I thought it would be polite to write to the Leader of the Council, Edwar Heron, after the meeting. Over the years, both as a Councillor and as a Verderer, he has pushed for road safety measures on the Forest, and met not just with the present Police and Crime Commissioner but the one before. He must be as frustrated as I am/we are, and if things had happened sooner, Juma and so many more animals, might not have lost their lives. Anyway, this is what I wrote...and believe me, if I have to nag, I will. 

"Dear Councillor Heron,

Average Speed Cameras on Roger Penny Way

I cannot begin to tell you how it felt to listen to the positive debate in respect of proposal for average speed cameras on Roger Penny Way, or to see the sea of hands go up in support of this proposal following mine and Gilly Jones’s plea for the same. It was also a great relief to hear that Donna Jones, the Police and Crime Commissioner has responded so well to all of your personal effort and agreed that there should be a feasibility study. For the first time I felt a real shift in the grieving process that I have been going through ever since my own pony was killed.

I would respectfully ask that I be kept in the loop regarding the progress towards and through the feasibility study and beyond. I feel that I can put my head below the parapet at the moment but don’t want to have to nag for information. I am due to receive some insurance money in respect of my pony but to me he is irreplaceable and anyway my heart has gone out of Commoning. I do not wish to ‘profit’ in any way from his loss, and therefore, once I have covered the expenses for his removal from the Forest and the cost of having him valued, I would like to donate the remainder towards the cost of the feasibility study.

Finally, I cannot apologise for having been vocal over the last two months – it worked – but I would like to make it clear that you have my support in your endeavours towards the protection of our Forest stock and I appreciate everything you have tried to do and will no doubt continue to try to do."

Y.F.etc.