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 ...

my management group

This morning I'm meeting with my Management Group. We decamp to Coffee Republic in Granby Street, as I've absent-mindedly double booked with the regular last-Friday-of-the-month hiring of the Welcome Centre by Leicestershire Active Retirement Association (LARA). Campaigning and related activities for the General Election next week affect attendance by other members, but we're still able to have a wide-ranging, lively and fruitful meeting. Among other topics, we discuss relocation of my office space, more systematic and coordinated responses to media enquiries, tentative arrangements for National Inter Faith Week in November and the viability of commissioning a book celebrating the Council of Faiths' 25th anniversary in 2011. Watch this space for updates on these topics and more!

Mr Clegg comes to town

Walking my usual route to work this morning, I'm surprised to see a big crowd - make that a very big crowd outside the Newark Houses Museum and even more surprised to see the Lib Dem's election battlebus parked there. There's a host of TV cameras, boom mikes etc among a sea of photographers. Party leader Nick Clegg emerges, making his way among cheers and squeals to the middle of the square outside the new Hugh Aston Building, climbs onto a soapbox and starts speaking to the crowd. His microphone doesn't work so we can't hear a word he says at the back of the crowd but no one seems to mind - and no one seems to leave either (mind you, the matter of microphones on political walkabouts is something of a hot topic today). The first few rows of people around Clegg cheer now and again and there's a jolly atmosphere - even from those holding up "Vote Labour" placards (and there is one large placard bearing the legend, "I agree with Nick", of course).

Now, faithful reader, don't take this to mean that either I, or Leicester Council of Faiths, supports or endorses Nick Clegg or the Liberal Democrats. The Council of Faiths is an apolitical organisation and that's the end of it. I'll post a picture and article about the leaders of other political parties - or any other notable figure - whom I see on my travels around town or elsewhere (e.g. Eddie Izzard campaigning for Labour in Leicester - see blog entry, Sat 24 Apr). And this on the day after I made a point about avoiding watching the TV debate between the party leaders because I was at a dinner party.

The iPhone has no zoom, unfortunately. I climbed up onto a railing (whoa ... risky, for me!) to try and get a decent picture, but you'll have to make do with a crowd shot. Pretty impressive crowd though - for Leicester. You'll just have to take my word for it that it's that Nick Clegg off the telly in the middle of it all.

EDDIE IZZARD GOES WALKABOUT

Spotted on Leicester's High Street this afternoon: comic, actor and marathon runner extraordinaire, Eddie Izzard. He was taking part in a city centre walkabout in support of Labour Party candidates in the General Election, Liz Kendall and Keith Vaz. Many people stopped to talk to him about politics, the general election - and marathons.

In the recent BBC TV adaptation of John Wyndham's The Day of the Triffids, Eddie Izzard's character (Torrence) assumes power by force of arms in a post-apocalyptic Britain - hence the apposite photo above!

The battery had run out on my iPhone, so I couldn't get any photos of the man himself in Leicester. But I must say, he had on the most fabulous blue suit!