Oakham, Sunday Times, One Of The Best Towns To Live In, Rutland Times Opinion, My Guide, Photographs

How the Rutland Times sees Oakham

Sunday Times has listed Oakham, Rutland as one of the best places in the UK to live.



Many Councillors will be celebrating, why?
It's not them who make Oakham the nice place it is
its the people.

Oakham like many places has its problems and if this is really one of the
best places then other towns must be in a real mess.



We pay the highest Council Tax Demands for the poorest services.

For every bad thing I could type there is at least two good things, so here is the good and bad
as I see Oakham.



We have a number of good schools most of those have run away
from Rutland County Council Control, unlike many other towns
and Cities where teachers strike to stay attached to their local authority.

A lot of school leavers take up there post 16 education far away in
places such as Lincoln, Leeds and even Scotland. Often Tweeting
they don't want to return to Oakham.

Many don't, young people can not afford to buy homes here and there
is a lack of jobs.

They often complain there is no Cinema or McDonalds or anything to
do.

If you move here you might find you can't get into a school and
the council will send your children out of the county by bus or taxi.

If your rich you can pay to send you're boy or girl to Oakham School
it's bound to mean success. If they don't move away they might become
a Tory Rutland Councillor.



We still have a library each year the hours are reduced, I am sure
it only remains open because Cllr Terry King (Con) Deputy leader
has not yet found a buyer.



One of  Private Eyes Opinions of Rutland County Council

Those Rotten Boroughs Awards in full Municipal mischief, Issue 1357 LEGAL BULLIES OF THE YEAR Runners-up Scarborough borough council threatened to close down a website, Real Whitby, which had carried embarrassing stories about councillors. Chief legal officer Lisa Dixon demanded that “defamatory and untrue” material be removed. Real Whitby asked for examples, but Dixon could not provide any. WinnersRutland county council, which set aside £90,000 of taxpayers’ money to seek an injunction against three of its own councillors (the “Rutland Anti-Corruption Party”) who had been asking awkward questions. The council tested the water by prosecuting another critic, blogger Martin Brookes, for “harassing and stalking” chief exec Helen Briggs. District judge John Temperley found Brookes not guilty, declaring: “Freedom of expression is an essential function of a democratic society. It is applicable also to those who offend and shock.” A hero on the bench! UKIP Councillors say Rutland County Council and Leicestershire  Police are Corrupt. Then we have our friendly town council, sole purpose is to collect tax and spend as its pleases, the bulk on paying a Clerk and supporting Oakham in Bloom and recently awarding school pupils who only reside  in Oakham. The Town Clerk once told Cllrs the good thing about all the new houses being built is we get more money and provide no extra services. This only applies to the public and can be ignored if you are a Councillor or a former Councillor. Rutland County Council is controlled by by Tory bullies who only do things one way, their way. The Conservative council can not see any other direction. The Council is made up of old style Tory farts The Council Chamber could be confused with the Museum The Museum of course contains some slighty more interesting things to look at. Once a year this can be confused when the museum is converted for the Conservative Beer Festival. Parking will send you around the bend, it effected one Conservative Councillor so much he resigned the from the party. Unfortunately not the council. Public Transport! If only I Could Drive We have a very quaint little radio station, Rutland Radio will take you back to a place far far back in time. A new bus station costing nearly a million is replacing some dirty toilets Another old loo is to become a dog pampering place. Oakham Town Council is very pleased with its public toilets they cost £160,000 to build and were opened by a Mayor and every senior Tory from Rutland County Council. Oakham Town Council pays a part-time cleaner around £20,000 a year to keep them clean, they then pay a man each year a few hundred pounds who tells them they are clean and leaves the council a certificate. Cllr Lucas wrote in the Rutland Times saying they are the best in the country. For the Ladies The best frocks can be purchased in a few independent shops A number of stylish hats and outfits are offered for the Oakham man. If you are moving from Hampstead and leave your green wellies on  the heath, don't worry here in oakham we wear any colour walking through Cutts Close. We have a Tesco hated by some, personally I don't and find most of the staff friendly and local. Only this week the staff help save a mans life outside the store.  I don't have to like the funny little fat woman who adores Homophobic liar Cllr Charles Haworth. Oh if you are Gay Oakham may not be the place for you. Haworth and Co don't like many minorities.  For those who don't like Tesco there is ASDA a long car drive away, Corby which many do to save a penny on a pint of milk. We have two expensive Co-op supermarkets. We have 'Hot Fuzz' PC Joe Lloyd is in charge of Oakham's Crime Scenes. Oakham is very much like the film, accept PC Lloyd came  from the Army and was not sent by the Met and he not was permitted to bring his guns. He has a lady assistant who used to eat too many chips. There are many church's which cater for a number of Christian denominations and the Quakers. Nothing else. Some time the JW's drag their kids door to door or sit outside the old post office not sure where they come from. We lack visits from the good looking Mormons. I found it was a good way to get rid of them when I lived in Peterborough, I would ask them why they were all good looking and was it a condition of service to be good looking and then invite them in for a chat. Never works with the JW's I don't answer the door. If you live near one of these you may regret it and have to complain to the council. "sixteen years I have been a Councillor and you have always been complaining" Cllr Lucas told residents this week, showing her effectiveness and compassion for residents problems. A typical hard working family home not effected by the night-time economy. A typical retirement Box At work last week a person said people come to  Oakham to die. For that we have the Co-operative The Co-operative - Here for you for life We did not do so well in the Halifax results at the  start of the year