Pastydancer.com

Today I visited Leeds to see where I will be working from mid-July and to meet most of the team. The building is very new and feels quite airy, which is a change from Mallard house. The building is so new that it still has a few teething problems, most notably the plumbing! On the downside there is no pub immediately outside the main entrance.

Another reason for going over today was to attend a meeting of category 2 responders (new job, new lingo), this was a good insight into what lies ahead for me. I was also able to meet a few people I will have close links with (so I am told). Goodbye Bayer, the CPA and the Control of Pesticides Regulations, hello West Yorkshire Police, the HPA and the Civil Contingencies Act.

Another plus point is no more TARIF, or any other time recording device. Sadly GOYH has outsourced its IT, which means 300 staff are supported 2-3 harassed looking IT help desk staff and the presentation to the meeting I attended was supported by the handouts rather than the computer and beamer. My new boss wasn’t sure I would even get my laptop by the time I arrived - it is amazing what progress looks like these days.

Early to mid-June is always a daunting time as there are three birthdays to celebrate, including mine. This year the timing was set out with added challenge as a union conference fell in the middle - and these are never sober occasions!

The start of the seven hard days was Saturday 4th June, L-H’s birthday.

A hardy group joined to help Chris celebrate, with a few fine ales and the usual curry. Sadly fine ale and the usual curry had the ‘usual’ affects on me!

Sunday was spent recovering from Saturday and preparing for Monday, when I should find out if I got the job I had recently applied for …. and to my surprise I was offered the post! Success at last, so on 16th July, all being well, I will start as an SEO in the Government Office as a Regional Resilience Manager.

Tuesday afternoon found His Grace, the Chair of EFRA branch of Prospect, and I, heading to Liverpool to the Civil Service Sector Conference. An evening of light refreshment followed.

Here His Grace smiles at the thought of another reflective ale in a rather spacious pub.

Sadly we headed back to the hotel and continued with a further reflective session, in the hotel bar, until 2. The journey back to the hotel was via the Roman Catholic cathedral, which at night has a certain resemblance to Barad-dur!

Wednesday was conference, Thursday was a rest day, before my birthday arrived. The Hobbit has recounted some of the evening on his site. The Hobbit was in fine form, although unusually for him he was keen to get to the Lung - ringing me at 3:57 to say are you ready yet!

Hobbit’s answer to most questions on Friday night was ‘I think I’m due a Deuchars’, which is a good choice. A pleasant evening sat outside the Lung and a curry was just the way to note the passing of another year.

These few nights have all been a bit of hard training for the main event next weekend: the Hobbit’s 30th Birthday, although the Hobbit is in denial. Fortunately he has a core group of hardy friends who will help him forget his age - by helping him to drink enough to blot out most memories.

What do you think of that Hobbit?

Well the BBC review was right. It wasn’t very good, it was too long and I’m still not sure what happened.

Plus no one seemed to have any understanding of how to run a naval engagement. Any pirate worth his salt would have raked the ships before attempting a slugging match with broadsides. Yes - it was that bad that I was left considering the merits of naval tactics.

The only thing the dancing/marriage/fight scene at the end needed was Craig Revel Horwood turning up to give a score of 2 and description of heinous.

Shiver me timbers!