Welcome to my second expedition into the enchanting world of local politics. In this escapade, our spotlight falls on charities in and around Oswestry, particularly the illustrious Eure & Smale Charity, affectionately known as the Alms Houses. Remember, all the benevolent endeavours in England and Wales dance under the watchful gaze of the one and only Charity Commission, a true guardian of virtue.
What do charities and politics share in common?
Now, you might raise a curious eyebrow and ponder, “What do charities and politics share in common?” Ah, allow me to unveil the layers of this intriguing connection. Picture this: the Eure & Smale Charity holds in its grasp some rather attractive pieces of real estate within Oswestry. A veritable treasure trove that surely has the potential to set budding property developers’ hearts aflutter. Oh, and the established players wouldn’t mind a piece of that pie either.
In this delightful charade, behold the Town Council, endowed with the grand authority to anoint three Trustees to the Charity’s esteemed Board. These chosen ones, almost predictably, tend to be the Town Councillors themselves. And isn’t it the height of serendipity that the conductor of this Charity’s symphony is none other than a Town Council Officer? Bravo!
Now, prepare for a twist in our narrative. Imagine the Town Clerk’s audacious refrain, “It’s nothing to do with me guv!” when asked for the nitty-gritty of the Charity, such as a copy of the all-hallowed governance document. Yes, that unassuming sheet of paper happens to wield more power than Excalibur – a legal masterpiece of monumental importance.
Behold, the Board of Trustees
Let’s unmask the marionettes pulling the strings. Behold, the Board of Trustees, a cast of characters crafted in three acts:
Act One: The Ex-Officio Trustees, starring the likes of the St. Oswald Church’s vicar, the Holy Trinity Church’s vicar, and the much-anticipated (still pending) President of the Oswestry Free Church Council.
Act Two: The Co-optative Trustees, or perhaps just a pair depending on which mystical Trust Deed you consult (yes, there’s more than one Deed).
Act Three: The Nominative Trustees, nominated by none other than the brilliant minds at Oswestry Town Council.
Hold onto your hats for the drama that ensues! Picture the corridors of power, where the original Trustees orchestrated their concerto for residents’ welfare with a masterful touch. Yet, brace yourselves, for in November of yesteryear, enter stage left, three councillors freshly cast to dethrone the current leads. Why, you ask? Presumably, the incumbent stars had been lured by bigger, brighter stages. Unfortunately not, they had simply done their time.
The plot thickens
As the plot thickens, enter a Co-optative Trustee with a past life as a building virtuoso, and a stint as a real estate impresario to boot. Applause, please. In a riveting twist, one of the councillors dramatically self-nominates as Chairman, sealing the deal with a secondment from their on-stage partner. The plot thickens!
Two Trustees resign
But hark, the climax approaches! Two of our budding thespian Trustees exit stage left after merely half a year. What could it be? The stuff of tabloid gossip – did the rigors of Trustee life clash with their hectic social calendars? A mere two annual meetings, you say, but oh, the chaos of scheduling!
Or was it perhaps the new Chairman’s script they struggled to follow?
The cavalry to the rescue
Ah, the plot twists anew. In strides a duo of Town councillors, the cavalry to the rescue. Optimism abounds that they’ll march in tune with their newly appointed Chairman. A pity, though, that one of these rising stars carries the illustrious title of “debtor with a County Court Judgment.” But fret not, dear people, who cares for such trifles! I suspect the Charity Commission may.
Ladies and gentlemen, as our tale unfolds, let’s toast to the Eure & Smale Charity, a living testament to the adage “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Here’s to hoping the original Trustees continue their virtuoso performance, much like their wily forebearers and resist the machinations of these newcomers.
Unveiling Our Political Non-Affiliations: A Nostalgic Letter to the Oswestry Advertiser
We couldn’t help but notice that a few of our dear readers have entertained the whimsical notion of questioning our political inclinations. Well, let us all take a moment to collectively exhale a sigh of relief – rest assured, our only true allegiance is to the noble cause of spotlighting the feats of incompetents and the merry exploits of scoundrels! And just to sprinkle a dash of credibility onto this claim, might we present to you a delightful replica of a letter that once graced the esteemed pages of the Oswestry Advertiser and was the catalyst for a long period of embarrassment for two local Shropshire councillors, penned by none other than yours truly, a couple of fleeting years ago. Oh, the memories!
Vince’s Lane
Getting Shropshire Council Highways Department to repair our county’s roads is something of a lottery, probably due to “council cuts” and “Brexit” etc.
Unless of course you happen to be fortunate enough to live in Trefonen, or “Councillor Land” as it is known by many people. Why Councillor Land you may ask, perhaps because of its similarities to Sylvester Stallone’s film “Cop Land”. Or it may be because of the equivocation of councillors who live there.
To save you looking it up, an equivocation can be used as the collective noun for councillors; an odium is another, but I quite like equivocation, it just seems to roll off the tongue better.
Just outside of Councillor Land is a lane called Shands Lane, an innocuous little lane of approximately a mile in length; it is also better known by Shropshire Council as “***** **** Road. Shands Lane doesn’t really go anywhere and is described as “a local access road serving limited numbers of properties carrying only access traffic”.
In this case Shands Lane in Councillor Land is merely a lane that links two more minor roads and is home to six properties, including the road’s namesake. To put the importance of Shands Lane into perspective, you would not be surprised when travelling along it to find grass growing up the middle. You know the type, it’s the road you sometimes find yourself on when you take a wrong turning and get lost in the countryside, when even your satnav says, “where the hell am I?”
You may be a little surprised to hear that late last year, just in time for Christmas, Shands Lane was completely re-surfaced from top to bottom. What a lovely present for the residents of Shands Lane, Councillor Land, and how nice of Shropshire Council to think of them in these trying times.
Do you think that Shropshire Council may give me a similar present this Christmas, and fill in the large pothole at the bottom of my drive?
The Alternative Council 