Kingsway Villagers

I wish to provide clarity with regard to my recent resignation from the Kingsway Residents Association Committee, after I joined with the clear intensions of finding collective ways forward in stamping-out Anti Social Behaviour in our community – as those who have, and continued to endure serious Anti Social Behaviour…

I have waited until now as I have made every effort to persuade those responsible to investigate the circumstances which resulted in my resignation in protest toward the manner in-which Emily Jones was allowed to make socially dividing & discriminative comments during the last Residents Meeting in Nov’ 2010; comments which were supported by Barry Kirby (Chair) Kingsway Residents Association, and went unchallenged by Cllr: Wood (who was equally present at the meeting). Emily Jones considered residents used “snobbery” when reporting Anti Social Behaviour, and have no idea about the place – nor the Citizen Newspaper!

I registered a complaint with Emily Jones’ Senior Officers within Gloucester City Homes, and the Anti-Social Behaviour Team who are responsible for Project Solace (including Gloucester Police Chief Constable, Mr Tony Melville). Emily Jones was interviewed, and firmly denied ever making the comments. Evidence was later provided – and confirmed by others who recall such comments being made at the meeting (other committee members). Regardless, and thereafter acknowledging such comment was made, Emily Jones (who made the comments in public) refused to apologise in public, or stand down from her highly responsible position of trust in the community after denying she made the comments, and only acknowledged them after considerable effort was made to confirm the comments were fact!

Victoria King-Low (Senior Officer) made no further decision beyond her original interview of Emily Jones. Barry Kirby (Chair) Kingsway Residents Association, acknowledged himself that Emily Jones made the comment – and supported her words. However, he accepted that her comments be removed from the formal minutes of the meeting and rearranged via “discrete wording” in order to prevent them from being seen by the wider community. I made clear my own view of concerns which might be caused if read by the wider community. Mr Kirby stated: "However, I think the point about not necessarily including it in the minutes is fair, in terms of repeating it verbatim, but I think this can be easily achieved by some discrete wording. Her words, whilst right for the context of the meeting, would not come across the same when read cold"!

I was alarmed and totally disgusted by the alteration of the formal minutes of the Kingsway Residents Association, just to protect someone making such disgraceful socially dividing discrimination towards those in the community who suffer, and report Anti-Social Behaviour. I made clear that I wanted no part as a committee member in being involved in this improper behaviour when we are expected to be in place as representatives for – and as part of – this community. I resigned for these reasons, and currently await confirmation from those responsible in providing their final statements, in order for my request for the Local Government Ombudsman to investigate the actions of those who should act responsibly, and not make public statements of this kind or be protected when making such disgraceful statements by their senior officers.

I hope others in this community will consider my actions understandable when having factual awareness of such matters, and equally know that they were receiving selective alteration by others within the committee in order to protect individuals making such comments, instead of protecting those who suffer or need to report suffering Anti Social Behaviour with those who make remarks of this kind and are equally provided a platform by the Kingsway Residents Association, in order to voice them!

Antisocial behaviour when turning into Marham Drive.

I am a resident who lives within the vicinity of Marham Drive and Thatcham Avenue.

I find myself having to address the driver who sounds the horn of his/her vehicle (a dark blue/black BMW) 4-5 times, every time he/she enters Marham Drive:

Rest assured if your behaviour is not corrected then I will report you to the Police… It will not be tolerated!

However, if you would like to speak to me about this, please feel free to reply to me on this website.

Raffles

My children and I live in a new street called Wainfleet Avenue. We’re still waiting for a street sign. We’re just off Thatcham Ave, part of the Lion Court development.

I don’t want to frighten parents reading this but I strongly feel it’s very important to bring this up and alert people.

Just before Christmas my eldest 2 children and my neighbours children were outside playing. My two sons came running in, saying "there’s a man stood outside watching us". I went outside and saw no one, but my neighbour was out there she told me she saw the man and told all the children to go home. She said she saw him stood there staring at them. She thought at first that he was lost, but something didn’t seem right, a gut feeling. She said it’s the way he was watching them, it felt like something wasn’t right.

A week later while bringing my children home from school, stood in the Lion Court show-home car park was the same man. My son said "that’s the man". He was wearing the same clothes.
He walked up the road and I followed him. Don’t ask me why, just at the time it felt right, thinking I might find where he lives. He walked to another show-home, I think it was the Millers show-home office up the road.
I saw my other neighbour drive past, she stopped and I told her what had happened, then I thought to myself "maybe that’s what he is, a potential home buyer". I was going to call The Police just to be sure, but as my neighbour said: "What could they do"? Technically the man has not done anything wrong!
My other neighbour, the one who sent the children home when he was watching them in the street, saw him again back in our street. He always wears the same clothes. When a woman who works in one of the show homes was asked about the man visiting the office, she was quite shaken by him. He was in there for 2 hours and made her feel quite uncomfortable.

Friday 21st, it was brought to my attention on 2 occasions that a man has unsuccessfully attempted to take children from the Kingsway School.
The man in question matched the description of the man in our street. Saturday I spoke to a policeman. I asked him about the school incident and he said he has heard something has happened, but he can’t go into it fully, and area is on high alert. Why has this not been made public? All parents in the area should know about this.

The man is in his early to mid 60′s, with grey hair, which has been dyed black, with his grey hair showing through. He has a long black moustache.
He wears beige trousers with a beige top/jumper and a dark green jacket, and he drives a black car.

Does anyone have any ideas why the builders have decided to turn one of the first green areas along Thatcham Avenue (that was starting to look respectable) into a dumping ground for gravel?

It’s all looking rather pretty now with it’s metal fence around it, however is there not wasteland available within the village elsewhere that will not require additional work to be done further down the road?
Not only will it take time to look as green as it was before, I suspect the curbs will need replacing (once again) following all the traffic!

Granted this area is still waiting for the path to join the road (how crazy and well though out is that) so I’m sure it will need to be dug up at some point in the future, but couldn’t the load have been dumped somewhere else in the meantime?

Hi All,

On March the 13th, it is The Mens Walk.
This is a sponsored walk in aid of Cotswold Care Hospice.

Men get to choose either a 10 mile or a 5 mile walk around Gloucester starting and finishing at Kingsholm Stadium.

The challenge is to complete the walk in time for the Six Nations match which kicks off at 3pm.

I have signed up to do this, and it will certainly be a challenge, but worth it for the Charity.

I would appreciate it if you would consider sponsoring me.

Cheers,
Barry.

Did anyone else get stuck in the large queue of traffic as you enter the village, due to the change in the traffic light sequence at the Woodvale crossroads on Tuesday?

I noticed last week that the sensor no longer seems to work!

It all went wrong Tuesday evening during the rush hour. Traffic was queued right back out onto the dual carriageway and I was forced to sit in the fast lane of the A38 as I waited to turn right into Kingsway.

I thought there had been an accident in the village somewhere but then I realised it was down to the traffic lights!