Most importantly, please note that the start time has been moved forward by an hour to 11am. This has been necessary for best media results (it's a long story). We will now be gathering at The Vaults from 11am onwards with speeches expected to start at 11:45.
The subject of the Stony Stratford ban cropped up on Jeremy Vine's BBC Radio 2 show today, with Bartlett himself being interviewed, along with David Nuttall MP who was making the opposite case for a relaxation of the smoking ban to accommodate separate smoking rooms.
Bartlett spoke less than fluently with muddled logic, and came across as the worst kind of anti-smoker - at one point even calling his own father "disgusting". You can listen to the debate here from 35 minutes in.
With regard to Stony Stratford on the 16th, four excellent speakers have so far been confirmed, and the event has received support from The Freedom Association, Big Brother Watch, Forest, UKIP, Freedom2Choose, and - of course - our esteemed mascot.
Local press will be in attendance and today I spoke to BBC Look East who will be bringing their cameras along on the day.
All rather encouraging, I think you'll agree.
There are still details to be confirmed, so a final rundown of the arrangements will follow early next week. If you're planning to come along on the day - or even if you can't make it - please invite others in any way you can. If on Facebook, there is an 'invite' button just beneath the picture on the event page HERE (it only appears once you have declared if you are coming or not).
Further reading:
Smokers and non-Smokers alike should unite against the petty authoritarianism of Stony Stratford councillors - Huffington Post UK
Stick this in your pipe and... - The Commentator
A smoking ban standoff in Stony Stratford - AboutMyArea/MK11
Showdown in Stony Stratford - Frank Davis
Join us in Stony Stratford - Last Ditch
Join me and Dick Puddlecote in Stony Stratford - Dave Atherton
Stony ground indeed - Freedom2Choose
You will be coming, won't you?
33 comments:
Excellent! Can't make it, but good luck!
I can't make it but I've advertised it on my blog. Hope the day will gom well.
go not gom
All the best - can't go as have a Ward Surgery in the morning and (much more importantly) a date with Jules Holland at Ripley Castle in the afternoon/evening.
Thanks for the support, TFE, and you too Simon.
I'm interesteed in numbers at this stage. I've had e-mails from people attending and FB people confirming attendance, but if you're not one of those but are coming, please say 'aye' or something in the comments. :)
Erm, Dick? The MK11 story has the pub you're meeting in as The Bull, not The Vaults.
Paul: The Vaults is one of the bars in the Bull Hotel, so the same place.
It is the Bull in 'Cock and Bull story' as the Cock Hotel is 50 yards away.
Sorry, my fault. Easy mistake to make. ;)
Far too far to me to get to, so I'll not be coming. Hope you lot have a rare auld time though. ;-)
Have you tried asking David Hockney?
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23968020-light-up-and-laugh-at-the-anti-smoking-killjoys.do
Good luck, by the way.
Good call, Anon, but Mr Bartlett would be better. Anyone know how to contact him? ;)
I'm down on Facebook as a (definite) Maybe. It's just the distance, though am seriously considering burning the plastic to do a weekend in Milton Keynes... which is what I asked my 12yo son: "Fancy a weekend in Milton Keynes?" Something I thought I would NEVER say...
Is the Vaults "kid-friendly"? My lad would be bored shitless, I don't doubt, but I would rather like to show support and have a decent pint in company of like-minded grumpies... Plus: be good to deliberately stand outside and smoke a few
and have a "cracc" as the Word Verification doodad asked for
ps, my son doesn't like smoking. I told him that a nazi bastard wants to stop people smoking in the street, and he seemed to think that this was a good idea.... Um... so I told him that after that he wanted to ban dinosaurs.* He now thinks he's an absolute twat of the first order. Did I do bad?
pps: stony stratford was where they filmed Withnail and I... a good excuse to go... er... I can''t find anything else to do in MK, other than visit the Concrete Cows.
ppps:
apparently the vaults has folkie music on a sunday:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YF-X5TXiiI0
but beware the loons:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Li17ccezzA&feature=related
:P
*the boy is aspergers, and a life-long dinosaur nutcase.
I am so cross Mr P. A chance to meet all those people I only know via the net, inc you, Frank, Simon, the list is endless. Alas, although I am a retired has been who never was, I have a gig on 16th - grrrr
DP
will be there, with the famous Bucko any ideas for banners greatfuly received
"will be there, with the famous Bucko any ideas for banners greatfuly received"
I think we should wear armbands with star of david's made out of burning cigarettes....
Too subtle? Or too obvious??
Well done, DP. Especially getting some media involved, though I suspect some of them will be trying their damnedest to spin the event to show a bunch of evil smokers ganging up on the... er, well not the majority who don't smoke because that wouldn't make sense. Councillor Fucknuts maybe? Whatever, expect bias is all I'm saying.
FWIW I'd say you'd help things if you can get a bunch of sympathetic non-smokers along as well, people who don't mind standing by people who spark up and are happy to explain to a journo or anyone else that they support the smokers because eventually the ban-brigade will get round to something they do do. I'd put my hand up for it but I'm sure you understand that ten thousand miles is an awfully long way.
Hi Dick, I will also be coming down as a Director of The Coalition Against Prohibition (TICAP.)
http://www.antiprohibition.org/
Correction The INTERNATIONAL Coalition Against Prohibition.
Too far for me but hope it goes well and I look forward to reports.
Jay
It's a pain in the arse to get there and I have pressing things to do on the day.
But as an Australian who's seeing just how fanatical these people are and how much influence they can wield, I'm coming anyway.
Listening to this moron Bartlett made my blood boil. Is he related to Prescott?
Calling your own father disgusting is the act of someone who Has Issues. I sincerely hope that Bartlett has many issues and leads an extremely unhappy life for a very long time.
Calling your own father disgusting is the act of someone who Has Issues.
Publicly denouncing parents. I'd mention who would have been proud of that sort of thing but the Godwin alarms would all go off ;-)
DP, I've put up a promo banner at mine that links to your post here. I'll leave it up all week and hope that it maybe gets a few more along.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b012gkp3
1.44 in (and 2.09.15)
The idiot totally rubbished
H/T to Chas F2C
Thanks, AE. Top pic to go with it too. :)
Well, I know it's the wrong hotel, but it was late and I was in a hurry. If it sends another pair of legs the right way on the day it's more than worth it.
It sounds like a brilliant day. I don't know yet if I will be able to make it there. Could the whole thing, all of the speeches be filmed >? Well done Dick P
Yep. I'll be joining NewsBoy. Wouldn't miss this one.
See you all there.
Feature on R5L 5 minutes after end of 11.33pm news (about 11.43pm) on Adrian Goldberg Show Saturday night. Bartlett came across as a nutter, spouting random mad claims about smoking and smokers, but David Nuttall spoke very well about permitting smoking rooms. Two or three phone-in punters featured. All in favour of allowing smoking rooms.
Anon: Yes, I listened to that 'live' at the time, and tweeted about it. I meant to post it here but have been sidetracked by work issues, will draw more attention to it.
Herr Bartlett, I understand, styles himself "alderman". Is this big title meant to make up for his being quite, well, small in other ways?
Vape, don't smoke. Give the fascists the finger.
They want to ban smoking? fine. Give them their little victory, make them feel like the big man.. then bring out your E-Cig and watch their attitude change.
Stony Stratford? It is a bigger waste of time than Leighton Buzzard, and don't start me on Milton Keynes.
I'm aiming to be there - a day release permit from the wife pending
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