The journey by rail to Brighton wasn’t too bad despite the engineering works. We managed to avoid having to change to a bus half way through the last leg of the journey, although we were rather alarmed when the train stopped and then appeared to be heading back in the direction it had just come from.
Both the Group and the main conference were a little tame this year with many motions getting carried without any proper debate. Both conferences had key people missing. The MoD Group conference was missing it’s President, Chris Dando, who had recently fallen over and broken his shoulder. The main conference was missing the General Secretary, Mark Serwotka, who is undergoing tests in a London hospital for a heart problem.
I only attended one fringe meeting this year because most of them didn’t appeal to me. This made it easier for me to find time to eat and network with people from other branches. The fringe meeting I did attend was called ‘Anti-privatisation’ which discussed the privatisation of public services. I managed to get an unexpected round of applause when there were problems getting the slide show started, so I got up and helped out.
I nearly forgot to mention that I walked an astounding 43 miles over the week. I clocked up 10 miles in one day alone!!! Due to a lack of planning the group hotel was over 2 miles away from the Group conference venue. The Brighton Centre where the main conference is held is also quite a trek, but thankfully not quite so far.
It was a hectic but fun week and after the scramble through London with our luggage, we caught the leisurely Wrexham & Shropshire train which is like stepping back into a different era. Just what we needed after such a hectic week. Now all I need to do is gather my thoughts and catch up on some sleep 
After which I shall post in more detail about some of the issues that were debated.
10 miles a day – I’d have no hope keeping up with you. Perhaps you needed a bike.
I think getting round the centre of Brighton on a bike might take even longer than walking due to the traffic. If I was walking on my own it took me 25 minutes to get from the hotel to the group conference hall. I had to get there 30 minutes before most people, due to being on the standing orders committee.
I like Brighton in non season season.
Hope you have some nice photos for us, Cherie.
My photos are a bit limited, most are in the conference hall but I do have pictures of the sea front and the burnt out pier plus pictures of the Pavillion gardens.
I have fond memories of Brighton pier (or the pier that once was) as I used to drive from Gosport to Brighton in my open top sports car to go to my “local KFC” and that pier was a wonderful sight to behold after spending all night walking there from the City of London when the Bank I worked for did a charity walk, which I was daft enough to join up with. So if you managed 43 miles in a week I’m laughing kindly at you BUT walking that sort of distance means at least you can now look Sally in Norfolk squarely in the eye.
Those do sound like fond memories and I do have a soft spot for Brighton.
Those miles were on top of my sitting down in the conference hall for 7.5 hour each day. I am not sure that I am quite in Sally’s league yet
After such a hectice timetable you deserve to put your feet up!
That was my plan but the weather was so favourable that I got caught up sorting out the garden in the mid-day heat!
Well done for sorting the slide show out. Your walking puts me to shame!
Thanks
& I was quite surprised at the walking myself!!
What a beautiful shot Cherry Pie. Much as I’m used to being on my feet think I’d have a tough time keeping up with your walking.
I was quite astounded by how far I had walked. I am no where near as active at home!
It sounds like quite an enduring test if you walked all those miles. It soon adds up.
It was the only way to get from A to B on time without incurring extra hassles!
Hmmm, I wouldn’t have a hope at the minute
But glad it went ok. Sometimes networking can be the most fun.
I am sure your leg will improve with time
For me the best bit of the conference is the networking