Friday 18 December 2009

Sorry for the silence - its been very busy

Hi

Just a note for not leaving any updates for a few weeks. At work we have just employed a few people and are really fighting our way through this recession. We have a fleet of embroidery machines now, as well as our cutters and printing machines. 2009 has been hard, but I think 2010 will not be much better, and in fact I expect many business failures to take place in the first quarter of 2010. Luckily we got our credit sorted out with the bank in the good times, although we did not have to use it. It is a life saver now!! My heart goes out to the businesses that are trying to sort it out now. Suffice to say, the last few weeks have been busy bedding in the new machines and training new staff.
University is great, I absolutely love it, and enjoy learning again. The course is teaching me so much about public services and how councils operate. I find it challenging but so fulfilling and enjoyable, my fellow students and tutors are great people and I expect to stay in touch with them for a long time. I am vertually half way through my course now with almost 90 points of my 180 needed for the masters degree.
Politics is as always interesting and amusing and never dull. My selection is underway and should be completed by January, when I will hear if I have been selected again to represent Empress Ward in Farnborough. I am so glad these selections are not something we take for granted, and I realise I am only as good as my last piece of case work!! I very much appreciate the fellow councillors I work with Brian Parker and Gareth Llyon, they are so good and I would not be half as good the councillor I am if it were not for all the support I get from them. I am surrounded by good people and never take myself too seriously (or others - which can sometimes cause me trouble in politics!!). It looks like the general election may take place the same time as the local elections - so campaigning will be a lot of fun.