PhilJ W

The London Borough I worked for had an HR department for every different department of the council, and sometimes more than one. This was more a case of jobs for the boys (and girls). The incident I referred to a few days ago was a case in point, the new HR person 'parachuted' people into management jobs within the HR department that they were clearly incapable of doing. One of these people became the line manager of the girl whose sickness record they tried to victimise her with. The real reason was that the line manager, who was one of those parachuted in didn't have a clue about what to do. As it turned out the woman was a friend of the HR manager, one of several she had placed in her department instead of those who knew the job. I was aware of the situation with regard to the HR managers cronies and at the members interview I slapped in a grievance for victimization. The HR manager came up to me afterwards and tried promising me that if I would drop the grievance it wouldn't happen again and the whole incident would be forgotten but by this time I had the bit between my teeth and revealed that I knew what she was up to. I didn't have to take the matter any further as both managers quit.

You are talking about the Haswega 'Leopold' gun. There are quite a few on e-bay at the moment, a couple at less than £20. There was/is a conversion kit to enable it to run on 16.5 mm track available from Matador models.

I once had a colleague who to put it politely was not the brightest jewel in the box. We were discussing of all things sex change operations and the subject got round to where the necessary bits came from to change a woman to a man, she had us all in stitches when she said "They don't grow on trees you know." not helped by one of the older women making comments about scrumping. I could have said that the operation was called a strapadictomy but I'm not that cruel. And she wasn't even blond.

My mother always called me by my full name, but the threat was "Wait until your father gets home".

Belated congratulations on your anniversary Tony. It looks like Aditi's employers have a 'hit list' and are disguising it as a restructuring. It doesn't mean that Aditi is on the hit list, just increasing the numbers to hide who is. I agree with you about joining a union, especially as they appear to be working as one.

I think he was referring to David Cameron.

Elizabeth Bathory?

Watched the documentary on Penn Station last night and found it very interesting. Surprising that it only lasted for less than 50 years. Although I could not help thinking of Euston and the Doric arch.

Most unions employ a firm of specialist solicitors for such cases. The name of the firm is Thompson & Thompson but quite often known as and referred to simply as Thompson's

I would have asked him to show some of his own models to demonstrate what he means. They couldn't find the rope?

Its a few years since I was a trade union rep. IIRC there is or was a minimum notice period for this sort of dismissal, I cannot recall exactly how long but it is a lot more than 5 days (30 days seems to ring a bell somewhere). Where I worked such a dismissal would not take place without first a medical examination by the councils own medical officer.

I would have loved to have done that when I retired but I didn't want to lumber my colleagues.

Another reminder, 'The rise and fall of Penn Station' 10.15 pm on PBS America. Channel 243 on Virgin Media. (Sorry I don't know the Sky channel.)

The ex LT buses were all motor buses. The trolleybuses in Columbo were all purchased brand new, they were however British built 4 wheel double deck buses virtually indistinguishable from the ones in the UK. They also had some 36 foot single deck Sunbeam trolleybuses, it was decided to abandon trolleybuses when they were only 7 years old. They indeed operated RT types as well as Routemasters and some earlier ex London buses. Apart from the Q class which was exported to Spain only six other London trolleybuses were ever exported, C class trolleybuses exported to Georgetown Malaya.

Its something called football I think.

One of these would make a mess of your garden http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Tiger_Moth

Only been away for a few hours and find 3 pages of ER's to wade through. I can thoroughly recommend this years Chatham show, one of the best ever.

Morning all, apparently there was a thunderstorm last night, I slept right through it! Off to Chatham today to do some stewarding.

Before I retired some dimbo came up with the idea that all e-mails the address of which the computer does not recognise would be blocked until the recipient of that e-mail 'releases' it. That was bad enough for those who answered their own e-mails but the senior officers of the council and others who relied on secretaries etc. to answer their mail soon found it was unworkable as they could only clear their in boxes or release the emails.

Its also a full moon. (Can't find the mooning smiley, must be on another forum.)

Welcome back Don. Tony, in my experience if HR try to play the sickness absence card they have no real case 90% of the time. I was fortunate in that in my job I had access to sick records (it was part of my job to maintain them) so as a union rep I had plenty of ammunition. In one instance it ended up with the line manager being dismissed and my member being promoted in her place and the HR person being on a disciplinary herself (she resigned first though).

Batter Boris with his water cannon, I scored 17. http://games.usvsth3m.com/the-water-cannon-boris-johnson-game/

It was also a nurses home at one time, be careful what you daydream about.

But what shape was the tender in?

I didn't get a free copy of the Sun comic either. Just as well I stocked up on toilet paper.