Westenders

Episode VIII

Last week the Dear Leader and the team had had a torrid time during the Away a Day Interaction Workshop - it had not been a success and La Baronezza Ritchie was fuming. 

The event was also meant to be a chance to bond with go getting H&F Leader Stephen Greenhalgh and his team but attempts to persuade Greenhalgh and Phibbs to join in the spirit of the day and dress up and dance with his team had been scornfully rejected. Greenhalgh and team had refused to stay for the bonding session causing the young  facilitator, Tristram Buckmaster-Mellen, to throw a huge tantrum. Fortunately Boyo Moylan was close by with some soothing words.

The boy Marshall had acquitted himself well and sat beaming on a furious Lofty Palmer's lap. As the cavalcade of luxury RBKC limos roared down the hotel drive the ex mayor,ex Cllr Barry Phelps could be seen gesticulating furiously at the window of his budget bedroom high up in the ivy clad Weatherhead Tower.

Ahead  Dear Leader could see the departing H & F mini coach. At least they had not asked for a lift in his Bentley. He particularly didn't trust that chap Phibbs who worked for the Daily Mail. What happens if he found out that he and Boyo were among the very small clique in London Councils having their very own Council credit cards? He had promised Mr Myers to be very discreet about that little perk.....

Oh no...It would never do for a journalist to see close up the de luxe style of the Rotten Boroughers.

A Summit Meeting had been organised at Greenhalgh's office at the Town Hall in Hammersmith that day; it was not something the Dear Leader and his coterie were relishing. He had decided to beef up his negotiating team with the inclusion of Cllr Julie'The Brief' Mills. After all, she was cabinet member for carrying Moylans cheesecake, or bags or something. He was hopeful that in her Barbadian lilting voice she would talk the Greenhalgh go getters into the ground: after all was she not a massively successful member of the Inner Temple with a razor sharp mind? His only concern was that rumours abounded that she and 'Oirish'Tim and 'Nice' Tim's, were after his job. However ...'desperate times, desperate remedies', he thought.

Maybe he should bring along Doreen 'Dotty' Weatherhead; was she not too from that ex plantation owners paradise:the cinnamon scented island of Barbados? Once he had successfully squashed the arriviste Greenhalgh he would be able to announce his success with much fanfare at the Top Secret Cabinet meeting he had arranged for the 8th December. Get this right and  he could see that elusive peerage within grasp.That would put that dreadful and annoying Hornet in his place. 

Suddenly his reverie was broken. In  bounded Boy Marshall to the Dear Leader's pine panelled office without so much as a by your leave. 'Yes, Boy what is it?' demanded the Dear Leader. 'Shall I get Spalding to bring up your Bentley', piped Marshall with a new confidence derived from having thwarted Old Beardie Phelps.

"You stupid boy, do you really think that I am going to risk getting it  vandalised down in the slums of Hammersmith-and stop calling it 'my Bentley'-it is for the occasional use of the Mayor too'.

Suddenly, a cunning thought entered his head. 

What an impression it would  make if they all took a bus to King Street. Turning to his Cabinet Secretary, Miss Gupta, he said, 'please reserve 6 seats on whatever omnibus goes to King Street and make sure Fitzpatrick in PR organises a press call  as we all come off the bus'. What an egalitarian sight it would make...... how the local paper would lap it up; maybe Fitzpatrick could be persuade the Telegraph to come and record his PR coup?

After the disaster of the weekend he needed some points: this would show Greenhalgh that the boys in K&C knew a bit about belt tightening.

Tune in next Wednesday as the Team slum it in King Street.....