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Recognising a hero; Why Joe Townsend should receive the Freedom of the Borough of Eastbourne
Local hero Joe Townsend should receive the Freedom of the Borough of Eastbourne. This is the highest recognition that Eastbourne Borough Council can bestow upon a citizen, and who could possibly be more deserving than Joe?
Joe is the Eastbourne lad, who, while serving his country with the 40 Commando in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, lost both legs to an anti tank mine.
He has been at the centre of a media storm recently after Wealden Council refused him permission to have a bungalow built.
Apparently they didn't think his case was 'exceptional'. What nonsense.
I'm glad to see that the decision has now been given in Joe's favour, but not before many TV news programmes broadcast his plight, 'Noel's HQ' covered the story twice on Sky, and even the Prime Minister got involved. The Facebook group supporting him had over a quarter of a million members.
Joe is an Eastbourne lad, who attended Meads Primary School, Ratton and Sussex Downs College. He's only 20, and has a very different future ahead than he expected, but all the reports show his attitude, despite it all, is outstanding. He has a very supportive family including a mum who didn't leave his side for five months while he underwent surgery and needed ongoing medical attention, and he has already received a military honour for his bravery. The whole country is proud of him, and quite frankly it's the right thing for Eastbourne Borough Council to do, to give a small recognition to one of our own.
I alluded to this a few weeks ago in this column, and discussed it with a senior councillor who is considering setting the wheels in motion to make it happen.
And I was delighted to see the rebel independent candidate for the County Council in Langney, David Tomlinson agrees, according to the Herald. In fact David has taken it a stage further and suggested there should be a parade through the town centre ending at the Town Hall with a reception from the Mayor. What a great idea!
It's quite astonishing the bravery we see from servicemen and women, who put themselves in positions, and go through things most of us don't have a clue about. And yet they often get treated shabbily, certainly in comparison with how some other countries honour their heroes.
Last week there was the disgraceful demonstration in Luton against the returning heroes by a small number of people who felt the Iraq war was unjust, and decided to ruin a military homecoming, instead of doing what they should have done and have their say at the ballot box.
In recent years the Freedom of the Borough award has been presented to some very worthy recipients, including Liz Walke, who led the campaign to Save the DGH, Tennis legend Martina Navratilova, who has been a great ambassador for the town, and Henry Allingham, Britain's oldest man who saw action in the first world war.
A night with Al Murray . . .
I'm looking forward to a night out at the Congress this weekend to see Al Murray; I hear it's a sell out! See you there . . .
Have a great week friends!
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Weather for Eastbourne
Saturday 11 February 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: -6 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Light sleet showers
Temperature: 2 C to 5 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: North west
