Tilebury

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Special Correspondent

Christina Collett

1 March

And who's left to clean up?

The BBC has left - finishing filming on time and packing up and all gone on the same day. I'm told that's unheard of in the media business.

So I think they must have been chased out by our demonstration! We can claim victory for the opinions of the people. Thank you for all those people who supported us both actively in our demonstrations and quietly - behind the scenes. We know you were behind us and your quiet support kept us going even when the BBC's production crews were jeering at us.

A man Filming

But we can't leave it at that now. This has started something and we should harness our energies. For instance, I've sent some letters to the BBC producers about showing this horrible programme. I haven't had any official response yet but I did hear that maybe Queen and Countr-E will only be shown on BBC3 or on some download channel so it can be quietly forgotten about. I understand the BBC cannot just cancel something like this. Once they have spent public money on it, they have to show it somewhere.

Tilebury Street

I do think they will listen to us if we make it clear in sufficient numbers to them that they were wrong even to go there. I will be getting a petition up together and will do a few door knocks for your signatures. Anyone wanting to sign it, I'll ask for a copy to be kept in the post-office.

I would also like to say that we have done a great thing getting rid of the cameramen too. They were very rude. I think it is a reminder of what a lovely village we live in where everyone is very kind to each other - not like life seems to be in the city for these nasty little people who work in the media.

But this has made me notice some other things. Some behaviour in the village we need to stamp out. It may be the reason the BBC came here in the first place. They got the wrong idea. So I think here and now we should pledge to Tidy up Tilebury.

The lady who wrote the note in January is right. "Perhaps the community could express its joint view and not need to involve the police." If you're reading this we would all like to hear from you again. We should tidy up the young hoodlums drinking and petting in the public garden by Willam Jenns school.

It is time for public action. No more semi-naked sliding games on the village green or lust-fueled valentines gameshows in the New Inn. It's time to stand up.

And on the subject of Tidying up Tilebury I would also say that the cameracrews left a lot of rubbish around - as did the valentine's revelers. Not to mention all that horrible fly-posting of lurid pink advertising which were stuck to every lamp-post and are now falling down and clogging the drains.

There is always rubbish left by the inconsiderate. I incite you, you the upstanding, honest, tidy people of Tilebury, to stop people who do this. Have confidence: we'll be there to back you!

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