24 January 2003

It really must be the silly season for no news! Well once again this has been the end of another strange day full of media interviews.  It all started with the Radio 4 today programme in Caversham.  I was supposed to be on at 7:25am but I actually got on air at 7:45am. So what you may ask? Well I was supposed to be having a live debate with a member of Slough Borough council at 7:50 on TalkSport Radio.   So with only minutes to spare and rushing to my car whilst on the mobile, I just managed to get on live but luckily it was a debate with the same councillor I had just been speaking with on Radio 4... so I couldn't have been any later than he was! Well having gone from the civility of Radio 4's questions, Mike Parry, the host of TalkSport breakfast, was a real wakeup call. His opening comments about "the only reason Slough's population was increasing being due to Terminal 5 needing more cleaners" was both harsh but very funny and set the tone for the 5 minute interview. Then a mad dash home to meet and greet the London Tonight people.  The interview was always meant to be light-hearted and funny and hopefully it came across as such, when it was aired at 6:00pm today.  Throughout the day I had friends ringing to tell me that the Maidenhead Advertiser article had been replicated, to a large extent, in The Times as well as on MSN and Sky News. Well I thought that would be the end of the matter. I had raised a subject, not started a campaign, and hopefully if people see merit in the topic they will take it on further.  Don't get me wrong the attention has been great and the majority of the interviews highly amusing but after saying the same thing 20 times, I began to feel a little weary.   But it wasn't the end!  I had further interviews with British Forces Radio, Bucks Free Press and once again Radio 4 for one of their afternoon programmes.  My only question is where were The Sun & The Mirror, I fully expected them to contact me ... it seems everyone else did? Who knows maybe tomorrow?    On a more serious note, I have recieved some negative comments about what I have been saying. I would like to clear up some of their points here if I may: Firstly may I add that although this "campaign" started of with the fun idea of being able to change the postcode to WM I did realise that even if I managed to achieve this goal, it still wouldn't result in me getting lower car and house insurance premiums because I would still be living next to the same crime hotspot - Slough. Only three things could reduce my car insurance: either:  a: Move to another postcode b: Sell the car and get a smaller one Or c: Get the crime rate down in Slough and RBWM at the same time. Hopefully by raising the matter and getting people talking about car crime, insurance premiums and locations, it will help focus the minds of our civic leaders to further reduce the crime rate everywhere for the benefit of everyone.   John Betjemin's  slough poem (1906 - 1984) 12:45:38 AM    comment []

22 January 2003

The word is out ! This week has been slightly odd with complete strangers approaching me in Marlow to tell me that they read the article and that they are very supportive of this campaign.  So far over 400 people have completed the survey, in the last 5 days, with 97% of the respondants in favour of a new WM postcode. That's 399 more than I expected when this all started last week! Although this number may not seem earth shattering to you; I think it is only the tip of the iceberg and indicitive of the general opinion within the borough.  So once again thank you for taking time out to express your opinion. As far as where the campaign goes from here,  well in terms of publicity it is going very well. I am being interviewed on Radio 5 live drive tonight and on Radio 4's Today programme tomorrow morning.  In addition the London Tonight programme would like to do an interview tomorrow as well as TalkSport Radio have asked to do a phone vote on the subject after I debate with one of the leaders of Slough Borough Council.   After all this publicity it still remains in the hands of the Post Office to do something about making a new postcode and although I have written to them (no email address) I guess their reply is still in the post!         The car crime rate in Slough is 4 times higher than in Maidenhead - info on www.upmystreet.com. Insurance companies are penalising residents in the SL6 postcode area because of the high crime rates in our neigbouring borough.         1. Would you like to have a Windsor & Maidenhead postcode - WM - if it resulted in lower insurance premiums? Yes 400 95% No 20 5%   420 100%         2. Do you consider this issue important? Not important  1. 10 2% Moderately important  2. 170 40% Very important  3. 240 57%   420 100%         3. How would you rate your level of information about this issue? None  1. 20 5% Low  2. 110 26% Moderate  3. 220 52% High  4. 70 17%   420 100%         4. How would you rate your interest in the issue? None  1. 10 2% Low  2. 30 7% Moderate  3. 140 33% High  4. 240 57%   420 100%         5. Are you interested in knowing the survey results or resulting actions on this issue? Yes 320 76% No 100 24%   420 100%         6. If you answered "yes" to either question above, please enter your name and contact information. 420 Responses 4:06:40 PM    comment []

20 January 2003

Meridian TV Meridian TV came over this morning to do an interview and this evening plan to air a news item on this story. So far I am pleased to report that another 130 people have completed the survey since Sunday, with the vast majority (270) now expressing a desire to have a new postcode to cover Windsor & Maidenhead.  Hopefully after this evenings program, others will want to complete the survey.  It would be nice to have over 500 people complete the survey by Friday.   My aim is to provide the local borough council, Theresa May MP and the Post Office with the results of this survey along with some of the comments (anonymously) made by people who have emailed me, in the hope that this sets the ball in motion, with the end result ultimatley being lower car and house insurance premiums for everyone in Windsor & Maidenhead. To keep things rolling I have contacted a number of other Radio & TV stations to see if they would be interested and I am happy to say several have said they want to cover this story. So watch this space!  4:55:44 PM    comment []

16 January 2003

Crime does pay, for the insurance companies. Hello I assume you are here, having read the article in the Maidenhead advertiser. This all began when I became curious why I had to pay more for my car insurance due to me living next to a high car crime region; namely SL1, at least according to my insurance broker. see crime rate table below.  I then began to wonder why I had an SL post code when I lived in the Windsor & Maidenhead Borough. Would it be possible to get a WM1 postcode and would this result in me getting lower car and home insurance? Council Windsor and Maidenhead More than one local authority covered. Slough More than one local authority covered. English average         Population  142,600  111,100  138,382  Households  59,000  45,000  59,223  Figures below are per 1,000 population         Violence against the person offences  9.9  13.6  10.8  Sexual offences  0.6  0.8  0.7  Robbery offences  1.3  3.5  1.5  Burglary dwelling offences  7.2  15  6.7  Theft of a motor vehicle offences  3.8  9.3  5.0  Theft from a vehicle offences  17.5  41.8  11.0  Well it seems the reason for having an SL postcode is due to the Post Office and the location of their main sorting office.  I very much doubt they are going to change the postcode to WM even though it is a simple case of changing their computer system.  But I have put together an online survey which if enough people express a desire for a new postcode, I will forward to Theresa May and the Post Office to see if anything can be done. Online survey Thanks Sam P.S Great news - I have just heard from Meridian TV who would like to do an interview on Monday. 6:36:21 PM    comment []