Election Day 22nd May 2014 and Thornton's Budgens re-launch

Relaunch of Thorntons Budgens

Belsize 

A big thank you to Andrew Thornton for inviting me to the store relaunch event which I was pleased to step out of my busy election schedule to become the first Independent Councillor in Belsize today.

I wish Andrew together with his iconic Budgens store continued success.

My community achievements here in Belsize since 2006

I am very proud to have been quietly serving you here in Belsize as your Prospective councillor and candidate since 2006, yes thats an amazing 12 years! I can hardly believe it myself.

As a Belsize resident I become actively involved in my local landlord meetings. I attended my first meeting back in 2006 where I was horrified at how the council and contractors actually allowed a virtual fight to take place amongst the residents to lose valuable consultation rights!

I quickly changed all that as I was within months elected the leaseholder representative for the Chalcots estate. A position that I still hold today 12 years later as a co-opted member of Burnham TRA as position that I have help for 8 years. Since the problems of the evacuations. I was voted in by more than 55 residents in the largest vote that a block has ever had. Such is the strength of support for me and my colleagues.

Together with my other representatives we have saved countless shoddy unsafe GAS pipe installations and expensive GAS meters installations that would have cost everyone £700 each. I got that cost waved. I also obtained more value from the developers for each resident that has been greatly appreciated by all and I still receive thanks from people who remember my input which took months of free volunteer time.

I was elected by Camden councillors in 2010 to be a co-opted member of the Camden Housing and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee and re-elected in 2011 again where I specialised in leaseholder matters on the special Leaseholder Scrutiny panel. Again all volunteer positions. I was also School Governor from 2009 to 2013 at the Outstanding rated Primrose Hill School, where I become elected to be on the recruitment panel to select a new head when the situation arose. A task that I was very honoured to do which again I gave up all my free time to discharge my duties.

Yes I take civic duty very seriously, what I say I will do I do and more. I have a track record since 2006 of doing precisely this. Some weeks I have clocked up around 20 hours of voluntary time to our community. It amazes me that in the party political machine some candidates can sweep to election as a local councillor without either living in the ward nor actually doing anything apart from canvassing and simply being with the right party at the right time! Very often it is the true warriors who give the most who simply do not get elected. This is unfortunate and with this in mind I believe that standing as an Independent allows more scope to be equally accessible to all residents without party associations standing in the way.

I have been asked by many of you if I am or was already a councillor well it seems like it to me and I am sure that if you elect me tomorrow to be the first INDEPENDENT councillor here in Belsize it will feel more of a natural development from the positions I currently hold to be an actually elected councillor.

I am sure that together with the other two councillors that you elect that we will form a very effective team. Having me as an Independent will provide a useful balance and check on any party politics that councillors from the political groups will face due to their requirements to often toe the party lines and support their National party policies, which as the Mayor Boris Johnson has demonstrated is not always in the best interest of either Camden and especially Belsize with closure to the Hampstead Police Station, the Belsize Fire Station, loss of 4 community police from a team of 6 and worst of all that remaining small team of 2 being co-joined with Haverstock Hill where they often spend a lot of their time due to policing needs there. Which leaves Belsize more exposed to becoming a future trouble spot if not carefully patrolled as before by the local police with local knowledge.

One thing is clear that I have really enjoyed meeting as many of you as was humanly possible these past six weeks. I have covered virtually the whole of Belsize, walked thousands of steps and walked hundreds of collective miles, completely warn out a new pair of trainers and was invited into many of your homes for a rest and a cup of tea more than at any other time that I have stood as a candidate.

So a special thank you to all that offered such warm hospitality and support. Win or lose I will remember that support for a very long time. Actually it is not just about wining because finding making associations, friends and discovering new thoughts and ideas is just as vital.

I am planning to do a another new film production probably a documentary on the Chalcots here in Belsize later in the year so I expect that I will being seeing many of you whilst out filming.

Groundhog Day Talks on HS2 revisited!

Copyright of (c) 2012 Ham & High, Cartoonist Ken Pyne

This cartoon about the stupidity of so-called HS2 Consultation was created by cartoonist Ken Pyne of Ham & High back in 2012 to accompany a letter that of mine that the paper had published about the craziness of HS2 and the "Deja Vu" effect that I later coined the phrase "Groundhog Day Talks"

This is the letter I wrote back in 2012 at yet again another HS2 Community forum. Not much progress has been made from 2010 to 2012 and little if any progress has been made to the present Day with now the consultation over and "only" the petition which is a very specific legal instrument that must be formatted and written in a very precise way, delivered to Portcullis House, House of Parliament by 23rd May 2014 and a submission fee of £20 to boot!

Just in case you are wondering "Deep Piles" is a technical expression and not actually a medical condition from sitting in so many consultation meetings, but one could easily think both was true!

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As I reported several weeks ago after attending a HS2 Primrose Hill to Kilburn route consultation HS2 Community Forum on 28th March 2012 at Swiss Cottage Library. I made several points.

Which the HS2 meeting chair / facilitator agreed with me;

1. Consultation is not making progress and learning in what has previously been gained from previous consultations.

2. The route has endless "wriggle room" possibilities with no real drive to create an effective and minimal impacting route.

3. Engineering uncertainties skewing route on risks based on "Deep Piles" and "Boggy Pockets" along the route, creating much uncertainty for the residents Gloucester Avenue and King Henrys Road, Primrose Hill.

A few days ago circulated to all meeting participants, I received a draft "Primrose Hill to Kilburn Notes" by email.

Where I was compelled to make this reply:

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"Dear HS2 Community Forum Chair HS2 Ltd.

If this is an example of a quality document (I am taking draft edition into consideration when I say this) capturing the views and opinions expressed at this highly activated and mobilised meeting then I am now compelled to revisit all my copious notes from the said meeting.

What has been attempted here is a distillation of thoughts and real concerns into a bubble diagram of key tag words.

'Boggy Pockets', 'Deep Piles' and numerous other concerns are there but statements from representatives on the almost unanimous consensual view that no one felt that this consultation process came anywhere close to being a meaningful actual consultation process is notable by its exclusion.

Please also note you have me listed as representing a Co-Op Housing Association at Camden Council!

I am a co-opted member of Camden Council Housing and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee.

Clearly, it appears that there is a cohesive luck of focus with attention to details on all HS2 Limited consultation processes this far. Which let me remind is essential to the of 'Duty of Care' and Due Diligence of HS2 consultation as stipulated in legal framework of consultative law.

Regards

Nigel Rumble
Co-Opted member of
Camden Council Housing and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee."
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I received this statement from the HS2 Community Forum secretariat by email.

"I have amended the notes to cover members’ scepticism around the overall forums process."

So I have achieved a victory of sorts as I have managed to get recorded that there was members scepticism at the HS2 consultation meeting!

I will not pass judgement here of the response but just go back to my opening line "Groundhog Day Talks" you may have seen the movie, imagine every day starting again over and over. That's HS2 Consultation.

I was going to use the Möbius Loop as another metaphor, but settled on "Groundhog Day" due to its more closely fitting the point I was articulating.
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My "HAPPY in BELSIZE" film for Belsize concept taking seed

A lot of interest is being shared with me whilst campaigning with you since my announcement last week on my idea to do a HAPPY Pharrell Williams film through the streets of Belsize, especially from the students of The Royal Central School of Speeches and Drama based at Eton Avenue here in Belsize.

I have meet a number of students expressing a real interest to do this with me if I can put together the film crew .....

..... Guess what whilst calling on door steps I have meet several local Belsize based film makers so this is now beginning to look as if this project that started as one of my many concept films may grow wings during the summer, hey we need the sun right! 

I am also exploring getting sponsorship for this from film companies so we can get access to a RED epic or BlackMagic with there brand new 4K systems to do this in super crisp cinema quality.

Much to do after the elections, but most important will be the street performers and that's YOU! Calling all the youth from Belsize that have interest in dance, break-dancing and singers. You have seen the multitude of Pharrell Williams Happy music videos, so you know what the look is. 

I am looking to create something hopefully unique for Belsize, something that is a statement of all that is cool in this area of Belsize and especially our treasure of having the world famous "Central" as our neighbours. Perhaps the disused Fire Station and especially that fireman's pole may feature in this film! If I can get filming permission for this Grade II listed building and also the setting tenant still living there.

Just to get all of you thinking here is a great high end example from Berlin that is the sort of take I have in mind, but naturally scaled down for Belsize!

Media links included are copyrighted with original "embedded" website owners

#HAPPY in BELSIZE

Watch my #HAPPYDAY film HAPPY in BELSIZE

#HAPPY in BELSIZE filmed in Belsize Park and surrounding area as part of the International Day of Happiness.

Many thanks for the wonderful music that Pharrell Williams has made available for this #HAPPYDAY event.  It has been the biggest hit ever in its inspirational qualities to all and especially the young that it has inspired to great things.

As part of this I am planning and hope to make a "real" #HAPPY in BELSIZE music / dance film later in the year.  With that in mind I call upon all the local dancers, break dancers and generally fit youth that would like to offer their free time for this venture.  I also call upon all my film making community to again offer their free time to help make this the very best that Belsize community can offer to the world community in the spirit of the Pharrell Williams series genre of countless films from nearly every free country in the world.

Thank You

Nigel Rumble

Postscript: 

It is hoped that the community will be able to enjoy the peaceful and calm atmosphere that continues to draw the multicultural community to wish to live in Belsize Park for years to come and not have this wonderful area "blighted" by a decade of civil engineering madness with HS2 train link.

Attempted Robbery in Belsize

Last night around 8pm whilst out on the Belsize campaign. My agent fell victim to an attempted iPhone "snatch" robbery by a would be thief riding a Barclays "Boris" bike, fortunately she being a New Yorker and well aware of her surroundings she prevented the robbery. The would be assailant made off at high peddling speed on the Barclays "Boris" bike in the direction along Belsize Park towards Swiss Cottage. I come down steps of a large Victorian style house to see what turned out to be the iPhone "snatch" thief peddling passed.

The Police was called and we had a very excellent turn out response from the Kentish Town team, who went initially on pursuit with such a good description to go on. Details exchanged and we discussed briefly about this situation which sadly is very common in London.

I my self have heard multiple times about the high incidence of iPhone theft whilst attending Belsize SNT panel meetings over the many years where I am the vice chair.

The principle advice that the Belsize SNT team have made is always be well aware of your surroundings whilst out on your own and especially when using mobile phones or getting money from ATM's. Especially off the Haverstock Hill Road at night. This advice which clearly my agent knew from living in a large city like New York paid off.

Naturally, we called it an evening after that experience and went for a relaxing Earl Grey!

It is an honour to have been nominated as your prospective councillor for Belsize

People may wonder why I have decided to use a photo of me and Boris. Especially since I am an Independent, well I wish to make the point that love or hate him, Boris is very much an independent and has done a great deal of good for London.

However, this is where I must end the high accolade and turn to the darker side of Boris Johnson as Mayor.

Since 2012 Boris has systematically made aggressive cuts to essential services that have had a "dire" consequence to Camden and specifically Belsize ward where I live and am a very active voice for my local community.

We have lost our local Police Station at Hampstead only a short walk away from Belsize, closed and gone forever and sold to private developers to turn into luxury homes (there was a "joke" rumour that it would become the new McDonalds in Hampstead!) and then we come to the most recent and tragic of losing forever our local Belsize Fire Station, literally opposite my home.

I went to the local meetings to meet (and argue the case for Belsize) the Borough Fire Chief to ask directly in his words what the consequences of this closure would mean to the residents and local businesses would mean.

He openly said that with the closure of Belsize Fire Station that Belsize being at the heart of having a Fire Station would be at the epicentre of lowest response times in Camden due to the closure and being placed so much further from alternate Fire Stations.

He did however attempt to reassure that residents in Belsize would receive turn out times in line with national recommendations, but he openly admitted that Belsize would change from an excellent turn out response times to one of the lowest in Camden due to the much longer travel times for fire engines to come from the Euston Road area, through traffic jams at peak hours.

So it is with much sadness that the man "Boris" whom I had admired as being almost an enigma and somewhat of an Independent within the Tory party has been so draconian in his position as Mayor.

It was over these reasons that I resigned from the Conservative Party, where in 2010 I was your prospective councillor and candidate for Belsize and almost won only being beaten by the Lib Dems by a hair whisker of 52 votes.

As a protest to the outrage of losing vital services in Camden I did "join" with the Labour Party of Camden and was asked and agreed to go on the "Stop The Cuts" Rally through central London back in 2012.

So with my anger quashed and my spirits lifted by making a "public" stand I announced that I would re-double my efforts to bring about change for good in Camden but as an "Independent" not linked to any party political machines. Free to follow with my experience gained over all these years in party politics to follow my conscience of what I believe to be true and right.

With this hopefully brief summary of where I am now and why I have put my self forward as your prospective councillor and candidate for Belsize ward.

Over the next month I will be attempting to make as much face to face contact and engagement as possible with you all.

Please check in here and on Twitter @nigelrumble often to see how this campaign is going.