red corner Lothian Health with of course the Communities best interests at heart [not] and in the blue corner our maximising profits at any cost Prudential Muirhouse. Who may win this cash battle, certainly not Joe punter they merely get in the way of progress. It’s likely to be a close run thing but who cares as long as the public are kept in the dark and don’t realise what’s going on until it’s to late.

One other thought to horrible to contemplate, Prudential Muirhouse sell to Lothian Health and God forbid Halcrowe get the design contract  AAAAAAAAAAAAAA.      

Friends and readers. There seems to be widespread support for the view that man’s achievements in the physical sciences and technology have outstripped his powers to control them, and that it is up to the biological and social sciences to provide the necessary understanding of human nature.

It may be argued that the most pressing social problems are concerned with the relationships between people, and these are an essential and central part of human nature. Human Beings are reared in families, on which they are at first completely dependent and in which they acquire most of their learnt behaviour.

The death of a close relative is a deeply disturbing experience and can permanently impair the personality of other members. In all Communities there is work to be done, to provide food and shelter, and to satisfy other needs, this work is always performed by coopperative working groups.

Outside work and family human beings at stages of their lives may seek the comany and support of friends. Much individual unhappiness, including that caused by mental disorder, is associated with a breakdown of relationships with other people. Most social problems consist of the breakdown of communication, interaction and cooperation between different races or classes or between groups at work. 

Friends and readers. Pilton Sucks always trys to reply to readers comments whenever possible,but one comment in particular made us stop and think.

Our reader from America commented on a post that had been submitted on the 20th September—Turn A Blind Eye—.

The comment was short but caught our eye calling our work wonderful and brilliant.

This has indeed humbled us here at Pilton Sucks,were we try and bring you information which would otherwise never get into the public domain. The origins of Pilton Sucks came from an idea to break the information is power kick.This we try to do sometimes with sucess sometimes not.

Pilton Suck’s longest friend Ms. J.L. Ro—- once told us nothing can stop you if I’m behind you,a very personal comment. True, who knowes you must judge that for yourself. But if we hazard an educated guess Pilton Sucks once again thanks Ms. J for her continued support but we still kindly and politely refuse your invite.We still didn’t see the end of Les Miserables what happened? 

Friends and readers. Let us start today with a little culture in our lives. It may just beat that snap crackle and pop or the dreaded Weetabix.

Vincentio,the Duke of Vienna, had become very lax in his rule. The consequence was that vice and disorder had become prevalent in the city. He shrank however, from suddenly changing his policy for fear of being looked upon as a tyrant.

So he thought the best plan would be to hand over the task of Government to one of his nobles. Selecting Angelo to act for him, he gives it out that he will leave his dominions and travel through Poland, but he will write from time to time to enquire how matters are progressing during his absence.

In reality however, he does not go away but disguises himself as a friar and keeps watch over his deputy’s behaviour.

That dear friends as you have already guessed is more or less the story or the beginning of Measure For Measure,by Willie Shakespeare.

Now we get to the point in hand. Bring that little piece up to date, and what do we find, lo and behold Community empowerment by stealth. To delegate authority shows a willingness to encourage others to take up the reins and lead the way.

Now we turn quickly to Lothian Health the masters of disguise. Our friends Lothian Health are supposed to attend our action groups to keep this Community informed of what they are up to. Do they? Why no of course not, don’t be so silly.

A new all singing and dancing Health centre, has been proposed for this Community sited we were under the impression or some of us were on the site of the now closed Craigroyston Secondary School. So far so good.

Now it transpires that may not be the plan after all,Lothian Health have other grand ideas which they decline to share with us,we wonder if they are pals of that other dodgy mob Halcrow.

Were you wonder as you muse over your sodden weetabix is our grand new Health Centre going to be built? It would appear according to one or two informed insiders that for the answer we must visit the Gunner public house,who we are told as we write negociating a sale of these delightful premises,so it can be demolished as part of a new vision known only to Lothain Health and the Gunner regulars.

As one enlightened regular Gunner punter told us. You can close our Schools,you can close our centres, you can shut down life as we know it,but touch the Gunner and you will have cival war on the streets. That of course might just be the minority opinion, one never knowes.

The important point is the complete lack of communication with the Community on this very important issue. So we see what happens when one of our noble institutions is allowed to much slack on the rope of accountability,they run off and forget their duties to the rest of us mere plebians.

Lothian Health have a duty to attend these action groups and PRAG in particular. We hear a nasty rumour that they might not want to upset the chairperson of PRAG.