We'll be gathering from 11am onwards at the Vaults Bar, High Street, Stony Stratford, Buckinghamshire, MK11 1AQ. It is the bar to the right of the orange awning in the image below. Click here for a big arrow pointing to its location on the High Street.
As well as a large contingent of local residents, we are being joined by people from all over the country, and even one who is flying in from Russia on Friday especially for this event.
Those driving will be pleased to know that parking in Stony Stratford is FREE! A map of the town's car parks can be viewed here.
If you're arriving by train into Milton Keynes Central station, the 5A bus (says Wolverton on the front) leaves every 15 minutes from stop 37 on Station Square and will take you to Stony Stratford in around 20 minutes.
The taxi fare from the station to Stony Stratford is in the region of £7, though @miltonkeynetaxi have said that if you find that journey cheaper anywhere in their tweets, show the driver and that's what you'll pay.
The speeches will take place from midday to allow for latecomers, but in the meantime we hope to help out with local petitions by getting as many signatures as possible in objection to Bartlett's plan. Portable ashtrays are being provided for those who smoke, so please use them or the receptacles provided by the venue as we don't wish to leave any litter.
As mentioned, BBC Look East (and possibly ITV Anglia News) will be in attendance along with local press so the earlier you display your placards/banners/posters/dressing up efforts, the better.
The speakers so far confirmed are as below (others may follow):
Bill Etheridge - Midlands representative for The Freedom Association
David Odell - Head of Stony Stratford Chamber of Commerce
Patrick Hayes - Journalist at the Institute of Ideas and columnist at Spiked
Nigel Farage - Leader of UKIP
Thank you to all who have helped publicise this event so far, any further plugs would also be most appreciated. There are still three days in which to invite others via the Facebook page, or to publicise the event on Twitter using the hashtag #StonyStandoff .
If there's anything else you need to know, I can't think of it. Roll on Saturday.
18 comments:
Facebook link to ITN discussion: http://itv.co/n7zsY4 http://www.facebook.com/itvnews
We will see you there Dick.
as a non-smoker, nothing has made me want to smoke more than laws like this. Can't quite be arsed to make it up from kernow, but I'm with you in spirit. I look forward to the coverage.
An old skint Goth(VISI Version) in the East Mancunian Bolshy Gulag would like to add some barbaric
flavour to the Stony muster
but
the northern clans seem to have
slithered into obscurity.
Anyone en route from the North West
please let Dick know.
He knows where to find me.
Tridentine smoking Goth
Good old Nigel Farage. He's got my vote!
I'll be there.
@Tridentine smoking Goth
Bucko is from t' North West. He offered a lift on a previous post:
http://dickpuddlecote.blogspot.com/2011/07/stony-stratford-councillor-struggles.html?showComment=1309788483213#c3176881026923815168
I considered his offer (am coming from Cumbria), but it's too far in one day for me, so making a weekend of it.
Just been on facebook. 48 attending. With those alone it's gonna be busy, but sure to be more, what with those not on fb and locals too.
Oh boy do I wish I could attend this cause célèbre but, alas, husbandly duties forbids it. As I live in the North East I could easily take up Bucko's offer and it would be good to see my old chum Visigoth again and see a few of the blogosphere people who have kept my spirits up during these anti smoking turbulent times. I have a shiny new megaphone that has never been tested at an event such as this.
My appreciation for Mr Puddlecote has increased tenfold for his tenacity and Mrs P and the little DP's deserve recognition for putting up with him during his many sojourns away in the persuit of freedom of choice.
I'll be raising a glass in your honour DP come Saturday.
Go, go, go my 'tinternet friend.
DP - I'm not able to be there but as a mark of solidarity, I've publicised at my site.
You will prevail!
Just seen your article, TT. Thanks for the support. :)
Dick I would very much like to speak. I have appeared on many television programmes, and fought many battles. I feel very strongly about this. Coulds you fit me in?
Jeremy Holtom
I have every intention of being there with my partner.
Not able to attend but I hope everything goes well.
It's typical of the 'see-it-ban-it' lot that they can never even focus on their real gripe. Cllr Bartlett is fed up with litter, so his answer is to call for a ban on smoking in public - in the same way you would deal with the dog-mess problem by banning dogs from going outside, or solve the parking problem by banning petrol... Good luck tomorrow, wish I could be there!
My thanks for your efforts in organising this eventand admiration that you have taken so much time and effort organising this event.
The fight back against self-serving elected bullies who abuse their power starts here.
I have just had root canal work so feeling pretty awful right now... but am planning to be there if I can get enough painkillers down me !!
Goddamnit, I really have a lot to do tomorrow but I see the Nazis in Wales are now pushing for a ban in smoking in cars as it is, you guessed it, "The next logical step." Now is the time to take a stand.
I'll be there, after all.
(Just a shame that I'm driving - a few pints with other like-minded folk would be rather pleasant).
Shame that we could not car pool but bugger the expense, I'm taking the train and theoretically a bus (but I might acquiesce and take a taxi).
Bring a brolly, I hear it might be wet.
One notable case took place yesterday. In a church hall in the small town of Stony Stratford, Buckinghamshire, 150 men and women were asked to raise their hands if they supported the proposals of Councillor Paul Bartlett to ban smoking in the streets of his city. Only two people raised their hands. And one of them was Paul Bartlett.
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