Chuffed in the rough

Excellent news from County Hall this week. The powers that be have at long last recognised my efforts to secure better golfing facilities in our splendid county and released me from duties so that I can better search for parcels of redundant land. It is true there was a slight confusion over the possible acquisition of some of West Somerset Railway's property. Perhaps I had not fully appreciated that WSR operates a full size track and rolling stock. In my innocence I always assumed it to be a model enthusiasts' club with some old Hornby 00's a tattered flag and a whistle. It was good to have got all that cleared up and I now intend to move forward with my customary zeal. Eunice is backing me to the hilt and will no doubt press the relevant buttons on our wonderful new high speed broadband device whenever she is free from her humanitarian visits to local hospitals.

Open Sandwich

I have obtained tickets for that great festival of golfing prowess to be held this July at the Royal St George's splendid course on the Kent coast. Naturally I will carry my burdens of office with me and endeavour to convince representatives of other public bodies that the way forward for succesful business lies in partnership with the private sector as we have already proved so resoundingly in Somerset with our arrangements with South West one. Eunice was to have accompanied me in one of the more sporting additions to the Hux automobile fleet, but of late she has taken a keen interest in the thrills of the saddle. There is, so she confided recently, nothing quite like 1000cc throbbing away between leather clad thighs.

Battening down the hatches

These are days of serious austerity but - as friend and foe will readily testify - my door has always been open for original ideas and schemes of true imagination. It was through my door that the inspiration came for many of my pioneering plans. Some may say that I pioneered too much too soon, or merely left the door wide open for less sensible notions to enter. So I have decided to adopt a more cautious approach in future in the interests of saving time. Eunice agrees. She says 'by all means try, but be prepared to go in the long way round'.

All at Sea

Unkind things have been said about my absence from the latest council deliberations on the future of our county farms. But those who know me best will understand. Sometimes a gust of wind can blow the cobwebs away and fill the sails. So it was with me when I steered my trusty vessel, the SS Rundle, out into the Channel. People assume that I only live for my cars and my handicap. Not so. Huxtables have been before the mast for many generations. Eunice normally accompanies me on these maritime sorties but this time she said she wanted to scrape barnacles from the bottom of her favourite dinghy. I have no idea what she means.

Just Running in!

It was heart-warming to witness the ripple of applause as one of my dear colleagues reminded a packed Chamber of my recent anniversary. I am gladdened, of course, by the attention of my friends. But for those with baser motives may I remind them that twenty five years is just the start. I intend to be around long after County Hall has been redeveloped. I will outlive and outfox the best of them. And Eunice is with me all the way. "Dare to be different", she whispers in my ear as she nips off for one of her many energetic meetings. Dare to be different? I wonder where she picked up a phrase like that?

New Politics, New Motors, New Jobs (some better than others)

I watched Jeremy Browne, that gangling Taunton MP chap, getting into a Ministerial limo on tv the other night. Apparantly he's landed some minor role at the FO under the new coalition team. It appears that we all have to cooperate now. The other day Sam Crabb skipped up to me in a spirit of over-eager camaraderie (rather like a poor-man's Vince Cable) and asked if he could borrow my little runabout. "Ha" says I, "I doubt if your head would poke above the dashboard!" But I have agreed to let him wash the windscreen for a small consideration. This is the spirit of meaningful cooperation that Dave and Nick waxed about in the Downing Street rose garden. They want us to foster it down here too. You can rely on me to roll out the red carpet. And Eunice tells me she is more than happy to roll on the carpet whatever the colour.

The eyes have it

I was shocked to discover that some of my old golfing acquaintances have been involved in scheming of late. Apparantly they are now working with IBM and trying to extract very large sums of money in compensation from Somerset County Council. The whole thing is a complete a mystery to me, as you might expect. Perhaps there is a connection with the computer software IBM installed which has been such a conspicuous success? I will have to ask Eunice about it. She has her fingers in all sorts of delicate areas these days