After the shock, surprise and total elation of being elected I am now in reflective mode with my family on holiday in Dorset.
Week one brought my induction on Monday, about 20 new Common Councilmen around a big table, and this is less than a quarter of Common Council. I sat next to Jason Pritchard a new member for Portsoken who was offered a flat in Stanley Cohen House in 2009 and had turned it down because of its condition and taken a flat in Middlesex Street. Since no work has been done on Stanley Cohen since then I wonder what that flat is like today.
I’m starting to get together a photographic record of the disrepair in the hope that we can get the programme bought forward for Crescent House and Stanley Cohen House in particular. I have my first meeting with Paul Murtagh and hope to go through the programme including my pet annoyance the plastic bags on Stanley Cohen which are now beginning to come loose and look even worse.
Back to Monday and after some talks we were measured for our robes… blue with a furry bottom and the taken on a tour of the Guildhall. Rather like first day in senior school I wondered if I wouldn’t ever find my way around. Interestingly there was talk of the car park but nothing of where to park your bike. I will be walking or cycling as I no longer own a car!
Susan Pearson 