Week One
Monday to Thursday is pretty much a full week of wall-to-wall on site meetings at work ranging from potential partnerships and funding opportunities, evaluating products and signing off final letters and arrangements for the bus passes going out just before the end of March. My only journey out is for a visit to officers at Coventry CC calling into the first city centre IKEA store on the way back to the office having picked up a self assemble awards cabinet for installing at work (£35 and one for facilities to put together!)
Bills hit during the week so the contact centre is very busy justifying increases and hopefully taking DD instructions and money as we head into the last few crucial days to maximise council tax and NDR collection.
On Friday, we make the long seven hour drive up to Scotland staying over at one of the Q Hotels (a group we use for IRRV events) just outside Glasgow where I take the opportunity to see whether we can use it for any forthcoming events. It is too late (and too windy) to venture out onto the golf course which is part of the complex but in the morning set off in bright sunshine for the shorter one-hour drive to Scone in Perth where Dave Chapman is getting married on the Sunday. The threatened snow forecast becomes reality on the drive across meaning the planned afternoons golf game is replaced by some less energetic liquid refreshment before venturing out with Dave’s Rossendale colleagues for a Chinese in the evening.
Sunday morning again brings with it a heavy frost but by 10.30am it has cleared enough to venture out onto the hotels golf course for a friendly 4 ball in advance of the afternoon's events. Round in 3 hours we make it back for a quick shower and change just in time for a drinks reception in advance of the wedding which is a great day and evening.
Week Two
Before we know it we are back on the road early Monday for the drive home getting in by mid afternoon allowing time for J to repack as she is of to Spain with Louis for a few days (Tuesday) whilst I spend the day catching up with some institute work.
In early Tuesday, a day of meetings is interspersed only by the need to drop them off at the airport at lunchtime, the fridge suitably organised with all my dinners for the week.
In London on Wednesday at Doughty Street for a series of meetings, most importantly covering some changes to the Governance arrangements surrounding the election process that will be recommended at our next Council round in April. Back by 6pm I nip back to IKEA to get some missing screws and pop into see my very first boss on my way home as hopefully she will be able to attend a forthcoming dinner I am hosting in April. Back just in time to catch the apprentice enjoyed with one of the many pre-prepared meals J has got in for me (very sad!)
Thursday is an early start getting into work before the cleaner. After a very long day leaving after everyone else we have had the bad news today that the capping of Warwickshire Police could see us rebilling in the summer. Having despatched technical notes of what we are faced with to County colleagues it is another night of TV dinner but don’t feel too sorry for me as Friday is spent at one of the nicest events of the year for any IRRV President as I host a lunch at Gordon Ramsey’s restaurant which is located at Claridges. Attended by 20 or so other Presidents from kindred Institutes including John Butler this year's CIPFA President who was IRRV President in the 90’s as well as Julie, Geoff and Allan as Senior, Junior and Immediate Past President, it is a great event enjoyed by all.
Spend all day Saturday and early Sunday morning in work before picking up Julie and Louis from the airport. Temperatures have been on the chilly side in Calella and J returns full of cold so perhaps I did best staying home.
Week Three
The first week of April is possibly my last full week in and around the office for a few months as my diary looks incredibly full until at least June. Being in Keele next week at the Institute's annual revision course I manage to get my notes off for copying just on the deadline date.
Thankfully our national bus passes have hit over the weekend and the year end results in terms of collection and benefits performance have seen us maintain our consistent excellent performance for another year.
Tuesday is spent at the corporate management team we have monthly in the morning and with colleagues from 3 neighbouring Councils in the afternoon discussing our preferred options for a regional approach to fraud. Deadlines are set to conclude all our shared service work by July so it looks like a very full few months ahead for us all.
Spend Wednesday in and out of the office at meetings and Thursday hosting division wide staff meetings that I hold at least every six months. Nip out over a long lunch to pick up David's PA who has come up from London to visit the hotel where we are running the April round of IRRV Council meetings. All plans seem well advanced and arrangements are finalised to ensure everything runs smoothly. I also get chance to pop into the local fancy dress shop in Nuneaton to buy some essential props for the entertainment I am always tasked with organising at the students revision week at Keele. Watch this space in the coming weeks for the photos we do not manage to intercept from the night.
Friday involves an early meeting in Warwick discussing data sharing protocols with other Warwickshire partners before returning to the office leaving very late having got down to 5 unopened e-mails, a relatively tidy desk and hopefully everything I need for the weeks lecturing that starts in earnest tomorrow afternoon !!!!
I have now been President for just over 6 months so I am now on the downward stretch. I cannot believe how fast it is going but one good thing is I have less than six more months of Blog writing to do !!!!!
Monday to Thursday is pretty much a full week of wall-to-wall on site meetings at work ranging from potential partnerships and funding opportunities, evaluating products and signing off final letters and arrangements for the bus passes going out just before the end of March. My only journey out is for a visit to officers at Coventry CC calling into the first city centre IKEA store on the way back to the office having picked up a self assemble awards cabinet for installing at work (£35 and one for facilities to put together!)
Bills hit during the week so the contact centre is very busy justifying increases and hopefully taking DD instructions and money as we head into the last few crucial days to maximise council tax and NDR collection.
On Friday, we make the long seven hour drive up to Scotland staying over at one of the Q Hotels (a group we use for IRRV events) just outside Glasgow where I take the opportunity to see whether we can use it for any forthcoming events. It is too late (and too windy) to venture out onto the golf course which is part of the complex but in the morning set off in bright sunshine for the shorter one-hour drive to Scone in Perth where Dave Chapman is getting married on the Sunday. The threatened snow forecast becomes reality on the drive across meaning the planned afternoons golf game is replaced by some less energetic liquid refreshment before venturing out with Dave’s Rossendale colleagues for a Chinese in the evening.
Sunday morning again brings with it a heavy frost but by 10.30am it has cleared enough to venture out onto the hotels golf course for a friendly 4 ball in advance of the afternoon's events. Round in 3 hours we make it back for a quick shower and change just in time for a drinks reception in advance of the wedding which is a great day and evening.
Week Two
Before we know it we are back on the road early Monday for the drive home getting in by mid afternoon allowing time for J to repack as she is of to Spain with Louis for a few days (Tuesday) whilst I spend the day catching up with some institute work.
In early Tuesday, a day of meetings is interspersed only by the need to drop them off at the airport at lunchtime, the fridge suitably organised with all my dinners for the week.
In London on Wednesday at Doughty Street for a series of meetings, most importantly covering some changes to the Governance arrangements surrounding the election process that will be recommended at our next Council round in April. Back by 6pm I nip back to IKEA to get some missing screws and pop into see my very first boss on my way home as hopefully she will be able to attend a forthcoming dinner I am hosting in April. Back just in time to catch the apprentice enjoyed with one of the many pre-prepared meals J has got in for me (very sad!)
Thursday is an early start getting into work before the cleaner. After a very long day leaving after everyone else we have had the bad news today that the capping of Warwickshire Police could see us rebilling in the summer. Having despatched technical notes of what we are faced with to County colleagues it is another night of TV dinner but don’t feel too sorry for me as Friday is spent at one of the nicest events of the year for any IRRV President as I host a lunch at Gordon Ramsey’s restaurant which is located at Claridges. Attended by 20 or so other Presidents from kindred Institutes including John Butler this year's CIPFA President who was IRRV President in the 90’s as well as Julie, Geoff and Allan as Senior, Junior and Immediate Past President, it is a great event enjoyed by all.
Spend all day Saturday and early Sunday morning in work before picking up Julie and Louis from the airport. Temperatures have been on the chilly side in Calella and J returns full of cold so perhaps I did best staying home.
Week Three
The first week of April is possibly my last full week in and around the office for a few months as my diary looks incredibly full until at least June. Being in Keele next week at the Institute's annual revision course I manage to get my notes off for copying just on the deadline date.
Thankfully our national bus passes have hit over the weekend and the year end results in terms of collection and benefits performance have seen us maintain our consistent excellent performance for another year.
Tuesday is spent at the corporate management team we have monthly in the morning and with colleagues from 3 neighbouring Councils in the afternoon discussing our preferred options for a regional approach to fraud. Deadlines are set to conclude all our shared service work by July so it looks like a very full few months ahead for us all.
Spend Wednesday in and out of the office at meetings and Thursday hosting division wide staff meetings that I hold at least every six months. Nip out over a long lunch to pick up David's PA who has come up from London to visit the hotel where we are running the April round of IRRV Council meetings. All plans seem well advanced and arrangements are finalised to ensure everything runs smoothly. I also get chance to pop into the local fancy dress shop in Nuneaton to buy some essential props for the entertainment I am always tasked with organising at the students revision week at Keele. Watch this space in the coming weeks for the photos we do not manage to intercept from the night.
Friday involves an early meeting in Warwick discussing data sharing protocols with other Warwickshire partners before returning to the office leaving very late having got down to 5 unopened e-mails, a relatively tidy desk and hopefully everything I need for the weeks lecturing that starts in earnest tomorrow afternoon !!!!
I have now been President for just over 6 months so I am now on the downward stretch. I cannot believe how fast it is going but one good thing is I have less than six more months of Blog writing to do !!!!!
