Monday, 4 June 2007

This morning’s journey took an hour and a half so I was relieved that the auditors had delayed their initial visit until Tuesday - helpfully giving me an extra day to collate papers etc. Thanks to Jackie's ministrations, my shoulder was much improved.

It was good to see Vanessa (Development and Training Officer) back from her leave and we had a helpful discussion on local training. I also had talks Helen (Volunteer Centre co-ordinator) about the LAA, and with Anne (Funding Advisor) on preparations for her forthcoming leave. And I completed preparations for this Friday’s interviews, rebuilt a laptop computer and fixed a flickering light. Jack of all trades, then.

But most importantly I spent two hours clearing up my own office. The eccentric and bohemian stacks of books and papers and computer drives had begun to take on the depressing appearance or permanent fixtures. With things cleared away, I hope I can start to concentrate on the large projects for this summer:
- completing the audit and annual report;
- contributing to the strategic plan for the Hertfordshire Infrastructure Consortium;
- securing IiP status for WCVS;
- contributing to Watford's Community Development Strategy;
- revitalising the Watford and Hertfordshire Compacts;
- appointing and inducting a new Finance and Administration Officer;
- finding partners to begin developing local strategies for volunteering, training, and accommodation.

It should be a busy few months.

Recent reading

I completed David Stuart Leslie's Two Gentlemen Sharing, best described as a comedy of manners and set in the Notting Hill of 1960. I also ploughed through The Rising of the Workers of Hertfordshire in 1381 and am now reading Hertfordshire 1731 – 1800 as Recorded in the Gentlemen’s Magazine. A Hertford woman was found guilty of witchcraft in 1712; I believe this was the last such guilty verdict and she subsequently received a Royal Pardon and was sheltered and provided for by Lord Cowper until her death. Touchingly, Lady Cowper paid for a regular sermon to be preached against witch hunts. Perhaps this tradition should be revived? But the sermon did little for the west of the County for in Tring in 1751, an elderly couple were dragged from the Poor House under suspicion of witchcraft and badly beaten by a mob. The woman died and one of the mob was subsequently hanged.