Week 4 - Commencing 23 January
I have had a busy training week this week with only one rest day. Out of the six days I ran on 4 and did spinning on one day and swam on the other. Given the dark mornings and dark nights and the fact that there are only about 2 lamp posts in the village I live in, I am running some of my sessions on a treadmill in the gym. Whilst this brings with it shelter and warmth, it is also very boring. I therefore tend to do my interval sessions on the treadmill where I vary the speeds that I am running at. It is still pretty boring though...
For some reason whatever day of the week I choose do to my long run, you can guarantee this is the day that we have a very hard frost. Friday morning saw me heading out to clock up 10 miles whilst what felt like the rest of the school mums returned home to light the fire and have a cup of tea and a biscuit whilst watching Phillip and Holly. I am sure this wasn't really the case but it was the image I had in my head as I set out for my run in freezing temperatures! The first 2 miles of my run were effectively an ice skating rink. I spent the entire time trying to find the least slippery part of the road to run on. I could see the look of amusement on passing driver's faces as they drove past me whilst I did my best not to look like a clumsy over sized ballerina...
If you would like to sponsor me you can do so by visiting my justgiving page at:
http://www.justgiving.com/Sarah-Miles1
You can also donate using JustTextGiving. To do so send the following text code 'STES51' followed by the amount you wish to donate to 70070. For example, 'STES02 £10' to 70070.
Alternatively please feel free to contact me to sponsor me by any other means at smiles@nockolds.co.uk or on 01279 712584.
Sarah Miles (profile) 
Tuesday 31st January 2012
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Week 3 - Commencing 16 January
I am in full swing now and have somehow worked out how to squeeze in 5 training sessions into my week plus working, running a home and looking after 2 children! My training pattern is fairly standard and sees me doing an interval session, a tempo (fastish) run, a long run and the other 2 sessions usually involve another run and a spinning class or getting out on my bike or going for a swim. I am also doing some weights in the gym.
I had a big boost this week with two visits to St Elizabeth's. The first of which was truly humbling. The facilities are amazing and the care and support the residents and students are given is outstanding. The highlight was seeing a relation of mine, a 15 year old boy that is distantly related to my mum. This gave me a real boost. I had a second visit on Saturday with all the other marathon runners who are raising money for St Elizabeth's too. It was great to meet them and get some training and fundraising tips.
Back to the training... with renewed enthusiasm after my visit I set out for my long run on a very windy and damp morning. As I set out I hadn't really planned where I was going to run. Unfortunately my feet took me on a very hilly route with one hill in particular which is what I shall call challenging! The route is actually very pleasant and takes me round some beautiful countryside. With the rush of endorphins experienced when running it never fails to make me feel grateful for living in such a beautiful place... that is until I pass a field where someone has done the unthinkable. Fly tipping really gets my goat as it is completely unnecessary. Usually upon discovery rubbish that has been dumped on a farmer's land, my feelings of joy are quickly replaced with feelings of outrage. However on this particular occasion, my overwhelming feelings were not of outrage at the abhorrent behaviour but instead... I actually found myself wondering whether I could take a lay down on the dumped mattress in the field... it was halfway up the truly awful hill you see. I resisted and carried on plodding up the hill!
If you would like to sponsor me you can do so by visiting my justgiving page at:
http://www.justgiving.com/Sarah-Miles1
You can also donate using JustTextGiving. To do so send the following text code 'STES51' followed by the amount you wish to donate to 70070. For example, 'STES02 £10' to 70070.
Alternatively please feel free to contact me to sponsor me by any other means at smiles@nockolds.co.uk or on 01279 712584.
Sarah Miles (profile) Tuesday 24th January 2012
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Hertfordshire are considering the alternative of promoting someone from within but doing away with their job instead of the CEO role.
Other Authorities are taking the opportunity, when their CEO retires, of approaching neighbouring authorities and asking if they can share their CEO. This raises the question of whether that CEO will be able to give sufficient time to both authorities and if not will one or both of the Authorities suffer? The CEO is only as good as his staff so sharing a CEO will probably work in well-run authorities but in authorities that are already struggling this is unlikely to be the answer.
Ms Tapster is currently paid over £200,000 in her role as CEO but the Council are hoping to persuade her replacement to accept the new role but to remain on the same or slightly increased salary. If her replacement is an internal appointment they propose that the position that the replacement comes from will not be replaced and that the newly appointed CEO will remain on the same pay scale as their previous role. This would result in a saving to the council of over £200,000.
In December Councillor David Lloyd said:
“The need to constrain public spending means that the council’s total income is falling while the pressure to spend increases, particularly because of inflation and the cost of meeting the needs of Herts’ aging population……..Taken together, these factors mean that we have to reduce our spending by around £200m a year by 2014-15.”
So what are the alternatives for councils who have to find £200m a year in savings? Well getting rid of highly paid staff and not replacing them or replacing them with someone less expensive is clearly one avenue being explored by Hertfordshire CC and other authorities but a saving of 0.1% leaves £199,800,000 to be found.
Cllr Lloyd has indicated that they are three-quarters of the way towards their target but savings of this scale cannot be made by internal re-organisation alone. Some of us have already noticed these cuts including the turning off of street lights, reduced bus services and funding cuts to various charities.
The outcome of today’s council meeting will be watched carefully by many of us who care about our Council. Nockolds recognise that these are difficult times and cut backs and savings need to be made but the Council must do all they can to ensure this has as little impact on their residents and local businesses as possible.
Ivan Moody 23rd January 2012
Ivan Moody (profile) 
Monday 23rd January 2012
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Week 2 - Commencing 9 January
I upped my training this week which saw me fitting in 4 runs, a spinning class, some weights in the gym and a swim. Two of my running sessions were on a treadmill in the gym and therefore in the warmth and comfort of being indoors. The cold spell hit in the second half of the week as I had to take to the roads... The first of these was meant to be a 'tempo' (fast) 5 mile run. However given the state of the country lanes, I was unable to achieve a tempo speed and instead shuffled round watching every footstep I took in a bid to avoid falling over. The following day brought another hard frost but still saw me heading out for a chilly 10 mile run. As I came back into the village I saw one of my neighbours, wrapped up in what looked like ski wear heading to the pub, no doubt for a pint in front of the fire. He took one look at me and just shook his head. I guess he won't be joining me for one of my training runs!
If you would like to sponsor me you can do so by visiting my justgiving page at:
http://www.justgiving.com/Sarah-Miles1
You can also donate using JustTextGiving. To do so send the following text code 'STES51' followed by the amount you wish to donate to 70070. For example, 'STES02 £10' to 70070.
Alternatively please feel free to contact me to sponsor me by any other means at smiles@nockolds.co.uk or on 01279 712584.
Sarah Miles (profile) Tuesday 17th January 2012
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The headlines and discussions in the media suggest that these claims are a way of gaining “easy money” and that insurance companies pay out automatically. Cutting through the hype and innuendo, it should be made clear that in order to succeed with a personal injury claim for whiplash or any injury, the injured person needs to prove that the other driver was at fault i.e ‘negligent’. If this can be proved then they are entitled to compensation for the injury suffered.
Over recent years, the insurance industry has lobbied hard for a revised process to deal with low value road traffic accidents. An on-line process is now in place. Insurers will often press for a General Practitioner’s report to be obtained to prove the injury rather than a more expensive neck and spine expert, such as Orthopaedic Surgeon. The medical experts instructed owe a duty to the Court to be independent. They are not ‘hired guns’. If properly instructed by a qualified, experienced, personal injury lawyer, the medical expert will be asked to review the person’s medical history and comment on whether the accident has caused an injury or that there are other causes for the injured persons pain and discomfort.
If an injured person suffers for only a few weeks, then the claim is unlikely to be taken any further. In order to recover legal costs, the claim must be worth more than £1,000.00. Under the Court guidelines the reality is that unless an injury is suffered for 2-3 months, this level of compensation would not be awarded. If an injured person has instructed a solicitor or has been referred to a solicitor by their insurance company, which is often the case, then they would be personally responsible for the legal fees.
Whilst some whiplash claims do involve a relatively short to medium term injury which may need some physiotherapy or other treatment, there are occasions when even a relatively minor accident can have a devastating effect on someone’s life. For someone with a vulnerable back or with a pre-existing problem, even an accident at a slow speed can cause devastating injuries, or accelerate the problems experienced. In the past Nockolds have dealt with a case where a person was involved in a relatively minor rear end shunt. The solicitor instructed by her insurer initial dealt with this as a minor 6 month whiplash injury. She did not recover within 6 months and decided to seek a second opinion from Nockolds. When we investigated further, the medical evidence found that due to a pre-existing problem with her back and neck, the accident made her symptoms at least 200% more severe, and had the accident not occurred, these symptoms would not have materialised for another 15 years. Unfortunately due to the severity of her injury, our client was unable to continue working as a trainer for vulnerable adults with learning difficulties. Having loved her job for more than 20 years, this affected her emotionally and psychologically. The medical evidence of two Consultants confirmed the accident had significantly altered the likely progression of her back problem, and therefore she was entitled to recover compensation for this and for the impact it had on her ability to work. The claim was resolved and compensation (including loss of earnings) received just two months before her mortgage company were due to take the final steps to repossess her home. So whilst on the face of it, whiplash claims can be trivial, this is not always true and without proper investigation injustice will arise.
The insurance industry are suggesting that on one hand, expert legal representation is not required, but then arguing that these injuries should be fully proved and tested.
Former Justice Minister Jack Straw was heard on Radio 4 Today programme, speaking about referral fees. These fees have clouded the impression of independence on both sides. Insurers have sold on peoples’ details following the reporting of an accident, in return for a fee paid by the solicitors or claims management companies. Despite the strict professional codes of conduct, and even where solicitors are meeting their obligations to their clients, there is a suspicion that independence is lost.
Jennie Jones of Nockolds LLP explained that “our independence is key and we took the decision, as a firm, not to pay referral fees for personal injury claims. We have criticised insurance companies for making money from selling on their customers information and for them encouraging people to make claims when their injuries may not be severe enough for them to consider taking this action themselves. We are committed to providing those injured in accidents with honest and clear advice as to whether they have a claim, and if so, whether it is a claim worth pursuing. This advice should not be tainted in any way by clients’ fears that there are links with the other parties insurer, their own insurance company or another interested party. Reputable and experienced personal injury lawyers will investigate claims and will consider whether the injured person can justify bringing a claim whether their injury is severe enough:
- to warrant compensation above the small claims limit;
- incurring the legal costs of doing so;
- to cause financial implications such as loss of earnings or the need for care.
Compensation is not paid out automatically and an injured person has to overcome a number of hurdles before their claim is successful and they recover compensation. It is very difficult for an individual who has not been through the process before to deal with the might of a multinational insurance company whose aim is to pay as little as possible and take their shareholders interest.”
Injured people with genuine claims need representation and accurate, honest advice as to whether to pursue a claim in the first place. Without this experienced advice, claims may not be handled and resolved fairly (either for the injured person or society as a whole, in terms of insurance premiums).
Following a review and consultation during 2010 and 2011, the Government has put forward various proposals and reforms to the personal injury claims system and these are currently being debated in the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment for Offenders Bill, which is being considered in detail by Parliamentary Committees. It is likely that referral fees will be banned, and other changes made to how the legal costs of claiming, and personal injury claims are recovered. These will significantly change the personal injury landscape and it is yet to be seen whether this will be to the detriment of those who have genuine claims and a right to compensated.
If you would like to discuss an injury claim, or the claims process generally, please contact Jennie Jones on 01279 712537 or email accidents@nockolds.co.uk.
Jennie Jones (profile) 
Thursday 12th January 2012
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