This afternoon, Boris stopped in Checkendon, in his Henley constituency, to inaugurate the combined village shop and Post Office which was taken over by Bal Budesha in 2007. Despite the biting wind and the hour of the day, over 70 local people of all ages turned out for the occasion. After cutting the inaugural ribbon and viewing the wide range of local, organic and staple, everyday produce in the shop that, like so many others around the country, also fulfils functions as the surgery transport waiting room, newsagent, information centre and more besides.
Some of the children presented Boris with some excellent ‘Save our Post Office’ posters for his office and Boris selected Isobel Willis’s well-written defence of the shop as the one to read to the assembled crowd. Boris then gave a short speech recognising the vital role of post offices and shops in communities such as this.
Jane Barker of the Oxfordshire Rural Community Council presented Bal with its Best Independent Retailer award before Boris moved on to a meeting with various local officials.
February 07, 2007 Update
Much to the delight of all, the post office and shop has been reprieved. Thank you, Boris, for your support.
Only Boris can get away with working with Children.
I wonder how he handles animals?
This may have already been mentioned but Boris had a very good feature in TIME magazine. The campaign is looking up.
[Ed: Many thanks for reminding us of this. It certainly was a good article.]
I wonder if people are aware of this:
.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/02/14/noxford14.xml
.
Imagine a boy from a northern grammar-school arriving in Oxford for the first time and meeting people like this. Exclusive public-schoolboy clubs. It must be a desperately lonely experience.
earlier today someone posted a question about what it would be like to be a northern grammar school pupil who got into oxford but found this when they got there (including BOris Johnson):
.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/02/14/noxford14.xml
Boris – supporting th elocal shop is all very well but perhaps ytou could confirm if you become mayor will yoiu resign as an MP and will you then move to london? Or are you going to do everything from Oxfordshire?
Quite a turnout!
Good cause: the local post office and many thanks Gill for writing about this event
New website, same idiot (innodb / bxeley) who has been posting the same tedious stuff for years under a variety of names. Go away and take your chip with you.
Boris said: “There is no doubt that the Mayor has been stampeded into this measure because he faces a cycling opponent.”…Odd, then, that Livingstone has been increasing the annual cycling spend in London year on year for ages. One might speculate as to whether Boris would have had the conviction or strength of character to stick to the kind of measures seen in London.