works party

On Friday evening I went to see Iris. She is on a high because she has been offered counselling teaching work at Birkbeck College, London, which is the most prestigious centre for this in the UK. Her youngest son of four has decided he doesn’t like his art course and is now going to study motorbike engineering at Kingston next September. She is about to go off to New York to stay with son 3 and little toddler.

Saturday I went to FP’s works party. Very interesting watching how the private sector operate – it was quite a bit less salubrious than FH’s Freeston/RMI parties. The MD is a short, grey haired guy with squiffy eyes who seems to employ people on the basis of whether he fancies them or not (which is why FP was not sitting at his table!). I felt terribly sorry for wife number ¾ (FP wasn’t sure) while he danced with various women he had employed and gone out with when, as he refers to it, he was between wives. I was introduced to this woman in FP’s office who has his ear and is apparently top totty. I shouldn’t say this because she was quite friendly to me, but she looked like a horse (and apparently did use to do dressage and eventing and was a master saddler) and was alone amongst the women there in dressing like a tart – micro skirt, oodles of cleavage and to top it all dusted liberally with glitter powder. Woman who sees men as a meal ticket variety. Latest most recently engaged to beau (in the last month) seemed really OK. Days before she had a house rent free from some UK florist that she dumped for unreasonable behaviour. This woman was my age. Other than that, the young people didn’t eat, but one did a lot of blonde ringlet hair tossing and very nice hair she had too. The people I liked best were the coach drivers and their wives. The men were all old and overweight, but boy! Could they dance and their women – real jive stuff – it was great. By the way FP shocked me by actually being an OK dancer despite all his protestations about being crap.

Bear has got suspended. Apparently last Wednesday he fell asleep and didn’t go into work. He had a warning back in June so if this really is the whole story he shouldn’t get the sack, but he finds out on Thursday – sobering stuff. It just makes you realise how vulnerable so many employees are.

Went to see J1 in ‘Sweet Charity’ last night. Again he stole the show. His first scene is in a broken elevator where he is a stutter, shy person who loses his nerve and he was very very good. He just has no nerves, never drops his accent or falls out of character and plays the audience into his pocket. He got loads of compliments including one from Mrs Alvin Stardust (Head Teacher’s Mum). I really hope he doesn’t give acting up all together because he has natural stage presence.

Other bits of news also about J1 – one of the PE teachers backed into his car, while it was stationary and without him in it and has properly dented the wing. The good thing is it may get the bumper replaced for him. The bad thing is they may declare it a write-off, but we’ll see. It’s still perfectly drivable and he isn’t upset. I think he thinks he is going to get to drive around in a jazzy courtesy car!

J! is now going out with a girl called Hannah in year 11 and is quite smitten. He is getting excited about skiing at half term because every morning I go in and have to hang all his ski stuff up again where he has been trying it on. He got some new salopettes and a hat at the week-end!

I think I have broken the back of the grindy bit to do with Hitchin Town hall. I finished all the overdue billing, re-pricing and amendment of terms & conditions yesterday so it will get handed back to the managers and now I understand it properly I will be better able to put systems in place to make sure they follow the guidelines fully in future. In all honesty I’ve actually enjoyed it a) because I like to learn new things and b) because it’s good for relationships with colleagues to work alongside them on boring, detailed tasks – solidarity stuff!