Weeknote 2024.19
I am adjusting to our improving weather, which makes it more attractive to be outdoors rather than indoors, so these week notes are delayed (not cancelled).
Saturday
A day trip to Hertford and a walk to Ware and back again on a gloriously sunny Saturday. https://hertford.net/leisure/hertford_and_ware_walks_leaflet.pdf
It was interesting to see the source of the New River between Hertford and Ware. It runs past the Civic Centre in Enfield, and I often walked along its lower reaches when I worked in Islington. You can walk from the source to the end of New River, its 28 miles, so perhaps a project over a few weekends later in the year.
I was glad of my walking boots, they are considerably heavier than hiking shoes, and I wondered if they would be necessary, then I found myself at a flooded kissing gate with several inches of water all around, and later sinking into several inches of mud, both of which would have led to wet feet or having to backtrack without my sturdy boots.
Sunday
Stayed local.
Bank Holiday Monday
A very pleasant stroll from Putney Bridge, through several churchyards, the grounds of Fulham Palace, three or four parks, and along a sculpture trail. Walking with the Ramblers is a very varied experience, every group and every leader has their own approach, and today we had an excellent commentary on points of interest as well as some moderate exercise.
Tuesday
I had an additional day off to wrap up my carried forward 2023/24 annual leave. The weather was a bit dull for taking pictures, so I took in a couple of photography exhibitions instead.
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In the morning, Fragile Beauty at the V&A. https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/fragile-beauty-photographs-from-the-sir-elton-john-and-david-furnish-collection. I want a decent number of images when I’m paying for an exhibition, and I certainly got my money’s worth here.
And then a brisk walk over to the Bargehouse, behind the OXO tower, for the British Press Photographers exhibition of pictures from 2023/24, Assignments 2024. Three floors of exceptional photographs taken for our news media in a fascinating location.
There’s plenty of time to see Fragile Beauty, unfortunately the Assignments 2024 closed on 2 June.
Wednesday
My day for finishing reports. They seem to be like buses, none for ages and then they all come at once. I made it harder for myself by thinking as much about outcomes as outputs.
Thursday
My day for project board meetings. We have a good mix of straightforward projects and complicated projects. For the straightforward ones I’m largely looking for ways to progress at pace and deliver value. For the more complicated ones its more around stakeholder alignment, so what we deliver works for everyone, or we are explicit that each thing we deliver is for a specific need.
Friday
My day for suppliers. I’ve met most of our suppliers now, some several times, and spent some time today thinking about what makes each relationship valuable to us. I’ve got more work to do with a few who are still adapting to our growing confidence.
Track of the week
Old-school country this week, playing tribute to Hank Williams and questioning the glitz and glamour that many country stars adopted in the 1970s. Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way by Waylon Jennings
https://open.spotify.com/track/4eH47ofIZbrbKwmLJSu5hb?si=9c528a468dc24158
