Of Men and Memorials

Fight for your children - these men did

First of all, the apologies.

Sorry there has been nothing on this site for some time now, but Ken and Barbie should take no comfort from that.

I am merely biding my time until nearer to the date that the Blaenau Gwent Scrutiny Committee present their findings to the Fire Authority.  When that date approaches, then this site will again shoot up the international rankings and reveal to the world just what a spiteful, vindictive and dangerous man Chief Fire Officer Huw Jakeway really is and just how he is endangering the lives of our community.

Hopefully we can then get an official inquiry into his conduct and perhaps even get him removed from his job.  Either way, whether he wins or loses this battle to close down Blaina Fire Station, his name will be muck for ever.

As for the respect of those poor firefighters who have to work under him and the bean counter Sally "Barbie" Chapman, who likes to dress up as a firefighter, well he lost that a long time ago when he lied publicly in the Argus newspaper and also when he ran away from the people of Blaina.

Real men run up beaches and fight for what they believe in Huw, you, you ran away from women who only wanted to ask you why you were planning to endanger the lives of their children.

Now the news is in, that Labour Councillor Lisa Winnett has launched a campaign to raise funds to build a memorial to firefighters Stephen Griffin and Kevin Lane who tragically lost their lives protecting ours in February 1996.  Shamefully I must ask, why did it take us this long to think about a memorial?

Now I make no bones about it, I am a great admirer of Lisa Winnett (the Labour Party not so much).

You see, the only reason Blaina Fire Station is currently still in with a very good chance of remaining open and defending the people of Blaina, is because of the incredible amount of hard work she carried out in revealing what a badly flawed and inaccurate piece of work the original Fire Service Proposal to the Fire Authority was.

Yes, it is brilliant news that the internationally recognised metal artist Chris Lane has volunteered to make a memorial sculpture in honour for Our Fallen Heroes, that would be sited on the A467 roundabout that leads to Blaina.

Although if it is metal, I would be a little bit concerned about its security, knowing sadly that some people have no respect for our past or our heroes, and that many memorials are stolen for their scrap value.

However I have a greater reservation, and that is, that should the fight to save Our Fire Station fail, then the memorial becomes not just a memorial to the men who gave their lives for their community but also a memorial and reminder of how we let thieves steal away the safety of our families and property in order to save a few pounds per year.

Now I also find it interesting that a fundraising committee with planned meetings has been set up to raise money to pay for the memorial work and yet there is no committee for the Saving of Blaina Fire Station and no plans to raise the money that we will need to pay for the leaflets and posters that could well ensure that Our Station remains open.

I also find it disappointing that local men and women with skills that could really help promote Blaina have not stepped up-to the plate.  I know for a fact that were we to produce a 5 minute video of our struggle to save our station and post it on youtube, then I could ensure through my skills and contacts that it would go viral and potentially be seen by millions.

I also find insulting the news that Jakeway thinks he can buy Blaina off by offering money towards the new memorial.  I know what my response would be.

Now I know you are tired of this campaign, I know there are other things happening now to occupy your minds but you do not walk away from a fight of this importance without losing something of yourselves.

If you are a man of honour and you say you care about your community and the young of this community then you must help in the campaign or smash every mirror in your home, because when you look into it, you will see the face of a quitter and coward staring back at you.

Thinking women who could assist in this campaign and who choose not to, are even more damned in my eyes.

You say you love your children. You say your grandchildren mean the world to you.

At least that's what you tell me.  I read it every day on facebook - now bloody well prove it and join me in the fight against the closure.

Finishing on the memorial.

I would rather we put the effort into saving the Fire Station first.  When that Victory is won, then and only then do we turn to raising the funds to raise the monument to our heroes and put it right in front of the new station that we demand to be built.