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What a splendid opportunity to boast. Alas, I’ve been told not to lie. Harold McCarthy is 58 (sorry, 68) years old and has been a county councillor since 2001. He stood for election the second time because it seemed a pity to give it all up after 4 years just when he had started to understand the budget.

Educated at Redditch High School, he left when boys were only expected to have a real career if they were unusually brainy or until they married and produced childen. What a shock then to find that having four children meant that a job was something of a necessity if everyone wanted to have shoes as well as wellingtons. He worked in various secretarial jobs, in a factory, on a building site, and, finally as a school secretary, until the age of 50 when he achieved a career and became an Education Welfare Officer (known by many children as ‘the wag man’ .

Harold is on the Children’s and Young People and Families O & S (plus associated panels and forums such as Sure Start Panel, Admissions Forum, Truancy Panel, School Governors Forum, Schools Organisation etc.), the Health O & S (including panels such as Mental Health, Obesity), and he is a manager of the PRU (Pupil Regeneration Unit), a member of the Adoption Panel, a member of the Healthy Schools Committee, and a trustee of the Warwickshire Pension Fund – which he finds surprisingly interesting. Harold is also a governor of Studley Infants School, a governor of the Stratford College Corporation, chairman of Studley Youth Club Management Committee and a member of Action Studley.

Purely for pleasure, Harold is the first and only husband of Betty, a member of Studley Priory WI (and has been a very active member of the WI for nearly 45 years – he could go on for pages about the benefits and merits of the WI Movement) – a member of Stratford National Trust Association, a member of a small local reading group and sometimes writes poetry.

His musical tastes are mainly classical , but always veer towards the tuneful – he hates Michael Tippett’s music. The group that makes the hairs on the back of her neck rise is the Warwickshire Youth Chorale. The book he would choose for a desert island is the trilogy (nice and thick) ‘The Lord of the Rings’ by J.R.R. Tolkien, to which he was introduced one memorable Christmas by his elder son when he was about 15. If England became an atomic landscape, Harold would most miss (after certain people and along with his skin and eyelahes) proper plumbing and the thousands of books that would have been turned into ahes.

Hi to all of you who have nothing better to do than to read this. This last day will be the shortest because the least happened. Today, good news; I visited the dentist, and my gums, which were in the process of receding from my teeth, have apparently decided to do the decent thing and creep back.
Visited the bank, the butcher, and the chemist – we still have all those in Studley, it’s a good place to live if you disregard the A435. Returned home to attack yesterday’s e mails but a friend called unexpectedly and we had coffee and chat instead (eat your heart out desk slaves).

This afternoon Bill and I went to Studley High School to take part in a Local Democracy Week happening, together with John Maples our MP and two officers from the District Council. Together we represented 3 levels of statutory authority – Parish Council, County Council and Parliament. A fairly large number of pupils of varying ages were gathered in the School Library to ask us questions. Most of them were really for John Maples, but some of them came my way also – questions about The Alex Hospital, roads, and what did we think of Tony Blair. Boy oh boy, what an opportunity! But I answered with admirable restraint and tried not to let my own prejudices show too much. Must say that John Maples, seasoned campaigner that he is, was very good at answering the questions and certainly didn’t let any of his prejudices show.

When asked for a show of hands, most of the young people said they will vote when old enough, which seems to augur well for democracy and was interesting in the light of the debate yesterday at Shire Hall. Someone asked a question about capital punishment, however, and when it was returned as a question to them, at least three-quarters said they would bring back hanging. These young people have very definite ideas as to what they feel is right or wrong. Apathetic they were not. Both Bill and I felt pleased that they were from ‘our’ school. They were a good advertisement for ‘yoof’ (as Janet Street Porter would say) of any age.

There is nothing on the cards for tonight after all – after enquiring found that the Conservative Forum had been postponed until next February. Splendid. I do so enjoy an empty Friday evening. The weekend lies ahead in all its leisured glory. What must past generations have felt when they only had Sundays free and few holidays? I remember quite well as a small child when my father had Saturday afternoons off. Of course, more people than ever now seem to work at weekends for the gratification of the rest of us – but apart from tidying up paperwork, e mails, answering phoned enquiries, ironing, Autumn (or whatever season) fetes, shopping, making meals, I am not one of them.

If you have read these rather self indulgent blogs, then thank you. If not, it doesn’t really matter, I’ve quite enjoyed myself.

Thursday 19th October 2006

Have just returned from what I thought would be a WI Group Meeting held at Studley Village Hall, but was, in fact a Group WI concert to celebrate 90 years of the WI in the UK. The first half consisted of a series of monologues by (I think) a John Tierney. It sounds a bit old fashioned and dull, but definitely wasn’t – most enjoyable - and it was fun to see WI friends from around the area during the interval, drink wine and eat toffee popcorn. The second half was occupied by the truly excellent Surplus Cassocks (they are thinking of changing the name to Saga Louts). Singing completely unaccompanied, the six of them (normally seven) are almost as good as the King Singers and often funnier. Tonight, as it was raining, they had to compete with the loud gurgling of rainwater through the gutterings which actually run down inside the hall walls. Fortunately, Surplus Cassocks won. No we didn’t throw our knickers on the stage.

Continuing backwards through my day I drove straight to the concert from Shire Hall where I had been listening to the debates between young people, first on the motion ‘Should voting be compulsory’ and secondly on ‘Has healthy eating in schools gone too far?’. Excellently argued and presented, the debates were characterised by good points and much humour, with some memorable phrases. The debates were chaired by the inimitable and incorrigible Eric Woods, who has lost none of his considerable brio. I was extremely sorry to have to leave before the end.

Earlier in the afternoon I attended the first meeting of the Childhood Obesity Panel. I rather enjoy panels as they are less formal than full committees. We chose as our chairman, Tony Dixon, the one District Cllr. on our panel, and had interesting presentations from two Community Dieticians. The world is ridiculous, half of it full of those with too much, half full of those with too little.

Further back still, I arrived at Shire Hall at about 2.15 pm, clutching a healthy salad in my slightly obese hand, having driven straight from a meeting during which Action Studley interviewed two possible consultants. We particularly want to improve intergenerational relationships in Studley and improve the Village generally. To be able to bid for funds to do this, we first of all had to bid for funds to do a consultation on what was wanted by local people. This latter bid was successful, and today we were choosing the consultant. Time will tell if the right decision was made.

Only just making it to these interviews by about 10.15 am, I spent the earlier period before this yawning loudly (it must be the weather) and attempting to deal with at least some of the e mails I was unable to access last night. Everything worked this morning, but, as usual, time melted and dripped swiftly into the past. (How about that for a bit of lyrical prose then?). A whole lot of e mails remain to be opened and dealt with, but one feels an urgent need to go to bed, clean one’s teeth (tomorrow, the dentist) and read one’s book. The ironing from way back remains to be done, letters remain to be written, the laundry basket is full and the book for my reading group next Monday remains to be read. Called ‘The Swallows of Kabul’ by Yasmina Khadra, and billed ‘the international bestseller – vivid…inspiring,,,it reads with biblical force’, it is not a book I would choose to read. That, however, is the whole point of joining a reading group, one has to read books one would not choose. I shall start it tonight but it looks a savage book to get to sleep after.

Wednesday 18th October 2006

9.00 pm and although it is only Wednesday, this is beginning to pall. Some mindless tele beckons. Moreover, I cannot access Lotus Notes at the moment, so what follows may never even reach the silver screen. I could keep this web log very short – attended Health O & S this morning, went shopping on way home this afternoon, went canvassing for candidate in District Council by-election this evening. Brevity has charm, but perhaps I had better expand a bit.

Arrived at Shire Hall at 8.50 am, and went up to the Conservative Group room for discussion about today’s Health O & S Agenda. We always have a group discussion before any O & S meeting. This is not so that we can huddle together and produce a party political stance, because O & S meetings very rarely become party politically biased – nor should they. All members are expected to ask questions, express views and raise points that hopefully help to bring about an outcome advantageous to the people of Warwickshire irrespective of their own pp leanings. Of course, views may differ from person to person as to what is sensible or desirable etc. The group’s meeting before an O & S is really to make sure everyone understands the agenda and reports and whether anyone has any concerns to raise.

The Health O & S is unique in as much as it looks at matters outside the County Council. Every other O & S looks at matters within the County Council. Today we commented on the very full report, written as minutes, of the 2-day review of the Coventry & Warwickshire Acute Trusts proposed reconfiguration, which took place at the end of August. We also received an oral report of a meeting attended by the Health O & S Officer and l member. I should love to comment on what they told us and even more on what they tactfully didn’t tell us, but this is not the place. We also commented on Coventry City Council Scrutiny Board’s response to the Acute Services Review.

We then had an update on the implementation of the recommendations arising from the review (lst phase) into Adult Mental Health Services in Warwickshire. Mental health services have improved enormously in Warwickshire over the past 5 years. The two people who gave the update, Mary McGorry and Kate Phipps have played a significant part in this improvement. Due to re-organisation, Mary is leaving us to work for Northampton, and Warwickshire will definitely be the poorer. The O & S also commented on a report entitled ‘A Stronger Local Voice – new arrangements for NHS Accountability’ in order that responses could made to questions sent by the Department of Health. There have been so many changes in the last four or five years in the NHS that I am surprised anything still works.

You don’t want to know about why I chose a scenic route to Droitwich to do some food shopping, but on reaching home, I sank into a chair with a cup of tea and the easy crossword – two easy crosswords to be exact, one from each of our daily newspapers. Then off on the 20 mile or so trek to Kineton to canvas for the by-election. I always hate the thought of canvassing, but enjoy the actuality. People are incredibly polite when faced by a stranger (generally) at the door informing them that said stranger is calling on behalf of xy, who is a candidate for the forthcoming election and can candidate count on your vote – or words to that effect. Most people say ‘Yes’, no, maybe, didn’t know there was one,’ etc., and often chat quite happily. Very few say, ‘Mind your own business, how dare you ask’ or ‘get lost,’ which is what I shall do now.
 

Tuesday 17th October 2006

‘A free day’ I thought, and stayed in bed reading an extra half hour. Was it heck. In a leisurely manner, I arose and drifted to the laptop to deal with the e mails left over from yesterday. There seemed rather a lot. Finally, they were done. Full of virtue I enjoyed a late breakfast. Then spent a happy half-hour finalising the Conservative Group Christmas dinner. Then started both in and out telephone calls. Everyone who rang in wanted something, everyone I tried to speak to wasn’t there. Yes, yes, that’s what e mails are for, but had a foolish urge to get away from the written word. Remembered a letter to be written to someone on the death of her husband (at my age I now value friends simply because they are alive), and all the morning I spent trying to get finihed in order to put on my special exercise trainers (they are supposed to provide the equivalent of a Pilates workout) to walk to the local shop to get the papers/exercise. This was finally achieved by 12.45 pm.

After lunch and the easy crossword, took a friend to visit her husband in The Alexandra Hospital in Redditch, an acute trust hospital, only one and a half miles from Studley, which is at present the subject of much angst locally in that it is proposed to remove maternity and paediatric services therefrom and relocate them to Worcester Royal, 20 miles away. Fighting it is a bit like David v Goliath but without a sling. Returning home, tried the phone calls again. This time success, but naturally, no immediate answers. Still, started enquiries re parking permits among other things. Remembered how it took me nearly a year to get a disabled parking space for someone three or four years ago. Answered new e mails, made notes in diary. Started written report for Studley Parish Council meeting this evening. Finally snapped and asked Bill, in a controlled way, to stop cursing his computer. Continued with report. Entertained Churchwarden who called to ask if I could deputise for him on Saturday afternoon as he would be in Cornwall, and at Sunday morning service as he would still be in Cornwall and read lesson. Said yes, yes, and yes. Continued with report. Bill suggested I might like to throw some paper out ready for the refuse collection. Agreed. Continued with report. 5.30 pm finihed very dull report. Got evening meal, wrote birthday card for my sister-in-law, made telephone call to elder daughter – no reply.

Attended Parish Council Meeting. We have very good, very active, none party political parish council and a first class Clerk and Assistant Clerk in Studley. Come to think of it, the PCs and Clerks in my other villages are pretty good too. Tonight new councillor co-opted. Actually he is an ex parish and district councillor, ready to do his bit once more after being restored to health (and possibly sanity) again – probably the result of retiring from full time teaching. Meeting finihed pretty early so arrived home by 9.00 pm. Now 9.40pm - goodnight dear Blog, have just remembered I have to read papers for Health O & S tomorrow morning.

Monday 16th October 2006

I feel somewhat depressed. Why? Well attending the Healthcare Priority Setting and Commissioning etc. at Moreton Hall today was somewhat depressing. We all know there has to be a degree of rationing, sorry, prioritisation – everyone can’t expect to have everything on the NHS from a sex change to brain surgery just because they want it or even feel that they need it – although perhaps brain surgery is a bad example. So we first of all had a suitably chastening introduction, then ‘Background to Prioritisation’, followed by ‘Prioritisation – A Health Economics Perspective’. We then had breakout session 1, during which we were asked to consider which 2 out 5 suggested services the PCT should invest in for the coming year. Thoroughly demoralised, my (aptly named) yellow group decided to invest in only 1.

Break out session 2, which occurred immediately following lunch, saw us deciding on whether 4 imaginery cases, not routinely funded through the NHS Local Development Plan, should be funded as an exception to the policy. We decided that all 4 should not. I noticed that my 3 fellow county councillors (all in different groups) managed to literally break out before the ensuing feedback. The conference was full of good, hardworking people all talking the talk and no doubt walking the walk, but I still feel the way forward is to try very hard to stay healthy or pray to God sailor and row for the shore. Bring back the old CHC (Community Health Council). They might not always agree on priorities, but they sure agreed on outcomes.

Have you noticed how ‘workshops’ have become ‘breakout sessions’’

This evening I shall babysit the 3 of my 6 grandchildren who live near enough to babysit. I shall lecture them on healthy living.

Friday 13th October 2006

My week ahead
The week ahead looms fairly sparsely. Spendid. Not too much for me to blog (if that is the correct terminology).

Monday, between 10 am to 4 pm brings Healthcare Priority Setting and Commissioning Across Coventry and Warwickshire. With a title like that I shan’t have to blog anything – no-one will have any further time to read it.

Tuesday would have meant the Adult and Community Health O & S – if I were still on it, but I’m not. It does, however, bring Studley Parish Council Meeting in the evening, plus a report to write to give to the meeting.

Wednesday in my diary shows ‘Health O & S’, and since I have received the papers I guess it will happen. In the evening I see I have foolishly agreed to canvas for a bye-election in Kineton.

2.30 pm – Obesity Panel appears on Thursday. I hope everyone realises that the Panel is to discuss obesity, not a statement of the members’ appearance. Oh I don’t know though….. 5.30 pm is a debate between Rugby High School and Lawrence heriff School, chaired by Eric Wood. I’m looking forward to it, but shall have to leave early to get back to Studley Village Hall for the Alcester WI Group meeting to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the WI Movement, at which the group ‘Surplus Cassocks’ will perform. Can’t waste my £5 ticket.

Friday. Oh horror. 10 am – dentist & hygienist. Surely the County Council really needs me at that time. I see I have written 2 pm - Studley High School, to answer questions with John Maples (our MP) written down with a question mark. Still do not know if I am needed or not. Preferably not. I don’t want any beady eyed pupils asking me questions I can’t answer. 7pm evening – Conservative Warwickshire and Worcestershire Forum meeting at Mappleborough Village Hall. Oh well, I shall have enjoyed the previous evening and the ironing won’t run away.