Monday is spent agreeing the details of our interim Fraud partnership set up with Nuneaton and Bedworth BC and in staff meetings as we welcome Sally Roberts, a seconded member of staff from Coventry who is covering the Benefit Managers post whilst we explore whether we can work more formally with Coventry in a number of areas going forward.
On Tuesday, have my appraisal in the morning and spend the rest of the morning and early afternoon drafting some reports for a board in March. Nip over to the Belfry golf complex situated in our area during my lunch hour to discuss a sponsored idea I hope to hold in August. The meeting goes well so watch this space. Attend a board meeting at night which is through pretty quick which is great because I have an early start on Wednesday and have yet to finish the presentation I am due to give (nothing like being organised!).
Up at 5.30am, I am lucky there hasn’t been a hard frost overnight (so no need to scrape the ice off the car) as I misjudge how long it will take me to drive to the airport. Luckily I arrive with 5 minutes before check in for my 6.55am flight to Edinburgh closes. Picked up by Fraser at the other end gets me to Falkirk Council by nine’ish where I am going my paper at the Scottish AGM attended by over 70 members. The paper on being recognised for excellence links neatly with the launch of the Performance Awards 2008 (see website for further details and pictures from the day but my apologies for the absence of the Presidential chain. I decided against taking it as firstly I didn’t think I’d need it (I wasn’t aware I would be presenting successful students from December their certificates), secondly, getting it through security at the airport often results in being pulled for a closer inspection and most of all, it weighs a ton! Back to the airport by 3, I catch up on e-mails before arriving back in Birmingham by 7pm and just in time to catch Masterchef.
Spend Thursday at work before leaving at 4pm to get home, change into my d.j and drive over to Coventry to get the train to London for the CPFA annual dinner. Get some reading done on the train and arrive at the Warldorf near Covent Garden just gone 7pm for a very enjoyable evening with our accountant and audit colleagues. David arrives just in time for grace as he has made a mad dash from Bristol where he had been speaking at the Severnside association. The dinner attended by some 500 people is hosted by John Butler, the first person to have been both CPFA and IRRV president, and I get away just after coffee to get the 11pm train back to Coventry getting me home just past 1pm.
Friday is spent catching up on the week’s events and finalising shortlists for forthcoming interviews to fill our vacancy lists.
Saturday is my 42nd birthday and I like many other weekend when you are out of the office as much as you are in the Presidential year spending the day catching up on work and doing some IRRV work (very sad!). Not to say its all work and no play, a few of the family pop in bearing cards and gifts and J, Louis and I go out in the evening for a meal before getting in to watch the second half of the rugby (why didn’t England play like this against Wales!). Its now Sunday morning and my mum and dad are coming for dinner. I have been banished to the study to get out of J’s way while she prepares everything so once this is signed off, I am going get onto the internet and hopefully find some inspiration for my performance awards night entertainment Having come up with the Red Hot Chilli Pipers for last year it is going to be a hard act to follow in Manchester but hopefully we will rise to the challenge again. Hopefully you will think about entering your services for an award as it is truly a brilliant night to celebrate success and I know from my own and teams experiences it is something that you will never forget.
No institute stuff this week coming although with setting the Council Tax, the first two days of a 4 day health and safety course to attend, a day of interviewing and Dave Chapman’s stag do playing golf on Friday and Saturday no less busy.
On Tuesday, have my appraisal in the morning and spend the rest of the morning and early afternoon drafting some reports for a board in March. Nip over to the Belfry golf complex situated in our area during my lunch hour to discuss a sponsored idea I hope to hold in August. The meeting goes well so watch this space. Attend a board meeting at night which is through pretty quick which is great because I have an early start on Wednesday and have yet to finish the presentation I am due to give (nothing like being organised!).
Up at 5.30am, I am lucky there hasn’t been a hard frost overnight (so no need to scrape the ice off the car) as I misjudge how long it will take me to drive to the airport. Luckily I arrive with 5 minutes before check in for my 6.55am flight to Edinburgh closes. Picked up by Fraser at the other end gets me to Falkirk Council by nine’ish where I am going my paper at the Scottish AGM attended by over 70 members. The paper on being recognised for excellence links neatly with the launch of the Performance Awards 2008 (see website for further details and pictures from the day but my apologies for the absence of the Presidential chain. I decided against taking it as firstly I didn’t think I’d need it (I wasn’t aware I would be presenting successful students from December their certificates), secondly, getting it through security at the airport often results in being pulled for a closer inspection and most of all, it weighs a ton! Back to the airport by 3, I catch up on e-mails before arriving back in Birmingham by 7pm and just in time to catch Masterchef.
Spend Thursday at work before leaving at 4pm to get home, change into my d.j and drive over to Coventry to get the train to London for the CPFA annual dinner. Get some reading done on the train and arrive at the Warldorf near Covent Garden just gone 7pm for a very enjoyable evening with our accountant and audit colleagues. David arrives just in time for grace as he has made a mad dash from Bristol where he had been speaking at the Severnside association. The dinner attended by some 500 people is hosted by John Butler, the first person to have been both CPFA and IRRV president, and I get away just after coffee to get the 11pm train back to Coventry getting me home just past 1pm.
Friday is spent catching up on the week’s events and finalising shortlists for forthcoming interviews to fill our vacancy lists.
Saturday is my 42nd birthday and I like many other weekend when you are out of the office as much as you are in the Presidential year spending the day catching up on work and doing some IRRV work (very sad!). Not to say its all work and no play, a few of the family pop in bearing cards and gifts and J, Louis and I go out in the evening for a meal before getting in to watch the second half of the rugby (why didn’t England play like this against Wales!). Its now Sunday morning and my mum and dad are coming for dinner. I have been banished to the study to get out of J’s way while she prepares everything so once this is signed off, I am going get onto the internet and hopefully find some inspiration for my performance awards night entertainment Having come up with the Red Hot Chilli Pipers for last year it is going to be a hard act to follow in Manchester but hopefully we will rise to the challenge again. Hopefully you will think about entering your services for an award as it is truly a brilliant night to celebrate success and I know from my own and teams experiences it is something that you will never forget.
No institute stuff this week coming although with setting the Council Tax, the first two days of a 4 day health and safety course to attend, a day of interviewing and Dave Chapman’s stag do playing golf on Friday and Saturday no less busy.
