Belated Greetings for Easter

OK, so I've not done the blogging for some time.

I just did not seem to get the time, poor excuse, but where does the time go? Any how, belated Greetings for Easter!!

The last couple of weeks have not been the best of times, deaths of close friends and political colleagues and attending funerals not the best of things. Just as we had the funeral of Mary Neuner, I heard of the deaths of two other former Mayors. Les Collis and Bill Budd, former Mayor of Camden.

I went to Bill's funeral in Bedford last Thursday. Bill was a really lovely and warm guy who welcomed me with a grand smile when I became Mayor of Haringey back in 1995 and everytime we met up at meetings of the London Labour Mayors' Association he would always ensure that no one was standing alone. The service was really nice and I could not believe just how good the weather was. What I didn't know was that Bill had, during the War, been a bodyguard to then PM, Winston Churchill. I hope so say a few words at the next Council meeting, in the meantime my thoughts go out to Bill's family and friends.

Visited my Nan in Letchworth on Saturday gone, she'll be 94 next month and she puts me to shame. Whilst I've been complaining about my aches and pains for the last month or so, there she is meeting me at the station, making sure I'm OK before going to lunch. We talked about our younger days, mine as a child, hers as a mother and wife looking at old photos and just generally having a great time as Grandmother and Grandson.

It has also been a very thoughtful time as well because of Easter and what it means to me as a Christian and making sure that I've been in Church on Good Friday, Easter Saturday and Easter Day for those Services. Sadly, hearing of a death of a local resident who always had a word of advice for me did not help things.

It all seems quite negative and low. I hope that Summer will be bright in more ways than just the weather.