The wettest drought ever?

See http://uk.news.yahoo.com/hot/w/water-crisis.html for background info.

As one who vividly remembers the Great Drought of 1976 I thought I detected symptoms of something similar this year.

I remember that January and February as being very dry. On January 6th Chew Valley Lake (the biggest reservoir to our then home in Keynsham) was down to levels more appropriate to August. One could even see the old bridge in the village which had flooded when the River Chew was dammed to create the lake reservoir. This followed on a hot, dry summer in 1975.

January and February were very dry here this year and hosepipe bans were introduced in April. A repeat of '76 was threatened (or promised - depending on one's point of view).

Here the similarities have ended abruptly. By this stage in 1976 we were experiencing a heatwave which lasted until the end of August. As I write this on 21st May the wind is howling outside, it is cold for the time of year and it is raining heavily for the 5th day in succession, we lost an ash tree to the storm at the side of our house on Friday and the Kingston Guardian wanted to talk to me that same day about flooding in Browns Road. Some drought!!

New ASB initiative

See http://uk.news.yahoo.com/15052006/140/dial-101-new-non-emergency-number.html

This move by some police forces to create a new emergency number with a lesser status than 999 could be a good move. Some of my constituents, confronted by anti-social behaviour, seem reluctant to contact the police about it. Sometimes it's because they just can't find the non-emergency number they need. So this should be a reassuring move.
However, it will need to be backed up by resources and action if it is to help vulnerable citizens feel there is protection they can call upon when they feel threatened. When we see things like Surbiton Police Station not being manned full time and Mew Malden Station sold to Witherspoons for a new pub and no Police desk in the new Community Centre for Hook and Chessington, there's bound to be a suspicion that this may be an 'eye-catching initiative' in the best Blairite tradition and little more. We wait in hope............

Election result

For full details of the election results see www.kingston.gov.uk. You will notice that The Conservatives made 6 net gains from the Liberal Democrats and they gained 1 seat from Labour. The Liberal Democrats now have an overall majority of 2 seats, whereas previously they had 12. The biggest swing of the night was in Chessington North and Hook, where the Conservatives achieved a 23% swing against the Liberal Democrats, reducing their majority from over 1100 to a mere 18. Across the Borough the Lib Dem administration is supported by a few thousand fewer people than voted for the Conservative opposition - what price proportional representation now?
One ward stands out like a sore thumb as uncharacteristic of the the rest of Kingston. That is Berrylands, where the Lib Dems contrived a dramatic increase in their vote to unseat our Leader, Kevin Davis. Edward Davey MP seems to have involved himself far more than usual in the campaign, though I don't remember deeing him at the count of votes. There were recounts in Berrylands, Canbury, Norbiton, Old Malden and Alexandra wards.
In my ward of Surbiton Hill the Greens beat Labour into 4th place and my majority over the nearest Lib Dem rose from 66 in 2002 to 552 this time around, rather exceeding my hopes and expectations. I am sure my Anonymous correspondent will be characteristically generous in his congratulations!