Meetings,meetings...

A day full of incidence. Or rather meetings. Starting off in the Social Investment Business , then onto my Director's Group but , due to a grave oversight by my PA, I found myself lunchless. I actually went out and purchased one. But it was very agreeable. A table in the sun, outside Valerie Patisserie in the Sicilian Arcade at Southampton Row. A quiet moment of reflection; perhaps I should do it more?

Then a board meeting and off to see officials in DCLG. Indiscreet of me to say more about that obviously! Rushed from that to a major speech by the Leader of the house of Commons, Sir George Young on parliamentary reform.

From there to Local Government house in Smith Square. In the 70s I used to work here, in Transport House as it was then known! I was going to a shin dig to celebrate Sir Jeremy Beecham's elevation to the House of Lords. A great local Government figure, former Leader of Newcastle and Chair of the AMA and then the LGA. He was my chair when I was at the AMA so it was a real joy to wish him well. And what a collection of former Cabinet ministers there ! 3 former third sector Ministers; Angela ( to be Baroness Smith ) Phil Hope and the very first and greatest Ed Miliband MP . Cool to chat to Ed. A star! As I predicted in this Blog , the guy is going far ...indeed Ed himself commented I was one of his "early adopters"!



Strange to leave and see a gaggle of former ministers standing around with their blackberries fixing their own diaries! And no row of black cars outside.

As they say, sic transit gloria mundi