I’ve been very remiss about writing the blog recently, but as I pointed out previously, there’s a fine balance between being busy enough to have something to write about, and being too busy to find the time. We’re missing several members of staff at the moment, for a variety of reasons, so its been mayhem around here. There’s lots more admin in this job than when you’re a Spokesperson, and that has to get done. Also fewer press officers around means fewer people to answer the phone, so more time dealing with queries from the press. Not that I complain about that – it’s the best bit of the job (next to going to the National Theatre or, in the case of tonight, the Whitechapel Gallery!).
Also the health problem from last week is still around – no news from the NHS about the scan I was supposed to be booked in for, so will try a GP again tomorrow. Here’s hoping I don’t get sent to A&E YET again…
Had a lovely weekend in Brussels. On Friday night I got there in time to catch the second half of the Brussels Shakespeare Society’s Othello. A nice day with the Best Mate on Saturday, then went to my friend Michiel’s 40th that evening – we were at college together, and have known each other almost 20 years, so it was a real night for catching up with your past! On Sunday Best Mate had invited two other friends round for lunch – we were all feeling a bit ropey, so it was the laziest Sunday imaginable, finishing up with watching all 4 hours of the BBC’s adaptation of North and South. I won’t try to pretend that the main attraction was anything other than Richard Armitage looking moody!
My mother is visiting from France at the moment, and it’s been lovely having her here. Hopefully we’re off to a Korean on Friday and the Rugby League on Saturday, then she heads home on Sunday.
We’ve got quite a few Commissioners in town in the next two weeks, so we’re busy managing their media schedules, trying to fulfill interview requests we’ve had, or set up new ones. There have also been some interesting stories around, such as reducing the accounting requirements for very small companies.
There’s been a lot around about sheep tagging as well, but that’s a long story, so I’ll deal with that tomorrow.