friends

How are you? This week’s updates on ‘friends aka Durbridge’ for the Saul mental ‘friends aka Durbridge cameo portfolio’.

Monday night

Clara, now married to lodger Dan, now has blonde hair (I loved her brown shiny hair), a new conservatory (similar to ours, but bigger with underfloor heating), has given up work, put on weight and, apart from angsting about not having enough money is deliriously happy. I got the ins and outs of his two ex-wives and her three step children. I think the reality of a new ‘dad’ in the house has hit home with her daughter who seems to be making some pretty outrageous comments for a 9 year old, but no doubt mourning her previous top dog status. I think Clara is also stunned at the cost of maintaining more than one child, even at arm’s length so to speak, and is putting her considerable brain power into how she can reduce Dan’s costs! It’s interesting, if a bit salutary – how adults grapple to address their own personal needs in these circumstances.

Wednesday night

I went to see a fluctuating weight Sophie. Do you remember me telling you her 15 year old daughter was pregnant? Well Sophie said she would help her, but she couldn’t live at home, so she went to her dad’s, came back after 2 weeks and is now in a Mum and baby hostel. Other daughter is working as a dental receptionist and Sophie’s bloke has moved in with her. Do you know what I find funny? How old these new blokes of my friends look!

Friday night

Tonight I am going to Siobhan’s. It was her birthday Wednesday and she is having her entourage of feisty girlfriends over (about 18) for an Indian takeaway. They are an amazing mob – all shapes and sizes – but just women who do stuff, have a laugh and ‘live’ life. I find them all utterly engaging and appreciate Siobhan’s generosity in bringing me in to her circle.

Observations on work

You have to be very ‘un-possessive’ about anything you write here because with any strategic documents loads of people internally and externally have to agree what’s in it so if you produced it and nobody agreed with it then they would just refuse to do the work. The great thing about the process for this and various other bits of work I’m doing about the future of our 9 community centres, 33 village halls and 3 public halls, and programmes of regeneration work in 5 areas, is if you get it right, and it gets passed by committees and cabinet, it can change policy and be a force for real good. However, I do sometimes sit in meetings and lose the will to live. At those times I think about the money I’m earning or having sex.

The Hitchin committee was local democracy in action – about 200 people spilling out of the church hall protesting about the town centre strategy. I was making tea and scribing then presenting my finance report. I love these bursting passionate public things, but some officers and members find it really scary. Anyway – very late home.

Wednesday I had an awayday at Offley Manor where all the managers in my directorate fed back on their work then I went for a meeting at a new country park on a massive great housing development near Stevenage where they have got the access wrong and there are people parking in a tiny posh cul de sac because they haven’t got enough parking spaces. This is because they draw up plans that get agreed 10-15 years ago and everything changes in the interim. One of my team is going to look at how we can finance a new access – basically by getting an environment group to have their HQ in the park, lobbing in some money we have for a pavilion and trying to get lottery funding – big 5-6 year project

P.S. just heard the AX passed it MOT (I did get the battery back in and it to the garage). I am in delightful email correspondence with A* who seems to be settling in well at uni. J1 is planning to do drama in London and has just organised 15 mates to go to Magaluf next July and a lads week-end in Frankfort in November.