My recent visit to the Royal Pavilion gardens reminded me of my previous visit many years ago. On that occasion I had intended to visit the Pavilion but there was a long queue so I opted for a quiet lunch in the gardens. I chose the perfect bench but what followed was anything but quiet and relaxing. On my recent visit I sought out the bench only to find it is no more.

What follows is the tale from my previous visit in 2010:

On the half day that I had free between the two conferences I decided to visit the Royal Pavilion. To save time I asked for directions at the hotel reception and found my way there quite easily although it was further than I thought. The pavilion looked rather packed so I decided just to enjoy the garden which was free. It was lunch time so before looking round the garden I nipped to the nearest baker and bought a blueberry muffin, which looked a lot more appetising than the rather gooey looking sandwiches. I then made my way back to the garden and sat on a bench to eat it The bag the muffin had been in made a bid for freedom and whilst I was trying to rescue it a small piece of blueberry muffin dropped on the floor next to my feet.

A few minutes later I was assailed by a rather large seagull who was weighing up the options of doing a duck and dive at the crumb. I had visions of my feet being skewered by his beak and he refused to be shooed away! Then I saw a squirrel running towards me, but luckily he had something else on his mind and he carried on past me without stopping. Eventually I moved to the other end of the bench so I could finish eating in peace. And yes the seagull did then dive for the crumb.

Just as I was finishing eating a youth with a beer can plonked himself next to me on the bench. Thankfully he was dragged away by his friends who told him ‘don’t annoy the lady’. There was a bit of back chat but he followed them anyway. Just when I thought I was going to get some peace and quiet at long last, I was approached by a Jehovah’s Witness…

Gardens in Brighton are not at all what I am used to!

It was more relaxing along the seafront (despite the traffic) when I took my sunset photos later in the day.

Spicy:
1. Having the flavor, aroma, or quality of spice.
2. Piquant; zesty: a spicy tomato sauce.
3. Producing or abounding in spices.
4. High-spirited; lively.
5. Slightly scandalous; risqué: a spicy Hollywood romance.

Definition 4: High-spirited; lively.

Whilst trying to enjoy a little bit of calm in amongst the hustle and bustle of the week this seagull was a little too lively for me!

It was lunch time so before looking round the garden I nipped to the nearest baker and bought a blueberry muffin, which looked a lot more appetising than the rather gooey looking sandwiches. I then made my way back to the garden and sat on a bench to eat it The bag the muffin had been in made a bid for freedom and whilst I was trying to rescue it a small piece of blueberry muffin dropped on the floor next to my feet.

A few minutes later I was assailed by a rather large seagull who was weighing up the options of doing a duck and dive at the crumb. I had visions of my feet being skewered by his beak and he refused to be shooed away!

For more of this weeks PhotoHunt pictures check out Whistlestop PhotoHunt.

Wednesday morning saw the start of this year’s PCS Annual Delegates Conference. The president Janice Godrich opened the conference and apologised for the fact that Mark Serwotka was unable to attend the conference this year.

Her speech outlined the current political situation regarding the labour legacy and what would come next from the Con-Lib alliance. She went on to explain that everyone in the public sector was now under threat and that we need to get ourselves organised for the coming storm. Of the Lib-Dems changing their values to go into the alliance, she was reminded of the Groucho Marx quote:

“These are my principles, if you don’t like them I have others”

Janice then read out a letter of support from Mark Serwotka, who was in hospital undergoing tests for a heart condition. He congratulated members on their recent victory in the civil service compensation scheme dispute and thanked them for taking part in the strike action. He will be receiving DVD updates of the conference every day and has been keeping up to date with our campaign via regular press clippings. He mentioned how the nurses cheered when they heard the news that we had won our dispute. He praised the NHS staff and said they were wonderful and this has made him even more determined to defend the NHS.

He finished by thanking everyone who was standing in for him and sent his best wishes for a successful conference.

Deputy General Secretary, Hugh Lanning went on to present the PCS annual report. He thanked members for their support in PCS campaigns, which is essential to the success of the union.

“It is important to highlight what is possible when we stand together in unity and with resolve. The ruling that the government acted illegally over making unagreed changes to the civil service compensation scheme is a fantastic vindication of our determination to fight these attacks.”

The first motions of the 2010 conference all related to protecting public services.  Many other issues were debated including: redundancy pay & pensions, comercial sector, personnell policy, organising for success, protecting our reps, health & safety, international issues, affiliations, tackling pay problems, improving working conditions, evironmental issues and social & economic campaigns.

A report from each session of the conference can be viewed on the PCS website or downloaded as a word document.

• Photo gallery

Booking in was almost as chaotic as last year, but after a while a manager took charge and managed to speed up the booking process and get the queue down.  When I got to my room the door was open…  I found out from the housekeeper that it wasn’t quite ready for my arrival and she asked me if I could come back in 10 minutes.  This wasn’t an option as I had a meeting to get to and it would have made me late.  We agreed that I could get unpacked and that they would finish my room after I had left for the meeting.

The rooms are very nice and spacious. Unfortunately I was so busy I forgot to take my own photo, so you will have to make do with one from the Jurys Inn website.  The room I stayed in looked almost identical to the one above except that mine had a single bed in addition to the double bed.  When I turned the lights off at night I noticed that one of the spot lights was glowing pale green and casting an eerie green light over the room.  I persevered with it for a couple of nights but found it rather creepy and I had visions of aliens abducting me in the night.

I reported it to reception and had it replaced.  The helpful maintenance man who replaced the bulbs for me said that some other guests had complained of the same thing.  He replaced them with a slightly different type which he assured me wouldn’t were better and thankfully they turned off properly when I flicked the off switch.

I am still supposed to be on a diet so I won’t mention the delicious breakfasts

Some of the key motions that were put to the conference:

Anti Cuts

The Group Executive Committee (GEC) raised a motion that highlighted the significant reduction of staffing level since New Labour came into power.  It also  mentioned the independant review of MoD civil servants that is headed by Gerry Grimstone which will lead to more cuts.

The motion called for the following:

• a new redundancy and pre-redundancy process to be put in place

• an agreement to be negotiated that ensures the re-deployment pool is managed correctly

• to resist attempts of enforced mobility

• protection of members from compulsory redundancy when their work is privatised

• to ensure greater accountability and scrutiny in respect of the equipment program

• to campaign to end wasteful privatisation

The motion was carried without debate.

Atracting New Members

The motion called on the GEC to invest time, publicity and funds to ensure that there was a full network of regional committees to support and mentor activists at a branch level.

This motion was heavily debated and ultimately the branch agreed to remit the motion and allow the GEC to look into the issue.

Standard PCS Logo

This motion called for the standard PCS logo to be used on all official communications to ensure that it didn’t look like the Group was operating independently from the National body.  After a heated debate the motion was lost.

Defence Training Review

This motion instructed the GEC to campaign against the Department working towards getting approval for package 1 of the Defence Training Review prior to the outcome of the Strategic Defence Review.  This motion was carried.

Other issues discussed were; constitutional amendments, anti-cuts, pay, organisation, industrial relations, equality & diversity, campaigning & privatisation, MoD Guard Service, environment, terms & conditions, personnel, policy and recruitment,  learning & training, staff surplus and valedictory.  The list of motions can be found here.

The outcome of the motions is as follows: A1 – carried, A2 – carried, A3 – carried, A4 – carried, A5 – carried, A6 – carried, A7 – carried, A8 – carried, A9 – Remitted, A10 – carried, A11 – carried, A12 – Lost, A13 – carried, A14 – carried, A15 – remitted, A16 – carried, A17 carried, A18 – carried, A19 – carried, A20 – carried, A21 – carried, A22 – carried, A23 – carried, A24 – carried, A25 – carried, A26 – remitted, A27 carried, A28 – remitted, A29 carried, A30 – carried, A31 – carried, A32 – carried, A33 – carried, A34 – carried, A35 – carried, A36 – carried, A37 – carried, A38 – carried, A39 – carried, A40 – carried, A41 – carried, A42 – carried, A43 – carried, A44 – carried, A45 – remitted, A46 – carried, A47 – carried, A48 – carried, A55 – carried and A59 carried.

In addition to the motions and debating there was also a session on organising around and industrial dispute.  Everyone was encouraged to join in and share experiences and successes from the recent industrial action.

Both the Group and the main conference were a little tame this year with many motions getting carried without any proper debate. Both conferences had key people missing. The MoD Group conference was missing it’s President, Chris Dando, who had recently fallen over and broken his shoulder. The main conference was missing the General Secretary, Mark Serwotka, who is undergoing tests in a London hospital for a heart problem.

I only attended one fringe meeting this year because most of them didn’t appeal to me. This  made it easier for me to find time to eat and network with people from other branches. The fringe meeting I did attend was called ‘Anti-privatisation’ which discussed the privatisation of public services. I managed to get an unexpected round of applause when there were problems getting the slide show started, so I got up and helped out.

I nearly forgot to mention that I walked an astounding 43 miles over the week.  I clocked up 10 miles in one day alone!!! Due to a lack of planning the group hotel was over 2 miles away from the Group conference venue. The Brighton Centre where the main conference is held is also quite a trek, but thankfully not quite so far.

It was a hectic but fun week and after the scramble through London with our luggage, we caught the leisurely Wrexham & Shropshire train which is like stepping back into a different era. Just what we needed after such a hectic week. Now all I need to do is gather my thoughts and catch up on some sleep   After which I shall post in more detail about some of the issues that were debated.

We meet in Brighton just after the 6 May general election, but we know that whoever is leading the government will be targeting public services and our members’ jobs, pay and pensions.

We have already taken three days of strike action in March 2010 in defence of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme – and that dispute is not over.  the strikes have been well supported and demonstrated that members are not prepared to accept their terms and conditions being torn up.

Public services are under greater threat than ever before, but they did not cause the economic crisis and the recession.  We face some real battles alongside many of our sister unions, and the debates at conference will reflect these important struggles ahead.*

• The sun decided to come out eventually on our last morning. about 21 hours ago via txt

• Janice Godrich is currently closing PCS conference 2010. 12:24 PM May 21st via txt

• Caroline Lucas MP (first green MP) addresses the conference. 10:26 AM May 21st via txt

• Final conference session well underway. Discussing pay, environmental and social & economic issues. 10:15 AM May 21st via txt

• This motion was fiercely debated by the delegates. Some obviously more informed than others. 4:28 PM May 20th via txt

• delegates voted for a PCS information campaign for the immediate withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. 4:26 PM May 20th via txt

• Standing orders were suspended to announce that unite won in the court of appeal in relation to the BA ballot. 12:25 PM May 20th via txt

• The sacked Jane Brook seconded the motion & spoke on the surveillance of her family prior to her dismissal. 12:18 PM May 20th via txt

• The motion to support members who are victimised for making personal injury claims was passed unanimously. 12:14 PM May 20th via txt

• After the card count the motion was passed. 12:08 PM May 20th via txt

• The motion instructing the NEC to stand trade union candidates in elections was hotly debated & went to card vote. 12:06 PM May 20th via txt

• Chris Baugh presented the PCS organising strategy & spoke on the re-launch of the Imembership system. 12:01 PM May 20th via txt

• He also spoke on the upcoming leadership contest. 4:26 PM May 19th via txt

• John McDonall addressed the conference and spoke of the need to re-establish democracy within the labour party. 4:25 PM May 19th via txt

• This was passed by the delegates. 4:21 PM May 19th via txt

• The headline motion called for co-ordinated public sector campaigning in light of the current threats to jobs & services. 4:20 PM May 19th via txt

• She outlined our current situation and our need to be organised for the coming storm. 4:14 PM May 19th via txt

• Janice Godrich opened the conference & apologised for Mark Serwatka being unable to attend. 4:12 PM May 19th via txt

• This afternoon i visited the Royal Pavillion gardens. 4:29 PM May 18th via txt

• National conference starts tomorrow morning. 4:27 PM May 18th via txt

• No debate on the motions so it sailed along without hitches. 4:26 PM May 18th via txt

• Group conference finished at lunch time. 4:24 PM May 18th via txt

• Everyone in the hall was encouraged to join in and debate issues surrounding the recent action. 6:44 PM May 17th via txt

• The afternoon session was a debate about organising around an industrial dispute. 6:42 PM May 17th via txt

• Most motions were carried without debate, although a few were debated extensively. 6:40 PM May 17th via txt

• The first day of group conference is now over. 6:37 PM May 17th via txt

• Group conference is underway. 10:33 AM May 17th via txt

• Registering at the hotel was a bit faulty towers again. 10:32 AM May 17th via txt

• The train is now going backwards!!! 2:22 PM May 16th via txt

• talking politics & life with a man from Siberia. 2:01 PM May 16th via txt

• Now on the train to london. 9:42 AM May 16th via txt

• All present & correct & on the first leg of the journey. 9:08 AM May 16th via txt

I have scheduled some other posts to keep you entertained whilst I am away. If I haven’t messed it up and the server holds out, they will be appearing below this post each day.

Update 22 May 2010:  I am back from the conference now so I have converted the tweets into this permanent post.

*From the conference guide 2010.

Once again I am on the Standing Orders Committee for the group conference so I will be helping to make sure that conference runs smoothly.  For the main conference, my task is to write up and report back to the branch and the wider Shropshire area on the key motions that are debated.  I shall be sitting in the observers hall with my pad and pen, scribbling down note arduously.

The fringe meetings don’t look very interesting this year although other meetings are announced during the week. The two I am currently interested in attending are both at lunch time, which means I need to work out how to fit food in somewhere along the way.  The conference day starts at 9 and doesn’t finish until 5.30 with an hour lunch break.  The lunchtime fringe meetings take up the whole of that hour.

The meetings on my radar so far are:

• Making Your Vote Count – This will discuss the outcome of the PCS campaign that encouraged members to  engage with PPCs about public service issues in the run up to the election.  It will also look into the outcome of the recent election and examine the need for a voting system that really does make people’s votes count.

• Anti-privatisation – This meeting will examine the issues and problems surrounding the privatisation of public services.  It will also be looking at the problems with PFIs.

On a lighter note in-between the two conferences I get an afternoon off.  It is my plan to visit Brighton Pavilion, with my camera in hand of course

John McDonnell started his speech by talking about the recent scandal of MP’s expenses and said we should all be very angry. He went on to say that the solution wasn’t just sacking a few MPs. The crisis is systemic, the Political crisis and the economic crisis are not isolated they are two sides of a corrupt undemocratic system. An unequal system where the rich pay less tax than their cleaners. Former ministers are awarded contracts with big businesses within months of standing down as ministers and are then employed as consultants with those companies.

We shouldn’t lose site of the morality that is at stake in government today and we should be angry at the immoral wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, be angry at the expenditure of tax payers money on their extravagant lifestyle, by angry at the expenditure on Tridant when children and pensioners are still living in poverty, be angry at plans such as airport expansion, be angry at the expenditure on second homes and be angry that after 12 years of labour government they still haven’t housed the 80,000 homeless families that we have in our country.

He went on to say we should not waste that anger and that we should link up with others that are angry and challenge the anger into a demand for change. Not just a new parliament but a new society with rights at home, a clean environment, medical treatment and community rights. We should have a continual say on our rights and not just every 4 years at the ballot box. We should own and control our own public services and we should bring back democracy. The crisis will be exploited by the Tories and the fascists and the economic crisis will be paid for by us and not them. We need new voices and change will come through the people and PCS not through parliament. The people at the sharp end should be the ones who decide the future of our society, it may mean we have to take it to the streets and the picket line and call other unions to unite with us in solidarity for a new society.

The full speech can be viewed below 15 mins 57 secs

I have shown you the conference hall, covered some of the debates, fringe meetings and guest speakers (one more to come).  Today I am going to share with you the seafront at Brighton.  How could you not wish you were there?