With no enforcement - does anyone seriously wonder why the parking is such a problem???

Busy, busy, busy - today was market day in Wells! This meant that the city was busy and bustling!!!

Latest on the ongoing checkout saga - still not very well and may not be in action until next week. So all orders are being written down. It's doing wonders for my maths. No machine to do all the calculations.

In the evening I attended the City Council's City Centre Management Committee. Was a good meeting, with loads of updates. Most interesting was the update on the 'Destination Wells' site and the 'Traffic Orders' for the High Street.

The Destination Wells project is still on track, despite being slightly behind. However, that's how projects go! Once up and running fully - we'll have a great concept in which to promote the City. As for the new traffic orders - it should bring a lot of the current car parking problems under control. However, I do think that there has been a lot of nonsense in regards to signage in the High Street!

Apparently, when the High Street was relayed, there was an argument against putting traffic control signs up and signs painted on the road....and now everyone is wondering why there are traffic problems!!!! Anyway - at least it's being sorted. Well done to those involved.

After that meeting, met with the organising team for the next RUH (Royal United Hospital) bash in May. It will be a 1940's Wartime themed fundraiser (one of my charities). Micheal is putting an awful lot of work into arranging it all!

Then it was off to friends for a chinese takeaway at their house.... nice!!

At least I danced!

Today started with me working at home. Am using the first part of the new year to catch up with paperwork etc.

This afternoon, I visited Wells Town Hall to review my diary with my (rather poorly) Diary Secretary. I have to do this each week, so that my diary is kept up to date. If it isn't then I'm not too sure where I am!! However, she is absolutely wonderful.

As my Diary Secretary wasn't feeling too good - and she was still trooping away - I went to the Lotus Lounge (in Wells, I opened it in November, alongside the floation tank) for some energy drinks. For my Secretary I brought a 'Immune Booster' and for me it was a 'Morning Glory' smoothie. We both felt a lot better for drinking them.

Got my diary updated with only a few amendments. It's all starting to look a bit cramped - I'm sure we'll get by.

Had great fun this evening. Went to Wookey Hole Caves for a rather unique event. Paul Scates organised an evening cramped with entertainment, champagne and nibbles. Paul is participating in a show called 'Spendaholics' (www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/tv/spendaholics). He has to show that he can put on an event with no budget - and a lot of planning! I must say, it worked.

First we were greeted with champagne, then after a welcome by moi, we witnessed a 'Moulin Rouge' dance routine. This was great fun. Although I should have expected that the Mayor would be targeted to join in the dancing! Then off to the wonderful caves for some more singers.

I really hope he gets his prize. Show to be aired at the end of January.

Entering data

We had a quite day in Pickwicks. I suppose with all of the schools and business' finally back - it's time to catch up a bit.

We used the time to do those extra jobs - which you often leave to another time.

However, the checkout problem (from Saturday, check out the day's blog) still hasn't been corrected. One checkout has been taken away for repair.

I spent until 2200hrs at work re-entering data - oh what joy!!!

Was a bit upset, as I was meant to attend a committee meeting for Wells Little Theatre. As Mayor, I'm automatically President of the organisation - it comes with the job. They are a great bunch of people who have wonderful perfomances throughout the year.

It's surprising how much work is involved when running a theatre. Wells is very fortunate to have such a facility and committed team to operate it.

It wasn't just me....they helped too......

For once, I really do feel sorry for Ruth Kelly MP.

Not only was Ruth Kelly MP a useless Education Minister, then she announced the biggest non-event of 2006 in the shape of The Local Government white paper and is now embroiled over a row involving the education of her son!

I personally think, that the Minister is quite right to choose the best for her Son and it isn't the business of anyone else. After all, he hasn't put himself forward in the public eye.

I think the media should leave her alone.

However, in true Government style, the Minister has decided to fight via press release. Not only is this dragging her Son even more into the argument, but also sharing the blame with a whole load of professionals and eduction authorites on the way!!

According to the BBC, the Minister had consulted with professionals and the Local Education Authority. All of which is fine.... but at the end of the day the Minister took the final decision - it shouldn't really matter who she had consulted.

So, apparently, it wasn't just the Minister's fault that she embarrassed the Government - it is in fact everybody elses fault too. Glad that's cleared up....

Chilling on a lazy Sunday.... except for the dead Poinsettia

Today was a day which I can say that I'll enjoy. At the end of it, writing this, I feel quite chilled!

Was very lucky to have a visit by my God Children (Joesph & Jack) and two very dear friends of mine (Richard & Sue), who are the parents. We had a really nice afternoon, just relaxing and catching up. After they left, I took down the christmas cards that I still had up in the Mayor's Parlour.

Also I noticed that one of the three poinsettia's had died! I brought three before christmas, as my token decoration for the Mayor's Parlour. Anyway, the one on the fire place just gave up all hope! I have a good track record with these types of plants as I have one at home, which is about two years old! It appears to flower all year round.... which, according to the powers that know, poinsettias don't do such a thing.

Anyway, after getting back home and sorting out my house (well starting too) - I joined friends for a drink and another catch-up (with some more pizza). We watched a BBC program called 'Torchwood'.

Basically it's a spin off of Dr. Who. It was very good, with one or two errors such as a dead man (lead star) looking very dead across his face - but his arms etc were very much alive! Oops, more make up please....

Now going to start writing my weekly diary for the Wells Journal, which is our local paper. I write the diary on Sunday/Monday and it is published on Thursday.

Ho hum....

Lost: checkouts and defence spending

Had a busy day in the shop on Saturday.... to add to it all both checkouts decided not to play ball! So we had to manually write out the customer orders and use the calculator to work out the receipt. Wouldn't be too bad if it hadn't gone 'belly-up' at our peak time (lunchtime)... we were quite lucky that we had a pack of pens we brought from the local £1 shop. After some trouble in reading each others writing (all orders were being written quite quickly) we got everything out on time! Needed a gin & tonic afterwards though.

Never mind.

Got quite annouyed whilst reading the papers yesterday. Someone had leaked proposals from the MoD regarding defence cuts! I think, if it's true, then it is disgraceful that the Government is even begining to contemplate such action. It wouldn't be too bad if the Government was cutting back in all areas of spending - however, these cuts are to allow some other departments to keep pumping money (our money) into pointless projects to keep a few people (their activists) happy.

The cuts to the Navy are the deepest yet. The cuts are also meant to include the reserve! Well, as a formaer reservist - I think this whole plan stinks...

NO to hard choices - YES to ranting.... it's a lot easier

The one thing that always gets me annoyed, is when an elected politician thinks that he/she can meddle in commerce, business and industry - without a care in the world! This time it was the Environment Minister Ian Pearson MP.

The latest moronic comment came when he called Ryanair "the irresponsible face of capitalism" ! To be fair he went onto criticise British Airways and other airlines.

Now, this Government has hounded all business' with new regulations, taxes and directives. There is only so much a business can do before the Government has to give ground. Perhaps if the likes of Ian Pearson MP (who?) would bother to listen to the wealth generators, then he will be surprised what can be achieved!

Or perhaps the Government doesn't want the hassle of achieving anything - after all shouting and ranting is easier than making hard choices.....