The concept is simple, I record a video with a local resident who has a  message they would like to get out to the community. It can be anything at all.

To give you an idea, below is the first from Deepcut resident Richard Castell. Richard is a very interesting fellow who’s community spirit is infectious.

If you would like to be featured on ‘Resident Profile’ get in touch.

Reblogged from Surrey Libraries Action Movement:

The Royal Courts of Justice in London has ordered that Surrey County Council’s library plans will be subject to a Judicial Review. In a four and a half hour hearing on Friday, Judge Thornton QC concluded that the case against SCC had sufficient prospects of success to warrant the full scrutiny of the High Court. During the lengthy hearing, SCC raised a succession of technical points to avoid their plans being scrutinised, including: striking out the claimant, Lucy Williams; stopping a second claimant, …

Can’t see video player? Click here

At around 10.30pm my wife got a phone call from her mum to say she had had a lovely time but was stuck in the car right outside Lego Land Windsor due to an accident that had caused grid lock. They were warm and just waiting for the vehicles involved in the accident to clear.

About an hour later, my Mother-in-Law called again to say their battery had gone flat and now they were stranded and could we call the AA for them. So I called the AA and got put in a hold queue with the usual “due to unprecedented demand you are in a queue please hold and we will answer ASAP”. After 45 minutes of being on hold the line went dead.

I really did not know what to do. So I turned to twitter for advice and tweeted the following:

#surreysnow I have a relative who is stuck in the snow as car broken down and can’t reach AA. Any advice welcome?

I had a lot of well meaning responses from members of the community but nothing that would help that much. And then my phone rang. “Paul, Bill here. I am out on the road as a volunteer for the emergency services. What is the exact location of your relatives”? I gave him the location and details of the vehicle, he programed it in to his satnav and said “I am 20 miles away, call them and tell them I am on my way”

Bill arrived about an hour or so later, got the car started but it then got stuck on a hill so he took all my relatives home to Bracknell.

Anyone who thinks there is no community spirit left then this is proof they are wrong.

My relatives were not the only people Bill helped last night. He helped several others. His final tweet at 3.17am read:

“Back in North Camp, came across a male asleep (Dan) on the pavement Alexander Rd! Got him 2 his feet & helped to his door 20yds away.”

Our communities are much better places for people like Bill. His twitter profile sums up the kind of stuff he is made of wonderfully:

“23yr Veteran of the Fire & Rescue Service, proud to have served. Socialist with strong community values. Ethos? Never pass by someone in trouble”.

Bill, if you are reading this, on behalf of the community and my family, thank you so much for your service. I for one owe you a debt of gratitude.

Image with thanks – Claire Ing

Free winter check – Deepcut Garage

Claire (my wife) does not care for it that much. She just thinks its a big bowl of vegetables. I guess it is but I love it and it always makes me feel good.

So after I made the soup and just before I devoured a huge bowl, I took a picture of my work of art and posted it on my facebook wall. Following which, several people asked for the recipe so here it is:

• 2 large carrots – Chopped into small chunks
• 1 large leek – cut up finely
• 1 medium sized courgette  - Chopped into small chunks
• 1 large celery stalk – Outside stringy bits peeled & cut up finely
• 2 sprigs rosemary finely chopped (Optional)
• 3 garlic cloves - Peeled & cut up finely
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tins of chopped tomatoes
• Small salad pasta shells or any pasta smashed up
• 1 Tin borlottee beans
• Red cabbage - cut up finely
• 1 Litre Chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 Bouquet Garni
• Parmigiano Cheese
• Torn basil leafes

Put a few lugs of olive oil in a large pan and fry the garlic and rosemary. Add the carrots and fry off for a few minutes then add the courgette and celery and carry on frying for a few more minutes. Now add the leek and carry on frying until it is soft. Now add the two tins of chopped tomatoes until heated through. Now add your stock and bouquet garni and bring to the boil and simmer with a lid on for around 10 mins. At the same time cook your pasta in a separate pan. After 5 mins add your cabbage and beans to the soup. Once cooked take out the Bouquet Garni, add the pasta and put soup in your bowls. Add the cheese, basil and freshly ground black pepper.

I like the cabbage al dente thats why I only add it with 5 mins cooking time left but that’s up to you. I also cook the pasta separate as it soaks up to much stock while its cooking.

This is an easy recipe to adapt with whatever veg you like. I use red cabbage as I think it looks cool but curly cabbage is good too. If I have time, home made chicken stock is the best but I tend to use vegetable bouillon because its so quick. If you use home made stock you might need to add salt but the vegetable bouillon is quite salty so I don’t add any more when using it.  This soup is best served with home made rosemary focaccia which kind of contra’s the healthiness of the soup but it goes so well so who cares.

As this is my first attempt at a recipe I hope that all makes sense but if you have any questions get in touch.

The High Court today upheld an earlier decision to impose a temporary order which stops the authority from taking any ‘irrevocable action’ towards creating community libraries ahead of a judicial review of the council’s plans. But the court ruled that Byfleet, which was due to launch as a community library tomorrow, can go ahead.

The court also decided there should be a judicial review of Surrey’s library plans in the week starting 20 February. The temporary order will remain in place until the judicial review is completed.

Denise Saliagopoulos, Surrey County Council’s Cabinet Member for Community Services and the 2012 Games, said: “It’s important to say that the court has not passed judgement on our plans. This is just an order halting the process ahead of a hearing to look into our proposals.

“From the start we’ve been determined to try and keep all 52 of Surrey’s libraries open while branches are closing elsewhere in the country. The good news is that volunteers at Byfleet can go ahead with their plans, but overall we’re disappointed by the court’s decisions. It is a particular shame for those volunteers who were looking forward to launching their own community-run libraries.

“Inevitably people’s opinions about our plans have varied but we’ve been hugely encouraged by the support we’ve received from people who understand we are trying to do what is best for Surrey’s libraries.”

Under Surrey’s plans, communities will take over the day-to-day running of 10 libraries while the county council continues to provide everything else, including the building, stock and computer equipment. Free Wi-Fi will also be installed in all libraries.

These 10 smaller libraries account for just 7% of all Surrey library usage. The county council understands they are important to their communities, which is why it has been working hard to safeguard their futures as community run branches.

The plans mean resources can be focused on Surrey’s other libraries and invested in the latest technology to make the service even better. The virtual library is now the county’s fourth busiest and is used around three million times a year for downloading ebooks and transactions such as renewing or reserving books online.

Surrey Heath Borough Council joined local armed forces representatives from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and Deepcut Station on January 31 to officially sign the Armed Forces Community Covenant.

The declaration is a voluntary statement of mutual support between a civilian community and its local armed forces community. It is intended to complement the Armed Forces Covenant, which outlines the moral obligation between the nation, the government and the armed forces, at local level.

Among those taking part in the signing were leader of Surrey Heath Borough Council Cllr Moira Gibson, chief executive of the council Karen Whelan and Brigadier Alistair Deas, Commandant of Defence College of Logistics and Personnel Administration. Joining them were representatives from the Surrey Heath Partnership including the borough’s business, community and voluntary sectors.

The first of its kind in Surrey, the Community Covenant aims to bring civil and armed forces lives’ closer together, including activities that integrate serving and ex-services personnel and their families into local life.

The covenant will also bring support for armed forces personnel through assisting with healthcare, employment and housing needs during and when they leave service.

Councillor Moira Gibson said: “Surrey Heath has long and historical links with the armed forces based at Sandhurst and Deepcut so we are proud to sign up to the covenant in developing existing relationships.

“Signing the covenant also brings opportunities to bid for a share of £30 million government funding over the next four years towards projects benefiting both local people and military communities.”

Members of the Surrey Heath Partnership will be developing actions to move the Community Covenant forward starting with a workshop this week ‘Working with the Armed Forces in Surrey Heath’. Military representatives from Deepcut Station, RMA Sandhurst and signatories to the Surrey Heath Community Covenant attended the workshop. (See photo’s below)

Click to view slideshow.

My primary concern is for our vulnerable residents so please make sure that elderly or vulnerable residents are stocked up with basic provisions and warm. Make sure you have their phone numbers so you can easily check up on them.

If the snow does hit please make sure you go and check on your vulnerable neighbours regularly. That means at least once a day and if you can’t go around and say hi in person, call them on the phone to check they are ok.

Snow and cold weather can be fun for most, but it can be deadly to some.

• Residents Network Facebook Page
• Residents Network feed
• Surrey Travel
• Surrey Alerts
• Met Office South East England feed
• NHS Cold Weather Advice
• Surrey Police feed
• Surrey Travel feed
• BBC Surrey feed
• Winter Driving Advice from the AA
• Surrey County Council – “Preparing for winter”
• School Closures
• School transport disruption due to adverse weather

www.deepcut-garage.co.uk