Well it has been a very busy couple of weeks! I see it is three weeks since I last updated the blog, so here goes:
Where have I been and what have I been up to?
W/C 25th May
A rare chance to put my feet up on the Monday (bank holiday) but as I had only returned from Seville on the Sunday it wasn’t much of a weekend - still it was a chance to catch up on the washing and ironing pile which had reached mammoth proportions!
I was in the office most of the week with a trip to the LGA for the Benefits POG meeting on Wednesday and a teleconference for the publication sub committee on Thursday.
On the Saturday it took me nearly 3 hours to get from my home to Twickenham as I had picked a day when the Rugby was on and the roads were closed - great combination! The 56 miles was great for the first 45 - the last 9 – not so good!! Note to self - check sporting features before setting out in future.
Sunday 31st I was off to Harrogate (so no weekend for me!), I had also volunteered to run the Sunday School for church where we talked about Pentecost and had great fun pretending to be the wind and then talking in different languages (well saying hello anyway - I think we came up with about 10 “languages” that we could say hello in – the kiddies liked G’Day best and kept saying this is faux Australian accents, although they gave the Chinese a good run for its money too).
Sunday afternoon and most of Monday was spent with the merry gang of the Performance Awards Panel. For those of you who entered - you will now know if you have made it to the long list (visiting stages). There were some crackingly good entries and it was tough to whittle the visits down to a manageable level. There are some great innovations and ideas out there and I will admit that I thoroughly enjoy being involved with this process (I have been a visiting panel member for about 5 years although this is my first time on the decision making group) and really look forward to finding new ideas and opportunities that I can take back to my own LA. This year has not disappointed! I shall report more as we go through the year as obviously I can’t discuss too much at this point.
Tuesday 2nd June saw the start of the Collection and Enforcement conference. Record numbers of delegates in the hottest week of the year so far. The programme, speakers and event was the best I have attended. I enjoyed it and once again picked up lots of tips and thoughts as to the development of my own services at TDC.
I have learned a very valuable lesson not to prompt a question from certain members of the VOA. Those of you who were in the audience and heard the questions after Robert Brown’s paper will know what I mean, I can only advise that I am on the lookout for an opportunity to get my own back!
Wednesday night I drove home and was in the office Thursday before flying off to Northern Ireland for the Belfast conference on Friday. We had an informal dinner with the executive on Thursday night which was lovely and honorary member Billy Jenkins presented me with a lovely Tyrone Crystal bowl engraved with a remembrance for the visit.
The day conference on Friday was again attended by some great papers and involvement from the floor. The conference attracted practitioners and Councillors and therefore the views and pressures were diverse. It was an excellent day, with updates on legislation, A2B benefit take up, potential reform of rates and discounts and even the future role of water rates.
Flying home was a peaceful experience, although a little bumpy (the weather was terrible), but the Thursday flight over had about 60 children from St Francis Primary School in Lurgan aboard, so anything by comparison was going to be quiet! To be fair the children were well behaved on the flight, if a little over exuberant on reclaiming luggage at the terminal!
Sunday saw the first of the rehearsals for this summers Pewmongers production (who said weekends are for sleeping???????), so bang went another day!
Monday – Thursday were office days, but I had meetings for various other reasons every evening, including an executive meeting on Wednesday night where Sussex and Surrey decided its programme for next year. We are sticking with the four meetings schedule we had this year, but we are also going to arrange some informal social get togethers, maybe a quiz in a pub or night at the dogs, just some opportunities to meet other members across the counties (we cover three counties) and to engender some more interest in the local association on a different level. So watch out on the website and your email boxes as we try to arrange events for you.
Friday was a trip to my old stamping ground of Dorchester (I worked for West Dorset DC for 3 years in the 90s) to attend the Wessex AGM at Kingston Maurwood. I was due to leave there and return to Worthing where David Magor and Gary Watson were taking each other on at a mock VT for the Sussex and Surrey Association. Both events were excellent although sadly due to timing going a little awry (technical hitches) at Wessex I was a little late leaving and got caught up I early weekend traffic so I did not make it to the meeting in Worthing. I did catch up with the parties concerned however later that evening and heard all about it!
My thanks to David and Gary, Richard Guy, Bill Lovell and Ian Nisbet for taking roles at the “VT” and making it not only instructive but also an enjoyable afternoon.
Saturday and Sunday I finally managed to catch up with some friends that I haven’t seen for a while as it was our village fete, Mum and Dad popped down as well and helped out. Sunday afternoon I managed to deliver a birthday present (2 weeks late) to another friend and have a brief catch up with her.
This week sees me in the office until Wednesday when I shall wend my may to Llandrindod Wells for the Welsh Conference and then this weekend it is off to Warsaw for the International conference
Finally a happy first wedding anniversary to my friends Sarah and Steve, sadly “Presidenting” has meant I have seen little of them this year, but hope you had a lovely day!
I’ll update again after Warsaw - until then enjoy the sun …
Where have I been and what have I been up to?
W/C 25th May
A rare chance to put my feet up on the Monday (bank holiday) but as I had only returned from Seville on the Sunday it wasn’t much of a weekend - still it was a chance to catch up on the washing and ironing pile which had reached mammoth proportions!
I was in the office most of the week with a trip to the LGA for the Benefits POG meeting on Wednesday and a teleconference for the publication sub committee on Thursday.
On the Saturday it took me nearly 3 hours to get from my home to Twickenham as I had picked a day when the Rugby was on and the roads were closed - great combination! The 56 miles was great for the first 45 - the last 9 – not so good!! Note to self - check sporting features before setting out in future.
Sunday 31st I was off to Harrogate (so no weekend for me!), I had also volunteered to run the Sunday School for church where we talked about Pentecost and had great fun pretending to be the wind and then talking in different languages (well saying hello anyway - I think we came up with about 10 “languages” that we could say hello in – the kiddies liked G’Day best and kept saying this is faux Australian accents, although they gave the Chinese a good run for its money too).
Sunday afternoon and most of Monday was spent with the merry gang of the Performance Awards Panel. For those of you who entered - you will now know if you have made it to the long list (visiting stages). There were some crackingly good entries and it was tough to whittle the visits down to a manageable level. There are some great innovations and ideas out there and I will admit that I thoroughly enjoy being involved with this process (I have been a visiting panel member for about 5 years although this is my first time on the decision making group) and really look forward to finding new ideas and opportunities that I can take back to my own LA. This year has not disappointed! I shall report more as we go through the year as obviously I can’t discuss too much at this point.
Tuesday 2nd June saw the start of the Collection and Enforcement conference. Record numbers of delegates in the hottest week of the year so far. The programme, speakers and event was the best I have attended. I enjoyed it and once again picked up lots of tips and thoughts as to the development of my own services at TDC.
I have learned a very valuable lesson not to prompt a question from certain members of the VOA. Those of you who were in the audience and heard the questions after Robert Brown’s paper will know what I mean, I can only advise that I am on the lookout for an opportunity to get my own back!
Wednesday night I drove home and was in the office Thursday before flying off to Northern Ireland for the Belfast conference on Friday. We had an informal dinner with the executive on Thursday night which was lovely and honorary member Billy Jenkins presented me with a lovely Tyrone Crystal bowl engraved with a remembrance for the visit.
The day conference on Friday was again attended by some great papers and involvement from the floor. The conference attracted practitioners and Councillors and therefore the views and pressures were diverse. It was an excellent day, with updates on legislation, A2B benefit take up, potential reform of rates and discounts and even the future role of water rates.
Flying home was a peaceful experience, although a little bumpy (the weather was terrible), but the Thursday flight over had about 60 children from St Francis Primary School in Lurgan aboard, so anything by comparison was going to be quiet! To be fair the children were well behaved on the flight, if a little over exuberant on reclaiming luggage at the terminal!
Sunday saw the first of the rehearsals for this summers Pewmongers production (who said weekends are for sleeping???????), so bang went another day!
Monday – Thursday were office days, but I had meetings for various other reasons every evening, including an executive meeting on Wednesday night where Sussex and Surrey decided its programme for next year. We are sticking with the four meetings schedule we had this year, but we are also going to arrange some informal social get togethers, maybe a quiz in a pub or night at the dogs, just some opportunities to meet other members across the counties (we cover three counties) and to engender some more interest in the local association on a different level. So watch out on the website and your email boxes as we try to arrange events for you.
Friday was a trip to my old stamping ground of Dorchester (I worked for West Dorset DC for 3 years in the 90s) to attend the Wessex AGM at Kingston Maurwood. I was due to leave there and return to Worthing where David Magor and Gary Watson were taking each other on at a mock VT for the Sussex and Surrey Association. Both events were excellent although sadly due to timing going a little awry (technical hitches) at Wessex I was a little late leaving and got caught up I early weekend traffic so I did not make it to the meeting in Worthing. I did catch up with the parties concerned however later that evening and heard all about it!
My thanks to David and Gary, Richard Guy, Bill Lovell and Ian Nisbet for taking roles at the “VT” and making it not only instructive but also an enjoyable afternoon.
Saturday and Sunday I finally managed to catch up with some friends that I haven’t seen for a while as it was our village fete, Mum and Dad popped down as well and helped out. Sunday afternoon I managed to deliver a birthday present (2 weeks late) to another friend and have a brief catch up with her.
This week sees me in the office until Wednesday when I shall wend my may to Llandrindod Wells for the Welsh Conference and then this weekend it is off to Warsaw for the International conference
Finally a happy first wedding anniversary to my friends Sarah and Steve, sadly “Presidenting” has meant I have seen little of them this year, but hope you had a lovely day!
I’ll update again after Warsaw - until then enjoy the sun …
