onlineFOCUS – News and Stuff For Rochford District since 2003

We had a sombre start to last night’s Full Council – a minute’s silence in memory of Dawn Giles, Terry Livings and Roy Pearson,  three people connected with the council who had all died recently.

Dawn Giles was a former Lib Dem Rayleigh Town Councillor. Dawn became involved in politics when her father, Mike Handford, was a Lib Dem District Councillor in Rayleigh (and a very successful Chairman of the Council). She threw herself into political activity, in a variety of roles, from being a well-organised constituency treasurer, to helping at quiz nights, to encouraging her children to deliver Focus leaflets, and to ultimately in becoming a Rayleigh Town Councillor herself for while! She wasn’t in it for the kudos, but simply to make a contribution. Dawn was barely into her fifties, which makes her passing a particularly sad event.

Terry Livings was a Conservative District Councillor for Lodge Ward from 1999 to 2007. In his latter years he was battling determinedly against poor health, but he remained a very genuine and sincere councillor, and always seemed happy to have a chat outside of the council chamber. Terry was particularly interested in facilities for young people, and was sometimes very forthright in his support for those facilties.

Roy Pearson was the sitting Conservative County Councillor for Rochford South. He had previously served for many years as a District Councillor, representing Foulness & Great Wakering East. Roy was one of nature’s gentlemen, always pleasant and friendly. It was a measure of the man that when the Tories were at their lowest point in the district , with only two district councillors, Roy was one of the two who held their seats. He was a former chairman of the Council, and took a particular interest in planning issues.

To hear at a meeting about the loss of three people like this was particularly sombre, and our thoughts and sympathy are with their families and friends.

December 19th, 2012 | Category: Personal | Comments (3)

We’ve just heard of another very sad loss. Tom Smith-Hughes, the leader of the Liberal Democrats on Essex County Council, has died after a long fight with cancer.

Chelmsford Lib Dems have written the following on their website:

Chelmsford Liberal Democrats are deeply saddened to announce the death of Cllr Tom Smith-Hughes, after a long and brave battle against cancer.

Tom was County Councillor for Chelmsford North for 27 years; Chelmsford Councillor for Patching Hall for 17 years; Lib Dem leader at County Hall and on the Fire Authority, and a member of the Lib Dems’ Essex, Chelmsford and local branch executives. He held many community positions including school governor posts.

Commented Cllr Mike Mackrory (Deputy Lib Dem Leader Essex CC), “We are devastated by this news. Tom was a pillar of strength to the Lib Dems and indeed the whole community in Chelmsford. He was highly respected by everyone who knew him. Our thoughts are with Jill and the family at this deeply sad time.”

Chelmsford Council Lib Dem Leader Chris Rycroft added, “We will all miss Tom deeply. He was a huge asset to our Group and the wider Council. Few people understood local government finances like Tom and it meant he was listened to across the council.”

Cllr. Stephen Robinson, his ward colleague in Patching Hall, added, “Tom was a friend to me and countless other people locally. He helped many hundreds of people across north Chelmsford and further afield over many years, and campaigned tirelessly for our community, on housing, transport and many other issues.”

Our thoughts go out to his family and friends tonight.

April 18th, 2012 | Category: Personal | Comments (3)

Some very sad news.

Hullbridge Councillor Michael Hoy has reported that Chris Morgan died last Friday.

Chris Morgan was one of the most significant people to have ever served on the District Council, and he served it for many years. He was a stalwart of the Labour Party, but liked and respected across the chamber. Chris spoke with natural gravitas, intelligence and humour.

If you were putting forward a proposal , if there was one councillor in another party you wanted to say you were right, it was Chris. When he was putting forward a motion himself, he didn’t seem to compromise on his principles – there was one occasion shortly before he was up for re-election when he supported a planning application, even though he knew it would lose him badly-needed votes.

He was an inspiration to many people.

He will be sorely missed, and our thoughts go out to his family.

Minutes of the first ever meeting of the District Council in 1973 - Chris Morgan was a member.

April 11th, 2012 | Category: Hullbridge, Personal | Comments (3)

Vic Leach is the Chairman of Hawkwell Parish Council and used to be a District Councillor as well for Hawkwell. He is fighting illness but clearly hasn’t lost his sense of humour, nor his willingness to be active in the community. He’s written to people he knows to say:

My oncologist is giving me a fine spring gift, something called keemo threppy. Tried the first bit today, nothing’s fallen off and everything seems to be where I saw it last, hooray. I’m having a sponsored head shave next week, half for prostate research (extra quid may make all the difference), and half for Macmillans (keeping in their good books). Pounds, dollars, zlotys all welcome.

The sponsored headshave is being held tomorrow 11 April at 11 o’clock in Rochford -Please make a contribution. If you want details of where to send the money please contact us for info.

April 10th, 2012 | Category: Good Causes, Hawkwell, Personal | Comments (1)

Extremely sad news from Basildon , where the Deputy Leader of the Council, Stephen Horgan, has died of cancer,aged 47.

As the BBC have reported:

The deputy leader of Basildon Council has died at the age of 47, following a long battle with cancer.
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Stephen Horgan was a Conservative councillor for Billericay for 13 years and the deputy leader since 2009.
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The council said he died on Tuesday, leaving his wife Piera and children Eleanor, 12, and John, 10.

Stephen Horgan had his own blog, which we have included in our Blogroll for a long time now. When he wrote, he generally wrote at length and with precision. In one of his last posts, only last month, he took the opportunity to praise other politicians that he knew:

Congratulations Angela
It occurs to me that I missed a huge story in my blogging for which I apologise. We have a Baroness Basildon in the form of our former MP Angela Smith, and I cannot think of a more deserving individual. That may surprise many, given we sit firmly on the opposite sides in politics, but only a fool would not recognise Angela’s enormous talents and sheer commitment to the ordinary people in our community. People may rail against the House of Lords, but it works well to capture and retain such people in Britain’s public life. The work of that chamber is often very impressive, if inconvenient for the government of the day. Angela keeping a role in public service is case to point as well as a quiet satisfaction to many in Basildon.
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In fact Basildon has always been fortunate in our MPs. We now have the endlessly hardworking Stephen Metcalfe in Basildon proper. In Billericay we have John Baron, decent, intelligent and really holding the government to account on serious foreign policy matters of the day. For Wickford we have Mark Francois, brought up in Basildon and an astonishingly talented man. God knows where our community would be without such representing us at Westminster.

Poignantly (and surely bravely) he described himself as follows:

….. If you don’t know Essex, or England for that matter, Basildon is a semi-rural area encompassing three towns and with a population of around 170000. The Council is Conservative-controlled and I am currently the Deputy Leader of the Council. We have numerous challenges, but I won’t bore you with those. For those that are interested, I am married with two children and four dogs. Oh, and I survived cancer, at least so far.

Our thoughts are with his family tonight.

March 1st, 2012 | Category: Essex & East, Personal | Comments (2)

The Guardian has an obituary of Mary Lubel, a former stalwart of the Southend Liberals and a County Councillor for 18 years. Amongst her many achievements in a busy life was becoming chair of the Education Committee….

My mother, Mary Lubel, who has died aged 87, was a county councillor and a staunch supporter of the underprivileged. She will be remembered for her many achievements in Southend-on-Sea and Essex, and was rewarded with an MBE in 2003 for services to the community…..

You can read it in full here.

February 5th, 2012 | Category: Liberal Democrats, Personal, Southend | Leave a comment

Some sad news.

We were very sorry to hear of the death yesterday of Councillor Tony Humphries , after a long illness. Tony was a thoughtful guy who cared about Rayleigh and we will truly miss him. A real gentleman.

As the district council website explains:

It is with great sadness that we announce that Councillor Tony Humphries has passed away. The family have asked not to be contacted at this time. We would ask anyone who wishes to offer their condolences to send them c/o Rochford District Council Offices, South Street, Rochford, Essex, SS4 1BW

September 12th, 2011 | Category: Personal, Rayleigh | Comments (4)

Cllr Simon Smith (picture from RDC)

We’ll do a write-up of last night’s council meeting later. But one story won’t wait…

It’s a rare event for a councillor to announce their engagement in the council chamber. It’s even rarer for the chairman to do it as part of his chairman’s announcements….

So , warm congraulations to Cllr Simon Smith, chairman of the council, and his fiance Pat …..

July 22nd, 2011 | Category: Personal | Comments (1)

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We were very very sorry to hear of the death through illness of Peter Robinson, one of the District Councillors for Hullbridge. He was in his late 50s.

Rest In Peace.

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May 3rd, 2011 | Category: Hullbridge, Personal | Comments (1)

We were extremely sorry to hear of the death last night of the Chairman of the Council , Derrick Stansby. Derrick died peacefully in his sleep, after becoming increasingly frail in recent months.

Derrick had been a district councillor for Hawkwell West for 8 years, and was stepping down from the council next month. He was very well-liked by other councillors, and although softly-spoken would make his point in the council chamber when he felt he needed to. He was one of the most conscientious of councillors at attending things like site meetings for looking at planning applications. Councillors from all sides of the chamber paid tribute to him at full Council last Tuesday

Derrick was interviewed by Rochford Life magazine here.

Our thoughts go out tonight to his family.

April 21st, 2011 | Category: District Wide, Hawkwell, Personal | Leave a comment

Earlier this month we were shocked and saddened to hear of the death of Pat Crocket, who, amidst a whole of load of other activities and interests, helped deliver “Focus” leaflets for us in the Rawreth Lane area. Pat died after having a brain aneurysm.

Pat was a lovely lady and will be missed by many people. Her family have been overwhelmed by the more than one hundred cards that they have received.

In particular we’d like to mention that over £1700 of donations to Essex Air Ambulance have so far been made in Pat’s memory. It’s still possible to make a donation for the next 4 weeks, via Adams Funeral Directors.

September 15th, 2010 | Category: Good Causes, Personal | Leave a comment