Friday

Woke at 7.20, feeling a sense of trepidation. The hotel is pretty cool and the telly alarm goes off at 7.30. Wander down for breakfast, see Dawn and Paul on the way in and sit with Brian and Jane, and another RCN events lady.
Drive over to the international conference centre, parked up, suss out the registration desk and check in. Scoot round the exhibition. Suss out the RCN publishing desk and pick up some copies of the gastroenterology mag. Get interviewed by a journo from Nursing Standard. I have decided to launch the national support line on the back of the presentation today. Chill with a coffee whilst waiting for the 11o’clock gig.
Nip out to the car and pick up cardboard Ken. He causes a wow factor as usual.
Top set up twin screens mike lcd screen for speaker and fully miked. Paul helps to reassure me by telling me he always panics before speaking.
Dawn Elliot the chair of the forum gives me a really good introduction and I step up. Cardboard Ken gets the wow and there seems a genuine warm buzz. I am playing for laffs and getting them. I also slip in several pooh jokes and even the Labrador gets an airing. A chunner from Paul and Dawn looks mortified. But I get a top reception and I feel sorry for the joint award winner Gill who is following me.
I sit down and feel terrified. Went well and bit of a buzz to be honest. Jills talk goes down well and she has done some top stuff with the faecally incontinent. Having ridden that way before but fortunately avoided frequent flyer status I feel real empathy and sympathy with them.
Slow transit constipation is a an interesting one.
Then its own for the main man Liam Donaldson impressive geezer and good talk like his thoughts on expert patients. After his talk he asks will I have me foto done with him and cardboard Ken. No danger jimmy.Full media whore strikes again top[ stuff. I then get invited into a secret room where we get a yukky lunch but a chance to meet the man. He seems to be very interested and to be honest I am impressed. I OF COURSE BABBLE RUBBISH BUT. i do me best. Apols for the caps lock but I am too tired to correct. Whip down to the hall then and get engaged by a few people top stuff. A lady wanted to speak to me on a issue for a relly. I was whisked off to speak to the CMO. I hope she emails me. Then a frankly odd presentation from someone at the RCN some very odd attitudes on display. Then a top nurse from Sheffield who is doing a biut there. She scoots off before I could contact her and I need to collar her, email jobbie me thinks.