MONDAY:
Long, long meetings with senior council officers all day today. One after another! With lots and lots of information! All the officers were very nice to me indeed and they all listened very politely and attentively to everything I had to say. So there’s no doubt in my mind that they are very interested indeed in what I have to say and are on board the Bristol Green Express departing for a sustainable future!
Funnily enough, every officer had with them an extraordinarily long and detailed report for me to read later. Although we agreed, due to time constraints, it was best to discuss the contents right away because with our busy diaries we don’t know when we might be able to meet again.
It’s a crazy and hectic place, George’s City Hall!
TUESDAY:
Finally managed to get in to chat to George today. I was waiting almost two hours for him to finish meeting Zoe in his office with the door locked – what a dedicated guy he is! Courteous as ever, George apologised loads and said that they had got sidetracked into a discussion about Uganda or something. I never realised our decisions reached that far!
Sometimes it’s a crazy, freewheeling open forum of diversity, George’s City Hall!
Councillor Hoyt – he’s so cuddly (& easily confused)!
WEDNESDAY:
Met Mr Robinson, the chief council finance man today. Some of the figures were very confusing indeed but Mr Robinson kindly explained that there were some “presentational issues” with the figures that he and his colleagues would iron out by, possibly, as soon as next year.
We both had to laugh at one point when Mr Robinson said he hadn’t brought one set of figures because his dog ate them last night!
We’re an animal loving bunch at George’s City Hall!
THURSDAY:
Cabinet Meeting/Knowle West. Try as I might I couldn’t find anywhere to buy a carob-coated quinoa bar or a soy latte before the meeting. Oh well, I struggled through it anyway.
We’re all up for a bit of personal sacrifice in George’s City Hall!
FRIDAY:
Bumped into my good chum and fellow Ashley councillor Dr Jon on Stokes Croft this morning as he was leaving Best In with his cans of special ‘breakfast drink’. He looked a bit sad, so I tried to cheer him up by inviting him over to my new pad later on. I told him we could make a den with chairs and sheets in the living room and pretend that we are astronauts on a moonbase. He seemed to like this idea because he called me a “space cadet” – awesome!
It’s a proper hub of cross-party cooperation, George’s City Hall!
SATURDAY:
Just noticed I’ve put my name to a press release announcing the closure of seven youth clubs in the poorest areas of the city. This is the Lib Dems’ fault not mine and, anyway, it’s no use crying over spilt milk! Now, I must stop writing my diary and get on with mine and George’s plans to protect the vulnerable of the city.
It’s all about caring, George’s City Hall!
SUNDAY:
Left my homework to the last minute again – forgot to read all those important reports and check those budget cuts figures, oops! Oh well, I’m sure the nice council officers will help me get a better understanding of it all tomorrow, they’re all really clever and nice. I love being a Cabinet Member, I feel I am really making a difference!
And what a great place to work: George’s City Hall!