Everybody out!

There's a full meeting of Leicester Council of Faiths at 1930 this evening in the Welcome Centre. This is a meeting that all members of the Council of Faiths are entitled to attend and to which they are all invited: that's about 40 potential attendees.

I usually prepare and present a written report of my activities since the last full meeting, about which the members are allowed to ask questions. I pick out highlights of those activities and speak about them, as well as giving special emphasis to anything coming up in the immediate future in which members can get involved or for which I'd like their assistance.

The main agenda item that I'll be speaking to this evening meeting is our upcoming 25th anniversary. I want to do justice to the amount of work Rahat has been doing on this, and jildy along members of the sub group that's been appointed to attend to this important matter.

I want to do a nice job speaking on this topic, so decide that it would be nice to illustrate it. Leicester City Council has offered to get behind the anniversary and support it in any way it can - short of giving us any money. There are a number of ways in which we hope the City Council can make good on that promise. For example, we could be the subject of a feature in leicesterlink, the civic magazine that it has been publishing and distributing free of charge to every home in the city for over 25 years. It is currently also available as a downloadable PDF and as an electronic file that can be read aloud by appropriate software. City Council also has a number of Adshells around the city, announcing activities and events in the city for each month. I decide it would be a good idea to go out and take photos of some of these Adshells to show at this evening's meeting. I go out just after 1515  to take some snaps. For one reason or another, I get waylaid around town and get back to the Welcome Centre after Rahat has left for the day at 1630. It's not until I get to the door that I realise that my keys are locked inside. I'm locked outside.

Ajay told me earlier that he'll be back after 1800 to set out the Welcome Centre for the meeting. That seems a long time away. It's not only my keys that are locked inside, but my money, my cash card, my iPod, my insulin - everything except my iPhone. So much for preparation!

While waiting around in Bishop Street, I'm thankful of the accidental company of Kirti Joshi (whom I taught on a course at the Writing School in Leicester Adult Education College) then Bez Kileen (Youth Worker with Leicester City Council, whom I used to work alongside when I was employed by ReMit at the Watershed Youth Centre). Both of them take pity on me and stop for lengthy chats. And I get the chance to show off our new big poster, which is nice.

Come 1830, I've never been so pleased to see Ajay. At least it wasn't raining!

X MARKS THE SPOT

A few days ago, these images began appearing all over Leicester city centre, as reported on Citizens' Eye. No one claimed responsibility for them and there was no explanation of their meaning. Today the mystery was cleared up. After much speculation, it turns out that they're part of a campaign to get out the youth vote for the General Election. John Coster and Citizens' Eye were in on it all along - well, you've got to create a bit of a buzz for some things! Among the team doing this today is a friend from way back, Bez Kileen (or "The Lovely Bez" as I used to call her). Bez and I worked side-by-side (literally) at the Watershed Youth Centre when I was employed by ReMit (Leicester City Council's education provision for adults with long-term mental health issues). She's a Youth Development Worker in the City Council's Children and Young People's Services. We spent a lot of time disagreeing on each other's musical tastes (for such a right-on, kick-ass, politically engaged and activist woman, she seemed to like an awful lot of middle-of-the-road fluff) but we were united in our adoration of The West Wing. Good to see her again today - though I had to get out of her way and let her get on with her job when a reporter needed to interview her about this youth campaign - and good to see that she's still fighting the good fight! And here she is, caught holding the proverbial smoking gun ...