5th March

It has got really windy and cold again. The dog comes up to our bedroom and sleeps under Marian's side of the bed. I think he's bothered by the wind. When i go downstairs to feed him in the morning I can't find him any where. I call him and he comes up from the basement. Marian has her sewing room down there with a bed for him and the boiler is down there so its nice and warm and quiet and snug for him. Crafty little bugger!

Set off in the cold and damp and am sitting on the train platform reading my book when Steve phones me to say that we have had a leak in the building and that it is right next to my desk! I get in to find a bin collecting the water and a puddle about three feet across on the carpet tiles. Somehow, the water valves on a radiator on the second floor were opened on the Sunday and we have had a flood on the second floor which has leaked down to the first floor.

I meet with the Reprographics team to talk about the refurbishment of their area. For some reason (before my time) the powers that be have decided that their area won't be refurbished. It has been a bone of contention since I started the project. Not much I can do about it as I have no budget for it. Although I have told the this time and time again they still seem to think that i have the power to change things. I've tried to hand on to some of the funds to put aside for them but they're not in my remit and I refuse to change anything until AI can see the way clear to fund the refurb in their area. I'm trying to persuade them to put a plan together and to say exactly what they need so that we can make a case to the management team. I guess that some people need to be led. I go through the requirements and tell them what they should pull together and what information they will need.

We need to powerdown the building this weekend as we have to clear up the distribution/switch board. It means that our servers have to come down, that we will lose email and the phone system and that our services will be curtailed. Its only from 8 til 5 so i'm working on the basis that its not too major as this is being done on a Saturday. I discuss with my colleagues and the ICT guys and draft an email to send out to the people in the council.

We're still having problems with the lighting so I write to the people who specified it and copy to those who provided it insisting that we get some support and advice from them.

Our architect has been stringing us along and refusing to provide some advice unless I request it directly so i shove off a note to him to gee him up.
Then have another go at the finances - this is going to become a real headache now that we're I the final phase of the project. I need to keep well on top of this.

I then get a call from the roofing contractor. We've got some asbestos tiles and need specialists in. I think he's angling for more money for the work. The problem is that he has already quoted and its not easy to up this one. I arrange to meet with him and Steve tomorrow. I discuss the possibility of getting someone else in with Steve but we decide to elaqve it until we hear what he has to say.
Roofing