Policing the goats nibbling at the gossip grass

Rock chick Quelch quits

Who says social housing law isn’t glamorous? Guests at the launch of Winckworth Sherwood’s new book last week had reason to disagree. The hot topic was the chocolate fountain: a retro half-fondue, half-sculpture into which guests dipped their nibbles. But even this failed to sate the appetite of trainee solicitor Jane Quelch for even greater gorging on a lifestyle of glamour. She has decided to change career and go on tour with her boyfriend, who is in a rock group. Social animal has a copy (signed by the almost-famous Quelch) of Social Housing Law: A Practical Guide to give to the first person to tell us which discrimination legislation came in at the start of the month?

Situation will remain vacant

Poor Harrow council. As if having to perform an abrupt volte face on the decision to press ahead with an ALMO wasn’t bad enough, now it has another embarrassing issue to deal with. It seems the shadow ALMO board was so unaware of the impending u-turn that it had advertised for senior staff, including the post of strategic director. Closing date for applications was the end of last week. Any applicants shouldn’t hold their breath.

Honourable language failure

The sector has come in for some stick over its approach to social cohesion as a priority within individual housing strategies. But I am pleased to report that Alistair Graham, the director of Oldham and Rochdale housing market renewal pathfinder, has taken the first step towards redeeming the sector’s reputation. In a bid to improve communication with Pakistanis and Bengalis in Greater Manchester, Graham has signed up for lessons in Urdu. But there has been a slight hiccup. He tells me the language is so hard, he has admitted defeat and will stick to English for now.

Cop a load of this

Street naming can be a dull business. You can name them after long-dead mayors or you can break the mould and have fun. Rumour has it officers at the old Greater London Council came up with a road housing police officers that was set to be called Letsbe Avenue. Sadly, the A to Z lists no such road. Any teacher/nurse/town planner related road name suggestions?

Coming to screen near you …

It was only a matter of time before housing’s favourite quango graced the silver screen. Now on release is the movie The Corporation, which asks what type of person would the average corporation be? It found the usual one to be a “dangerously destructive psychopath without conscience”. Regulation can be a pain, but thats unfair. It also says this beast can be halted by people with “courage, intelligence and determination”. People are rarely so nice about the Treasury.

A bit of gruff

A formerly homeless goat called Billy, who was found with a broken chain around his neck, wandering the streets of Lancing, Sussex, in 2002, is now a calendar pin-up. In a tale that would surely make Billy’s three more famous namesakes green with envy, a local photographer was so taken with the forlorn goat’s good looks that she sent his photo off to a picture agency. The rest, as they say, is water under the bridge, and Billy will now star in the the Goats 2005 calendar.

Source

Housing Today