play my cards right V house of cards

I put my blog behind a privacy setting for a while because journalists have started banging down my door. I didn't want to want to involve the press. I didn't want them to get their hands on the blog and muddy the waters. I wanted to do this properly, work the system. Play the council game, play by the council rules. Play my cards right, essentially. It hasn't got me very far. House of cards.

Since then my blog has been picked up by another blogger whom I've been following, weirdly enough 'Live From the Heygate'. He/she called me on it. Made me think - do I have anything to hide? No. What I do have is a really short timeline. I am hoping we can connect. He/she has the voice of the people. It would be an interesting meeting. I am sure I would learn a lot.

wandsworth community council presenting

Finally got the meeting with the council. It took 9 weeks. And get this, they called me! You know you are getting somewhere when they call you, I thought to myself. The initial contact wasn't what I would call a pleasant exchange. I think it would be fair to say it was more of a, "back off". It came the day after I presented at the Wandsworth Community Council.

You see, I wanted to reach the people. Talk to the people - tell them about my idea and how I thought it would play out. See if it had legs, from the peoples' perspective. It was only courtesy since my proposal concern the people of Heygate and the Elephant & Castle Community at large.

I have tried to reach the people through the more traditional channels, Southwark outreach workers and committee members et al but to no avail. So I asked for a deputization (guest speaker) slot at the community meeting. I presented to 65 members of the community. When I got to the 'coloured in' building slide (pictured above, original by Kim Laughton) I got an audiable wow. No kidding! A, "WOW" like a giant comic book speech bubble rose and formed above their heads. And after my last slide - I don't think it would be lying to say the applause was raptuous. They felt it. The saw the potential. Oh one women shouted in my face and gave me a few things to think about. She was marginally calmer when I told her that I would not be using tax payers money.

Anyway, it prompted this call from the Cultural Services Team the next day. I didn't take the bait. I just listened to the senseless polemic that lasted about three and a half minutes. I was polite. They hung up. Another call came two days later form the same person. I was asked to submit a proposal for a meeting with the creative services team.