Mrs. Blobby saves the day

(nickname courtesy of the Middle Eastern correspondent on account of my occasionally feisty nature)

Sometimes it pays to be a stroppy arse! Having complained to all and sundry about the insurance claim they finally rang and conceded to payment. And the moral off this story is "Don't mess with me, La" as they say in my Scouse hometown.

Great start to the week...

another round of redundancies has been announced...air of doom & despondency has permeated the office. The other phrase which 'put the frighteners' up people was “If we get things wrong, we will have no alternative but to look at new options which reduce the company's ability to control its own destiny.” Productivity must have hit an all time low at that point with all manner of rumours floating round at work. The CEO had apparently briefed staff at another site the other day and explained he’d considered selling a couple of sites but hadn’t been offered enough dosh. He told the assembled masses if we drop below £110M income the bank will be brought in due to the T&Cs of the loans; and went on to say he’s going to cut management by 50% - which would put me at risk. Everyone's really unsettled which is exactly the converse of what’s needed…could do with people pulling their fingers out and actually doing stuff to improve the situation rather than sitting around fretting.

Rayleigh Choppers & Hong Kong Phooey

were the order of the day at a colleague's housewarming 'do' last night. Nice mix of people, ample sufficiency of food & booze, plus a great atmosphere. Mostly just the usual house party but he'd organised a quiz covering events & stuff from the 70s - politics, events, people, TV, etc., had quite a laugh trying to work them out even thought a few people I could mention got ever so slightly over-competitive. Only downside to the night was the introduction of Karaoke late on. I admit to being a wimp on that front. I'd driven there so had not consume anywhere near enough alcohol to even consider having a go....made a sharp exist when it was coming round to my turn.

His house is going to be fab. It's 1970s and needs loads of work but he's made a start and has some fantastic ideas...slightly retro/minimalistic.

He tried his hand at being creativite using jelly...bet you can't tell he's a single bloke.

Bl**dy Insurance Fraudsters

- & that's a reference to the insurance company and loss adjusters!

The Loss Adjuster finally visited today at lunch time which necessitated me coming home from work. We went through the claim details and she looked at the landing ceiling, taking measurements of the height and length etc. but didn't other with the roof because it was raining and she'd forgotten her camera. Fortunately I'd taken photos for my records so emailed them to her after she left.

Late this afternoon she phoned to say they repudiate the claim. They're basically arguing that the roof leaking is due to poor maintenance, and the ensuing internal damage is therefore as a result of that, so that are not prepared to sanction payment for anything! I was furious!! I've always taken out accidental damage cover 'just in case', and it's only seven years since the roof was overhauled & is clearly in good order. Needless to say I had a wobbly 'cos the builder's only done a temporary fix and it's precipitating down outside so the whole thing could leak yet again!!!

I've lodged a formal complaint with the insurance company but they can't progress it until the loss adjusters paperwork reaches them which will be next week due to the fact they don't work weekends. Paid insurance premiums of c.£500p.a. for the last six years and not claimed. So I've spent virtually as much on insurance premiums as the damage I now need to pay for. Looks like I'm on for a battle to get this resolved. Totally hacked off!!!!

Back to school

Parent/teachers meeting went well. Miss Sensible is predicted straight 'A's as long as she stays focused. If she gets the grades for her Maths & English this summer, next year she'll pick up Stats & Film Studies so in theory she should get 12 GCSEs, not to be sniffed at. However, with my other head on, i.e. helping the governors, I know that that is actually both a positive and a negative for the school as on the one hand they get a set of excellent results, but on the other they are unable to demonstrate that they have developed her potential from where she initially started. Talk about conflicting targets, yet both parameter's have an impact on funding!

The Work Experience meeting later was a farce. The careers teacher made it sound like one week with an employer would make a vital difference to whether the pupils got a job in later life - talk about 'bigging it up'! I wanted to heckle from the sidelines but Miss Sensible saw it coming and elbowed me in the ribs. Looking at the situation as a recruiter and employer I know how difficult it is to provide work experience placements due to Health & Safety, plus Criminal Record Checks, and if we can offer an opportunity, the chances of them doing anything which will really enlighten them about work is somewhat limited. My personal view is they'd be better learning more around career/Further Education options so that they are better equiped to make informed decisions about their future.

That'll teach me...

I put my hand up to help facilitate one particular session with the local High School Board of Governors. On the surface it all seemed very straight-forward then I realised that although I read the broadsheets, watch the news and have 2 sprogs in the system I know 'diddly squat' about the education system. In order to not lose credibility the minute I opened my mouth, I spent hours devouring OFSTED reports, checking out the government targets, learning about the 'Education to 18 policy', Specialist status, 'Every Child Matters' agenda etc. and suddenly began to see the complexity of trying to run a school. There are so many conflicting requirements placed on the Heads it's a wonder anyone actually takes the job. Have found myself sucked into the whole thing and ended up doing a second session tonight and a third is now on the agenda for March. Maybe I've just got masochistic tendencies but I'm actually quite enjoying it...don't tell anyone ;o)

1 Down

Packed up Strident Student and what appeared to be half the contents of the house and transported them back to the Steel City. Journey both ways was decidedly longer than usual however this was not due to snow but football...curse of all women (I can just hear the Middle Eastern correspondent telling me to "get a grip!").

I am pleased to report that student abode has been decorated over the Xmas break and is looking and smelling decidedly better, although methinks they have merely slapped a coat of paint over the mold spots.

Having divested the car of all the 'gubbins' I took eldest and two of her housemates to the local Tesco to load up on provisions. That was an eye-opener...had thought in these days of healthy living there might be more evidence of compliance to the 5-a-day guidance. No chance!!! Only concession was a bag of apples and pack of clementines! Best I don't think about what goes on when I am not around.....