GUEST BOOK
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The sealing of the Magna Carta was an event of National and international significance it marked the birth of democracy and ensured that no-one was beyond the law. It was the starting point of British law as we know it today and has become Englands greatest export providing the basis for the legal system in democratic countries around the world. Recent celebrations to mark the 800th anniversary of this document have been held the length and breath of the United Kingdom from bell ringing in Cathedrals across the nation, flag raising ceremonies, lectures and exhibitions as far afield as Houston Texas. People around the world celebrated the birth of democracy.
In a sleepy hamlet in North-West Northumberland a woman approaches what used to be a Public notice board but gone are the pleas for neighbourly assistance to find a feline friend or offers of ironing to domestically challenged locals only those with a key can now post in what has become the `Parish councils notice board` this woman however is one of the privileged few and she unlocks the glass front and pins up the minutes of the AGM of the parish council. It has been decided that the only people whose opinions count and who can raise matters are those who can attend meetings which are always on an evening and always midweek so if you cannot get a babysitter or if you are ill or away from the village on business or even just don`t work 9-5 your opinion dosen`t matter anymore. In a 21st century world where even voting in a general election is available by post and possibly soon available on-line surely this is a retrograde step.
In short Rochester & Byrness residents celebrate the anniversary of the sealing of the magna carta by learning that for a large proportion of us local democracy is dead.