Back To The Future
The Middy headline states "Master Plan Experts Ready For A Grilling". It sounds like people are really cross. Just read the article and the criticism mounts: "The response from the pupils has been fantastic, they are really excited about the future plans for the town and keen to see the changes. It's encouraging that they want to get involved as they are Burgess Hills future generation."

Should the headline be "ready for a grilling" or "invited to a barbecue"? Those "critical" words come from Colin Taylor, head of Oakmeeds. Such an unbiased man. Remember last years Better Mid Sussex document for Burgess Hill? Well, listed as the first interviewee, in the opening pages is one Colin Taylor, described as "principal" of Oakmeeds Community College. Obviously "headmaster" is far too lowly a description for him.

So, we have a man speaking for the youth of Mid Sussex. Since, these interviewees also supposedly spoke for the rest of us, I'm not totally convinced that he does represent their views. What carrots did he dangle in front of his charges in morning assembly? New off-licences and tobacconists which don't ask for ID? A family planning clinic? I don't know what the indoctrination was, but I suspect pupils were dazzled with their promised new multiscreen cinema and fast food outlets. Ben Hollebon, 16, says "we can all enjoy the cafes". I don't know when teenagers became wealthy enough to sip cappuccinos as they completed their homework, but I suspect that is not the reality for most youth.

I read that the plans include the destruction of two dentists and a doctor's surgery. Local residents surrounding Sydney West will, I'm sure, be interested to see what additional capacity will now be expected to be made available at their new clinic when plans are drawn up. I hope the local cricket club doesn't object to a field the size of a tennis court.

If you want to discuss the plans for Burgess Hill, don't expect to be able to talk to the head of Mid Sussex District Council Planning Department, Dick Lancaster. He has gone on holiday to New Zealand and won't be back until next month. Yes, really!

Soames
Our MP, Nicholas Soames, is complaining about a statue of his grandfather wearing a strait jacket. I would normally agree with his criticism. Who wants a statue of their relative in such an outfit?

However, when it came to his complaint he showed his true prejudices. Rethink, who made the sculpture, wanted to make the point that Winston Churchill suffered from mental illness and that disability did not diminish his many achievements.

It is a well known fact that Winston Churchill suffered from depression. At one dinner party a group of guests were agreeing with each other how they thought that the world was well-rid of those who committed suicide. He erupted into a fury at their remarks and told them that he had once considered throwing himself under a train.

That Mr Soames describes his grandfather suffering from mental illness as "complete fiction" shows his own ignorance. Depression is a form of mental illness. In the new "inclusive" Conservative Party much is made of minority groups such as gays and Muslims (funnily enough, two minorities who can't abide the sight of each other) so why not the mentally ill?

His leader, David Cameron, makes much of getting rid of class distinctions. His party will not defend the grammar schools anymore (the one sure way of working class children working their way out of poverty) yet academic selection by wealth will remain. Both he and Cameron went to Eton. So much for a party making advances into parts of society previously immune to Conservative charms. Obviously he makes a distinction between the deserving and undeserving disabled - the mentally ill being rather "difficult" to sympathise with. He needs to open his mind.