Author Topic: 'Swindon News' - Swindon Borough Council Magazine (Read 1406 times)

Geoff Reid · « **on:** July 01, 2010, 06:26:56 PM »

SBC say:

Quote

Your Council, Your News

Packed full of interesting articles and important information, the council magazine, Swindon News is our way of connecting directly with you.

Swindon News aims to:

1. Make it easier to access council services
2. let local people know how the council is performing.

Swindon News also brings you a list of events and activities for all the family. These are organised by Swindon Borough Council or its partner organisations. The magazine has plenty of ideas for things to do, from art exhibitions and suggestions for days and evenings out, to activities and concerts.

http://www.swindon.gov.uk/swindonnews

Download issue 85 by Clicking thumbnail:

Richard Symonds · « **Reply #1 on:** July 02, 2010, 01:13:04 AM »

The website says this is delivered.

If so why have I never seen a copy before?

Interesting quote from Peter Greenhalgh re the Mechanics - no evidence of any activity when I walked past the other day. When did they start or is this yet another example of a 'promise' and akin to the regeneration being carried out all over town? It will be very interesting to see what actually happens to the Mechanics, if anything.

Muggins · « **Reply #2 on:** July 02, 2010, 09:21:13 AM »

At pratically every meeting I have attended to-doing with the Borough they mention that anything they are planning will be announced in the Swindon News, this has been going on for several years.

Here on Penhill we never got it, once I and others complianed about it the young lady in charge of ensuring the delivery appeared to do everything she could to get it delivered to 'every house in Swindon'

However, it transpired that the people that delivered the free newspapers delivered it, and they never com in to areas like Penhill (5th of the population of Swindon) - we are deemed not well off enough to use the services in the advertisements etc. Then for a while we did get it, well I did, perhaps mine was special delivery to shut me up.

I have endlessly pointed out that they should not use Swindon News exclusively for information delivery - mostly the people who really need the info therein are the ones that don't get it. It is in effect exclusive to better off areas.

I await our copy with baited breath, which should, I suppose drop through our door any day now.

Des Morgan · « **Reply #3 on:** July 02, 2010, 09:54:03 AM »

I know i am a bit of pedant when it comes to writing 'stuff' - even though i admit i am not perfect and make some wonderful howlers - HOWEVER

Page 4 – fourth bullet point commencing ‘For those cans and bottles’ When reading this paragraph it is apparent the writer has ignored basic rules of grammar. Consider this statement ‘put a recycling box out in the garden for your guests, (really, guests need recycling) but please make sure the cans are emptied before they go in’ (is that before your guests go in)– observation, the word ‘out’ is not needed and the final part of the sentence is meaningless unless one concludes with something after the word ‘in’. The phrase ‘go in’ is itself quite ugly

Page 4 – seventh bullet point commencing ‘Try and keep’ – this is a sloppy use of English, the phrase should be ‘Try to keep’

Page 4 – ninth bullet point commencing ‘Lots of food now comes’ – the use of ‘so’ in ‘so as long a it’s not black’ is incorrect the proper phrase should either be ‘So long as it’s not black’ or ‘As long as it’s not black’

Page 5 – under ‘Love your bin’ – second tick ‘If you do have to chuck food away’ – since when has ‘chuck’ been considered common usage, surely the proper word is ‘throw’ and I suggest that ‘chuck away food’ or ‘throw away food’ is a more correct application of the words.

Page 5 – under ‘Love your bin’ – third tick ‘Try and clean’ is incorrect, the proper phrase should be ‘Try to clean’

Please do not hesitate to correct me if and where i am wrong - i can take it

Ringer · « **Reply #4 on:** July 02, 2010, 10:37:08 AM »

Its all council propaganda paid by ratepayers and it costs hundreds of thousands of pounds to pump this out.

Richard Symonds · « **Reply #5 on:** July 02, 2010, 01:34:40 PM »

Quote from: Ringer on July 02, 2010, 10:37:08 AM

Its all council propaganda paid by ratepayers and it costs hundreds of thousands of pounds to pump this out.

Are you suggesting a cost saving here then Ringer?

Muggins · « **Reply #6 on:** July 02, 2010, 04:37:53 PM »

Des, perhaps they are 'dumbing it down' so the majority of people feel easier reading it.

?

Did they go to Swindon School I wonder?

Simon · « **Reply #7 on:** July 02, 2010, 08:49:08 PM »

Quote from: Muggins on July 02, 2010, 09:21:13 AM

However, it transpired that the people that delivered the free newspapers delivered it, and they never com in to areas like Penhill (5th of the population of Swindon) - we are deemed not well off enough to use the services in the advertisements etc. Then for a while we did get it, well I did, perhaps mine was special delivery to shut me up.

I have endlessly pointed out that they should not use Swindon News exclusively for information delivery - mostly the people who really need the info therein are the ones that don't get it. It is in effect exclusive to better off areas.

Do you find that the Swindon Star isn't delivered in Penhill? I used to put that through doors in Stratton many years ago. I had 250 papers dropped on my doorstep at some point on the Wednesday, and my SLA was to have them all delivered by the end of Thursday. I usually managed to meet it.

These days it generally arrives at my house on a Saturday for some reason.

Quote from: Des Morgan on July 02, 2010, 09:54:03 AM

I know i am a bit of pedant when it comes to writing 'stuff' - even though i admit i am not perfect and make some wonderful howlers - HOWEVER

Such as failing to capitalise your "i"s when referring to the first person?

But seriously, I can't be bothered any more to get pedantic about correct use of grammar, punctuation or capitalisation. I'm sure hardened pedants would probably find many errors in the sentences I write on a daily basis, even though I try to stick to the rules. What matters to me is whether or not the meaning of the sentence is clear and unambiguous. As long as the meaning is conveyed correctly I'm not going to pick holes, seeing as I'm just as guilty as the next person of dashing off emails containing grammatical errors, which nevertheless got the job done.

I just had a thought.

Try saying out loud "I could've done something". This is a perfectly correct sentence as far as I know. But what does it sound like?

Quote

I could have done something

or

Quote

I could of done something

The former is the correct way of writing it, but the latter, although completely wrong, is how it sounds when spoken out loud, and I've lost count of the number of times that I've seen this error in writing.

Maybe English is just too complicated a language, and we're all doomed to get it wrong at some point. But as long as the listener/reader understands what the speaker/author is saying, I'm not too worried

Tobes · « **Reply #8 on:** July 03, 2010, 12:27:54 AM »

Well Muggins, its not just Penhill - the good people of Prospect Hill didn't get one either.

The paucity of communication between the council and the populace really is their greatest failure in my view... And then they'll wonder why people didn't support events like the Big Arts day or why people seemed surprised and concerned about the details of the college development...

Richard Symonds · « **Reply #9 on:** July 03, 2010, 10:36:14 AM »

Never seen one on Shaw Ridge so is the rest of the ward similarly without?

Now with Cabinet Members Keith Williams and Garry Perkins as our Representatives you would have thought it would be the first drop or are they taking this Tory Stronghold for granted?

Bogomil · « **Reply #10 on:** July 03, 2010, 10:42:22 AM »

Quote from: Richard Symonds on July 03, 2010, 10:36:14 AM

Never seen one on Shaw Ridge so is the rest of the ward similarly without?

Now with Cabinet Members Keith Williams and Garry Perkins as our Representatives you would have thought it would be the first drop or are they taking this Tory Stronghold for granted?

I expect councillors get one in their borough mail and as Perkins doesn’t live in S&NE he wouldn’t notice anyway.

Do they really care that residents don’t get this, after all it’s only another “Tick the box” exercise so that they can say they communicate regularly with residents.

Richard Symonds · « **Reply #11 on:** July 03, 2010, 10:50:40 AM »

Quote from: Bogomil on July 03, 2010, 10:42:22 AM

Do they really care that residents don’t get this, after all it’s only another “Tick the box” exercise so that they can say they communicate regularly with residents.

Do I detect some creative accounting here then?

Muggins · « **Reply #12 on:** July 03, 2010, 04:06:33 PM »

Simon, many many years ago we did get the 'Star' and the 'Messenger'.
But for years we have not. That was definitely down to being not affluent enough to buy services or advertise in it.

I can also confirm again, that there does seem to be a dependence on the Swindon News to spread their information.

As to the Big Arts Day, I've seen that advertised, and I'm supporting their bid at the world record bunting attempt. This is mainly due to being already tuned in to the event by hearing Helen Miah speak at one of the meetings I go to (whoops!) to which I go. Crikey even that sound ~~wrong.~~ incorrect.

Des, I'd like your opinion on the greeting on the borough phone line - bad grammar starts there. (463000) Makes me grr every time I hear it.

Simon · « **Reply #13 on:** July 03, 2010, 10:34:26 PM »

Quote from: Muggins on July 03, 2010, 04:06:33 PM

Simon, many many years ago we did get the 'Star' and the 'Messenger'.
But for years we have not. That was definitely down to being not affluent enough to buy services or advertise in it.

Well I got my copy of the Star delivered in person today. Mainly because I was preparing to cycle into town to do some domestic stuff when the paper delivery person turned up. She turned up while I was looking at my bike, making sure it was capable of taking me into town, and that I'd got all the things I needed to take with me.

She cheerfully handed me my copy of the Star (which I promptly put into the recycle bin, having failed to read anything there in recent years which I don't already know via TS or the Adver).

I went into town and did my domestic stuff, and returned to find a copy of Swindon News stuck in my letterbox. (If my home needs additional ventilation then I'll arrange it myself. I don't appreciate the energy I use to heat my home being lost to the open air, by means of people propping my letterbox open with paper pushed partly through my letterbox - if you must put something through my letterbox then push it all the way through, so that the warm air in my home doesn't leak out.)

OK, rant over.

My copy of the Star was handed to me on my way out. My copy of Swindon News was inserted into my letterbox whilst I was out. Does that suggest that they are delivered by different people?

Bogomil · « **Reply #14 on:** July 04, 2010, 09:38:53 AM »

Quote from: Muggins on July 03, 2010, 04:06:33 PM

I can also confirm again, that there does seem to be a dependence on the Swindon News to spread their information.

Muggins, seems that one of your councillors has been challenging this at scrutiny already under promise 12.

http://ww5.swindon.gov.uk/moderngov/Published/C00000619/M00004389/$$$Minutes.doc.pdf

but I understand that Bluh doesn’t see TS as part of the councils communication strategy…

I wonder why ;)

komadori · « **Reply #15 on:** July 04, 2010, 10:11:55 AM »

Add some of the side streets off Westcott Place to the long list of places that don't receive Swindon News. It has only been delivered once in the last 3 years. As Muggins has noted, the council do rely on it as their only means of communicating some messages, so they really should do more to ensure that all residents get a copy. I did once email the council, pointing out that it was not delivered in my street, and suggested that they put a feed on their website for people to subscribe to, or have an email mailing list. They never took up the suggestion. Even the SBC "Swindon News" twitter feed doesn't explicitly mention the publication of Swindon News.

@Swindonnews

Tea Boy · « **Reply #16 on:** July 04, 2010, 10:16:27 AM »

Also Mr Bluh seems to deem the radio one big weekend and the Wi-fi as a Success.......

what are his criteria? Success = 12 paying residents at at cost to the tex payer of £3750 each??

or a success in terms of getting his photo into as many media outlets as he can?

or In giving £20,000 a month to one of his mates?

kohima · « **Reply #17 on:** July 04, 2010, 01:08:14 PM »

Simon, several months ago, in an attempt to get the star delivered in wheeler ave, I rang the adver and asked if they wanted a person to deliver in this area, I was told in so many words, that wheeler ave, is above the star and they wouldnt waste time and effort in putting it through our doors.. never seen the swindon news either..

Alex · « **Reply #18 on:** July 04, 2010, 03:06:09 PM »

Nothing in Avenue Road so far either. Could be that 's because there's a notice saying "no free papers" but I have received it before when the notice was there.

I get more communication from the police directly via email newsletters than I do from SBC.

Muggins · « **Reply #19 on:** July 04, 2010, 05:22:56 PM »

Simon, when I first started grumbling about Swindon News not being delivered here, it was I believe, done by the same people as the Star, if not at the same time.

Just to prove it wasn't just me that didn't get it, I put it out on my Penhill email lists and got a pot of evidence that no one else got it either.
I'm sure I wasn't the only person complaining and after a to-ing and fro-ing with a very pleasant and helful young lady, I think they must have changed the delivery set up. However it seems to be back sliding again.

As this appears to be an inefficient way of communicating do you think it will/should be one of the cuts?

Alex, my notice on the door says no rubbish etc etc, but that we welcome Penhill News and Swindon News. Cllr Glaholm had his uses, I always got a copy from him!

Mart · « **Reply #20 on:** July 04, 2010, 05:57:36 PM »

I get both.

That is despite a notice on my door stating 'Feck off Swindon News' and 'Star can kiss my @rse'.

Both messages are also spelled out in petunias in my floral border, and are repeated in a nifty pattern in the block paving.

I am thinking of getting a doorbell which says 'Show us your winkle' in Latin.

Bogomil · « **Reply #21 on:** July 04, 2010, 07:09:53 PM »

Quote from: Muggins on July 04, 2010, 05:22:56 PM

Cllr Glaholm had his uses, I always got a copy from him!

Nice to see he gave something back to to the Penhill community as well as Central

Muggins · « **Reply #22 on:** July 05, 2010, 09:43:46 AM »

There was an element of generosity in his sharing his old paperwork with me - it helped me no end in keeping up. there were often magazines I would not have had acess to unless I was a councillor. It does help to know how the other person thinks.

But then if he missed something I inevitably found it - like the time a Penhill delevelopment would have brought £96k into the community but was hived off into the central pot, or would have been if that developmetn had gone through - it didn't!

Secondly, he knew I recycled the paper afterwards and this was before they started picking it up from the door.

Bobby Bingo · « **Reply #23 on:** July 05, 2010, 11:27:18 AM »

Muggins a useful source of information is the Council's Web Site.
Open this up, go Council and Democracy, then to Members Bulletin.
I find this is very good for information on Planning, Road works, Cabinet Member autocratic decision and if any member of the opposition as taken the trouble not only to reply but also even read the paper.
Bobby

Muggins · « **Reply #24 on:** July 05, 2010, 12:13:43 PM »

Yes, thanks Bobby, what it needs though, is for someone to remind me to do it occasionally! Anyone like to alert me just prior to a full council meeting?

It's a lot harder to read on line, that it was by hard copy over a cuppa.

Richard Symonds · « **Reply #25 on:** July 06, 2010, 09:27:18 AM »

Is it significant that yesterday (Monday) I actually received my first ever copy.

Thanks for bringing it round Keith!