The things you hear in the Pub.

[bobby47]

And there I was! Inside the Chief Executive's office within Plough Lane keen to learn why it was that affordable housing, intended to meet the needs of the homeless and the poor were being given over to Council staff who'd been able to reach the top of the Housing list with a little help from their friends.

'Now then' he said, ' I've upped my personal security since I've learned that your'e as mad as a ships cat. My minder here is going to search you'.

I said, 'I've nothing beneath my Crombie and I'll be damned if I allow you and your shaven headed primate to violate my person and fiddle about amongst the folds of my coat. Never! I'd sooner give up ale'.

Course, me rights enshrined within Magna Carta and me right to a fair measure of Habeas Corpus, were cast to one side and from beneath my coat they immediately confiscated sixteen bales of hay, twenty gallons of leaded petrol, a clipper lighter, an old sea farers pirate cutlass, a wooden stake and a generous length of rope that may have been useful to tether a senior public servant to a stake that might quickly have been turned into a bonfire.

He said, 'you'll not burn me at the stake. Not in here. Never. I'll be damned if I allow you to ignite that vast pile of hay that you managed to secrete beneath that tiny Crombie.'

As for my question, which I never really put to him, do any of you out there know anything about this latest piece of news which Im told is creating a great deal of worry amongst the hirearchy of the Council.

Im told that homes at The Furlongs have been taken by Council staff who've managed to acquire them despite the fact that these homes were intended for the needy, the homeless and the weak and the poor. If this tittle tattle is true, and I suspect it is, then you have to ask the question,'why has this been allowed to happen'? And, who helped it to happen?

[dippyhippy]

Blimey!

 

This could be yet another can of worms.

 

I wish the HT reporters drank in the same pubs as you, with the notable exception of Bill Tanner, none of them seem capable of sniffing out a newsworthy story, let alone undertake any sort of investigative journalism.

 

If there is even a grain of truth in this, I want to know about it.

[Roger]

I wish the HT reporters drank in the same pubs as you, with the notable exception of Bill Tanner

 

I was on the train and then Bill Tanner got on at Leominster! I recognised him! (historical spot) There was a piece from Bill on the web today about County Child Care stuff ... If the authorities get an 'adequate' rating then that would be a result! 

[dippyhippy]

Don't get me started on the state of our Children's Services, Roger!

 

They have had more than 18 months to get improvements put in place, OFSTED have only just arrived, and already they are "acknowledging" that there is still much to be done.

 

Front line staff are fabulous....I would still like to know precisely how many agency managers are still in place though.....

[Cambo]

Well if it does turn out to be true may I suggest a public hanging, by the testicles if the culprit turns out to be a man? & perhaps a red hot poker could be used somehow? But if it is a female who is responsible then we will have to obviously hang her by something else??

[Roger]

Front line staff are fabulous....

 

That is not where the issue is in my view ... It's rather like blaming the ground staff at BB for 4 ft. long grass ... It's all really at a Management/Finance/Govt. level ... And everyone knows it! 

[bobby47]

Yes Dippy my source of information that's from within Plough Lane is an excellent source. One which can be highly reliable or, in the case of him/her telling me that the Council wanted to knock down the Cathedral next Pan Cake Day, extremely unreliable. By and large, I try to glean the information before he or she has supped their third pint thus ensuring there are no embellishments.

I've no time for embellishments. This world would be a whole lot better off without the embellisher. The problem with the embellisher is they can embellish an embellishment, allow the embellishing to get out of control resulting in chaos.

And for what it's worth, I'd say to all of you out there, keen to recruit a source of intelligence, stay well clear of the embellisher. Tell them to clear off with their embellishments. Go bother someone else. Tell them its the facts you want. Nothing else!

[bobby47]

And whatsmore, if you happen across someone who works within Plough Lane and they are desperate to become you're source of information, ask them the right questions, like who are you? That's often a good start. There's no better place to start than asking someone who they are.

Me? I park me fishing chair outside the building displaying a little sign that says, 'do you want to tell me things'. And they do!

Moreoften than not Ive got a bloody queue growing ready and willing to tell me things. To weed out the chaff, I shout out, 'any of you loathsome lot embellishes?'. Course a few put their bloody hands and I tell them to clear off exclaiming, 'I've no time for the embellisher. Be gone'.

Course another thing to watch out for is the source who knows absolutely nothing. Ask them, 'do you know anything at all', and if they say, 'I know nothing and whatsmore its unlikely I ever will', then tell them to 'clear off. Don't waste my time'.

Then there's the group who are at the bottom of the foodchain who know things but what they do know isn't bloody worth repeating. Tell them to 'clear off and don't come bloody back'.

Finally there's the cream. The ones you want to capture in your web of intrigue. They're the ones you need to recruit. Give them an inducement. Anything! A piece of lovely pork rind or a swig from your can of ale and if they ever say, 'phone in sick. I've a room at the Holiday Inn. We can make love all afternoon, then tell them to 'clear off', saying, ' I've no wish to catch syphilis of some other exotic sexually transmitted disease.

Then, if there's anyone left in the queue, and lets face it, it's highly unlikely, then pick up your chair and belongings and clear off whence you came from.

That's how you recruit a covert human source of intelligence!

[dippyhippy]

Bobby, your recruitment techniques cannot be faulted!

 

With systems in place like that, it's no wonder you are scooping HT with all these stories!

[bobby47]

What's with all my gibber jabber on how to recruit a source of information. Buggar, the consequences, Im going to be holding a Course at the Commercial on 'How to find someone who knows something'. That's what I'll do!

I'll call it the Course on 'How to find someone who knows something' and it'll place a huge emphasis on what's worth knowing and what isn't worth knowing.

There'll be role playing as well. There allways is on a Course. It wouldn't be a proper Course unless you had some fool out front begging the audience to role play.

The first hour would be devoted to one single thing. Who are you, are you in the round and why on earth did you bother turning up in the first place?

Then after a few drinks, a few tall tales and a sing song upon the tables, we'd get down to the serious business of what to do when you find someone who knows something.

We'll also be exploring the possibility that you'll never meet someone who knows something and you'll be forced to find something out for yourself. Yes, the dark art of finding yourself a hiding place in the Chief Executives office. We'll together explore the possibility of getting yourself posted in a box to the aforementioned Officer, getting out of the box and secreting yourself beneath a small drinks table and listen in on conversations that you've no right to listen in on.

Yes, you'll be trained to become An Eavesdropper'. Of course, being an Eavesdropper then requires you to become a Telltale. A Teller of Tales. Only the facts mind. None of the bloody embellishments you'd normally associate with the horrid embellisher.

[dippyhippy]

Oooh!!

 

Role play!

 

How extremely exciting!

 

Book me a place......it sounds like a great day out!

[dippyhippy]

Just a thought.....not sure if this is applicable now.

 

A few years back, if you held a "key" public sector role, and were struggling to find affordable accommodation, I think you were given extra "points", or whatever is awarded in the queueing system to obtain housing.

"Key" roles, included nurses, teachers, firefighters and police officers.

 

So for example, if you lived in an area where they were struggling to recruit/retain staff from these key areas, such as teaching staff, they may be given a helping hand.

I seem to remember the rules applying to this were pretty stringent!

[flamboyant]

That's probably it DIPPY the Council staff that were allocated these properties were key members of staff, Social workers and the like. That's ok if that's the case we need good Social workers I want to know we have the best of the best looking after our children, our elderly,and disabled. I'm not so sure that's the case though I think the staff were all based in a department not connected to any of those Services. There are a lot of rumours going around depending on who you talk to. I hope it's not true to be honest because it stinks! I heard it was 4 members of staff in Franklin house customer services some of whom are currently suspended while it's investigated. Like everthing else it will be swept under the carpet if it is true,,

[bobby47]

I was told that the Head of the Council Legal Department Mr Bill Norman, formerly of The Wirral Council. Is going to study the findings of an internal investigation, and he will decide on the outcome. Which, given what Paul Cardin has disclosed to the social network world, probably means that nothing will ever be done to right any wrong.

[gdj]

I was told that the Head of the Council Legal Department Mr Bill Norman, formerly of The Wirral Council. Is going to study the findings of an internal investigation, and he will decide on the outcome. Which, given what Paul Cardin has disclosed to the social network world, probably means that nothing will ever be done to right any wrong.

 

Paul Cardin's investigations includes a case where Bill Norman was heavily implicated in forcing out of a whistleblower in Torbay (the individual won substantial compensation).  Bill Norman was then at Wirral Council allowed to leave there with a six figure sum after a period of suspension over a contract.  The CEO announced there was `no case to answer' and off he trotted to Hereford.  

 

The internal investigation to this housing question might uncover who the real villain is - who the hell told Bobby!?  Bobby,  keep looking over your shoulder for figures in the shadows.  Are strangers in the pub reading large newspapers with eye-holes cut out?   Do you get an uncomfortable feeling that you're being watched closely.  You must warn your contacts to stay clear and not put themselves in danger.  You must scan your fishing stool for bugs.  HCC has eyes and ears everywhere.  That hole they're digging in Hafod Road - don't go near until it's safely filled in!

[flamboyant]

I don't think whistleblowers should be demonized for reporting a wrong doing. If more people blew the whistle less people would feel able to get away with it! If there's one grain of truth in it then I for one want to know. I think these people are brave and should be applauded for every one misdeed that gets reported there are hundreds more that don't and they're the ones that can have a devastating impact...

[gdj]

Agreed, Flamboyant.

 

But HCC has forced out whistleblowers in the past.  The appointment of Bill Norman was also a statement in that regard.  On a thread in the HT several months ago, some councillors were taking part until I asked whether the council would enforce gagging clauses on whistleblowers (as regards the revealing of wrongdoing at a high level) and all the councillors melted away.   Would any councillors on here say whether they are happy with the appointment of Bill Norman or Pete Robinson bearing in mind the circumstances under which they left their previous councils?   Or would they make a statement that the council will not enforce confidentiality if it relates to wrongdoing of senior officers?       

 

The NHS now has a policy that protects whistleblowers who expose wrongdoing.  HCC does not have that policy, and can and does use its financial muscle to silence people.  It can also use the constant threat of "redundancy" to intimidate people into silence.   

[flamboyant]

Absolutely spot on Gdj one day they will force out the wrong person and that person will sing like a canary!  I for one look forward to that because there are a lot more going on than you could ever imagine. One day someone will have nothing to lose and the house of cards will all come crashing down! On another note I don't think Herefordshire Council is stupid enough to put a gagging order in a compromise agreement now that really would be worth whistling about! Lol

[Pete Boggs]

I was told that the Head of the Council Legal Department Mr Bill Norman, formerly of The Wirral Council. Is going to study the findings of an internal investigation, and he will decide on the outcome. Which, given what Paul Cardin has disclosed to the social network world, probably means that nothing will ever be done to right any wrong.

Yes, I'm afraid anyone hoping that Bill the Bung will to do the right thing is destined to be disappointed.

[dippyhippy]

Interesting to note the speedy disappearance off the "front page" of H.T online, of a story which generated several comments about Bill Norman.

 

And still no mention of the allegations about how certain homes have been allocated.

 

Lots about summer fetes and fundraisers though. So that's OK then.

[gdj]

Interesting to note the speedy disappearance off the "front page" of H.T online, of a story which generated several comments about Bill Norman.

 

And still no mention of the allegations about how certain homes have been allocated.

 

Lots about summer fetes and fundraisers though. So that's OK then.

And even if you find it in the "archive" all the comments have been deleted.  

 

Perhaps the new editor is getting a little nervous about the amount of knowledge "out there" about the council that could find its way onto his website and the council has reminded him of his responsibility to stick to what the public needs to know - donkeys, wet cows, things happening in Dymock (Glos) etc.

 

Before it disappeared, one of the posters had said that Bill Norman was `on some kind of leave at the moment' - does anyone know if that is just annual leave on Barry Island, or something different? 

[Denise Lloyd]

I thought he was on sick leave convenient that he should have a nice pay rise then go off on lengthy sick leave.  Perhaps that's a little harsh but ho hey.

[dippyhippy]

I am slightly cynical about alleged long term health issues......ever since John Jarvis stepped down as leader, quoting this as the reason, yet he still manages to claim an exorbitant amount in allowances and expenses.