Among the many talents in the armoury of Keith Mitchell, the leader of Oxfordshire County Council, must be the ability to read people’s minds.

Frankly, we were scared when we read his latest musings on long, boring meetings because we couldn’t agree more.

We nodded in agreement when we read his wise words: “Attending a meeting can be a real chore if the chairman of that meeting does not handle it properly.

“The meeting will very often over-run, as one or two talkative people hog the limelight when the favourite item comes up for discussion.

“The knock-on effect is that diaries have to be rearranged and productive time is lost.”

Crikey. The ‘Kaiser’ and The Insider thinking the same thoughts. This is worrying.

But wait. Hang on a minute, we remember numerous, soul-destroyingly-long meetings inside the dark annals of County Hall were chaired by the ‘Kaiser’ himself. But perhaps things have changed.

The usually steadfast and reliable Labour city councillor Ed Turner was not quite himself this week. The Insider was told a member of the Press wanted the deputy council leader to pose for a picture. Pronto.

Usually, it wouldn’t be a problem, but struggling to hear what Mr Turner was saying on the other end of the phone, the reporter just about managed to make out sketchy details that he had fallen off his bike at the weekend and smashed up his face.

He also apologised for “talking oddly”.

IS IT just me, or are there other victims of this wall-to-wall sycophantic mourning of Michael Jackson? “Great career move” was what Elvis’ manager was rumoured to have said on hearing the King had died. And so it is with Jacko – albums, downloads, memorabilia and sequin-lined gloves are flying off the shelves.

Of course the public mood isn’t helped by people like Oxfordshire’s Jack FM, which for 24 hours starting last Friday, played nothing but Jackson songs, soundbites and snippets from King of Pop documentaries.

The station even changed its name, albeit temporarily, to Jacko FM.

Give me strength.

A publicity campaign at Paddington railway station currently extols the virtues of Oxford – just 59 minutes by train (although not the last time we travelled it wasn't).

But we are not sure what to make of the First Great Western ad which says “enlightenment just when you need it” adding “lose yourself in the reading rooms of the Radcliffe Camera for a while”.

Really? We always thought the magnificent building – built by James Gibbs – was closed to the public.