The talk

Well, that was almost but not quite, a complete and utter distaster.

Item 1 - Monday was when I learned that my talk would clash with the Olypmic torch, not only in time but pretty much in space too with us being at one en of the Mile and the torch being at the other.

Item 2 - My laptop decided to install some updates just as we were trying to leave the house. I had to walk up the road for a while holding my laptop open as it goes nuts if you try to shut it while it is still switched on. Never mind, I can plug it in as soon as we get to the venue and it should be ready for the start. Phew.

Item 3 - We turn up at the venue to find a group of people standing outside. A bad sign. An even badder sign was the locked door and complete darkness within. Thankfully, one of those people was Knight in shining armour, Shandonner who had the phone number of the assistant manager. After many phone calls and people rushing about in taxis, we got into the venue. Phew.

Item 4 - the laptop was still actually installing the updates and was only pretending to have finished earlier. I decide everyone has been waiting long enough and start the talk anyway without pictures. I also find I have omitted to bring a map of St Kilda.

Item 5 - I discover that what I thought was an abbreviated talk with loads of stuff missed out was actually enormous and would have taken hours if I had done it all in full so I had to miss out even more stuff and it still took ages (we had a break halfway through)

Item 5 - As I am not really accustomed to talking, I started to lose my voice really quickly and coughed and choked my way through most of it.

Luckily people seemed to enjoy it and asked good questions at the end which I was very relieved about. I am not a natural public speaker so I always hope that people find the talk interesting which they seemed to.

Phew.