Kids..........ya gotta love 'em

I may or may not have mentioned that I run a Brownie unit with a friend of mine..... we a job sharing Brown Owls. Brownies are girls aged between 7 and 10 years old, and believe me, at that age it is a huge age gap. At seven they are sweet and innocent, little girls still; by 10 they are on the cusp of being teenagers, but still generally sweet and innocent.

We do various things with them, activities (boating on the river, bowling - always a favourite), craft (they love all things pink) and badges. This term we decided to do the Crime Prevention Badge. Now sometimes, especially as I don't have children myself, it is hard to gauge what they will know about and what they won't, also I did not want them to worry about crime.

I started the session asking if they knew what crime was, and if they could think of any examples. One of the younger Brownies explained crime as something bad that you aren't supposed to do - not bad for a 7 year old. One of the older Brownies knew that crime was when you break the law - spot on! The I asked if they knew any examples of crime........robbery and burglary came up as expected, as did murder though I had to assure them that murder is not too common. One of the younger Brownies then asked in a stage whisper if she was allowed to mention alcohol and drugs.

I had then had to explain that alcohol was illegal for them as their age (you sometimes have to bend the truth slightly) but not adults, and drugs you got from the doctor if you are sick are okay, but certain drugs are illegal. I then asked if anyone knew the names of illegal drugs and alcohol and cigarettes where suggested (oh the innocence, if only they kept those thoughts!). The Brownie who knew what crime was, was able to name heroin and cocaine as examples.....do they know too much?

I had to struggle to keep a straight face when a little later I was asked by another Brownie, in all seriousness, where you got illegal drugs from. I explained that you bought them from criminals. The enquiring mind of the child was not settled there............where do the criminals get them from.......and then suddenly I was having to explain that most drugs are grown in south east Asia or south America and then smuggled to other countries........then followed an explanation of smuggling.

Next term we will stick to a craft type badge I think!!!!

First Time

Well on Sunday hubby and I (both having the day off...........now when did that last happen??) went to Brighton. We got up early (well had left the house by 9am, which is early for me on a Sunday day off), and after Macci D (Mcdonalds) breakfast, we headed towards Brighton via the M25 and M23.

The day was dry, though a bit on the chilly side (I had 5 layers on and was comfy). We decided to use the park and ride, though after the marvelous system that I am used to in Oxford (ok, Oxford did pioneer the park and ride system in the UK), it was pretty crap. I had checked on the 'visit Brighton' website and they said follow the signs from the A23 (M23 becomes A23, so simples). Now the signs say Mon - Sat and here we were on Sunday, but what the hell, we'll give it a whirl. We are then directed to a smallish car park at a leisure centre / football (I think) ground...........luckily there was no matches taking place, so there was plenty of parking. I dread to think what happens when matches are taking place. Oxford has five park and ride sites, and the one I use probably has parking for over 1500 cars and is full by 9am every day!!!

Anyway, I already knew that we had to get the number 27 bus that stopped outside the car park, and it ran every half hour on Sunday, and there it was, run by Brighton and Hove buses, as promised. Now according to hubbys fare chart thingy (list of all fares that bus drivers have to carry), First have arrangements with other bus companies, in that their staff can travel for free on First buses, and vice versa. According to the list, Go Ahead, of which Brighton & Hove and Oxford Bus Company are part of, are in this arrangement. I have asked one of the bus drivers I chat to in Oxford (Oxford Bus Company do the park and ride buses) if they accept First staff passes and he said he wasn't sure, but that all drivers would accept them anyway. This was basically the response we got in Brighton. The drivers did not seem that sure, but said no worries. So free bus travel from the park and ride - saved £3.70 each. I did ask hubby what he would do in the same situation and he had the same response..........accept them!! And I should add this was the first time I used my staff travel pass!!!

Anyway, we had a lovely time in Brighton. We went to the royal Pavilion which was quite fascinating, wondered along the pier, through the town and then had a late lunch, and all in all, it was lovely just to be able to do 'couply' type things.

At work we are well into the swing of foreign registrations. We are so busy that we have to have an extra member of staff on duty and today I achieved the record...............54 registrations. At £34 each, that was £1836 I took today.........if only I was on commission!!! Have to say, I was a bit jaded by the end of the day and had to come home to a large G&T to recover.

Well the next two days are rest days............though tomorrow night I am teaching the Brownies about crime prevention............................!!

Small victories are the sweetest!!

Well it would appear that the population of Oxford are hell bent on trying to kill each other, got to work today to discover there had been another GBH overnight!! That is three in twenty four hours.................and I am sure it will turn out that alcohol has played its part in all three. Those that know me, know I like a drink as much as the rest of them, I love alcohol...wine, beer, spirits, wine......have done several courses on wine, so know my stuff, and I have no problem with people having a drink and having a good time. However, since I have started working for the police I have come to the conclusion that the majority of incidents they have to deal with are either due to alcohol or exacerbated by alcohol.

Today definitely started out quieter than yesterday, though I did manage to lock myself out of the police station at 7.30 am. I should explain, that for security reasons (obviously!!) access to the police station is restricted. Those of us that work there have access via a fob system - pass your fob over the reader and you are let in. Officers and staff from other stations are allowed in by us and can move about unaccompanied and visitors have to have visitor passes and be accompanied at all times. I went out into the back yard to exchange the CPS mail with the courier and as the door closed behind me I felt for my keys, to which my fob is attached. Bugger.....they'll be on the desk back in the office then. Okay, few options here...........go round to the front of the station and hang about until another person comes in and lets me in (bit embarrassing); knock on the window of the briefing room and interrupt the briefing and get them to let me in (mega embarrassing) and then the facilities manager, whose office opens into the back yard (least embarrassing)....phew!

We had a visitor from Abingdon with us today who was a good laugh and it is always nice to meet colleagues from other stations.....we often talk on the phone, but don't often meet face to face. She was with us to learn about registrations, that those foreign people (who we are no longer allowed to call aliens) have to do. Being the start of the university year we are inundated, so much so that during September and October, all our spare shifts are turned into middle shifts and all you do is registrations, as it makes it easier to have one person doing this. Not all stations do registrations, and previously Abingdon didn't, but they have started doing so, hence the training.

My small victory today was small, but sweet. A 'legal representative' (more about them in a minute) came into the station and said he wanted to see a client in custody. He gave me the name, and let us just say that the individual is known to police, so I knew the name (also know the person). Now when known people are in custody you tend to know, and I thought....I haven't seen the name on the custody board. Well I checked and sure enough, not there. So I went back to 'legal rep' and said 'person isn't in custody here'. I then got back 'person is here' and he starts to spell the name. Let's just say it is quite an unusual name and I know how to spell it. Well I said in my politest voice (okay, I'm lying here) 'I know how to spell it and the person is not on the board'. Response 'I don't care if person is on the board or not, person is here...call custody' Always obliging me, so I call custody and ask about said person, saying that the 'legal rep' is insisting that said person is here, even though person is not on the board. Well, turns out said person is in custody at another station. Oh, imagine my joy, having to go back to stroppy 'legal rep' and say 'person is in custody at another station'. Did I get an apology, did I heck, but the look on said 'legal reps' face was reward enough!!!!

I should explain that when people are in custody they have the right to legal representation. This can be a solicitor, but often, especially if they are on legal aid, it is a legal representative. Now they are not solicitors, though they do have legal training, and some of them are okay, but most of them are so up their own arses, you would think they are QC's. This particular one is one of the later category, hence my sweet victory.

Hubby has done day two on his own, and Slough is still on the map and the company's reputation is still intact. He is enjoying his new life as a bus driver though strangely is finding it hard to get back into the shifts. After many years of working all hours gods sends in hospitality (early starts and late finishes), he then has three weeks of doing Monday to Friday from 8am to 4pm when he was a trainee, and oh how quickly did he adjust to that life. He is not finding the hours hard though and how did he enjoy his shift the other day; start about 7am, finish about 7pm, but a four hour paid break in the middle.........he came home and was paid for it. He didn't get any sweeties today though!

I have to confess, I got it wrong in my post yesterday, the pope doesn't go until tomorrow. I did tell you I wasn't interested.

Papal Visit

Felt a bit jaded this morning when I got up due to lack of sleep and going out with the girls last night. Jessica, on of the reception girls I used to work with is getting married in a few weeks, so the reception girls arranged a champagne cruise on the river followed by dinner in Aubergine (which is a posh restaurant). We had a lovely time and the guys in Aubergine looked after us really well. But by the time I got home and into bed it was past midnight and then I woke up not long after 4am and could not get back to sleep before the alarm went off at 5.15am

Anyway I get to work to find there have been two serious incidents overnight and the motor on the gates is knackered........typical. Then it is silly season from the PEC and how many stupid calls do I get put through to me that I do not have a hope in hell of actually being able to answer. This is rapidly followed by people coming in and asking those 'how long is a piece of string' question including the chap who had had his car taken off him and had been told by the court he could get it back and come to the police station and we will tell him where it is. Only he doesn't have any paperwork and can't remember the index of his vehicle................crystal ball time then!

Hubby has flown solo today, having had his first day unsupervised and the company's reputation is still intact and Slough is still on the map. Didn't get lost, hit anything, issue to wrong ticket or give the wrong change and even survived the school kids listening to music on their phone (told them to turn it off), added to which he got sweeties from several old dears (of the bus pass using variety not venison!).

The big news in the UK at the moment is the pope has arrived on a 'state' visit. Woo hoo........not! Now I am afraid that religion does nothing for me, but that is just me. I fully respect the right of others to practise what ever religion they want, and good on you if you can get something out of it. I find religion quite interesting, as in to study it, but a degree in history (many moons ago) in which I concentrated on medieval church history kinda put the final nail in the coffin so to speak for me and getting anything from a higher being or beings! Anyway, back to the pope, he is here on a two day visit taking in Edinburgh, London and Birmingham. He arrived today and will be gone tomorrow I do believe.............not entirely sure as have no interest what so over and it is costing the country a bloody fortune at a time that I think the money could be better spent elsewhere.............and isn't the UK supposed to be a protestant country anyway. Added to which, the Catholic church is supposed to be rolling in it, can't they fund it themselves??? Well I hope that all those people to whom the pope is important are enjoying this special occasion, and for the rest of us, he will be gone soon!

Government Cuts

Have read in the news today that the RMT (a rather militant British Union) has called for there to be co-ordinated resistance against the governments proposed cuts in the public sector. Now don't get me wrong, I have nothing against unions, I belong to one myself, though I do believe that some of them do not live in the real world - eg UNITE and BA. But anyway, what the article goes on to say is that the government has asked all departments to make between 25% and 40% savings over the next four years, with the exception of the NHS and overseas aid.


Now those of us in the public sector are anxiously waiting for the end of October, when the government is going to finally publish a figures of how much money they are going to cut, and then the cull will start. The rules state that police officers cannot be made redundant, they can be sacked, but not made redundant. On the flip side they are also not allowed to strike, and those who have served 30 years can be forced to retire, but this is very rarely enforced. As police staff there is a possibility that my job could be at risk, though in my team we do comfort ourselves that our role is hopefully safer than others. We can be made redundant but we can strike.


I think most people realise that things have got to change and jobs are going to be lost, but one of my concerns is that it is all well and good cutting the public sector to save money, but where do they expect these people to get jobs. There is no way way the private sector can fill the gap, after all, I was in the private sector when the recession first struck and was made redundant in a cost cutting exercise. So we cull the private sector and when these people can't get jobs in the private sector what happens............yeap, they will be claiming benefit!


Now the welfare budget, that is another thing that needs to be cut, and the government has stated its intention to do just that. Now there are loads of people who claim benefit that shouldn't, because they are perfectly capable of working.............so that will be a few more people chasing those few precious private sector jobs!!!


And then we get to those two departments that have been 'ring fenced', to use the official term...ie don't have to make cuts. The NHS and International Aid. Now the NHS is one of the most wasteful organisations about. I fully support the right for us all to have access to free health care and I fully accept and understand that in order to have this, we may have to wait for non urgent operations and treatments, but it really does need to sort itself out and become more efficient and streamlined. As with all of these things, when the money is short, who suffers, the people at the bottom who have to deliver the service. Come on NHS, cull some of that management structure.

And then we get to International Aid. Am I the only person out there who thinks charity begins at home????? COME ON. Here we are, millions of people in the public sector might be losing their jobs and we are still supporting other countries. It is all good and well being altruistic and when we have the cash, yeap, lets help those less fortunate than ourselves, but when the country is basically bankrupt, why have we not cut international aid. This is a global recession and hard times are coming to all!

And a sign of the times was brought home to me the other day in Asda. I went to pick up a few bits and also got a joint of meat for the roast today (it being Sunday 'n all). The joint, pork if you are interested, about £10's worth, was security tagged. The girl at the check out said that they are now having to tag the more expensive food items instead of clothes. And that is the stark reality of the situation we are in.

Well I suppose all we can do at this stage is wait and I have to be thankful that on the 12th October I will have worked for the police for a year, so will have more employment rights by the time we hear how much money we are expected to save!!

Did you know?????

I read an interesting fact today - apparently there are more mobile phones in the United Kingdom than there are people!!!

Now does that mean there are more handsets, and in which case I am not surprised, after all, if you are on a contract, generally after 18 or 24 months you get a free upgrade, so whats happens to the old one, yeap, back of the cupboard or drawer if you are like most people.

Or does it really mean sim cards, and at first I was a little surprised at this. I have just checked, and the population of the UK is apparently 61.4 million, so do they mean there are over 61.4 million active sim cards out there?? But then if you think about it logically, this is not as mind boggling as it sounds.

For example, technically I have two sim cards...........my own, and then hubbys, as his was a special offer type thing attached to mine, so his phone has always been in my name. Now, it means that he doesn't have one, so we are your normal average, two sim card family. However, when I think of my employers...........there about 4.5 thousand police officers in the force and they all have 'job' mobiles, and I am pretty sure that most of them also have personal mobiles as well, so there you go, I guess by the time you take into account all those people who have business / work mobiles as well as the fact that children appear to be getting them from a younger and younger age, this will more than cover the few people out there who don't have phones. Scary!!!!

I am back on nights tonight, but as I am only doing two, I don't want to try to turn my whole body clock around, so I set my alarm early this morning, went back to sleep and then got up about half past nine. Have been debating on going back to bed this evening for a few hours, but probably won't, so tomorrow I will be knackered, but I am going to try to get up about midday ish, and then if I still feel knackered, have a kip before I go back to work.

I finally finished the painting!!!!! Well, the boards round the garage.....still got to do the ones that the gutters are attached to, but as they are by the roof, I can't do them on my own - who would rescue me if I fell off the ladder!!

I have had a small attempt at domestic goddessness today. I sorted out all the washing, after spending the day ironing yesterday, did ALL the washing up, put the previous lot away and have hoovered downstairs as well as cleaned the downstairs loo and put out the recycling! Phew. it doesn't happen that often , me doing domestic goddessness type stuff, so I feel the need to mention it here. I might even go and replace the washing line in a minute............the old one keeps snapping, all the clean whites ended up on the floor yesterday (thank god I jet washed the yard last week), so I finally gave in and bought a new one in Asda. If cost me a whole pound........ I know, but sometimes you have to splash out.

Had to chuckle at my sisters facebook status up date - 'thinks monkeys are really cute, but they do become rather less endearing when they go and break your *@!#ing satellite dish!!!' . Not generally a problem to those of us in Europe (unless you live in Gibraltar), the hazards of living in Africa!!

Hubby was home ridiculously early today, half past three, just as I was cruising facebook. Still not sure I am used to him not working 14 hours plus each day, though then I remembered, while they are training Friday is POETS day - 'piss off early tomorrow's Saturday'! Anyway he has now finished type training, as they are apparently quite happy that he can drive the various types of bus they have at the depot without stuffing them into a tree or something. So on Monday more route learning then he will be driving in anger....yeap you've guessed it, driving a bus with paying passengers. Okay, they don't just give 'em a bus and say off you go, they do do a few days with a driver who actually knows what he / she is doing, a 'buddy' who will help them with the tricky stuff, like tickets. And there was me thinking that it was only the people who got to use buses for free actually used them. You mean people actually pay??!!!!

Summer is over!!!

Well summer is over, not that we really had what I would call summer! We did have a warmish spell, but I was on nights, so trying to sleep. However, I have been on early shifts recently and there is that definite autumnal nip in in the air at six-thirty in the morning. I have more or less managed to finish the woodwork round the garage and porch. I sanded, treated and undercoated the long side, just got to do the gloss top coat now, but it keeps raining. Will hopefully try tomorrow.

At work we are preparing to be inundated by the overseas students who have to register with the police as part of their visa terms. They used to be called aliens (not the little green men type), but we are not allowed to call them that anymore!! When I first started last October, we were in the middle of registration hell, so it was one of the first things I learnt to do on my own, very quickly - needs musts. It does mean that basically all your spare shifts become middles (yuk!) to give extra help. Because of where we are, with the universities, colleges and schools, we always have registrations, plus all the updates to deal with, but the Autumn term is the busiest.

Well our big news is that hubby passed his driving test (for a bus), first time, which is better than the two guys he was training with, one passed on his second attempt the week before hubby and he heard the other failed again (second time) today. This has of course means hubby is feeling quite smug, though I did remind him that pride comes before a fall. He has now completed all the classroom based training, how to evacuate a bus on fire, what to do if you find a suspicious package - I would have thought RUN would have been the best option - though saying that, we have had two bomb scares at work since I started, and we evacuated neither times (such a pain getting all the prisoners out the cells!), and then how to be nice to the customers!!!! Anyway, he is now busy 'type training' (learning how to drive different shapes and sizes) and route learning. He also got all his uniform yesterday - corporate branding or what, let us just say there is no doubt who he works for!!!!

As the kids are now back at school, I went back to Brownies yesterday evening. Don't think I have mentioned it before, but I am a Brown Owl, I run a Brownies unit in Cookham with a friend. We meet every Wednesday night from 6pm to 7.15pm and we have twenty six girls aged between 7 and 10. We try to do various things with the girls through out the term, this term including craft, games, bowling and they are also doing their crime prevention badge (that'll be me getting loads of info from work then!).

I have been on rest days for the last two days, back to work tomorrow, but on nights. Should be three nights, but Sunday is a rest day in lieu because we have a training day on Monday - joy!! At least it might be slightly more exciting than the last two - how to fill in a TA1 (traffic accident form), safety training (but remember, you can't touch anyone, coz that would be assault) and gathering forensic evidence from sexual assault victims (no...............I'll get a police officer thank you very much!), as we are doing counter terrorism, fire arms and first aid. We have speculated that once we have shot each other and blown each other up, we will then make it all better!!! Shouldn't joke really, when the control room staff got their firearms training, the firearms officer managed to shot one of them - luckily no one was killed, though I believe the force had to make a rather large payout! And I should point out that our training will only involve looking at and talking about, not actually doing!!!

Relief

He passed - thank god!!!!!!

So he is now officially a bus driver - apparently! Still a bit more training before they risk the company's reputation, but on the home stretch now. :)