If the councillors we elected so recently are being forced to do things that they don’t want to, why did we elect them? Certainly not to implement other people’s policies that are unpopular with a vast proportion of their electorate.

NOT OUR FAULT

IT looks as though the district council are so keen on handing over parking enforcement to the county council that it’s only a matter of time. We’re getting the usual claims that they are being forced to introduce charges and that “things can’t stay the same forever”. If the councillors we elected so recently are being forced to do things that they don’t want to, why did we elect them? Certainly not to implement other people’s policies that are unpopular with a vast proportion of their electorate. There are a couple of worrying aspects to the proposals. Do we really want some council employee to have the power to fine his or her fellow civilians? Dishing out parking tickets ought to be the province of the police, not a bureaucrat in a funny hat. Also, although the proposal is to introduce parking charges only for Ely at the moment, if the county council get their fingers into Soham and Littleport, as is intended, how long before our car parks are turned into revenue generators? And once a charge is levied just watch it go up, that’s what happened in Newmarket and now there are seven shops standing empty on the Guineas (n�e Rookery) but at least there are plenty of spaces close to what are left of the shops there.

PRETTY BOY

JAKE the spaniel knows he’s a handsome chap, he certainly doesn’t need anyone to tell him so, but he would like a bit of extra praise now and again. At the moment he’s dropping hints thick and fast that Saturday would be a good day to leave town for an hour or two. It’s time for Wicken F�te and dog show again. It’s a chance to enjoy a proper, traditional f�te with all the community pulling together and to see who’s the second best looking dog in the area (or so Jake thinks).

DISPOSE OF SAFELY

A FRIEND of mine, being a responsible sort of bloke, in fact he’s been responsible for all sorts of things over the years, recently treated Mrs Responsible to a new set of kitchen knives. This raised the question of what to do with the old ones, especially in view of the amount of knife crime that’s reported these days. My friend sought advice from the local constabulary at Parkside in Cambridge. He was slightly surprised when the chap on the other end of the phone said that he always put his in the rubbish. My friend wonders what happens to all the weapons collected in knife amnesties.

TWO DATES

THERE are a couple of events this weekend. On Saturday, from 10am till noon the Salvation Army is holding its summer sale on Bushel Lane. Admission is all of 20p and tea and coffee will be available.

On Sunday there is a classic vehicle event at AT and NJ Turner’s farm on Hasse Road in aid of the Diabetic Society, from 10am till 7pm. All manner of interesting and venerable vehicles are promised from tractors to cars to motorcycles and probably the odd lorry or two.

WEEDY

THE Rotary Club’s duck race went off eventually on Sunday morning despite the shallowness of Brook Dam and the large build up of weed in the water. This did cause some of the ducks to turn around and start floating upstream, which is quite an achievement when you are made of yellow plastic. Winners were found and money was raised for Rotary’s worldwide bid to stamp out polio in the near future. The duck that came in third was sponsored by Halo the dog who didn’t seem too concerned by her triumph