The day is over and there are a few things I must do before I hit the sheets.  My bath is set and my accessories are all at hand:

• Laptop
• Ice cold drink
• Razor
• Towel
• Music
• Soap, shave foam & flannel
• Book
• Ice lollies

Now I know this might seem like a weird combination, and I’m not disagreeing, but I love my bath! I usually spend around an hour in there. Boiling hot so I have to ease myself in gently, laptop to play my music, or catch up on my latest TV programme (today its Facejacker), soak the day away and also catch up on some reading. I love to read Sci-fi Fantasy, Terry Pratchett, but I don’t do any ‘pleasure reading  during term time, so today’s book is “Propaganda and mass persuasion: a historical encyclopaedia, 1500 to the present”. Sticking to my plan to really make an effort on this module.  If you’re wondering how I keep the pages dry? I adopt the arms held out above you as you lie back emerged under the suds.


Me in the bath!

All's good in the hood

I have to say that things are looking really good. I know where I am with my studies, work is going really well, plans for the future look positive. Tick tick tick. Not as in bomb, but as in let’s tick off all the plus points and move on to ticking a few more. 

The weekend went well, as I’m sure you have read. I didn’t mention the duties I had to do as a member of the University’s Board of Governors. I had the honour and privilege of being involved in the new appointment of our new Vice Chancellor.  I really am happy with the choice and we ratified this on Saturday. I really look forward to working with him next year, but of course I’ll also miss our outgoing VC, Caroline Gipps.   Something else to list on my CV and to file in the many memories of my experience while at university. Oh and lots of studying in there too, of course.  And the occasional night out, pizza, beer, etc.......

The week ahead

For now my week looks like it’s going to be jammed packed with study. I have another week off work, but I’m in on Thursday for a morning meeting that I just couldn’t (and didn’t want to) miss. I have my Blockbuster vouchers at hand, for when I need a break from the studies, and there’s a chance to get lots of extra gym time in.  And last of all, more time to spend on this blog!

Next instalment coming up real soon and will include my study plan, the joys of new car hunting, my opinion on the Learning Centre opening times and a little gem of information about me that will probably shock you. I’s nothing bad, I promise, but if you would like a clue...it’s my claim to fame and you may want my autograph after I tell you what it is.

Welcome back, though it seems like I’ve not left. Stuck here in cyberspace on the world wide inter-blog. So for those of you still interested, and still enjoying a vision of my minds thoughts, this blog entry continues on from the last one where I promised a few revelations. My claim to fame perhaps?  Hmmm maybe save that for the next paragraph. I was car hunting, oh the joys! I love my focus, but what with these petrol prices, it’s getting expensive filling the tank, £70 it’s costing me now! I need a diesel or better still, I should go back to two wheels and get me a motorbike. That will ease my journey to and from work It’s been years since mine got stolen. I need a replacement. Nudge nudge, I’m happy to receive offers. Anyway I’ve decided to keep this entry strictly personal and the next one will be work related.  But it’s no fun if you don’t have a little moan about something, right?

My journey to work

Harrison Learning Centre

As I mentioned in my previous blog, I had to make a special journey into university, just to get a particular book needed for completion of my online assignment. 1:30pm it opened on a Saturday! Now I’m sorry but I know students are famed for being lazy layabouts, but the reality is the majority are not. We don’t even live a nine-2-five life. We want to be able to get at our resources when we want to! So it is within my power to address this issue. And guess what, I have! A couple of weeks ago I submitted a petition from the Students’ Union  asking for revised opening hours that are more in line with the needs of students. I’m talking about 10am opening on a Saturday and Sunday. It’s looking positive from the early response I have received. So in all fairness, myself and Dave Anson (Academic VP) hope to have a resolve in place by the start of the next academic year.  It was in my manifesto last year and I can boldly and confidently say that I aim to deliver on this and everything else. Including a new Students’ Union building on Walsall Campus. 


Me and Dave Anson (Academic VP)

In need of a date?

Well after that little rant and declaration, I feel I need to revert back to my regular blog. So here I am, shazam! Where was I? Oh yeah I mentioned a little gem of information about me, well here it is. Not sure if you can find it on you tube, but your little blogger and SU President was once on a popular Saturday evening TV programme. Can you guess what it is chuck?  I was one of three contestants, had to answer three questions, and there was a surprise surprise at the end. No I’m not embarrassed, I had an awesome time, I got to meet “Our Graham” and the funniest Scouser on television, Cilla Black!

Hi and welcome back once again, we really should stop meeting like this. So here I am writing away and about to give you my latest update. I’ve been working on a little secret just for you, my favourite reader! I can’t tell you what it is just yet, but I promise that you will be impressed when I finally unveil it. For now though what I can say is that after a weekend full of lectures I haven’t really been able to get much study done. I contacted my lecturer about my assignments for this week, I have a reading task to complete so I need to jump on it asap. But the reality is I’m not gonna be able to get this done until the end of the week, due to work commitments. It’s been a busy week back after having two weeks off.

I spent most of Tuesday catching up with everything, emails, meetings etc. Had a chance to catch up with the rest of the team briefly, before we had to go to Student Affairs Committee. I realised in this meeting that as a team we are really working well together and achieving some positive results. So yeah I don’t mind singing our praises, there’s plenty more to come. So after the meeting I had another meeting with some students. We are trying to get a mini campaign together to help ensure we get as many students registered to vote as possible, before the local elections in May. We should be able to get some funding from Wolverhampton City Council, which is pretty good, It’s a good cause and equally important that the message is put out. Wow! That’s only half my day, I’m in need of coffee!!



Second Part of the Day
Ahhhhh, the coffee has gone down well. (wipes mouth). No time for lunch, again! I need to get more work done, I have to write an order for some signage I’m having designed for the S.U. I’m a stickler for detail, I need to get this order and quote re-done because it turns out we are being charged for some signage that should be charged to the University. It might only be £40, but I wouldn’t be a responsible Trustee if I didn’t scrutinise every single order that comes across my desk. SO I’ve sent it back for a re-quote. Tick tock tick tock, time flies by and its now gone 5pm, mostly everyone else has left but I’m still at my desk. I have an important meeting that I’ve set up in order to look at working better with International Students, I need to get the PowerPoint done, images sourced and info collated and presentable, then practiced before 12pm tomorrow. Go super Ken you can do it. 7:45pm I’m ready to leave. I have the bulk of it done and I will add the animations to it in bed before getting some Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz’s.

Presentations and shortlistings
I’m so grateful for flexi-time. Today I’ve had an extra hour in bed. I really needed it! Traffic doesn’t seen as bad leaving a bit later, I’m in for ten o’clock and head straight down stairs in the SU and get stuck straight into the short listing for the position of Deputy CEO. Something about being busy, I love it! It’s been a while since I’ve had to short list applications for job, it’s satisfying, but at the same time it reminds me why when I used to manage a sales team I would use an employment agency, it takes away all the pressure of time constraints. In between this I managed to get my important meeting done and my presentation went down well. Another successful day, but of course it’s not over yet. I can’t really give you the full story just yet, because that will spoil the special surprise I have install for you. So for now I will leave you with this closing thought, “If a tree fell down in the middle of the wood, and there was no one round for miles and miles, would anyone care?” I look forward to seeing you again soon! Maybe I can get some reading done?