I get up early and Rich comes down to have a cup of tea with me as I have breakfast. He will have his meal later with Thomas, who is off to Tunbridge Wells for the weekend. I dress in smart clothes and preen myself for the interview which feels very strange after nine days on the road.
I drive to King's Lynn again, but this time concentrating on interview techniques rather than paths or the countryside. I arrive around ten am: the worst time to find a parking space at the Queen Elizabeth. I put my car where I can and enter the building.
I spend the rest of the morning going through my focus group questions. I do an online leadership test sent round by a QEH colleague and discover that my leadership style is 'visionary influencer' whatever that means. I remember not to repeat this when asked about the relevant question later on.
After an early lunch, I head downstairs to the executive corridor. Needless to say, the process starts late, but there are no sparrow hawks or muntjacs to occupy my mind while I'm waiting.
The afternoon passes in a haze of values, quality, achievements and aspirations and I go back to my office (is it still mine?) to await the verdict and meanwhile meet up with a colleague worried about service sustainability.
Like a watched pot boiling, my phone doesn't ring and I walk back downstairs to catch Raghu, the outgoing acting medical director, who finishes this week. I spend some time talking to his successor and nothing is concluded by the time I find Raghu to say goodbye.
I leave the hospital passing the wild flower meadow, knowing that whatever happens, I'll be back walking tomorrow.
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