My good friend, Mr Limosky came to see me in the shop yesterday afternoon. In many ways Mr Limosky is like that embarrassing uncle we all have, the one who always says the embarrassing truth, which everyone else is too polite to speak. He's lost many a friend over the years with his harsh comments. A typical example of his tact and diplomacy was when a friend of his was saying how his daughter wanted to become a fashion model. Mr Limosky replied "She hasn't got a chance, she's far too fat". What has Mr Limoskys view of the world got to do with the libraries campaign, you may wonder. Well Mr Limosky isn't a fan of libraries either. He told me that I was wasting my time running the campaign. Now Mr Limosky's job has given me an extraordinary insight into a role I'd not realised the Libraries play in 2011 post Thatcherite Great Britain. What could this be?
Well Mr Limosky is a central heating engineer. He works for companies such as the now defunct Connaught PLC, servicing boilers forvictims tenants of social housing in and around North London. Mr Limosky has a little window into the lives of the poor unfortunate people in our area that us wealthy, comfy middle class people never ever see. I suspect the likes of Councillors Coleman and Rams have never ventured into the world of squalour which Mr Limosky regales us with on his visits for coffee and to scrounge cigarettes.
His view of the libraries Campaign? "If they shut the libraries, where will all the OAP's go to read the papers in winter and keep warm? That is the most useful service performed by libraries. If they go, hundreds will either freeze to death through cold or starve to death because they'll have to pay to have their heating on all day". He told me that no one in social housing on a basic pension in North London could afford to keep their heating on in the recent cold snap. His view of Rams suggestion that Libraries could be turned into Starbucks "They won't want a bunch of geriatrics hanging round all day, trying not to freeze to death".
It really is quite depressing. There is a whole subculture of survival which most of us are totally unaware of. It's like free bus passes. This enables OAP's to travel far afield for free. Discount retailers such as Lidl and Aldi can deliver savings on food bills which could for many be the difference between malnutrition and health. Sadly heat and warmth cannot be shopped around for in the same way. If you can't afford to put your heating on, you have to turn it off and find another way to stay warm. Maybe Mr Limosky was being harsh in his analysis of what the Barnet Conservatives are up to "Look, they've got no cash, if they have a good cull of all these dependent geriatrics, they'll save a fortune. They are not stupid you know".
As I said, Mr Limosky's views are not for the faint hearted. Sadly though, I suspect he might have detected a truth about our local council which none of us nicer, politer people would ever possibly say. I've been trying to think of an appropriate question to ask Councillor Robert Rams at the Cabinet meeting on the 29th of March, when they debate the library closure program. I've been struggling to think of one, but I think Mr Limosky has given me the answer.
"During the winter, many elderly people in Barnet visit libraries to keep warm and read the newspapers. Many cannot afford to keep their heating on all day. Please could Councillor Rams detail what plans are in place to ensure these residents do not die of hypothermia. If no contingency plans are in place, can Councillor Rams please detail how much money Barnet Council expects to save from its social welfare budget as a result of them dying"
Well Mr Limosky is a central heating engineer. He works for companies such as the now defunct Connaught PLC, servicing boilers for
His view of the libraries Campaign? "If they shut the libraries, where will all the OAP's go to read the papers in winter and keep warm? That is the most useful service performed by libraries. If they go, hundreds will either freeze to death through cold or starve to death because they'll have to pay to have their heating on all day". He told me that no one in social housing on a basic pension in North London could afford to keep their heating on in the recent cold snap. His view of Rams suggestion that Libraries could be turned into Starbucks "They won't want a bunch of geriatrics hanging round all day, trying not to freeze to death".
It really is quite depressing. There is a whole subculture of survival which most of us are totally unaware of. It's like free bus passes. This enables OAP's to travel far afield for free. Discount retailers such as Lidl and Aldi can deliver savings on food bills which could for many be the difference between malnutrition and health. Sadly heat and warmth cannot be shopped around for in the same way. If you can't afford to put your heating on, you have to turn it off and find another way to stay warm. Maybe Mr Limosky was being harsh in his analysis of what the Barnet Conservatives are up to "Look, they've got no cash, if they have a good cull of all these dependent geriatrics, they'll save a fortune. They are not stupid you know".
As I said, Mr Limosky's views are not for the faint hearted. Sadly though, I suspect he might have detected a truth about our local council which none of us nicer, politer people would ever possibly say. I've been trying to think of an appropriate question to ask Councillor Robert Rams at the Cabinet meeting on the 29th of March, when they debate the library closure program. I've been struggling to think of one, but I think Mr Limosky has given me the answer.
"During the winter, many elderly people in Barnet visit libraries to keep warm and read the newspapers. Many cannot afford to keep their heating on all day. Please could Councillor Rams detail what plans are in place to ensure these residents do not die of hypothermia. If no contingency plans are in place, can Councillor Rams please detail how much money Barnet Council expects to save from its social welfare budget as a result of them dying"
Sorry I don't have an answer to your question Rog; but I am sure of one thing, whatever money is saved, I am sure that there are Consultancy Firms out there who's pockets the Council will be only to glad to place those savings in.
ReplyDeleteOnly saying......
I'm afraid Mr Limosky is being rather patronising to the older citizens who use libraries, and I speak as someone who has worked in local libraries: yes, they are of enormous importance to many older people, but not primarily as somewhere warm to sit, although I agree many will be struggling with their heating bills. Libraries are for them a resource of free reading matter,including audio books and large print books, and books in different ethnic languages; and yes, newspapers and magazines, information and access to the internet, which many less advantaged older people do not have at home. Visiting the library is a regular part of the routine of many pensioners and provides a vital point of contact and interaction without which many would be very isolated.
ReplyDeleteps just seen this joke on twitter:
ReplyDelete"Playing Big Society Cluedo. It's easier than normal Cluedo because there isn't a library" ...
Hmm.
Mrs Angry,
ReplyDeleteBeing patronising or not, the fact that people cannot afford to keep warm is the issue. Another aspect are families where gas boliers break down and are not serviced for days/weeks, causing use of expensive electric fires. Some of what he tells me about quality of repairs is quite frightening as is the use of untrained installers, where a registered engineers finishes off and signs off