complaints X box 360 Piccolinos england choice of leads
One of those mornings yesterday. Every phone call that came in, every e-mail I opened was a complaint. An angry restaurateur indignant that we'd printed a council report criticising cleanliness - a case of don't shoot the messenger. A major figure in the arts community taking issue with one of my columnists. A woman seething about what she claimed was a wrong address appearing in a court report.
All had points to make, good ones and not so good ones. All part of the job, and it's the wrong job if you want to spend your life talking to happy people.
Arguing - constuctively - amongst ourselves here yesterday. A string of great stories in the morning prompted a healthy debate over what should be our second edition lead. The floods, burglars stabbing gallant have-a-go householders in Bootle and the Primary School Kids who folied bank raiders.
My deputy Andy Campbell liked the stabbings on the basis that this kind of public-hits-back bravery is always a talking point. Assistant Editor Andy Edwards and news editor Alison Gow preferred the kids on the basis that it was really unusual and more upbeat.
In the end I went with the kids - not much in it but I felt we were a little short of detail on the burglary and there were a few gaps that needed filling in. No right or wrong decisions - just gut feel. It's far from an exact science.
Cheered up over lunch at Piccolinos with the ultra-elegant Alison Hastings. Alison is an ex-newspaper editor who does some work for, amongst others, the city council. She always makes me laugh and obviously understands the highs (mostly) and lows of the job.
Food and service always brilliant at Piccolinos. Had tomato and basil spaghetti plus mineral water as the assault on a stone-and-a-half begins.
Meetings in the afternoon and left office at six. Harry's birthday. Managed second half of the England match while Harry was at drama class. Couldn't help but feel sorry for Paul Robinson.
Messed around with Harry on his new X-BOX 360. Couldn't believe the extent of the violence or the crudity of the language. Just like being back at work.
