Annual Review

So, a whole year of NCCLols has happened. Who'd a thunk it eh? Let's have quick look back through time at some of the main events...

November 09 No contest for this one. NCC's barrister tried to upend me in my employment tribunal by bringing my blog into it. And then I won, amusingly.

October 2009 Some of the £1000/hr we spend on boxer Carl Froch is used to persuade Nottingham People that becoming a Community Warden for no payment whatsoever is a really good idea. We weren't convinced and reckon Carl should go back to punching people in the face for a living. Which he did, later that same month.

September 09 We finally got the last of our answers about Discretionary Housing Payments. They had to write a 'special piece of computer program' you know, just for me.

August 09 I still feel a bit guilty laughing at this but Nottingham staged its own production of 'Carry on Lord Mayor' when Jeannie Packer went round to have it out with some woman who claimed to have shagged her husband, resulting in the police being called. The woman concerned (delicately referred to as 'sex row woman' in the 'Post') has now been selected as a candidate for one of the Bulwell wards. I'm sure they'll rise above their personal differences and enjoy a professional working relationship should she be elected.

July 09 We were in full solidarity mode with NCC this month, what's all that about? Well, it was about tram phase 2 and the workplace parking levy which everybody in Nottingham should support unless you're a git. Or a Rushcliffe Tory...Same thing really.

We couldn't keep it up for long though and we had to laugh at the spectacle of the Sheriff of Nottingham getting tough on the Canada Geese on the Embankment.

June 09 Quite a few things this month but, bearing in mind last week's events I think my fave is the revelation that NCC spends vast sums of cash on external representation at employment tribunals. And still loses snee hee hee!

May 09 Can't beat the final public leaking of the Hardmoor Consultants' report denouncing NCC as dysfunctional this month. In fact it's worth you all going and having a new read of it cost it was written at or around the time I was getting all my grief and when I post up the full reasons for my tribunal decision (might be a few weeks before I get this mind) it may put a lot of into context.

April 09 Big event involving us this month was the news that Nottingham City Homes got rid of BNP 'Gold' member and activist Jason Cotterill-Attaway from its disabled tenants' consultative committee. He'd somehow managed to worm his way into the position of vice chair but made a tactical error when he announced it in a post on an Evening Post comments forum. He tried to convince people that it showed that the BNP could involve themselves in mainstream activities until, after a bit of prompting, NCH realised that BNP values were diametrically opposed to its Equal Opportunities policy. At which point they decided that no, the BNP couldn't be involved with mainstream activities after all.

March 09 More a month of things bubbling under the surface although we did have the Budget which was not a happy event and which inspired a reasonably sized demo attended and addressed by top acting person Samantha Morton. We got pictures.

February 09 We had a look at the way the Housing Benefits Service convinces the Audit Commission that it's better than it really is.

January 09 NCH hauled up for scamming the waiting lists. Ok, this was nothing to do with me but it claimed the scalp of a senior manager early on, implicated the then Sheriff of Nottingham (has since gone suspiciously quiet on that one mind) and very nearly ensnared JoCo in its tentacles.

December 08 We finally got Housing Benefits to admit that they hadn't been informing people of their appeal rights on benefits decision notices, as required by law.

I'd like to say it's been a fun year with all this blogging. Unfortunately, it hasn't really, at times it's been miserably depressing with being ill and doing my tribunal and stuff. I do think that writing the blog has helped me get some of my concentration back though which is good, I really don't know if I'd have survived my tribunal otherwise.

So another year of blogging looms, probably anyway. Who knows, I might actually get a life and leave my bedroom once in a while?