Richard Baum

The weekend just gone saw a host of Christmas parties. Work’s was on Friday, followed by a gathering of former work colleagues on Saturday. I had enjoyed a lot of merriment and not a lot of sleep by Sunday, but still had the main event to come - the Bury Liberal Democrat Christmas party which was last night. There was a great turnout and it was lovely to mix with faces old and new at the home of my fellow ward Councillor Mary D’Albert (and her husband, the Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate for Bury South, Vic D’Albert).

The trifle was four parts alcohol to one part anything else, which certainly oiled the wheels of conversation amongst the guests, and the Christmas tree in the lounge was so large that I will bet good money that it is home to at least one or two species of mammal.

The week ahead sees the conclusion of Council business for the year, but there are still one or two important meetings before we can all neck some mulled wine in celebration. In particular this week, there’s Scrutiny tomorrow night, which I’d forgotten all about and made plans to go and see the Kings of Leon. Sadly these plans have now had to be shelved as I will be asking lots of questions of the Leader of the Council, who has agreed to join us at last to discuss the issue of job evaluation and so-called equal pay. The leader will doubtless not be joining me in a rendition of the big Kings of Leon hit of the year, Sex on Fire, which is a disappointment. I may though see if we can get involved in some kind of Christmas sing song should the meeting not turn out to be a pre-arranged politically-motivated stitch-up, which it’s looking very much as though it might.

If Scrutiny doesn’t do for me, the final full Council meeting of the year may well do. There are two motions on the agenda, which is double the fun of regular meetings. But writing more about them now will mean I have nothing to tempt people back here tomorrow, and I like to play hard to get. So you’ll have to wait.

Rick