On Tuesday, it was good to see the West End Christmas Tree getting hoisted into place at Seabraes (see right) - ironically I was going into Dundee West Church at the time to discuss aspects of the West End Christmas Week - the Children's Concert kindly hosted by Rev Andrew Greaves in the Church and also a Christmas Recipe booklet the Church is producing for elderly folk in the West End, which I'm helping to get distributed in the sheltered housing areas.Earlier on Tuesday, we had the City Council's Best Value Sub-Committee, where recycling was on the agenda and it was good to see the very many initiatives the City Council's Waste Management Department is taking in this area, ensuring that Dundee continues to lead the field in recycling. My contribution to that item mentioned that I was delighted at the Roseangle recycling point proposal. I have now had good feedback to the idea with the vast majority of respondants being in favour. Given some of the issues raised, however, the department has agreed to operate it only on a trial basis to see how well it works and ensure there are no problems. I have written to nearby householders again about this (delivered Tuesday/Wednesday).
I received a very concerning report about the state of the back area of one West End tenement on Tuesday - many thanks to the constituent who sent my mobile a picture message of the mass of burst black bags and refuse lying around. With thanks to the Housing Association who own some of the flats there and to the responsiveness of our ever efficient Environmental Warden, the huge amount of rotting refuse is now cleared away.
Good to see the West End featured on German TV! If you click the headline above, there's last Saturday's story in the P&J about German TV visiting Dundee to discuss with local people the success of the smoking ban in public places. Unfortunately the on-line article doesn't include the photo from the newspaper of the film crew in the Speedwell Bar in Perth Road (Mennie's to you and me!)
And lastly, yesterday evening spent putting together the West End Christmas Week residents' flyer; with proofing kindly done this morning by a member of West End Community Council, that's the flyer away to the printer! I have little doubt West End Christmas Week 2006 will be the biggest and best yet!