Newcastle

Up early, colleague and I grab some breakfast before heading to the centre to set up.

It’s a bit of a rush, but we’re just about straight when the first of our 13 delegates start to arrive.

We now have two days to give these guys an in depth introduction to our specialist work area (am I being vague enough here?).

And do we mean in depth.

We make a good partnership I think, and it needs two people to break things up (it is very intensive) and to provide enough tutorial assistance to some who are struggling with the exercises.

We’re doing things from first principles here and in the absence of a computer for each delegate that means looking up tables and number crunching, where spreadsheets would normally take the strain and pain. But, on the plus side, this way they know the background and understand where things have come from.

That said, by the end of the day, we’re all exhausted, but whilst the delegates enjoy a drink in the bar, colleague and I are preparing the second day’s input.

The meal is good natured and the banter flowing freely, but colleague heads bedward early and not too much later I leave the guys in the bar to play and head back to my room to finish up some last bits for tomorrow before hitting the pillows.