Jacob Williams https://jacobwilliams.com

We’ll have to wait until Friday’s vote count to know who they are, but Pembrokeshire’s new cohort of councillors emerging from tomorrow’s local elections may never experience a pre-pandemic-style full council chamber.

Fully remote meetings – where everybody attends through an online video conferencing platform – have run well at PCC in my opinion, despite problems, although I know many councillors can’t stand this way of doing things.

Attempts by the authority to run hybrid meetings – the inherently difficult format where some attend from home, while others are there in person – have been beset by technical difficulties.

One thing we know for sure though is that, due to legal changes brought in by Cardiff Bay, we’ll have to get used to it.

The option of remote attendance will be the future for local government in Wales, a change so far resisted in England.

I’m given to understand that all councillors will be able to attend the first AGM of Pembrokeshire’s newly-elected county council – on 26th May – in the council chamber.

Not since 27th February, 2020, has an assembly of all councillors been held at County Hall.

One of the benefits of the covid-necessitated move to holding remote council and committee meetings has been convenience.

It’s allowed councillors to attend meetings, or not, from anywhere – provided they have access to the necessary technology.

I’ve got quite the setup, and join meetings from my desk with my trusty feline friend Trixie keeping me in check at mission control.

Very occasionally, Kitty (the really nosy cat who thinks she’s a human) will show an interest and join me – always fleetingly, most famously when caught on camera swiping at Trixie, with whom she gets on well despite video evidence to the contrary!

Up top in these webcam meetings I may be presenting a posh jacket and tie “looking like something out of Burton’s window,” as Old Grumpy, the author of that other website puts it.

But even the highest-ranking officer of the fashion police has no clue that, under my desk is lurking the elasticated waistband and lime green Crocs of doom.

Humans are social animals, and the loss of the tea room/council chamber interaction is a big downside.

But remote meetings do also bring with them many newly-found insights into people’s inner sanctums.

As any observer of human behaviour will tell you, seeing and hearing people in their own territory can give away a lot more than would be the case in other settings.

Whether it’s Ken Rowlands’ loud quarter-chiming wall clock which cuts through everything in its path, or an oblivious Phil Kidney caught singing 80s rock, the people-watchers (and listeners) have been given a lot to go on.

There’s Tony Baron’s unreasonably large book collection. Peter Morgan’s on-mic f-bomb. As each meeting goes by, we’ve gained some rather charming and often humanising insights to our elected representatives’ daily lives that wouldn’t otherwise have been possible.

Jamie Adams’ saintlike patience when interrupted by his young kids just as he’s getting to his point, and Aaron Carey’s hopeless fight against the broadband and microphone gods – every meeting without fail – reminds us that the struggle in this, the so-called digital age, is real.

Some of it has even been compelling.

That time I saw Brian Hall ruthlessly demolishing a ham butty (white, probably no mustard) in his living room was up there with any wildlife documentary’s hunt scene, for me. It didn’t stand a chance.

I must admit my people-watching has also led to an ever-growing list of nosy questions to which I know I deserve no answer.

Is the meaning of life to be found somewhere inside David Bryan’s generous filing cabinet?

Could John Davies not find bigger headphones?

When in-person meetings resume, will Tim Evans continue to start every contribution with a lengthy pause followed by: “can you hear me?”

Where does that small door high up behind Di Clements lead to, and who could possibly fit through it?

Why does Bob Kilmister need such an industrial-sized printer?

When did David Howlett’s treadmill last fulfil its primary purpose?

Best insight so far, though – for me, at least – came at the expense of Conservative group leader, Cllr. Rob Summons.

It’s no secret that, over the years, Rob’s been an avid reader of this blog. It’s also no secret that he likes to play down his keen interest!

A few months back during a remote meeting he inadvertently shared his screen to all participants.

He scrambled to stop it – but not before the damage was done.

Critically, at this key moment, Bob’s web browser was open. He must have been mortified at what we got to see.

Now you might think the following bombshell couldn’t possibly have been a more embarrassing revelation than the porn his party’s MP Neil Parish was caught ogling in the House of Commons chamber, last week.

Well I reckon it’s right up there with prurient Parish’s parliamentary porn-peeping.

Pride of place in Bob’s browser was a bookmark for jacobwilliams.com!

We cannot discount the possibility that this devastating blow to the former constable’s authority led Summons to retire at this election.

His only redemption? No bookmark for OldGrumpy.co.uk was anywhere to be seen…