No one said it would be easy......

I have today recieved a response from the RPA. It is I am afraid a rather perfunctory repetition of their initial position. I have to admit to being a little depressed by the predictability of the faceless civil 'servant', and the fact that term is proving to be a contradicition in terms. There is some hope in that they did not mention the link with motorsports and that the position has shifted to the rational that the sport is "likely to cause damage", and therefore the classification remains the same. This on its own is not a reason to restrict an activity in it's own right. The framework only restricts an activity if it would prevent a farmer from keeping the land in Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition. I have responding and requested that they provide the detailed reasoning behind the decision to restrict the activity in this way. I have also written to written to Phil Hope MP who has in turn again written to The secretary of State for Culture media and Sport for a response. Please show your support and sign the petition for your fellow kiters, the demonstration of opinion will be invaluable.

On a promise..and a letter from Europe

I was quite hopeful this week when I called up to find out what the score was with our query. I have to admit to getting a tad grumpy when the helpful chap came back and said that "a manager" at Exeter says it shouldn't be with them and that I should call the help desk at Reading!!! Poor sod, I really do feel for these people who have to face the frustration of customers that are let down by "the ones that do not speak". I have to say that he pulled it back, he took my number and promised to find out from Reading who will be dealing with the request and also by when it will be dealt with. So I hung up confident at least that I would at least get a call back. So at 1615 I get a call back, with the poor chap saying that there's no good news as the person he needed to talk to had left the building for the day. He assured me a call back the next morning. Anyway the next day he calls me back, very cheerily saying that the it is policy that "the ones that do not speak" do not speak!! But I have been "promised" that by Wednesday I'll receive a letter from a "Senior Manager". I am excited and a little fearful of what that letter may contain, I am not full of confidence that it will be dealt with the appropriate care and attention, but there is always hope. Anyway we will see. I'll post what has been said when we receive the letter.

Posty's just been and a letter has arrived from Glenis Willmott (MEP). The letter contained a response to her letter from Mariann Fisher Boel (European Commissioner responsible for Agriculture & Rural Development). The key element is that the activity has to fall within the framework of the legislation and I quote...

"....this framework does not prevent the kind of activity described by your constituent.

I would therefore suggest that your constituent obtains the necessary clarifications from the British Authorities."

.....this is a bit of a coupe!! I have been advised to go back to my local MP to pursue it further. Interesting aside though, I wrote to EU after I wrote to the UK and I have yet to hear from the head of State for Culture Media and Sport.

I hope that I will have a few more signatures on the petition to demonstrate the sporting communities strength of feeling. Currently the score on the door is 727 and we're 270th in line. The trend figure this week (11) fell below 40 signatures for last week, but forum views remain constant.

Summer Hols must be here....

The summer hols must be here, not that I can tell from the weather, but things in general seem to be on a go slow. My follow up call to the RPA was enlightening rather than progressive this week. As always the people on the line are very helpful and pleasant, the people in the back office seem to be reluctant to support their front line colleagues. Isn't that always the way with call centres. But that's another campaign!!! I did find out that our request as we said last week is sat at Exeter which is where the Scheme's Management Unit is. So I guess we are slowly moving up the decision tree, awaiting to be allocated. I guess there will be more delays whilst they decide on the initial party line. It took them 4 months to let me know their current position so I guess a little over three is par for the course. Talking of moving up the ladder the petition continues to grow, but slowly as everyone is out kiting in sunnier clime's! I know I'll be off soon, wahoooooooo! Usually we jump at least one rung every day, but today was the first day of rest at position 279 and this despite a load of petitions ending. Currently there are 695 signatures on the door. We started off needing a daily signature rate of 10.4 to achieve our 4K target but this is starting to slip with us now requiring 11.2. Things will pick up hopefully as the Autumn winds blow in. Have a good week, and keep nagging people to make their mark. As always thanks to all those that have signed and contributed.

Back on the right track.......

This week has been relatively uneventful, but the RPA tell me that we have been rescanned and are now in Exeter for task allocation. So we have now been to Cumbria, Newcastle, North Allerton and now we're in Exeter. The wonders of ethernet travel ;o). The upside of this is that I've been able to get out in the glorious sunshine and get some kiting done....it had seem an age since I was able to get out....roll on summer!!! (There is always hope!!)

Thanks this week go to the Kite Society of Great Britain who have featured the campaign in their All New 'News' page (http://www.thekitesociety.org.uk/news.htm) on their website. It's a real boost for another National to sign up as a campaign backer, thanks once again.

Oh yes score on the door for the petition is 656 and we're in the top 300 standing at 292. We're surrounded by serious petitions now, please keep signing......

Lets see what happens this week.........