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Howard's Way.... a weekly column from the Rt. Hon. Michael Howard QC. MP. 

17 July 2008

Last weekend saw the culmination of this year’s Hythe Festival. I was honoured to take the salute at the Beating of the Retreat on the Green on Saturday afternoon after a spectacular parachute drop by the Tigers of the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment. And on Sunday evening St Leonard’s Church was packed for the new traditional Raise the Roof service and concert which brings the Festival to its close. The band of the Brigade of Gurkhas were in sparkling form and the Festival certainly received a rousing finale.

This was the eighth Hythe Festival and great praise due to Dennis Bradley, this year’s Chairman and his Committee, and to Maurice Maisey who started it all in 1994. But the future of the Festival is in doubt. New members are needed for the Committee and new sources of finance are needed as it becomes increasingly difficult to raise the money which is necessary if the Festival is to continue.

It would be a tragedy if this wonderful expression of community spirit were to falter. I very much hope a way will be found to overcome these difficulties.

On Friday morning I had presented the prizes at the annual Mencap competition organised by the Folkestone Sea Angling Association. All present had enjoyed a very windy morning on Folkestone pier though rather fewer fish were caught than in previous years.

This is an annual event which gives great pleasure to all concerned. It has been organised for many years by Clive and Glenda Wire who, despite ill health, have put a tremendous amount of effort into organising their team and making sure everything goes smoothly.

Then it was a visit to Pent Valley School to meet head teacher Mario Citro who was busily engaged in a day long session of interviews as part of his plan to reorganise the school.

Earlier in the week I had spoken in a debate in the House of Commons on the need to allow evidence to be given anonymously in some criminal trials. There needs to be strict safeguards but the debate showed the House at its best – no partisan point scoring and a wide degree of consensus on what should be done. It did of course receive very little publicity!