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Richard's Journal Havant
and Bedhampton Community Board
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Richard
King, RLK Associates, 19 Blenheim Gardens, Denvilles, Havant, Hampshire,
PO9 2PN This
E-mail was sent on 19th June 2006 and its receipt acknowledged, as requested,
on the same day by David Harris, by a return
E-mail, in which he also advised that it had been passed on Keith Chessel,
Chair of Havant and Bedhampton Community Board, as well as Helen Wood,
the new Community Boards' Link Officer. Havant Borough Council has a policy
of endeavouring to reply to such communications within ten working days.
That period expired on 3rd July 2006. I reminded Helen Wood
about the E-mail at the Havant and Bedhampton Community Board meeting
on 28th June 2006; the following ten working day period expired on
12th July 2006. Dear David, Thank you for sending a copy of the minutes of the Havant and Bedhampton Community Board meeting held on 24th May 2006. I need to correct something you wrote about me in the minutes. I did not say that I was a Web designer; I said that I had experience in building Web Sites and getting noticed via the Internet. Although I was advised to seek assistance from Business Link Wessex for help in building Web Sites several years ago, they denied me such assistance, as well as consistently denying me the business support and advice they are supposed to provide, plus ignoring letters and so on. That just happens to be the same approach Havant Borough Council has taken towards me, though, in the Council’s case, it has included blocking of E-mails, denial of representation and denial of the right to speak at a public meeting. Hence, I am largely self taught in Web Site construction and presenting myself and my story on the Internet. Admittedly I have received advice on coding, etc., including from the head of a company that is likely to take over my Web Sites in due course; the Sites are currently with a major hosting company. Even before current developments come to fruition the number of people who know about me is, on the basis of my Web Site statistics, many times the total population of Havant itself. With just the beginning of those developments I am seeing a continuing rise in numbers; this month alone is, at present, looking like a 25% increase. The research involvement, articles and presentations/lectures (see below) will add to that, even without taking the book into account, or the one I have recently been invited to be a part of. I was simply offering my experience on the basis of that. I am well aware that there are people far better than me at using the Internet. However, my experience is different in that it has involved using a unique attribute to gain attention against the odds, in hostile circumstances with limited resources. No doubt that will be of interest in the presentations and lectures, mentioned below, to be given elsewhere anyway. As far as the Board is concerned, I would like to contribute but am reluctant to compete with the two other applicants, candidates, for the two places which are all that seems to remain. Regrettably, I do not find the format of the meetings encouraging for visitors. Sitting through two hours of a meeting to make a one minute contribution is not an arrangement that will persuade many non-members to attend. Considering the small number of extra people who can be accommodated in the Committee Room used, I would have thought a little more flexibility could be exercised for visitors. Besides, the time of the meeting, at 3.00 p.m., on a weekday afternoon, is hardly conducive to attracting many extra members of the local community. Perhaps, as I suggested, when we spoke, every third meeting could be an open one. As I said, I have been trying to contribute to the community, the Borough, the County and the Region generally but have been prevented from doing so. That has been in the process of changing, mainly due to developments during the last year involving contacts further afield, including abroad. I met some people from the U.S.A. last Tuesday (13th June) for discussions on our joint areas of interest, my book, their publications (existing and planned) a mutual regression therapist colleague, our business interests and publicity arising, finding a venue for their planned event in the U.K. in 2007, etc. I have published the beginnings of a Web Site for my book, which is autobiographical. The Web Site is not complete but I needed to have it up as soon as possible to get it through the Search Engine “Sandbox” period, when they tend to ignore new Sites, before the publication date. However, it appeared on the first page of searches, on some major Search Engines, for the other main character in the book and that has been reflected in my Web Site statistics. About 70% of the events in the book took place in Havant, Hayling island, Portsmouth, Southsea and Chichester. Obviously, I live in Havant. Many of those involved with my esoteric side live in and around Havant, though the narrative also includes events on my engineering side. So, I have included a “Visit Havant” page on the book Web Site. A problem I have is that, apart from this part of the Country being a pleasant area in which to live, there is little positive I can say about Havant, apart from the other people here. From a visitor point of view Havant Borough Council is clearly not pro-tourism; the tourist Office has been closed, parking in Havant is atrocious even without houses being built on parking spaces and rumours of many more to follow, a large part of Havant is a building site at present, I have been prevented from encouraging, bringing, tourists to Havant, Havant Borough Council Publicity Department refused to speak to a Freelance Journalist with whom I made a video in St Faith Church (in her words they gave her “the brush off”), etc., though there is one positive in that Havant is easily accessed by train. As it happens, there are people from the Borough contributing to the presentation and marketing aspects of the book, as well as many residents in the story itself, so there is a positive side to Havant, even if a relatively minimalist one at present. I had intended to ask the Board for suggestions to show Havant in the best light possible, given the circumstances; I would not be unreceptive to suggestions from the Board to take the edge of the otherwise presented view, though that would be in the minor miracle realm. However, events have since overtaken that. Connected with the book, I was already in discussions to give presentations at a University in due course. Principally for other reasons, though including the book, I have been asked by others to give presentations to University students on my business experiences. My positive experiences have been with the Chambers of Commerce, which have always been supportive, a couple of individuals and one or two organisations, or parts thereof; that is all. Apart from recent connections with individuals, all other positives have been outside Hampshire. As matters stand, I am struggling to give an encouraging impression of Hampshire. In contrast I have no problems whatever with Sussex and elsewhere, as I know of and have heard of vastly better Business Link support, with the exception of Dorset and the Isle of Wight for obvious reasons. Clearly, anything unconnected with Havant is beyond the Board’s remit but the Havant and Bedhampton area is involved, if anything more significantly so than other areas as I live there. Also, the Board has links to other organisations in the Region and the County. In view of Havant Council’s policy of selectively blocking my E-mails, I would be grateful if you would acknowledge receipt of this one. Regards, Richard King Richard L. King, BTech,
MTech, CEng, MIMechE Business Web Site:
www.rlkassociates.co.uk |
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