Complaints & Mistakes
| Published date | 01 September 1981 |
| DOI | 10.1177/026455058102800418 |
| Date | 01 September 1981 |
| Author | Ronald Lindop |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
144
And
if
’non-aiming’
results
in
’hitting
the
target’
who
defines
the
target,
and
how?
’Letting
go’
may
be
frightening,
it
also
seems
to
me
to
be
myopic,
ineffectual
and
self-indulgent.
Perhaps
it
is
’easier’
to
work
with
clearly
defined
contracts
(and
by
implication
less
’rewarding’?)
but
if
I
were
a
client
I
know
which
system
I
would
prefer
and
whose
words
I
would
find
the
more
confusing.
Finally,
if
anyone
still
thinks
that
the
aims
of
the
Probation
Service
are
’easily
achievable’
they
must
already
be
living
the
hermit-
like
existence
on
a
remote
mountain
that
I
recommend
to
Bob
Anderson
as
the
best
venue
for
the
attainment
of
’pur-
poselessness
through
purpose’:
Yours
faithfully,
IAN
HANKINSON
Probation
Officer,
Marathon
Beach
Hotel,
Nea
Makri,
Attiki,
Greece.
Complaints
&
Mistakes
Dear
Sir,
On
return
to
the
office
recently
after
annual
holidays,
the
Probation
Jouri7al,
with
other
papers,
was
awaiting
my
per-
usal
and
I
was
rather
shocked
to
see
the
substituted
title
’Windy
Bridlington’,
in
bold
print,
heading
my
contribution
on
page
97.
The
town
needs
that
kind
of
publicity
like
it
needs
an
earthquake.
I
had
given
a
fair
amount
of
thought
to
my
own
title
of
’Bridlington-3
B’s’,
which
was
intentionally
enigmatic,
and
not
just
’off
the
cuff’,
as
you
may
have
thought,
and
I
am
therefore
now
prepar-
ing
my
sincere
apologies
to
the
local
publicity
officer.
I
did
not
receive
the
promised
’edited
proofs’,
for
if
I
had,
my
second
com-
plaint
would
have
been
made
unneces-
sary.
I
have been
in
the
Service
for
24
years,
and
so
far
as
I
am
aware,
there
has
never
been
another
officer
of
the
same
surname,
so
it
should
not
have
been
too
difficult
to
ascertain
my
Christian
name
which
is
RONALD,
not
RICH-
ARD.
My
final
comment
refers
to
the
para-
graph
headed
’The
Harbour’,-‘cobbles’
are
rounded
stones,
’cobles’
(as
per
my
draft)
are
a
type
of
fishing
boat.
However,
my
feelings
about
all
this
were
assuaged
somewhat
on
receipt
of
a
letter
from
an
82
years
old
ex-probation
officer.,
Annie
M.
L.
Hayden,
formerly
of
Hull
and
now
of
Barrow
in
Furness,
who
says
that
she
enjoyed
reading
my
article
which
brought
back
many
memories
for
her,
and
in
expression
of
her
thanks
she
has
enclosed
a
cheque
of
£50
as
her
contribution
to
the
Edridge
Fund,
via
Mr
P.
J.
Simpson’s
effort.
Perhaps
you
will
put
the
record
straight
by
printing
this
in
the
next
Journal’s
’Letters’.
Yours
faithfully,
RONALD
LINDOP
Bridlington
REVIEW
Troubles
Shared:
The
Story
of
a
Settlement
1899-1979
JOYCE
RIMMER
Phlogiston Publishing
(318
Summer
Lane, B19 3RL).
Those
who
study
the
history
of
social
work
and
ideas
will
be
both
saddened
and
heartened
by
this
book.
Last
century
there
were
problems
of
unemployment,
ill
health,
family
breakdown
and
the
inferior
status
of
women.
There
were
also
determined,
formidable
people
will-
ing
to
make
a
nuisance
of
themselves
to
get
changes
made.
’For
in
a
settlements
we
study
the
disease,
not
of
the
indivi-
dual
but
of
society...’.
That
from
the
Annual
Report
of
1902.
Some
of
the
book
will
be
of
interest
mainly
to
those
who
know
Birmingham
and
its
settlement,
but
all
will
learn
that
progress
is
slow
and
wise
words
in
the
concluding
chapter
speak
of
unavoidable
tensions
between
management,
staff,
helpers
and
clients
in
a
complex
organ-
isation.
The
book,
clearly
written
and
well
produced
on
high
class
paper
has
some
delightful
photographs,
a
comprehensive
index
and
gives
pleasure
to
handle.
JACK
PORTER
Sheffield
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