We're retired. Time to relax, get a recliner?

Monday mostly focussed around Blackburn College. I'm the Chairman of the Board, ably assisted by the former Council CExO, Phil Watson. We don't get a penny piece for our time there but both share a passion for transforming our towns & their communities.

Blackburn College is huge, complex & successful. 16,000 learners, apprentices across many many skilled trades, degrees up to Masters levels, GCSEs & A Levels & much much more.1200 staff, teachers, tutors & others. This all costs near enough £50 million every year. We've invested more than that in recent years updating the campus with new building.

We've a budget under pressure, due mainly to funding changes, new senior staff to recruit, students to recruit to the course that best suits them amongst other priorities. We've a day with 3 HE Award sessions, up from 1, via 2, to plan, check running orders, speech's etc. Love those times in King George's Hall, students, staff, families all justifiably proud to be there.

Tuesday was a self day & I caught the bus to Whalley to spend a few hours dining & wining with old friends John & Mike, guys who I've known for pretty much 40 years. We reminisce & rib each other. Best of all, we laugh our socks off, mainly at our own & each other's expense.

Back "on duty", Wednesday found me as Hon Chair, in interviews for a currently vacant seat on the local Board of Healthwatch. A superb young woman, 17, perhaps 18, neatly & punctually presented, listened to our questions, weighed them up & responded with an eloquence many might think beyond her years.

Later, back in the College, we were considering & designing how we can, as governors, gauge & ginger up teaching & learning, the place where "the rubber hits the road".

This left me with more things to do for the College, this time at home, reading, sorting e mails, on the phone. Thus was interspersed with making a home made spicy cauliflower soup (20p a filling portion) & some sultana & walnut scones (mine rhyme with John, not Joan!) Then back in the College to agree a short list for the second Vice Principal post selection process. "Flyer" on way home!

Friday was back in College to explore an idea for a project with a wonderfully motivated head of department, quick natter & banter with caretaker Ian Smith, before a long overdue haircut with Beth on Livesey Branch Road.

Rovers tomorrow? Weekend & week done. Hope I made a difference?

You been busy, met any good folk?