-
Welcome to the website of Mark Gracey. I am Vice Chair of Lytchett Matravers Parish Council and the LibDem candidate for Purbeck District Council for Lytchett Matravers and Morden in Dorset.
Online Safety
February 7, 2010 by Mark Gracey · Leave a Comment
In my professional life I have been very keen to make sure that families understand how to play safe online. Through my work I have been able to co-ordinate talks to both children and adults. I have also delivered Internet safety talks to our local primary school and met with Annette Brooke in the past and discussed an apparent lack of Internet safety initiatives in Dorset.
So, I’m very pleased to see that to mark Internet Safety Day this year, Dorset is hosting it’s third Internet Safety event. This weekend the event was held in Weymouth, but next weekend it’s the turn of Poole.
If anyone wishes to discuss their concerns about online safety then don’t hesitate to get in touch. But I’d recommend, if you have the time to pay this event a visit – you can find out more at the Police’s website.
And don’t forget to keep up to date with Digital Matravers for intiatives in Lytchett.
The dynamics of Twitter
January 26, 2010 by Mark Gracey · Leave a Comment
Today I helped set up my local MPs Twitter feed.
Now, I joined Twitter about 6 months or so ago and have slowly managed to acrue about 25 or so followers. I know, not the most popular guy, but maybe I’m just not tweeting anything of interest – I have to work on that 
Anyway, by the time it took me to get home from her office, she’d already got half as many followers as I currently have, and this evening she’s managed to get 3 times as many.
I guess it helps being an MP and having something interesting to say, but thought it was interesting how quickly people spotted she was now on Twitter.
Maybe, once I can work out how the dynamics of having Twitter followers works, I may be able to aspire to have more followers.
Anyway, *please* follow me on Twitter
Parish Plan published
January 24, 2010 by Mark Gracey · Leave a Comment
For the last two and half years I’ve been chairing the Lytchett Matravers Parish Plan Group. We set out in 2007 to survey villages about what they like, disalike and what they’d like to see changed about our village. As well as the survey of course, we held a well attended launch event.
We had a very good response to our survey which proved an interesting challenge to analyse.
I am pleased to say that the results of our labours (and the Group has laboured hard on this) has finally been published. Everyone in the village should be getting a summary of the plan through their letterboxes. The main plan will be available to view in the library and is also online.
Meet Mark Gracey meeting
January 24, 2010 by Mark Gracey · Leave a Comment
I had a very interesting morning yesterday. I am the LibDem candidate to stand at the elections this year for Purbeck District Council for Lytchett Matravers and Morden, and today was essentially my launch day (having only been formally approved as the preferred candidate on the 15th).
Thanks to Rosie and Dick Endecote who hosted a “meet Mark Gracey” gathering this morning, where I met a selection of LibDem supporters and activists.
Afterwards, myself, an existing District Councillor and our local LibDem MP, Annette Brooke, had a photo shoot session round the village.
So from here on in, it’s a case of campaigning to get elected and hopefully beat the current Tory seat, all whilst we try and get Annette re-elected for another Parliamentary session.
Should make for a very interesting few months.
New village photos website
January 11, 2010 by Mark Gracey · Leave a Comment
I’ve just launched a new website aimed at capturing the village on camera:
http://photos.lytchettmatravers.org.uk
If anyone has any photos of the village they’d like uploaded then drop me an email.
New Events Website for Lytchett
November 30, 2009 by Mark Gracey · Leave a Comment
I’ve set up in conjunction with the Parish Council a new Events website to list what’s on in Lytchett Matravers:
http://events.lytchettmatravers.org.uk
You can submit your events using the form on the Parish Council website:
http://parishcouncil.lytchettmatravers.org.uk/council-calendar
New Lytchett Link Published
November 28, 2009 by Mark Gracey · Leave a Comment
The latest edition of Lytchett Link (with me as the Editor) is now available online:
Digital Economy Bill – no USC
November 24, 2009 by Mark Gracey · Leave a Comment
I was rather excited on Friday to see the Digital Economy Bill. All around Westminster there is general disillusionment about why Gordon Brown bothered to have a Queen’s speech announcing new legislation when it’s unlikely most of it will be passed before the general election (at which point it will be dropped). The DEB however, is probably going to be rushed through, and it has already moved straight to the House of Lords for debate.
What surprised me the most about the Bill though is that there isn’t anything there about the universal service commitment (or obligation) that was promised. It is possible that it will accompany the 50p tax in the Finance Bill next year, but the DEB appears to focus mainly on Ofcom powers and preventing copyright infringement over the Internet
Digital Economy Bill
November 18, 2009 by Mark Gracey · Leave a Comment
The Queen’s speech today announced the long-anticipated Digital Economy Bill which implements recommendations from the Digital Britain report.
As expected the Bill will address the Univeral Service Commitment and legislation to deal with infringement of copyright material via peer to peer networks.
We will know by Friday what the wording of the Bill actually looks like, but it is expected that it doesn’t include the “tax” on internet connections to help deliver the universal service commitment, which is likely to be in a Finance Bill sometime next year. The USC is the government’s attempt to make sure that everyone who is connected online has access to at least a 2mbs connection – something that Lytchett could do with; most of Lytchett is connected via the Lytchett Minster exchange which is maxed at 3mbs. I know that I only manage about 1mbs, so it will be interesting to see how the USC could affect us all.
It has been suggested that the Bill will be rushed through parliament so that it is implemented before the general election next year; the risk the government face though is that if it is too contentious then it won’t get through at all. Only time will tell.
Digital Matravers
November 12, 2009 by Mark Gracey · Leave a Comment
Inspired by Martha Lane Fox I have decided to carry out an experiment within Lytchett about digital inclusion.
I am holding on the 5th December a “surgery” to meet with villagers to discuss anything from broadband speeds to fears of the Internet.
If you are interested, then come along. Details can be found on the Digital Matravers website