Aide has left Hong Kong, but flight changed. Instead of via Paris, it's now via Helsinki. Except that I wake up to find that he hasn't gone anywhere and is still on the ground in HK. Sweltering after 4 hours with six grotty kids in front. He will miss the connection and have to stay overnight in Helsinki.
So, I don't have to go to Manchester Airport today. More time to tweckle and watch the highlight of today's plinth for all twecklers. The loudest and most opinionated tweckler 'R', has managed to get a stand-in place for 2pm.
Like a great deal to do with this project, I wonder what history will make of the social networking sites, Twitter, Facebook, My Space etc: I joined Twitter and Facebook over a year ago for marketing purposes. But I do use them for personal stuff and they have been useful in connecting with family.
When I first looked at the One and Other main page, I could see...and indeed read the tweets, but couldn't work out how to contribute. The contributions were mostly heckling the plinthers through twitter, so the term tweckling and twecklers had been created. It was a hashtag# thing and I had no idea how to find one on my keyboard or how to use it. Seems so simple now, but it wasn't then. I rang the O&O office and sent email, but no help was forthcoming. So I left it mostly, tried on the odd occassion and then one day pressed all the right keys and I was on.
The contributor, 'R', I felt overstepped the mark on occasions. One part of me thought him purely attention seeking and knew to leave alone. but another part could see that some people appeared in awe of him and wouldn't say anything to stop him. So I joined the affray...
...and have thoroughly enjoyed being part of yet another family, though temporary. It really has made the plinth appearance a much richer experience, because it added another dimension. I shall never forget that the guy on the cherry picker, who picked me up after my hour and wanted to report to me immediately that there had been some good tweckling in support of me and in particular from 'R'. The crew in the hut were full of surprise at his support too.
It's also a huge time waster, but Aide hasn't been here and there is an end in sight. Otherwise I would be more disciplined.
Meanwhile 'R' appeared at 2pm - and the twitter site went down. Conspiracy theories abound. His hour was a bit of a predicatble 'cock-up', but had many redeeming features. Humour, self deprication, an apology and a lesson in how to engage postively with a regular plinthside watcher in Trafalgar Square, who has irritated others.
As a professional observer of people's behaviour, I think I can count my plinth watching and tweckling as a work related activity. Well, that's my excuse. Perhaps I could put down as counting towards my CPD requirements? (Continuing Professional Development)
Melanie from Water Aid's media department rings. Can she put me in touch with a Daily Telegraph Journalist, who is writing an article about women's groups. No problem. Ring President Joanne to warn her.
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