All entries for Thursday 16 June 2005

Finished dry laying the patio

Follow-up to More and more digging from Kieran's blog

I've not had a chance to do much work on the garden after work this week as I've been busy. However, this evening I managed to dry lay the rest of the patio to see if it fits…and it does!

Now I need to lift all those slabs up again and re-compact down the sand with a compactor I need to hire this weekend. Then, this weekend I'll get a cement mixer and start properly laying the patio…yay!

: 16 Jun 2005 22:08 |  Tags: New House |  Comments (8) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Dear Hospitality

Writing about An ode to Westwood – the forgotten campus from Julie's blog

This is an email I wrote to be passed on to Hospitality earlier this afternoon…I'm not angry…noooooo. I hate having to write stuff like this, I'm just not very good at it, but these things have to be said.

I was hoping you could pass on my concerns about the announcement that the Westwood Restaurant is going to close.

We've been told for years that the facilities at Westwood would improve and all we've seen is the closure of a swimming pool and the closure of the only place to eat…this does not sound like progress to me.

Registrar, Jon Baldwin, says: "We recognise that people will be disappointed but hope that University members understand the need for Warwick Hospitality to generate continuing surpluses for the benefit of the University."

This has got to be the most inconsiderate and insulting way to announce the closure of an important facility for lots of people. Is it really true that every service has to make a profit to be kept open? As I understand it, the small CostCutter also operates at a loss, will this close. I'm fairly sure the sports centre is pretty expensive to run…close it down! Surely it can not just be about the money, what about the welfare of the staff and students at Westwood?

It appears that there was no consultation with the staff of Westwood, not even the heads of the departments based over here. There is also no explanation about whether there has been any alternatives considered to a flat out closure in 10 days time. What about just down-sizing the operation or changing the range of food/drink offered? There is also no indication as to the use of the building in the future.

We've always had a rough time of it from Warwick Hospitality over the years, not just Westwood, but all staff and students who want something to eat out of term time. I still find it stunning that they are unable to operate a system where staff/students and conference guests can share the use of the catering facilities at Westwood and main campus during the holidays. It is clear what the priorities over at Hospitality are…money, money, money.

Thank you for your time

Kieran Shaw
IT Services
WESTWOOD!

: 16 Jun 2005 14:10 |  Comments (2) |  Close comments |  Report a problem