Apart from star gazing, the aim of conference for some people seems to be where to find the best reception. By that, I mean free food and drink: the best so far being the SCottish group on SUnday evening. Delicious canapés and free flow alcohol. I can only assume that the EAst Midlands reception was a three course sit down meal, and we were stopped at their door.
Kudos to the NUT who were offering apples for the teachers, so that sustained me for a while during the day.
I had been ‘warned’ to expect freebies thrust upon delegates by way of leaflets and booklets, but when I came across freebie canvas bags, it just opened the door to the expansion of my collection of documentation. I am now into serious excess baggage mode.
Conference Sunday offered an early morning Church event, but I sat it out in the Hall all day.
To get into conference you pass through security, and POlice are in evidence all round the various venues but I was a bit surprised to find G4S manning the gates. They don’t have the best reputation of keeping their workforce or indeed their ‘prisoners’ under control. Maybe theres to be no escaping Brighton.
I turned down the chance to go food hunting and gathering and took the advice of my landlord to visit Brighton’s Lanes: where all the restaurants and wine bars are situated. Having paid 3.50 for a cup of tea in a paper cup in the Grand, I wasn’t hopeful of getting away without a second mortgage for my dinner. But lovely food in comfortable surroundings can be had. 10.00 later I was fed and watered and on my way back to my Hotel. On the way through the lanes, I happened upon aa blue light (yes a blue light) which was a charging post for electric car/ vehicle. Clearly the Caroline Lucas effect!
And so to Monday….