| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Proposed closure of Wandsworth Museum | |
| Posted by: | Malcolm Grimston | |
| Date/Time: | 09/01/07 12:44:00 |
| It's a very small sum of money (just over £1,000 per year for four plaques) but it is designed to give us a better sense of place and belonging in Wandsworth. The irony is that despite the Museum most of us have only a very vague feeling of the history of the Borough and the people who have lived and worked here. That sense of place is valuable, especially in a place as diverse as we are, in offering a shared heritage to go hand in hand with our differences. There's a lot of evidence that the more people feel they belong somewhere 'special', with its own unique history and culture, the happier and more productive they are (and conversely the less likely they are to trash the place!). Much the same goes for some of our ceremonial work involving the Mayor. For many in the Borough, having the First Citizen present at a do adds a great deal to an occasion, delivering that same sense of belonging and local wellbeing. Typically a Mayor will do some 700 engagements a year and reach a very considerable number of local people. If I can reply to Justine here rather than in a separate entry, when we replace the Mayor's car in due course we will indeed be looking for an environmentally acceptable version, but the market for second-hand Mayoral cars is very limited and it makes no environmental sense to trash a car early and end up having to get a new one manufactured, since about a third of the emissions associated with motor cars comes from making them in the first place. One thing Wandsworth cannot be accused of is thinking about everything in money terms - I love this Borough, it's been my home for 20 years this July, and I want to be part of a Council that celebrates its special nature. If we can square celebration of our culture with value for money then I will feel we've been doing our job. |