Humour
Badge of dishonour
Central Bedfordshire Council has issued some serious advice to people thinking of illegally using disabled parking spots – if you’re going to come up with excuses, make sure you can stand them up.
VIDEO: Return of the Mc
If you think a viral video is something to see the doctor about you might not be familiar with Carpool Karaoke.
Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi...
Milton Keynes’ corporate director for people caused a stir when he blogged that the history of sector-led improvement (SLI) could be explained using Kylie song titles.
4 Wheel Drive Woman on austerity
Tarquin, don’t go waving your Euros around like that, money does not grow on trees – or so Mrs May keeps telling us. At this rate you’ll have lost the lot before we even get to the airport.
Simply ravin’
You know it’s the summer silly season when the annual surge in ‘loony council’ stories hit the tabloids.
A real sponger
Diary has often sat hungover in its pants on the sofa.
4 wheel drive woman on . . . the school holidays
Tarquin, no. I will not take you to a theme park for every single day of the school holidays – it is just not practical.
Birds of a feather
Speaking of holiday season, Diary noticed a scorcher of a story about an unusual tourist this week.
A match made in WF
Blind Date recently returned to our screens, with Paul O’Grady stepping in to host the iconic programme previously fronted by the late Cilla Black.
Growing pains
Diary will not rest until Chelsea FC are playing their home matches on a small patch of Astroturf inside the gardening section of Homebase.
White Van Man on . . . the summer holidays
So ministers have cleared off for their long summer holidays and good riddance to them.
Praying for time
Diary knows better than to join simmering rows about religion.
Live and kicking
Red-faced officials at North Somerset Council apologised to local resident Ena King recently, when a letter arrived in the mailbox informing her of her death.
You never can tell
Ordinarily, the fact that a councillor shares his or her name with a famous person is not enough to merit space in Diary, although it does often make us giggle into our lunchtime sandwich.
Coup de grâss
Councils have been blamed for many things in recent years – but are they now responsible for England’s failure to win a football World Cup since 1966?
The pick of Pickles
Diary has long been unashamed in its appreciation for former communities secretary Sir Eric Pickles.
White Van Man on . . . social care
Let’s face it, old people run this country ‘cos they’ve got nothing better to do in the day than go and vote, and the canny little sods make sure they vote for a party that feather beds their endless old age.
All the fun of the farm
Is feeding defrosted rodents to a python called Cuddles your idea of fun?
Reading the signs
Council directors stepping up to be chief executives for the first time are always grateful to receive help and advice.
I heard it on the radio
These days Local Government Association chief executive Mark Lloyd is used to kicking up a fuss on behalf of the sector.