Back from Gateshead
I’ve just returned from a short trip to Gateshead in the north-east of England where, on behalf of the Communications Consumer Panel, I made a presentation at a conference on next generation broadband.
The event was held in the Gateshead Council Chamber where I found myself sitting in the seat normally occupied by the Leader of the Opposition (a Liberal Democrat – there have never been any Tories on the Council!) and admiring a banner of the National Union of Mineworkers (don’t imagine that’s very common in other town halls).
On the trains to and from Newcastle, I could see the monumental Angel of the North. The conference was held in the Gateshead Civic Centre which contains a small scale replica of the Angel of the North which apparently featured on the “Antiques Roadshow” television series where it was valued at £1 million.
Since I spent the night previous to the event in Gateshead, I was able to have dinner with my good friend Mavis Smith. We both used to work for communications trade unions in the telecoms sector, but I had not seen her in the 11 years since she retired.
So it was a trip in which I was able to combine the professional and the personal.