Today has been very interesting.  I’ll say this – being a school governor can be very stressful, a big commitment, a huge responsibility.  I sincerely hate Blair for his ‘bog standard comprehensives’ remark and Gove for his ‘local worthies’ sneer.  I’ve other reasons to hate them both of course, I’m a reasonable woman.  And, also as I’m a reasonable woman I also recognise that they’re not all bad.  Also, I don’t do politics and am even-handed on this blog.

Back to today – for several reasons, we decided to leave the local authority school meals service some years ago and take it in-house and that has worked very well.  However, also for several reasons, we have decided that we want a specialist company to take it on again and, as it’s a big contract, we had to go out to tender, and the bidders came to give their presentations today.

Steve, who manages the project, apparently warned that not enough time had been allowed – I didn’t know that in advance – anyway, we were an hour behind almost immediately, that increased and then we had a discussion, so we didn’t leave until after 3 o’clock .  The food that some companies brought was spectacular!  I skipped breakfast in preparation, but I still had to pace myself strictly.  All were good, there were two clear leaders that we all agreed about.  I suspect that it will come down to value for money in the long run and greater clarification is needed for that.

I have come home with a bag of leftovers for the chickens and a fabulous chicken salad for my supper.  It’s the first time in 27 years as a governor that I have profited, I think – and it was in return for over 6 hours of my time.  So chuck-out food and a £1.60 salad that would have joined the chuck-outs isn’t that much.  Still…hey…result!

I’d left Jasper all morning and he was lonely and hungry by the time I got back.  I fed him and changed his litter tray and he came for a big cuddle for an hour or more.  Fortunately, a fly buzzed and he went to investigate, so I was able to go and feed the bantams and cover over the Tots’ run.  They will soon be 2 years old, having been hatched sometime in June.  I don’t know the date, so have assigned the 17th, which was Russell’s birthday.  I think that it will then be time to call them toddlers instead of babies.  So they will be the Tods next week.

I’m so dutiful.  I’ve been asked out to lunch next week, but I’ve a finance meeting and it matters.  So, as ever, what I want to do will be overruled by what I should do.  Damn.

Still, tomorrow I’m going shopping with darling daughter Weeza.  She needs a dress for a particularly fine wedding.  And she thinks I’m the woman to go with her. What a sweetie!