Central Ward Town Council by-election day. Since the local parties have only one ward to fight we have suffered a weight of leaflets in the past few weeks. Several independents standing, but on reasonably typical single issues - rights for senior citizens (and the Town Council can influence this how?), hunting (in Weston?), asylum seekers and Weston's drug-treatment centre overload. Much as I'd like to vote Independent in a local contest, they all filled me with a weird empty dread which made me want to renounce democracy once and for all! Fun surprise of the day was the chance to vote for one Richard Whittington - now if only we elected a Lord Mayor here in Weston!
I spoke to a visiting Tory (the prospective parliamentary candidate for Bristol South no less) who was out knocking up on my way home. He mentioned a very poor turnout - perhaps 18-19%. The Town Council was unpopular in some quarters when it was proposed, and the tiny non-event of a single ward electing barely registers on most people's radar. I wonder whether the results will get posted anywhere?
Spent much of the day at work trying desperately to tie-up loose ends in anticipation of some much needed leave next week. Managed quite a bit of useful work in some ways, and banged my head against the system for a while too. Fear the worst for the next few months. I can't help feeling people seem to have stopped thinking in favour of a sort of random running-about behaviour! Also spent quite a bit of the morning chasing lost train tickets, which were apparently mailed out in early August but have never shown up. Local station came through with replacements, luckily
Then it all started to add up. I'd reported a replacement credit card undelivered a couple of weeks back, which had apparently been posted around the same time. Today I discovered some very strange transactions on my account which fell on the very day I reported the card not received. Bank were fantastic, helpful, understanding and efficient. Decided once and for all to report my suspicions regarding the post here to the Police. They were however a little less easy to deal with. Only when I misheard a question and gave a patently absurd answer did the woman at the other end of the phone start laughing and become more human. All-in-all a very strange and rather awkward process to report the problem.
Off to London tomorrow for the Open House weekend among other things.
Lost::MikeGTN
I've had a home on the web for more years than I care to remember, and a few kind souls persuade me it's worth persisting with keeping it updated. This current incarnation of the site is centred around the blog posts which began back in 1999 as 'the daylog' and continued through my travels and tribulations during the following years.
I don't get out and about nearly as much these days, but I do try to record significant events and trips for posterity. You may also have arrived here by following the trail to my former music blog Songs Heard On Fast Trains. That content is preserved here too.
