I am really fed up of being treated like shit. Even when you are in the right and complain about something the shits manage to turn it around so you feel like its you that are to blame. The noise from the new build has been terrible all week.. Over the past five days and the sunny last few days of summer it has been impossible to sit in the garden or have the windows open. I blew a gasket around 5pm today and went to confront the builders. Unfortunately I lost it and swore. The builder had his son with him in a unsafe are but it was me who was unbelievable because I did say the F word. I was stressed beyond stress. But it was me who was made to feel in the wrong.
Thousands of eco activists have gathered in major cities across the globe in a bid to push governments to take more action on climate change. Also some eco activists took the action to the countryside. The Field Friday September 20th 2019.
The Story In Your Eyes
The Moody Blues
I’ve been thinking about our fortune
And I’ve decided that we’re really not to blame
For the love that’s deep inside us now
Is still the same
And the sounds we make together
Is the music to the story in your eyes
It’s been shining down upon me now
I realize
Listen to the tide slowly turning
Wash all our heartaches away
We’re part of the fire that is burning
And from the ashes we can build another day
But I’m frightened for your children
That the life that we are living is in vain
And the sunshine we’ve been waiting for
Will turn to rain
Listen to the tide slowly turning
Wash all our heartaches away
We’re part of the fire that is burning
And from the ashes we can build another day
But I’m frightened for your children
That the life that we are living is in vain
And the sunshine we’ve been waiting for
Will turn to rain
When the final line is over and
It’s certain that the curtain’s gonna fall
I can hide inside your sweet sweet love
For ever more
One Step Into The Light
The Moody Blues
One step into the light
One step away from night
It’s the hardest step you’re gonna take
The ship to take you there
Is waiting at the head
Of the stairs that lead up through your opening mind
Above the dark despair
Shines a light that we can share
Close your eyes and look up in between your brows
Then slowly breathing in
Feel the LIFE FORCE streaming in
Hold it there, then send it back to him
All the old things are returning
Cosmic circles ever turning
All the truth we’ve been yearning for
Life is our saviour, saviour, saviour, save your soul
The river of living breath
Is flowing through the sun
He was there before the earth began
The world will drag on you
Use his love to pull you through
Find the mission of your life and start to be
All the old things are returning
Cosmic circles ever turning
All the truth we’ve been yearning for
Life is our saviour, saviour, saviour, save your soul
There’s one thing I can do
Play my Mellotron for you
Try to blow away your city blues
Your dreams are not unfound
Get your feet back on the ground
The truth will set us free, we cannot lose
We cannot love, we just have to choose
Dear Boss
On the 12th September 2019 I arranged a meeting with Alison Cox.
I had recently told the learning team I did not wish to continue as a learning deliver because I felt I was not being given enough hours and to be honest I felt the newly employed delivers were being given work days and sessions that I was being given up until their employment.
I have been involved as a volunteer at Compton Verney for ten and a half years
Of those years I was a employed as a learning deliverer for four and a half years
I feel I was loyal, honest, reliable and totally committed.
I enjoyed all of the many projects and delivery sessions I undertook. Some were a challenge but I carried out the sessions and I think the students and the teachers and parents appreciated my work.
I have been involved in many projects from the early days of the forest school and I have been involved in all of the exhibitions and all of the evening exhibitions.
I have been involved in these exhibitions as a learning deliverer and a volunteer.
In the early days I even led a couple of schools history projects without being trained as a forest school leader.
I have worked many times with Welcome Hills School and special needs groups.
I have worked many times on home education schools.
I worked two years as Art in the Afternoon Leader.
Initially as the session was 2 pm until 4 pm I was asked to do this on half day pay.
I told Alice Kirk that I was not prepared to do this.
I arranged with her that I would come in around 11 am set up the space often alone and deliver the lesson often planned by Alice and myself and many times by myself alone at home.
The lesson would finish at 4 pm but I would not get away from the space until 5 pm on most occasions.
I would plan the lessons at home in my own time and often bring in my own props to make the still life more interesting for the class.
For schools I would research in depth the programmes that were needed for the visiting exhibitions and for the permanent exhibitions.
I always came in for every talk given by the curators.
On School days I was always in early and set up my room and the room of the second or third deliverers and stay until 3 pm to get the rooms ready for the next day’s lessons.
I have done special birthday parties.
Before Moira left I produced as a volunteer and paid worker many of the flyers and brochures and learning aids that are still used now in 2019.
Many of these items would take me hours and hours of work.
I would come in if someone was sick or cancelled.
I made myself available for nearly 100% of the year.
At the end of 2018 I said I did not want to continue with Art in the Afternoon as I had taken it as far as I could.
In a meeting with Alison Cox and Joe Essen I was asked if I was willing to continue as the classes really enjoyed my involvement.
I requested one day extra pay a month for doing the planning that was required.
I was told that it was not affordable and I would be setting a president over the other learning deliverers. So I resigned from the sessions.
In 2019 Compton Verney employed several new learning deliverers.
At this point in time my work days went from sometimes five or even six days in twelve to one day in twenty four days.
When I made myself available for Welcome Hills I was given no days,
The Home Education appeared to be cancelled all but for one day.
The Life drawing classes were never made accessible to me even though I told the team I was trained and did a Life Drawing Professional course in Florence Italy.
I march 2019 the learning team had a meeting regarding ideas for school term breaks.
Only three learning delivers attended the meeting.
No new deliverers were in attendance.
The meeting was for us the deliverers to suggest ideas to bring into the gallery spaces. I was enthusiastic and forwarded a plan relating to the Eagle Tavern and the chimney sweep and forwarded several suggestions.
We were given a half day pay for our ideas and the rest of the day to give us a full days pay was made up with myself making the chimney which took me well over the extra half day to complete. I even came in on extra volunteer days to have the chimney ready for the sessions. Clifford Newgas helped me build this on his volunteer days.
Since the employment of the new deliverers I have been given three days prior to the summer school break. Two of these were China sessions and it involved the new deliverers shadowing the sessions so this felt I was training them to do my own job.
I admitted to Alison Cox that I decided to cancel these sessions.
The new all have other employment the learning deliver job at Compton Verney was my only job. This is why my availability is so.
I did 2 days for the May Bank Holidays break of the Green Dwelling sessions.
One of these I did alone on Sunday 26th May I admit Emma Gardener was around and checked on me and I took my thirty minutes lunch break.
The weather was very cold and when I packed up the session I went up to the desks and I asked Emma if there was anything that needed doing only out of loyalty and politeness. Emma said as I did not finish for another hour I could do some laminating. To be honest If I had been in charge I would have said No John you have been outside in the cold all day thanks go home and get warm.
Emma Gardener is not to blame for this as I feel she has been pressured from above. I should have said no and gone home but I didn’t.
In this last summer break I was given one day in the week and several Sundays plus Bank Holiday Monday. I felt this was wrong and the new larger team would mean that the days were shared out evenly.
I admit I should have brought this to the attention of the learning team at the time.
When I had thought hard about the situation I resigned from the delivering position.
I was told by Alison Cox on sending an e mail stating my feelings that I should have mentioned it. I agreed but some of the wording such as “you never complained about working weekends before” I felt insulting. I did not complain because the team was smaller and also we had two learning deliverers on weekends.
The fact that the Sundays and bank holiday Monday I would virtually be alone and in charge and have no learning team back up this is a big responsibility.
Remember we still only get the same rate of pay for such a responsibility.
Regarding Art in the Park in Leamington Spa
I told Susan Watt I would volunteer to help.
I had tried hard to get there as a volunteer to help Compton Verney.
I could not make it and felt I had let Sue down but when I found out that two people had been paid £25 and hour for handing out leaflets I was pretty annoyed.
I feel now right or wrong that the management wanted me to resign?
I had the meeting on the 12th September with Alison Cox because I just want to know what happened. I also wanted to read out to her everything that is stated here.
During the meeting with Alsion Cox her responses although she listened and was apologetic stating none of this was intentional. I do not really think she grasped my true feelings. Alison apologised and said she was sorry I felt the way I did. I do not feel the situation was resolved.
I still volunteer at Compton Verney.
I have done everything that has been asked of me in volunteering.
I have been Henry VIII, A soldier Napoleonic, A soldier WWII, A rabbit, and the Mad Hatter.
Now today I feel awkward and embarrassed as a learning team volunteer I will be producing items so the new deliverers you have employed to do my job, can do my job.
I feel angry, I feel sad and I feel betrayed.
To be honest I am totally shocked at what has happened in my situation.
Meeting with Alison Cox
Regarding the meeting with Alsion said shall we go to chat in the café over a coffee?
I said I don’t think I want other people to hear what I have to say.
I asked Alison if there was anything she wanted to say to me first.
Alison said that I had always done a good job you.
I asked if there was anything I have done wrong?
She replied that I had taken a picture on hatter day of child in top hat and posted it on social media.
I informed Alison that this was one of the team Little Alice and they had requested a photograph. It was with my own phone but you could not see the childs face as the hat was pulled well down over her eyes.
Alison apologised.
I went on to ask about the lack of communication regarding new deliverers employment.
Alison apologised.
I eventually read out most of what is written here.
Alison could see how upset I was but I don’t really think she felt any responsibility.
I explained I had been given hardly any work and Alison said it was not intentional.
Alison asked if I felt aggrieved because I should have had first dibs.
I felt this insult.
Alison asked if I wanted to be more appreciated.
Again I felt this insulting.
We all want to be appreciated but respected is a better term to my mind.
In the end I just told Alison of my utter disappointment with the learning team.
Again she apologised and said it was not meant and said Sorry many times.
She kept saying I am sorry you feel this way.
She asked me what I wanted. I said I just wanted Compton Verney to feel my disappointment.
She said she could see it and would relay the messages but I don’t think she will.
I am writing all this because I want the Compton Verney management to see and understand my disappointment .
At present I am continuing to volunteer but I am considering stopping this after ten and a half years.
John Bishop.
