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District Diary June 2007

Whilst media reports tell of unrest and events in other parts of the world causing a downwards spiral towards meltdown, here in my little corner of the globe, the drama that is nature has completed another faultless performance. All around, trees have sprung back to life, their branches decked with different shades of green and blossom whilst at ground level wild flowers and fauna compete to provide a spectacular show. In the fields sheep have their lambs almost without fuss and attention, and only the other day whilst on one of my favourite walks, I was privileged to watch as a newly born foal took its first shaky steps. Nature at its best.
Away from the calm of the countryside though and you don�t need to look far to witness the human affect on situations. Take some recent events. In our local hostelries, landlords have over the years, spent thousands of pounds making interiors more inviting, the aim being to attract more custom. Since the ban on smoking in public places however, it�s become the norm to see as many patrons drinking outside the premises as in. In the future the criteria in deciding where people go, may be which pub has the best smoker�s shelter. And even closer to home, we�ve spent most of last month trying to explain to customers wanting to tax their cars in our Post Office that the amount shown as due on their renewal forms is incorrect, and in fact the new rate of duty is in many cases a considerable amount more. This was caused by changes announced in the March budget; apparently, the forms were printed in advance. I started off by apologising, but after a while I thought �This is crazy, and why should it be me apologising, I didn�t print the forms.� In truth, there was a paragraph explaining the situation, but it couldn�t have been clear enough, because most people didn�t see it. The reality was that customers who had their cheques already made out had to make a fresh journey, or make up the amount in cash, whilst people paying by card had to re-calculate their budgets. Talk about how to win friends and influence people. Even after twenty five years as a Post Master, situations happen at �the sharp end� that still manage to amaze me. Thankfully, most customers remained calm, and paid up albeit rather begrudgedly. The situation however, caused queues and confusion at what was already a very busy period for us, and it�s not the first time it�s happened, in fact it seems to happen after every budget that involves alterations in vehicle duty rates. You�d think that �them in charge� would by now have found a solution. Perhaps it would do them good to spend a day or two manning a counter.
Here in Llanharan, as we await with baited breath, for the first signs of the construction of our railway station, it is noted that developers have put plans forward to clear more green space and build even more houses, and all this without any improvements to our over burdened road network or the addition of much needed amenities. Make the most of the countryside around you; it�s disappearing fast.
In closing this month, I�d like to tell you of a new service in our Post Office. We�ve been appointed agents for a dry cleaning company, Green Earth who offer an environmentally friendly method of dry cleaning a whole range of fabrics. Customers who have tried the service have been impressed with the results and the speedy turnaround. Our staff have full details of prices and services available.
PHIL THE POST
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