Its Sunday morning and whilst Allan Traynor, the Immediate Past President and Dave Chapman, the new Chair of the Revenues Faculty Board have yet to rise, the President is up with renewed determination to keep his blog up to date.
The lads are not sleeping off any hangovers or heavy night but a game of golf yesterday that along with David West from Capita saw honours even after 18 holes in beautiful crisp February weather around the beautiful countryside of North Warwickshire, I think we are all feeling our age ! A night was spent watching the football, having a Chinese and a very friendly game of buzz (I wasn’t capable of setting the Wii up) all washed down with a few bottles of red as opposed to a night on the tiles. We do it all again in a few weeks at Daves stag do as he is getting married in March.
Monday was spent in a multitude of meetings following a certain amount of a relief that a major upgrade on our CRM platform has successfully worked over the weekend and we are up and running and taking calls.
Spend Tuesday in London with David and Gary at a commercial event in Earls Court connected with our conferences and events. Whilst exhibitors promoting exoctic locations from all over the world were present, we were particularly interested in the new conference venues in Liverpool and those planned in Stockport !! (no need to pack your passport and sunscreen for these two).
I spent Wednesday exploring a number of shared service possibilities with meetings at two neighbouring Councils fitting these in around a number of internal discussions as Jane leaves on Friday. I spend Thursday morning with another as we seek possible solutions to filling our benefit and fraud vacancies to name but two. The afternoon is spent writing up my thoughts before doing a question and answer briefing for the opposition members in the evening on the proposals for a local concessionary travel scheme being considered.
Friday is spent very enjoyably with almost a brand new team at the CLG who head up the Council Tax and NDR policy unit. These meetings are invaluable to us as an Institute in creating understanding and influence. Whilst this clashes with a DWP called meeting around the “Tell Us Once” agenda which we hope to pilot as a Council in what is a very busy year, it is impossible to cram everything in.
Oh well better sign off and get the bacon and coffee on.
Bob.
The lads are not sleeping off any hangovers or heavy night but a game of golf yesterday that along with David West from Capita saw honours even after 18 holes in beautiful crisp February weather around the beautiful countryside of North Warwickshire, I think we are all feeling our age ! A night was spent watching the football, having a Chinese and a very friendly game of buzz (I wasn’t capable of setting the Wii up) all washed down with a few bottles of red as opposed to a night on the tiles. We do it all again in a few weeks at Daves stag do as he is getting married in March.
Monday was spent in a multitude of meetings following a certain amount of a relief that a major upgrade on our CRM platform has successfully worked over the weekend and we are up and running and taking calls.
Spend Tuesday in London with David and Gary at a commercial event in Earls Court connected with our conferences and events. Whilst exhibitors promoting exoctic locations from all over the world were present, we were particularly interested in the new conference venues in Liverpool and those planned in Stockport !! (no need to pack your passport and sunscreen for these two).
I spent Wednesday exploring a number of shared service possibilities with meetings at two neighbouring Councils fitting these in around a number of internal discussions as Jane leaves on Friday. I spend Thursday morning with another as we seek possible solutions to filling our benefit and fraud vacancies to name but two. The afternoon is spent writing up my thoughts before doing a question and answer briefing for the opposition members in the evening on the proposals for a local concessionary travel scheme being considered.
Friday is spent very enjoyably with almost a brand new team at the CLG who head up the Council Tax and NDR policy unit. These meetings are invaluable to us as an Institute in creating understanding and influence. Whilst this clashes with a DWP called meeting around the “Tell Us Once” agenda which we hope to pilot as a Council in what is a very busy year, it is impossible to cram everything in.
Oh well better sign off and get the bacon and coffee on.
Bob.
