Diary 16th And 17th January 2018

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Diary Tuesday 16th January 2018 Half way through the first month of the year already, and a quiet day followed by a busy one now. I spent today editing photo and preparing clothes and documents for the interview that dominates much of Wednesday. Diary Wednesday 17th January 2018 The first job interview proved, as I suspected, to be a an agency registration, and when I arrived at this welfare centre where it took place, no one seemed to know which department as being used for it but I found the interviewer in plenty of time, as I always arrive just ahead of schedule rather than at the last minute. The Polish lady, who barely spoke English, gave me a mass of forms to fill in, and explained that she had just three jobs in at present, two of which were impossible for me to get to on public transport given their shift patterns. The other involved a long gruelling multi-bus journey but I had no choice but to apply myself for it or my welfare payments could be stopped. The form went on forever, and included a quite heavy maths test including questions on working out the area and radiuses of circles and other shape – hardly relevant to moving cheeses in a warehouse factory. There were also question on my sexual preferences and religious beliefs that I declined to answer. Another page was a long survey asking if I had ever faced bullying or intimidation from the company with yes or no answers and a box to write other comments in. I answered no to everything and added ‘haven’t started working there yet’ to the comments box. How could I face problems with staff before my first day there? The signed form seemed to be a way to get people to say they haven’t been bullied before they dare to complain that they have been. I handed the forms in and she leafed through them to check everything was filled in but never checked my answers. I left over ninety minutes after arriving. I rather hope I never hear from her again. In the evening, a local Humanism (atheist) society was meeting in a local pub, the real ale Heaven called The Black Horse, so I went along. Much of the meeting was about linking the group to others in the region and possibly holding a conference day later in the year. They were very nice people. I just missed my bus so knowing there was half an hour to the next one I popped in another pub, The Dog And Partridge for a beer while I waited in the warm for it, and then came home on the bus. Arthur Chappell