No council tribute for D-Day

[Lord Elpus]

There are many families in Hartlepool whose loved ones have answered our Countries call and paid a heavy price for those actions.

My ex Father in Law died last year at 96, he suffered horrendous injuries during the war, my Mothers first husband is buried in a war grave in Egypt.

An ex neighbour was one of the first off the landing craft in Normandy, he was just 18 years old.  He never spoke of it to his family.

On remembrance Sunday you see the same Councillors who attend and the same who don't.  Cllr Steve Gibbon, Alison and I have never missed one all the time we've been Councillors.  I don't attend as Geoff Lilley, I go to show respect as a Councillor to the families who's loved ones answered our Countries called.

To be clear, there should have been a service for D-Day and I can understand people's anger at this not happening.

Civic occasions are the responsibility of the Mayor and Leader with the help of Officers, there needs to be an urgent review of the occasions HBC are involved with.

[the_exile]

Agree wholeheartedly with the comments of Councillor Lilley.

I have also read the comments made by the "handsome in his robes one" on the PHF facebook page.

The lad does himself no favours with very poor grammar and spelling, then when picked up on this fact points to the fact that he was the "product of a Thatcher Education system" errrrrr hang on a minute fella, so was I and countless thousands of others who can not only spell but also they can construct a sentence correctly.

Also if he holds the Tories with such distain, why does he jump into bed (metaphorically of course) with the leader of the local Conservative party at every opportunity.

The fact the Hartlepool Council "chose" not to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of D Day or alternatively "forgot" that it was the 70th Anniversary of D Day, speaks volumes about the Officers and the Leaders of the Council. No doubt they will all shrug their shoulders and blame anybody but themselves for the debacle.

[testing times]

Are there any plans for Armed Services Day on the 28th other than the usual token march around the Marina Car Park? I would have thought that there was a good case for granting the local recruiting regiment the Freedom of the Borough rather than some Labour Party Crony which is what normally happens.

[fred c]

http://www.hartlepoolpost.co.uk/

Is this such a surprise ? probably not to most of us, i think there are an awful lot of people in Hartlepool that have now come to recognise that the Civic Leaders of Hartlepool have an agenda of their own.

They are starting to believe their own legend, witness the Tweets... The Millenium Bridge Being Lifted For Us...

"Just to let people know it`s not the council who organise such events as Remembrance Sunday or Commemorations such as today"

"However I will be speaking to the relevant people to ask why it wasn`t marked in Hartlepool"

Someone within the Civic could well be in for a good reaming if the comment by "Handsome Ste" is anything to go by.

"The Dear Leader & Handsome Ste" were on "Official Duties" sailing on the Tyne, its just a pity that Hartlepool could well have been the only town in the country that didn`t "Officially" Commemorate D Day.

The 70th anniversary of D Day 6th of June 1944 must have slipped their minds, a boat trip on The Tyne sipping Veuve Clicquot was obviously a more appealing way of spending the day.

[Harry Lime]

In terms of me personally, I work in a different town by day and I can assure you there were significant activities in relation to remembrance of the D-Day 70th anniversary, both in the institution I work in and the wider area.

I assumed (wrongly obviously) that this would be the case at a memorial about 30 metres from the civic centre.

What exactly did you, in your managerial position, do in regard to this anniversary within your own institution.  Didn't even have TV screens showing events from France in the public areas for students and staff.  This is a classic case of kettle calling the pot!

[mk1]

[

What exactly did you........................

Harry get back in the sewers.........

[Inspector Knacker]

http://www.hartlepoolpost.co.uk/



"Just to let people know it`s not the council who organise such events as Remembrance Sunday or Commemorations such as today"

"However I will be speaking to the relevant people to ask why it wasn`t marked in Hartlepool"

On the first point......so who does...?

On the second point.......if the question is being asked after the event, it appears he knew nothing about it either or the question would have been asked prior to the event. ..... and he  can hardly criticise someone for not knowing when he didn't apparently know himself..... can he...?

[mk1]

This is all traffic on the Tyne on June 6th


http://www.portoftyne.co.uk/business-divisions/marine-and-environmental-services/shipping-movements/shipping-history/



As you can see very few departures/arrivals.

Note the Dear Leader's Consort is wearing  his chain




and the  photo sequence shows them entering the Tyne

[Inspector Knacker]

I think all elected members in town have let the residents that ticked the box for them on the various voting days in town for not remembering those that gave so much during WWII especially  D Day.

..but then.....not all elected members are actually running the council.... so instead of blaming the  squaddies try looking in the direction of the officers mess. ( 'mess' seems oddly appropriate in this instance.)

[Lucy Lass-Tick]

Somehow, to my mind this doesn't quite 'sit right' - or maybe it's just another example of the town's apathy?

http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/local/why-hartlepool-did-not-commemorate-d-day-1-6663000

[Interested]

I agree wholeheartedly, but looking at some comments on the mail website it would appear that nothing anybody does or says or even asks will please people.

The whole issue is a disgrace and HBC/Councillors should hang their heads in shame, furthermore to use the excuse of funding or lack of it also stinks!

I would be interested to know what the costs would have been...............advertisement by the mail (should be free), some wreaths (donated by service organisations), peoples time (Free) planning (not difficult and could be free)

IS THAT DIFFICULT ??

DRiddle... its happened now, but lessons learnt, lets make sure it doesnt happen again.......People will only be too happy to take a swing at you for even trying 

[DRiddle]

The main issue I have is the conflation flaw which has been allowed to hide the main issue via that article.

What people actually complained about on social media (mainly) was that there was no wreath placed at the cenotaph from the council. Nobody was necessarily asking for some major event, just at the very least some form of simple acknowledgment from HBC.

Neither happened. One is potentially excusable given then information in the article, one isn't.

The two issues are not the same.

[Inspector Knacker]

The main issue I have is the conflation flaw which has been allowed to hide the main issue via that article.

What people actually complained about on social media (mainly) was that there was no wreath placed at the cenotaph from the council. Nobody was necessarily asking for some major event, just at the very least some form of simple acknowledgment from HBC.

Neither happened. One is potentially excusable given then information in the article, one isn't.

The two issues are not the same.

I can't see someone slipping quietly out of the civic to place a wreath..,...if there was a wreath to be laid that would be a photo opportunity too good to ignore...cue pomp and circumstance and the arrival of the towns own royal family.:......while the Mail photographer stands by.

[Interested]

Thats irrelevant really, one minute me knock em for not doing anything, then we knock em saying it would be used as media promotion for the SCABs?

So what, they will utilise every opportunity for a snap (we know that), but anything would have been better than nothing ??

[DRiddle]

To be honest on this particular issues I'd have expected a picture of the Mayor in the full robes and chains laying the wreath. That's the whole point I guess, that it didn't happen. It should have done but it didn't.

Anyway, perhaps we'll get it right in 5 years time at the 75th anniversary.