A helicopter that runs on champagne?

It's official. Prince Charles has finally been able to prove his eco-credentials, with an 18% reduction in his green footprint, his CO2 emissions now down to just 3081 tons. He's bought a Toyota Prius. He started the Brighton to London eco-rally last year.

There are energy efficient boilers at Clarence House and woodchip stoves at Highgrove, all working towards his promised 25% reduction between 2007 and 2012.

And to cap it all, he has converted his old Aston Martin - a 21st birthday present from the Queen, to run on alternative fuel. Although unlike the Japanese "water car" featured on this blog a week or so ago, the Prince's choice of fuel is - English wine. One assumes if he put in a French or German vintage, he'd have to drive on the other side of the road?

It's a shame the Prince's offspring don't share his visionary zeal. During Prince Harry's Royal Air Force training, he took five helicopter flights costing the taxpayer around £50,000, with one in particular - to a stag party on the Isle of Wight - costing just under £9000.

Perhaps we could find a helicopter that runs on champagne?

Another vague "customer knows best" plan?

So it's finished. After a painstaking twelve months of work and after collating the views of around sixty thousand patients and staff, Lord Ara Darzi has finally pronounced on his review of the NHS. I well remember in early September last year going to the London Beach Golf and Country Club in Tenterden to join a luncheon hosted by Lord Darzi and David Nicholson, Chief Executive of the NHS. The small but select audience were treated to a few opening comments about the review. It promised to be exhaustive; to be brave. It promised to be innovative and not to be sidetracked. So?

It's the patient, stupid. Their views will affect funding, their death rates will be published, their choice of drugs and treatments will be respected, and their GPs will be funded differently to make it easy for them to change practices.

But how many times have we heard this? The GPs I've spoken to since taking responsibility for Kent Adult Social Services have all told me how heartily fed up they are with bright idea after bright idea; with reorganisations on average every five years, and never enough time allowed to bed down changes before the next bright idea comes along.

Some ideas - like personal care plans or access to personal budgets for those with long-term conditions - are things which social services departments have been doing for some time now. Others - like the option to travel to Europe for treatment in UK waiting lists are too long - rely on the patient being able to travel, and the preferred country having the right medical team, the right pharmaceuticals, and hospital or clinic capacity.

Judge for yourself. But I'd rather have seen some real blue-sky thinking building on the dedication of the hundreds of thousands of dedicated staff in the system already, rather than another vague "customer knows best" plan.

Certainly beats reading endless policy papers!

I've always loved cooking, although anything I make takes hours and anyone I'm making dinner for is usually fast asleep by the time the meal's ready.

Recently, I've started experimenting with curries, using "50 Great Curries of India" by Camellia Panjabi. It takes a little work assembling the spices and preparing the ingredients (why hasn't someone invented a fool proof grater for fresh coconut?) but ultimately it's really worthwhile if you want an authentic Indian dish that doesn't taste like the "what do I have left in the fridge" curries your Mum used to make on a Friday night...

I also adore desserts, and so I was really pleased to see the Butter Sugar Flour blog site from Linda in Australia. I've not tried any of her recipes yet, but next weekend might be the turn of her Tiramisu Layer Cake.

Certainly beats reading endless policy papers!

The Village with a Heart

Yesterday saw the Pembury Primary School "Party in the Park" on the school field. The event, organised by the PTA, was massively well attended with literally hundreds of parents, children and friends enjoying a huge range of stalls, from tombola to china smashing, and from nail to face painting. Appearances by Premier Sport Football and Gymnastics, as well as the Pembury Youth Theatre Academy and Pembury Athletic Youth Football Club all added to the entertainment.

There was a well-organised barbecue offering hots dogs and burgers, and a bar with ice cold beers and soft drinks. Music was provided by RAM Discos, then between 4pm and 8pm by the appearance of excellent local band The Houdinis.

I was asked to judge and present prizes for a poster colouring competition, and later there was a raffle - all of which boosted PTA funds.

The weather added to a great afternoon and evening, and led one local friend to suggest that we should try and organise a twelve month video diary of Pembury - to show how everything contributes in their own way to the village with a heart.

The curious case of the small, but potentially dangerous flag

Hot on the heels of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council's "Thought Showering" episode this week, the latest Borough Council to fall prey to the media is Maidstone.

It seems from both local (Kent Messenger)and national press (Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph) that having taken delivery of a shiny new mayoral car, the Mayor of Maidstone Denise Joy has been told by her officers that it will not display either the borough insignia or flag - usually proudly affixed on the roof and the bonnet of any official vehicle.

And the reason? Health and safety. It seems that when the car is moving, a sudden rush of air might tear either flag or emblem off and fling them into the path of the vehicle behind. Has this ever happened? Well - er - no. But is certainly could do, says Neil Haris, Maidstone's Democratic Services Manager.

Maidstone councillors are already furious at the switch from a "British" Jaguar to the more environmentally-friendly hybrid Lexus GS450H costing some £40,000. Now, they say, the arrival of the Mayor of Maidstone without insignia could result in her car being diverted to a mere 'public car park' by mistake - imagine that.

So now all that's distinctive about the mayoral vehicle is the prestige number plate - 1 MKP - although perhaps this should be changed in case a member of the public is confused by the plate and begins 'thought showering'?

St Barnabas Primary School - a hidden jewel

Tonight, I just watched one of the best school performances I've seen in years. The head teacher of St Barnabas Primary School in Quarry Road, Teresa Anderson invited me to attend the Year 6 production - Alan Ayckbourn's "Ellies Incredible Illucinations". I was shown to a front row "guest of honour" seat, and the lights went down.

This was a wonderful single act play, acted beautifully by almost thirty children. The backdrop - a living room, library and doctor's surgery - was superbly painted, the scene changes done quietly and efficiently by the children themselves.

The play started promptly at 6.30pm, and was finished by 7pm, leaving a packed audience cheering for more. St Barnabas CEP School really is a hidden jewel at the foot of Camden Road. More power to the Head and her truly passionate staff.

At the sharp end of the biggest issue in politics

Last evening, I attended a meeting at Portcullis House in Westminster with Stephen O'Brien, MP for Eddisbury in Cheshire and Shadow Health Minister. With me were my opposite number Social Services Cabinet Members from Surrey, Oxfordshire, East and West Sussex and Hampshire.

It was an interesting and productive meeting, and we gained a valuable insight into the direction of travel of Conservative social care policy. We asked for the meeting since our group, SECASC - South East Councils Adult Social Care - represents the adult social services of all the south east counties, and we wanted to see how we could work alongside our Parliamentarians to shape the future agenda.

Stephen was generous with his time and consummately professional. We discussed safeguarding, learning disability funding and transfer, VAT legislation, dementia and the personalisation agenda. Whilst the detail of our joint work is clearly politically sensitive, we all felt there was a clear forward direction, and understand the constructive role local government in general - and our group in particular - can play. Stephen observed that we were "at the sharp end of the biggest issue in politics". Let's hope our joint work can start to make a real difference.