Well – the New Year’s resolutions had to wait a little while! My ambitions to launch into telling the world about the minutiae of my life as a Councillor from the beginning of 2008 were confounded by the most wearisome illness. Along with most of North Norfolk it seems, I have been laid low by a combination of influenza and the winter vomiting bug.

So there is no truth in the rumour that Councillors are immune to slings and arrows – far from it. However, I’m cautiously optimistic today and will try to update you, gentle reader, on what I have managed so far this year.

On the 2nd January, I staggered in to County Hall and had a meeting with staff who are involved in a major up-grade of care provision for the elderly residents of the County. As I felt about 110, the subject was very close to my heart. I also had a meeting with the Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, Paul Morse who, like me, has been fighting off the ‘flu. Our meeting had an element of the “halt and the lame” about it but we soldiered on and made good preparations for the Health Overview and Scrutiny meeting to be held on the 10th.

I’m afraid I succumbed for a while, and had to cancel several meetings, including some Parish Council meetings for which I have to apologise.

The Health Scrutiny meeting was a full agenda and covered a range of subjects, including bed blocking at the N&N hospital, access to NHS Dentists and mental health services for the elderly population. Papers giving more details on this are available on Norfolk County Council’s website. It’s good to have a forum in which senior managers from the NHS come along to talk to the Council about changes to their service in Norfolk.

Next week is also a full week and I will report to you all about the meetings I get involved in.

Best wishes