Ock Street on a Thursday Evening

Mayor of Ock Street Ballot Papers
The Election of the Mayor of Ock Street will be on June 21st this year. Ballot Papers were being taken round this evening. It is earlier than usual to give people more warning, and also to avoid delivering ballot papers during the England v Uruguay game.

Only people living along Ock Street and side streets get to vote in this election.
Mayor of Ock Street Ballot Papers
It will be a two way contest this year between Roger Cox, the current Mayor, and Harry Knight.
Mayor of Ock Street Ballot Papers
The number of Ock Street occupants entitled to vote has been reduced by the demolition of the Mayott House Old People’s Home.

But by 2015 the new independent living quarters, built instead, will provide new electors.
Mayor of Ock Street Ballot Papers
On Ock Street today the Firemen were on strike over government changes to their pensions. As I gather it the government wants firemen to continue front line fire fighting until the age of 60.
Mayor of Ock Street Ballot Papers
Large clouds of smoke were rising this evening. Not a strike breaker – just a large bonfire at St Amand Drive as viewed from Meadowside off Ock Street

5 thoughts on “Ock Street on a Thursday Evening

  1. Spike

    It’s ironic that on the day the military loose another 1000 servicemen and women, who also have to pass a bi-annual fitness test as well as also having massive changes to their pension scheme, watch quietly from the sidelines while the fireman strike yet again. There are many tasks that are required daily that can only be completed by a trained fireman such as public venues and schools given annual fire inspections which can be allocated to more mature members. No one is expecting a 58 year old man to go climbing up a ladder to rescue someone from a burning house just like a 54 year old Major won’t be tasked to sit in a trench in Helmand Provence.

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  2. rudi

    the idea that there are still people who think they should be able to cease working at the age of 55 and draw a pension from that day onwards is crazy and also offensive to the rest of us who face working up to 70.
    what’s next? – pensions for boxers from the age of 36?

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  3. Ali.

    Think you should read up on the facts a bit more, they will be excepted to maintain operational frontline fitness till they are 60, otherwise they will face dismissal & loss of their pension. This pension they are actually paying almost 15% of their monthly salary into. Seems fine for the Government to change what they like when they like! I fully support them striking, why should they just bow down to the Government! I don’t think anyone is expecting to retire at 55 so I hardly see how it’s offensive but perhaps if you worked for the emergency services for years & years you may wish you could!

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  4. Janet

    Yes Ali it is a disgrace that if they do not pass the fitness test they can be dismissed without a pension. Take away some of the fat cat bonuses and MP expenses. Our front line staff should not be penalised. This is the way of the present government. Take money from the disabled and the poor and give it to the rich in tax cuts. Plus the E U demands more money for our membership for their expensive and wasteful organisation. The government is making cuts from everything to fund our membership

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  5. Neil Fawcett

    I agree that fire fighters should not expect to retire at 55 and I broadly agree with the Government’s reforms to public sector pensions to make them sustainable in the long term.

    However I completely disagree that fire fighters should be expected to do front line work at that age or that they should be dismissed if they aren’t fit enough for it.

    The workforce should be organised so that as fire fighters get older and inevitably less fit they move to work that is more suitable, but still within the fire service.

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