By the time you read this the elections will be over, and I am truly delighted that so many candidates put themselves forward. Other villages are reportedly in a poor way for people willing to put themselves forward, and it’s very encouraging to see that Ewelme is thriving as a community.
For those candidates not elected, don’t go away and sulk! You’ve set an example and made a difference: the village will be seeking you out for tasks and advice anyway. Thank you for volunteering in the first place.
For my part, I’ve greatly enjoyed my 12 years because of the company of fellow councillors and the in-depth involvement with so many of you. They, you and your Clerk have put in a lot of energy, time, common sense and good humour to keep your village in good shape. We’ve also put many matters on a more professional footing without losing the open, personal style for which we seem quite respected.
I think we dealt with problems and difficulties well. A Nolay friend reminded me of the key difference between a problem and a difficulty – in French a problem is masculine and thus likely to have a logical solution, but a difficulty is a feminine noun and… Ah! I don’t have to be politically correct any more.
Personally, I don’t tend to dwell on things past, good or bad: so I’m not going to chronicle achievements over the past years. We have a number to be quite proud of, but I do look ahead to new ideas and tasks for the village. Handing over to a new team is all about letting go but not walking away. I shall revert to being a working resident like everyone else.
I do thank all of you who have supported me over the years and made my time as a parish councillor and Chairman so rewarding. I wish our next Council an equally productive and enjoyable term of office, with the active - but sometimes invisible - support of so many of the residents.
Neil Blake