To be honest it's all a question of planning...

I should remember that myself more often.

I planned on getting out of work today at about half 6 but then dicked about on Facebook for twenty minutes. This led me to losing bus-roulette again...

Until 7 the 121 Bus is every ten minutes like clockwork but after 7 any timetabling is trusted at your own risk. You may as well be loading the gun, spinning the barrel and spitting in Ivan the angry Russian's face.

Tonight though the gun had been cocked a little early. I got to the bus stop at about ten to 7, and I had evidently just missed the last regular one because another one didn't come in the next half hour... At which point I decided to chance it. I jumped on the 289 knowing that I'd then have to jump off at a junction and run round the corner to get another bus, this would probably be the 313 and save me time BUT if I was unlucky it would be the 121 and so cost me more money for no time saving... I think we all know which way this is going...

Within a couple of minutes of getting to the second bus stop the fucking 12-fucking-1 turned up! So I paid twice for the privelage of waiting half an hour for the bus to take me home... I had successfully lost bus roulette once again and my commuting brains were splattered all over the Ivan's grinning face as he went through my pockets for vodka money... I always lose the bus game.

But at least I didn't lose the will to live like I did last night. Yep, thats right I was lucky enough to go to the Enfield Council Labour Group Meeting!!!!! Arrive early to guarantee disappointment!

The Agenda in a ridiculous fit of optimism predicted the meeting to end at 9.30. It didn't finish till about half ten. To begin with it was useful because it allowed me to put faces to the names I'd been harrassing on the phone for the last two weeks and also to make character-assasinating notes on them too! But after that was over I just had to endure...

It was about 9 when the issue of planning came up. They were discussing an opposition debate they were proposing on the 'Future of Enfield' and the 'Town Plan' when Planning itself reared its ugly head.

What followed was a series of diatribes on the issue, ranging from legal definitions and recitals of standing orders to vicious attacks on the 'depoliticization of the issue of planning' and heart-felt cries that Planning Policy should be at the very centre of Socialist thinking on the Council, and in the middle plenty of bickering about what a Socialist Planning Policy should consist of.

I admit to some depression when this was going on. I mean we all know what Councils and Planning means: giving or denying permission for Conservatories or Satellite Dishes. And 90% of the time this is the case.

But the sting in the Council House-shaped tail is that the other 10% is really important. It was Councils that scarred our towns with Tower Blocks in the 60s, its Councils who pedestrianize High Streets, inflict one-way systems, decide what shopping centres are built and which Housing Estates can go where and what they should contain. Local Councils shape our communities and one of the most profound ways they do this is through Planning.

So despite my utter despair part of me was quite proud that these men and women were using their free time to argue about the Politics of Planning. I can't imagine a Tory group doing that. It would get in the way of all the Claret sloshing and Public School petting...

Luckily after the meeting ended me and a few Councillors went to the Pub so at least this post has a happy ending.

Almost like I planned it that way...