I see from the list of their contact details that at least one of the new Ward Members may have just been parachuted in from out of the area to represent the Tories for the election. Perhaps they assumed the pre-election polls were pretty much correct and didn't expect the result to go their way in a key seat? They've now found themselves unexpectedly voted in and will have to do some serious homework to learn about their area and get to know the people and the problems if they want the residents to give them the same level of support next time.

Cllr Dennis Benneyworth will be representing Victoria Ward, a key town centre ward in Newbury, yet he lives in Kennedy Meadow in Hungerford (another 100m south and he'd be in Wiltshire!). He's going to have his work cut out you'd think.

WBC Councillors

Cllr Steve Ardagh-Walter is being secretive over where he lives but hopefully it's somewhere near Thatcham seeing as he'll be representing Thatcham West.

Not only does he live in Hungerford, he's also the outgoing Mayor of Hungerford! Seem to remember someone making a bit of an issue of it in the letters page a little while ago as Hungerford Town Council is supposedly 'independent'.

I also thought it very odd that the least important Council had the most Councillors. We couple argue that for this, which is just about minor local issues, if we can't find a few amongst us in the ward; then we don't deserve representation. I'm in Victoria Ward so should practice what I'm preaching! Never mind, only a few weeks before I leave Newbury for pastures new, perhaps I'll do better there.

Nothing new that arrives in Newbury stays for very long!

You think WBC is less important than NTC?

He's the chap selling the app to tell you when the Thatcham level crossing is opening/closing - pretty sure he lives in Thatcham.

Given that it's WBC he won't have much to do - after all they have such an enormous majority that they won't even need him to turn up to vote.

Steve Ardagh-Walter. 11 Grassmead, Thatcham, Berkshire RG19 4FP, United Kingdom.

Yeah there is that as far as WBC matters are concerned. But for local issues affecting residents of his Ward those people whose doors he and his team banged on and asked for their vote will (maybe) be hoping that they will be able to contact him about what irks them locally. And they won't want to travel to Hungerford in order to get an audience with him...