A pair of shorts...

Just to keep things moving, here's a couple of shorts from the Wood & Vale, November 2nd. The first originated from a Conservative Party press release. I could not resist poking a little fun! The second is from a Westminster Council press release. To follow, there's a longer, more involved piece on mental health. This will be uploaded shortly.

Tories Get Cosy in run up to General Election.

There was an enthusiastic round of back slapping this week among local Conservative Party candidates, with Joanne Cash and Shaun Bailey pledging to develop closer ties between their neighbouring constituencies.

Mr Bailey, the candidate for the newly established Hammersmith constituency, praised the work of Ms Cash, the candidate for Westminster North.

Mr Bailey said: "Already, in a very short space of time, Joanne has worked with some of the most disadvantaged people in the constituency. This has demonstrated her belief in social justice, and her desire to change people's lives for the better."

The mutual admiration continued with Ms Cash returning the compliment: "Shaun is a fantastic ambassador for the modern Conservative Party," she said.


Citizens Help Lay Down Law

More than 700 Westminster residents are taking to the streets in a bid to tackle crime, anti-social behaviour and environmental concerns.

The scheme, known as the CivicWatch Citizens, includes individuals and community groups. It began in South Westminster in 2005 and spread throughout the borough this year.

A new phase, Active Citizenship, is being piloted in Abbey Road, Regent's Park, and Bayswater this autumn. This gives the citizens the chance to take part in environmental street audits with the police and council members to highlight problem issues and areas.

A council spokeswoman said: "The scheme has been a huge success. It's all about tackling problems from the grass roots upwards.

"Our members are the people who are living in the area. They know what's going on. This provides us with an effective method to tackle their concerns."

If you would like to become a CivicWatch Citizen, call 020 7641 1007 or email CivicWatchCitizen@westminster.gov.uk.