'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.'

So spoke Charles Dicken's authorial voice in A Tale of Two Cities.

In spite of his associations with Sudbury, there is no evidence that he actually visited Hadleigh. Yet, recent events in the town are certainly making his shade reconsider the superlatives attached to Sydney Carlton's doomed escapades during the French Revolution.

In shocked spectral tones, Dickens now reckons such a contradictory summary of an intense sequence of events best describes.......well it best describes our own dear town's elected representatives.

We've certainly seen over the past week or so, examples of the exemplary and the anti-exemplary that local politicians can offer us.

Cllr Andrew Knock got things moving at Cox's park play area

On the side of the angels, I offer you respectively councillors 'Rough Diamond' Andrew Knock and 'La Pasionaria' Angela Wiltshire. The former's persistent pressure has resulted in Generalissimo's Babergh finally agreeing to replace broken or damaged equipment at Cox's Park, doubtless to the gratitude of many children, their parents and carers.

The latter's gumption in inviting the dental charity Dentaid ensured that dozens of long-suffering residents, denied the very NHS service that many have contributed to from their taxes, were able to receive some relief in terms of basic remedial action.

On the subs bench with the little fellas in red with spindly tripods and large horns, first and foremost is Mayor Gordon 'Jilted John' Mcleod. Too obviously his little head being turned by all the (ironic) bling and glitter at this year's Gay Pride, Jilted John has gone the full RuPaul.

Not for him the very basics of a mayoral chain favoured by his two predecessors or even, in recognition that thousands of Hadleigh folk are having to go without the basics, deliberately sashaying his way around town in his slightly faded official robes.

Former mayor Frank 'Maritime' Minns did not need robes and hat

Nope. Jilted John wants a new and full-to-bursting dressing up box and has persuaded Hadleigh Town Council to fork out a grand on new garb. 'Crisis? What crisis?' you can almost hear him sigh as he rubs the new fabric up and down his mayoral body, like one of those camp French aristocrats before they got the chopper they deserved.

The only response such utter vanity requires is for every Hadleigh citizen on seeing Jilted John about down hail him with the words: 'Suits you, sir!'

Inevitably, Queenie Dawson, the town's very own Thick Lizzie Truss given her knowledge of democratic processes and fact-checking, also appears on the distaff side of behaviour. Joining fellow Hadleigh blue, councillor Mick 'Macadam' Fraser, alongside Toad/Onan Barrett's wretched and unstable Babergh Conservative group, Queenie boycotted the last Full Council meeting because Father Derek, scribbler of this parish, had questioned their parentage.

Sian 'Queenie' Dawson failed to appear at council meetings

Having seen their motion of censure embarrassingly lost last time around, Toad/Onan clearly thought up this wheeze as an act of incredible cunning. Sadly, the absence of his various hand gestures and the agricultural grunting of his team made the resulting Full Council the most thoughtful and engaging for many a long year.

The senior officers present looked almost chuffed. In short, a democratic triumph.

As Sydney Carlton might have said of this Tory tactic: 'It's far, far better thing I do now, than I have ever done before."

Tories boycott full council meeting