A very quiet week on the council front. Partly, as I touched on earlier this week, because the council does reduce its activity during party conference season. And partly because I’ve been working out of London this week in two different authorities.

I try and have a portfolio career (though I won’t deny the recession has had its impact on the private work I do) and part of that is the occasional bit of work for the Improvement and Development Agency. No two places are alike, and while you can’t draw direct parallels between local authorities it is always fascinating, and a real privilege, to see how things work elsewhere. Rather guiltily I think I’ve always come away with rather more than I’ve given!

Fourth plinth
Fourth plinth One thing I can pretend I did as a cabinet member was pop along to the fourth plinth last weekend to see Lorinda Freint, the Clapham Junction Town Centre Manager, do her stint as art.

She used the hour to promote the SW11 Literary Festival – anyone could text in a message, some of which were displayed on a whiteboard for all to see. Everyone got a text back about the festival – which still has a little while to run. The picture shows her holding up a message detailing what was originally intended for the fourth plinth.

And, of course, Battersea Poems continues throughout October, so you have plenty of time to get your poems in for that.

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