14/12/2024
On the 25th November Wigan Civic Trust had a committee meeting.
One of the agenda items, was the members meeting for the 9th December at The Deanery High School. Our speakers secretary confirmed that he had been in contact with Keith Bergman and that he or someone would give a talk on the progress at Haigh. Following this meeting posters were produced and the first notifications were placed on X - a members newsletter with the meeting was produced , it was also put on our website and on our page. Wigan Today was also contacted and published the meeting. Everyday the post on X was refreshed.
On the 3rd December a meeting was held at the Two Left Feet bar, at Haigh Stables. Local groups were invited ,including the Civic Trust. Two of our members attended this meeting- “A Haigh Programme Update”
At the end of this meeting our two members said they would see Keith on Monday, he said he would not be there. I got a telephone call later that evening to tell me this. The following morning I emailed Keith to clarify, in his reply he apologised for cancelling telling me that he had written to our meeting secretary to let him know.
I didn’t immediately cancel the meeting thinking it could be salvaged by getting an alternate speaker, there had been great interest in our subject. However in the end we decided to cancel.
The first notice of this was on the 5th December repeated the following day, also cancelled on Facebook and the website, also a notice to members.
This is what happened.
Another Facebook post by a different group talks of the cancellation by Keith as one working day before the meeting; ie. on the Friday. I got a reply from Keith on the 4th December, the Wednesday, still not much notice.
The same Facebook post describes our meeting as an “ Open Forum “.
This was not the case.
“ Haigh Hall Country Park Renovation by Keith Bergman was the title of our meeting . Usually at the end of our meetings questions are invited from our audiences this meeting would have been no different. An Open Forum would imply a different format for the meeting.
