I’ve received four glossy cards from the Marketing Department. Two of them are for Halloween (including a “sorry, no trick or treaters” cards) and two are for Bonfire Night.
The messages on these advertising cards are absolutely right. This time of year brings a whole new dimension to anti-social behaviour, and anything the Council and Police can do to crack down on illegal bonfires, misuse of fireworks and the small minority of people who trick or treat in a threatening and abusive way has my full support.
Unfortunately, here in Walkden the Council are encouraging local residents to go to organised displays that are simply inaccessible. The Council pulled the plug on the Parr Fold Park bonfire back in 2001 and the Halloween event at Blackleach Country Park has been cancelled this year because - and you couldn’t make this up – it is too popular.
The two Council-organised bonfires are in Irlam and Buile Hill. The public transport to either site in the evening is almost non-existent. Very few if any families from Walkden or the wider Worsley area are likely to travel.
I hope that for next year the Council can look to reinstate the bonfire and fireworks display in the Walkden area. The advice the Council and Police are giving out about bonfire night safety are absolutely correct, but the message would be far more effective in Walkden and the surrounding area if the Council were providing an accessible event for local families to attend.
I’ve been to the Buile Hill bonnie a few times. Positively dangerous a few years ago when the wind was blowing the flames 100 metres. Well beyond the safety barriers. The fire was much too big. I blame the Tories.