It was just one of those things. Supposed to be in Venice
for the weekend but partner suffering complications from a gall bladder removal
so had to cancel. London instead, and as alternative to moping we went and celebrated
at Chez Bruce, South London's top restaurant. Miriam Margoyles was there. That
brought back memories; not of Harry Potter though! In 1982 she signed my
nomination papers for me to stand for the Council in Clapham Town (the other
person signing was that great author Angela Carter!).
Strange to be in London when the PM and President of
France were having lunch in one of my favourite pubs, 5 miles up the road
through the lovely Wychwood forest from
Charlbury. The swan has a gorgeous position by the river Windrush in the
typically charming Cotswolds village of Swinbrook. The pub is owned by the
Dowager Duchess of Devonshire - the last remaining Mitford sister. The village
Church up the road has the graves of 4 of the other famous sisters, Unity (friend
of Adolf), Diana (who married Moseley) Nancy (the author, perhaps best known
for the "U and non U" debate and books like "The Pursuit of
Love") and Pamela (the farmer). Jessica Mitford was the Red in the family
(a member of the American Communist Party) and died in America. She was
cremated inexpensively. She wrote that brilliant book about the American
funeral racket, "The American way of Death". I went to her Memorial
service in London in 1996. A pertinent quote from one of her books is most apposite,
"You may not
be able to change the world but at least you can embarrass the
guilty".
The PM showed
great taste in choosing the Swan. It really is one of the country's most
beautiful spots. Go there!
And it being Candlemas I took myself off to All Saints,
Margaret St for Evensong and Benediction. A good time for reflection and
thinking about a dilemma. I had been asked to talk on the prime 8.10 slot on
the Today programme. Not, on this occasion with my ACEVO hat, but as an
independent Public Appointments Assessor. It's a role I have been undertaking
for some years, where occasionally I chair public appointment interviews and
make recommendations to Ministers. People often forget I was an HR Director for
5 years before my current role! The public body appointment process has had
some attention over the weekend with comments from Sally Morgan who has been
chairing Ofsted. After a lot of reflection, although I was happy to talk about
the process and my experience, it had all got too mired in party politics and
best to stay out. Unusual for me to turn down a slot on Today, let alone the
prime one, but wise counsels prevailed. In fact our public appointments process
has great merit which the current row rather overlooks.
C"est la vie. As they now say at The Swan.
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