Work doesn't half get in the way sometimes and this week has been particularly busy, keeping me away from my one finger attacks on the computer key board. Started the week at the Business Leadership Council. This is a Greater Manchester body bringing together business people from across the city-region, from a range of businesses, to give independent advice to AGMA from a business perspective.
First task of the day is adjusting the brakes on my bike. As the ride into town is almost completely down hill, an ability to stop without using the soles of my shoes is quite useful. First meeting of the day is the Corridor Board meeting.
Generally like to keep family and private life private but am going to break my own rule as I'm so excited at becoming a Grandad for the first time. Ava Ellie Leese, born on Tuesday evening at Crumpsall hospital (as were both her parents) and I'm looking forward to lots of lovely Grandfatherly things. The Council hasn't ground to halt as a consequence with a number of interesting meetings today.
Off to London this afternoon for the third meeting of the Putting the Frontline First Taskforce and then a meeting with the Secretary of State for Transport about High Speed Rail. It says something that I can now with confidence catch the 12.35 train to London for a 3.30pm meeting and with the second meeting finishing around 6, have a reasonable expectation of not being home too late. With High Speed Rail I could be home for tea!
A planned all day budget meeting (2011/12 not next year's) earlier this week got in the way of one event that I really would have liked to have got to not least because it was just down the road from home.
Thought I should do a short piece on an event that has been taking place in Manchester over the last couple of days not least because it is unlikely to happen again in the foreseeable future if ever.
Scrutiny week this week. Quite often I'm not called to give evidence or answer questions at all but this week I've been summoned to both the Economy, Employment, and Skills Overview and Scrutiny Committee which met yesterday, and Resources and Governance this morning.
Occasionally contributors to this blog have suggested that the Council and/or myself are immune to criticism and are not sufficiently self-critical. It's an argument that's a bit difficult to sustain given what is published here.
The blog of the leader of Manchester City Council, Councillor Richard Leese.