Waste supremo a casualty of controversial policy (From Darlington and Stockton Times)

Waste supremo a casualty of controversial policy

11:00am Friday 12th June 2009

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A SUB-TEXT to the changes Richmondshire District Council has agreed to make to its controversial waste collection arrangements is the absence of the officer who spearheaded the changes.

Sean Little, who as the council’s “head of waste and street scene” had the onerous job of trying to sell the scheme to a doubtful public, is understood to have left the council’s employment after a period of long-term sickness.

In fact, we last heard of Mr Little in 2008 was when he complained about the aggression many of his staff had faced over the changes, particularly the lane-end collections.

It is understood he too had been on the receiving end of some robust exchanges.

As many Richmondshire officers have discovered in the past, an extremely thick skin is a pre-requisite for senior staff at Swale House.

Festival highlight

WHAT a splendid Swaledale Festival. Record bums-onseats thanks to a programme that had goodies for the lovers of “serious” music and popular classics alike and some pretty decent weather for most of the fortnight made the festival the most successful ever.

Spectator’s visits were unfortunately rare but we managed to catch the choir of York Minster in exceptionally fine voice in St Mary’s Church, Richmond in the second week.

The choir concert was immediately preceded by the Liszt in Swaledale event at the King’s Head Hotel, a combination of a concert and a talk which celebrated the composer’s visit to the hotel in 1841 at the end of his tour of British Isles.

Young pianist Simon Passmore ran through a number of the composer’s works in the very same ballroom where Liszt had performed 168 years previously, while Richmond-based historian and musicologist Dr Kenneth Birkin told the story. It was quite magical.

In formation

A fine sight on Darlington’s High Row on Wednesday afternoon.

A large flock of geese numbering 30 or more birds were in a perfect V-formation heading north in exact alignment with the street. It was almost like a flypast.

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