Monday 30 June 2008 – Sunday 6 July 2008
The sun is shining for the President's Golf Day being held in Worksop (home of Lee Westwood) having got up at 5am to get 4 hours in before hitting the M1. It has been organised by Paul Haste of the Northern Counties and has been supported by 8 associations, many putting two teams in and 14 sponsors, a total of 80 players. My golf certainly doesn’t match the quality of the event or the weather but a great day is had by all (Northern Counties pretty much clean up the prize table with their teams winning the main prizes and Philips the sponsors' prize). What is more important is again it brings together practioners from all over the country and we raise over £1000 for my charity as I raffle and auction off some places for my golf event with Equita at the end of August (see www.justgiving/bobtrahern) for details and the July edition of Insight on how you can get involved and give.
Having had a day of fresh air, cannot sleep so work until the very early hours and Tuesday is a long day in the office combining meetings, a telephone interview for Insight before giving a presentation to Members in advance of the evening's committee meeting on the work and forthcoming challenges for the division. The shared services report confirming our collaboration with Coventry goes through as the last item on the evenings business which means a 10pm call into the chippy on the way home.
Hold a series of staff meetings on the Wednesday confirming the next steps from here and hold another with Members considering a number of outreach opportunities around customer access as part of phase 3 of the Council's access strategy before again working into the evening catching up on e mails.
Thursday and I have needed to send my apologies to the East Anglian Association where I was due to address their AGM prior to an afternoon's racing at Yarmouth before a dinner in the evening. Unfortunately, I have to be at work for a couple of last minute organised meetings that cannot be avoided but these things happen. I am just pleased that I was able to do an afternoon's meeting earlier this year for them and David is more than an adequate replacement for me.
Spend Friday morning working from home before J and I get an afternoon train down to London where we are having a weekend in London prior to the Council round that starts on Sunday evening for some of us. We meet up with Darren Kelk from Rossendales and his wife Laurah outside the Aldwych Theatre as we take in a nights “Dirty Dancing” before taking in Chinatown for a late meal and heading back to Doughty Street where we are staying.
Up early, I work from HQ in the morning catching up on some e-mails before meeting up again with Darren and Laurah for a few lunchtime drinks before we head off to see Lee Mead in Joseph. Spend the rest of the night humming the songs as we take in dinner at a local Italian.
Spend Sunday morning reading my council papers before we head over to our hotel near Lords which we are using as a base for the council round. Spend the afternoon watching some of the tennis final from Wimbledon as the weather is hardly barmy for the time the time of year. Meet up with David, Gary and a few other Council members down for an evening meeting looking at the budget !! Although the tennis final in the background brings a fair degree of distraction as the mens final goes to 5 sets. After a late dinner we are up early on Monday for a number of pre meetings before we kick off with the formal round of committees.
Monday 7 July – Sunday 13 July
The rain is pretty bad and I make a quick dash over to Lords at lunchtime where we are holding the Institute's annual reception in the evening which is planned to be partly open to the elements. Rain check taken, we decide to go ahead on the promise the weather will improve. As we hold the last meeting of the day, the association reps meeting which concludes at 6pm, the thunder clatters in the distance and the rain at times is torrential. At 6.40pm it finally stops allowing us to make the quick walk up the road to Lords where as we access the pavilion rooftop the sun finally breaks through and stays that way until about 8.30pm but long enough to enable the reception with steel band playing in the background to be held and photographs to be taken. Attended by nearly 250 supporters of the Institute, we raise over £600 from the raffling of an signed England cricket shirt won by Mike Shaw and the photos on the website accessed via http://www.irrv.net/reception2008.asp reproduced by kind permission of our fellow Council Member Richard Guy, who was the photographer on the night as well as our official photographer, Andrew show that everyone had a great time. Back at the hotel, networking continues and it is great that one of our very talented past presidents, John Roberts, plays the hotel piano long into the night knocking out request after request.
Up early Tuesday, meetings kick off before 8am with another run through the ideas for the Performance Awards evening before chairing Full Council at 9am which agrees amongst other things the education changes we hope to launch at the annual conference. Realise about 10.30am that David and I have hardly eaten anything for 2 days so nip around the corner to a local café for cheese on toast before we head over to Lords again where I am hosting one of the things I have most looked forward to in my year, hosting the 20 past Presidents and Honorary Members in the historic setting of the writing room in the pavilion. It is great that Jim Barnfield, now in his 80’s and a West Midlands man can be there and one of the pictures I have taken on the day and shown above shows me with Jim, Alan Causer, and Barry Wheeler, all former West Midland past presidents.
The sun is shining for the President's Golf Day being held in Worksop (home of Lee Westwood) having got up at 5am to get 4 hours in before hitting the M1. It has been organised by Paul Haste of the Northern Counties and has been supported by 8 associations, many putting two teams in and 14 sponsors, a total of 80 players. My golf certainly doesn’t match the quality of the event or the weather but a great day is had by all (Northern Counties pretty much clean up the prize table with their teams winning the main prizes and Philips the sponsors' prize). What is more important is again it brings together practioners from all over the country and we raise over £1000 for my charity as I raffle and auction off some places for my golf event with Equita at the end of August (see www.justgiving/bobtrahern) for details and the July edition of Insight on how you can get involved and give.
Having had a day of fresh air, cannot sleep so work until the very early hours and Tuesday is a long day in the office combining meetings, a telephone interview for Insight before giving a presentation to Members in advance of the evening's committee meeting on the work and forthcoming challenges for the division. The shared services report confirming our collaboration with Coventry goes through as the last item on the evenings business which means a 10pm call into the chippy on the way home.
Hold a series of staff meetings on the Wednesday confirming the next steps from here and hold another with Members considering a number of outreach opportunities around customer access as part of phase 3 of the Council's access strategy before again working into the evening catching up on e mails.
Thursday and I have needed to send my apologies to the East Anglian Association where I was due to address their AGM prior to an afternoon's racing at Yarmouth before a dinner in the evening. Unfortunately, I have to be at work for a couple of last minute organised meetings that cannot be avoided but these things happen. I am just pleased that I was able to do an afternoon's meeting earlier this year for them and David is more than an adequate replacement for me.
Spend Friday morning working from home before J and I get an afternoon train down to London where we are having a weekend in London prior to the Council round that starts on Sunday evening for some of us. We meet up with Darren Kelk from Rossendales and his wife Laurah outside the Aldwych Theatre as we take in a nights “Dirty Dancing” before taking in Chinatown for a late meal and heading back to Doughty Street where we are staying.
Up early, I work from HQ in the morning catching up on some e-mails before meeting up again with Darren and Laurah for a few lunchtime drinks before we head off to see Lee Mead in Joseph. Spend the rest of the night humming the songs as we take in dinner at a local Italian.
Spend Sunday morning reading my council papers before we head over to our hotel near Lords which we are using as a base for the council round. Spend the afternoon watching some of the tennis final from Wimbledon as the weather is hardly barmy for the time the time of year. Meet up with David, Gary and a few other Council members down for an evening meeting looking at the budget !! Although the tennis final in the background brings a fair degree of distraction as the mens final goes to 5 sets. After a late dinner we are up early on Monday for a number of pre meetings before we kick off with the formal round of committees.
Monday 7 July – Sunday 13 July
The rain is pretty bad and I make a quick dash over to Lords at lunchtime where we are holding the Institute's annual reception in the evening which is planned to be partly open to the elements. Rain check taken, we decide to go ahead on the promise the weather will improve. As we hold the last meeting of the day, the association reps meeting which concludes at 6pm, the thunder clatters in the distance and the rain at times is torrential. At 6.40pm it finally stops allowing us to make the quick walk up the road to Lords where as we access the pavilion rooftop the sun finally breaks through and stays that way until about 8.30pm but long enough to enable the reception with steel band playing in the background to be held and photographs to be taken. Attended by nearly 250 supporters of the Institute, we raise over £600 from the raffling of an signed England cricket shirt won by Mike Shaw and the photos on the website accessed via http://www.irrv.net/reception2008.asp reproduced by kind permission of our fellow Council Member Richard Guy, who was the photographer on the night as well as our official photographer, Andrew show that everyone had a great time. Back at the hotel, networking continues and it is great that one of our very talented past presidents, John Roberts, plays the hotel piano long into the night knocking out request after request.
Up early Tuesday, meetings kick off before 8am with another run through the ideas for the Performance Awards evening before chairing Full Council at 9am which agrees amongst other things the education changes we hope to launch at the annual conference. Realise about 10.30am that David and I have hardly eaten anything for 2 days so nip around the corner to a local café for cheese on toast before we head over to Lords again where I am hosting one of the things I have most looked forward to in my year, hosting the 20 past Presidents and Honorary Members in the historic setting of the writing room in the pavilion. It is great that Jim Barnfield, now in his 80’s and a West Midlands man can be there and one of the pictures I have taken on the day and shown above shows me with Jim, Alan Causer, and Barry Wheeler, all former West Midland past presidents.
We have a number of photographs taken on the day following a guided tour around the ground and musuem which should provide great memories not just now but in many years to come. I potentially have quite a few of these lunches to look forward to in future years and hopefully I will be around long enough to enjoy them !! Following a lovely lunch, the day is topped off by the opportunity to meet a number of the England players out practicing in advance of the test match and getting a few autographs including Alec Bedser who was having a lunch to celebrate his 90th birthday in the Long Room. It proves grown men are just as excited as little boys when it comes to meeting some real sporting heroes.
Head back on the 6pm train, J picks me up and we go and watch Louis at the local athletics club in an evening bathed in sunshine (sods law). Wednesday sees the rain return and I spend it in Birmingham in a series if meetings before returning just in time for the Full Council meeting at night which is another late one finishing off just after 9.30pm but it allows me to catch up with all the e mails that have accumulated over the last day or so.
Off early to drive down to London on Thursday, I spend nearly 30 minutes searching for my tax disc which amazingly flew out of my drivers side window as I set off up the A5. More amazingly I find it in the hedgerows !!! Arrive just on time for the first of my performance award inspections this year. After the visit I have a quick meeting with David before making the short car journey to Hanbury Manor where I am staying overnight prior to a day playing golf with Experian. Get a lot of work done both in the evening and in advance of the round which along with my team sees us going close to winning although more importantly we managed to just about stay dry which cannot be said for all.
Spend Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning in the office catching up before getting home in time for my sister and her kids who are over from the States for a late afternoon playing a few games and introducing my 8 year nephew and 10 year old niece to the virtues of cricket. Not sure they quite got it but at 154 not out I retire to take in some of the early evening sunshine with a glass of wine.
Monday 14 July – Sunday 20 July
Following an early morning working from home, I catch the train down to London as along with David we host a 25 strong delegation from South Korea who are on a tour of Europe looking at different valuation and tax models. We spend an interesting afternoon in simultaneous translation mode which seems to successfully bridge the cultural divide. Back on the early evening train, I catch up with some institute work on the education strategy.
Spend the day in Coventry, initially meeting up with David Moorcroft about his address at conference before having a few meetings at the council , visit the local college that may be a new venue for our education courses and give a presentation to 44 potential new members employed at the council who are interested in our qualifications.
Wednesday sees me in early as I am covering the reception as many of the staff are out on strike. Having dealt with two blocked toilet reports, a benefit case and a burst boiler, I escape to a meeting with the credit union and spend the rest of the day in the office leaving just after 7pm reasonably up to date.
In and out on Thursday, I spend Friday working from home first up followed by a series of meetings off site in Warwick and one to the Air Ambulance who I am supporting this year. An early finish allows me to catch up with some of the golf on tv although my bet for the Open “Mr Jimenez from Spain” disappears without trace in the wind and rain and with it my fiver!
In work most of Saturday, I catch the final couple of hours of the golf which I repeat on Sunday having driven over to Sue Williams Lee, our regional president first thing to drop off some pictures from our dinner dance and other stuff as she is chairing an exec meeting tomorrow which I cannot be at as I am at an annual event with hold with the Lancs and Cheshire association every year which involves going on a course.
The blog back up to date, I sign off. J is off to Spain next week for a few days to visit her son and our grandson whilst I am out and about on performance awards visits, in and out of work and at the South Eastern dinner in Canterbury on Friday
A couple of extra notes, and as we continue as an Institute to embrace the latest trends, I attach a missive from Tracey Crowe who will be standing for Council this year who is appealing to all surfers to sign up as follows:
"At the annual reception it emerged there were quite a few of us on 'facebook'.
"I have therefore set up a group called 'IRRV members on facebook' - it is a closed group so only IRRV members who request to join/or are invited by a member can join. If you want to mention it on your blog that's cool - any IRRV member who is on facebook can go to the link (but not go into the pages) and they can request to be added - the request then comes to me via email."
Secondly, earlier in the year, I laid down the challenge of having a photograph taken with Insight in the most unlikely places following my xmas card shot taken in Florida. I have just had my first entry but as you set off on your holidays and weekend breaks I am sure there are many more potential entries to come in. Go on join in and who knows you may win a prize I will offer up for the best one. Closing date : 15 September
Keep up the good work and enjoy the rest of the glorious summer we are having (hopefully it will be an Indian one)
Bob
Head back on the 6pm train, J picks me up and we go and watch Louis at the local athletics club in an evening bathed in sunshine (sods law). Wednesday sees the rain return and I spend it in Birmingham in a series if meetings before returning just in time for the Full Council meeting at night which is another late one finishing off just after 9.30pm but it allows me to catch up with all the e mails that have accumulated over the last day or so.
Off early to drive down to London on Thursday, I spend nearly 30 minutes searching for my tax disc which amazingly flew out of my drivers side window as I set off up the A5. More amazingly I find it in the hedgerows !!! Arrive just on time for the first of my performance award inspections this year. After the visit I have a quick meeting with David before making the short car journey to Hanbury Manor where I am staying overnight prior to a day playing golf with Experian. Get a lot of work done both in the evening and in advance of the round which along with my team sees us going close to winning although more importantly we managed to just about stay dry which cannot be said for all.
Spend Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning in the office catching up before getting home in time for my sister and her kids who are over from the States for a late afternoon playing a few games and introducing my 8 year nephew and 10 year old niece to the virtues of cricket. Not sure they quite got it but at 154 not out I retire to take in some of the early evening sunshine with a glass of wine.
Monday 14 July – Sunday 20 July
Following an early morning working from home, I catch the train down to London as along with David we host a 25 strong delegation from South Korea who are on a tour of Europe looking at different valuation and tax models. We spend an interesting afternoon in simultaneous translation mode which seems to successfully bridge the cultural divide. Back on the early evening train, I catch up with some institute work on the education strategy.
Spend the day in Coventry, initially meeting up with David Moorcroft about his address at conference before having a few meetings at the council , visit the local college that may be a new venue for our education courses and give a presentation to 44 potential new members employed at the council who are interested in our qualifications.
Wednesday sees me in early as I am covering the reception as many of the staff are out on strike. Having dealt with two blocked toilet reports, a benefit case and a burst boiler, I escape to a meeting with the credit union and spend the rest of the day in the office leaving just after 7pm reasonably up to date.
In and out on Thursday, I spend Friday working from home first up followed by a series of meetings off site in Warwick and one to the Air Ambulance who I am supporting this year. An early finish allows me to catch up with some of the golf on tv although my bet for the Open “Mr Jimenez from Spain” disappears without trace in the wind and rain and with it my fiver!
In work most of Saturday, I catch the final couple of hours of the golf which I repeat on Sunday having driven over to Sue Williams Lee, our regional president first thing to drop off some pictures from our dinner dance and other stuff as she is chairing an exec meeting tomorrow which I cannot be at as I am at an annual event with hold with the Lancs and Cheshire association every year which involves going on a course.
The blog back up to date, I sign off. J is off to Spain next week for a few days to visit her son and our grandson whilst I am out and about on performance awards visits, in and out of work and at the South Eastern dinner in Canterbury on Friday
A couple of extra notes, and as we continue as an Institute to embrace the latest trends, I attach a missive from Tracey Crowe who will be standing for Council this year who is appealing to all surfers to sign up as follows:
"At the annual reception it emerged there were quite a few of us on 'facebook'.
"I have therefore set up a group called 'IRRV members on facebook' - it is a closed group so only IRRV members who request to join/or are invited by a member can join. If you want to mention it on your blog that's cool - any IRRV member who is on facebook can go to the link (but not go into the pages) and they can request to be added - the request then comes to me via email."
Secondly, earlier in the year, I laid down the challenge of having a photograph taken with Insight in the most unlikely places following my xmas card shot taken in Florida. I have just had my first entry but as you set off on your holidays and weekend breaks I am sure there are many more potential entries to come in. Go on join in and who knows you may win a prize I will offer up for the best one. Closing date : 15 September
Keep up the good work and enjoy the rest of the glorious summer we are having (hopefully it will be an Indian one)
Bob
Above : What is the collective description of a gathering of Past Presidents, a Pride ?
Above : With Jimmy Anderson 
Above : With Monty Panasar at Lords. My bowling tips obviously served him well !!! 
