Tuesday 5 July 2011

Standoff In Stony Stratford, Saturday July 16th

It's on!

Seeing as quite a few were interested in the idea of a day out in Stony Stratford prior to the council's vote to ban smoking ban in all outdoor areas, let's go and do it.

Meet me between 12pm and 1pm from 11am on Saturday 16th July for a gathering of the liberty conscious against Councillor Paul Bartlett's ludicrous proposal.

The landlord of The Vaults Bar - a real traditional 'local' - is extending a warm welcome by offering us exclusive use of his main bar which faces onto the High Street, a courtyard with comfy seating, and of course being a bar, plenty of beer on tap. A perfect place to begin the day.

Banners and posters are positively encouraged - along with anything else which scream freedom at those we will see on the day - especially since the press have been invited to come and say hello to us.

Anyone who objects to Bartlett's proposed fussbucketing is welcome, and there is a Facebook event set up HERE for inviting like-minded friends. Although we're meeting initially in a bar, let's hope enough turn up to spill into an impromptu street party.

Further details will follow as and when. Hope to see you there.


19 comments:

Brew Wales said...

Have a good time!
Not been to Stony Stratford for a few years, pity I cannot make that date as I seem to remember some excellent pubs on the High Street on a previous visit.
Time to give this authoritarian twat a show of what people power really is!

NewsboyCap said...

DP

See you there, promises to be fun.

handymanphil said...

DP-check emails please my friend

Dick Puddlecote said...

Shame you can't make it, Brew Wales, it would be good to say hello. You did invite others on FB though, I hope? ;)

Dick Puddlecote said...

handymanphil: Facebook links usually require a login to view.

If anyone knows if there is a way round that, they'd be teaching me something useful. :)

Anonymous said...

For me, that date is possible at the moment. I see no reason why not.
We need to know what car parking arrangements are possible - just makes it easier. For example, if I make my way to the pub, is there a public carpark nearby?

We ought also to be able to think of ways to ridicule 'Staff Sergeant' Bartlett (and thus, by implication, the rest of the Council). Maybe it might be possible to equate Bartlett with ASH - after all, Sandford from ASH welcomed Bartlett's proposal. "Beware tobacco smoke - wear a mask at all times!" Or, better still, turn the assertion of the Surgeon General of the USA against her. "Beware! There is AIR here! AIR IS HARMFUL! Wear a mask!" Or, "BEWARE! there is bird excreta in the streets! Always wear a mask!"

The mask is critical. Remember the swine flu - people wearing masks on aircraft?
All to wear masks because of the filthy, stinking, harmful,cancer-promoting, heart disease promoting, STINK in Stony Stratford. "FILTHY SPITTLE EVERYWHERE! WEAR A MASK!"

I am really intent upon attending. I really am.

Anonymous said...

Public demonstrations have to start somewhere at some time. It is rare that they start with thousands. As Pat Nurse's little demonstration in Lincoln showed, the movement in public has small beginnings.

In the first place, ridicule the Bartlett - have no mercy. He is a Nazi.

In the second place, ridicule the idea.

In the third place, ridicule politicians.

It is important to understand that politicians are subservient to PARTY POLICIES. They do not have to think for themselves. NAY, they MUST NOT think for themselves - they are not clever enough.

Large numbers of people at this event would be wonderful, but that is not important at this stage. At this stage, the important thing is to ridicule Bartlett. He is the epitome of stupidity. Since ASH agree, they are also the epitome of stupidity.

Eleven days! Keep it simple - wear masks.

Anonymous said...

Gosh, DP. We must bear in mind that .............

Bucko said...

See you there!

Nick said...

Ok I'm coming. Any Chance of a post code? As I'm flying in on Friday morning via Germany would anyone like some smokes bringing down?

Dick Puddlecote said...

Nick: Coming in from Germany?!? Great story, that. Please drop me a line at dickpuddlecote@live.co.uk :)

Dick Puddlecote said...

Sorry Nick, the post code is MK11 1AQ

Nick said...

Email sent.

Frank Davis said...

As I'm flying in on Friday morning via Germany would anyone like some smokes bringing down?

I'd love some rolling tobacco!

Reinhold said...

Encouraging greetings from Munich!

The witch from Essex said...

Neither Stony Stratford Council nor Milton Keynes Council enjoy statutory powers to make byelaws (delegated legislation) to ban smoking in the open air. To do so would contravene the long established principles flowing from the case of Associated Provincial Picture Houses v Wednesbury Corporation [1947] 1 KB 223 The principle is that as a statutory body a Council is only permitted to do what it is expressly authorised to do by statute.

No statute permits a byelaw to be drafted for the purpose of prohibiting open air smoking so any decision made in favour of the proposal at meeting will be ultra vires ie: beyond their authority.

Nick said...

I will bring rolling stuff. Obviously it will be all for personal use :o)

Anonymous said...

Sheila from Kansas USA here. We are fighting back here also. Taverns, pool halls, and bingo halls are closing all over America due to this ridiculous smoking ban in adult's only businesses. We are cheering you on. Expose the lies of the pro ban movement, and expose the nicotine replacement pharma funding of it too!
If the government doesn't want us smoking then WHY the hell are they licensing the selling of it??? They don't want people to stop buying, (they don't want to lose the revenue) but they have been bought off by Johnson and Johnson, who sell all the Nicoderm, Nicorette, Nicoderm CQ, and Pfizer, who sell Champix, that they have to juggle their lies about health to keep all their balls in the air!

Anonymous said...

Civil disobedience. Love it!