Seachain an duine a bhíonn ina thost

I thought I should probably post to explain why I won't be posting for the next week, but then I realised I'm so rubbish at posting anyway that you probably wouldn't have noticed I was going away.

But I'll tell you anyway. Tomorrow, bright and early, I'm heading off to the Lake District for a couple of days of yomping. I'm a bit worried about it really; Andy and family like to do really challenging walks and I'm really unfit and (this week) asthmatic. We walked up Bangor Mountain (which should really be called Bangor Hill) yesterday and my legs really hurt. Sam says I should get my own back by whining all the way up and down the mountains for two days, then I won't be made do difficult exercise again.

On the way we're going to stop off at Cheshire Oaks so I can buy a handbag and look for walking shoes and maybe even a smart outfit to wear at interviews. Andy wants to buy a rucksack too but he doesn't need one, whereas I definitely need a handbag. And maybe some new shoes.

Then on Tuesday we head south (of Cumbria) to Blackpool for NUS Annual Conference. I'm so very fed up with the bickering about the Governance Review, the stupid arguments, the scurrilous accusations, that I really can't wait until Conference votes either way. I've been disappointed not to be involved in the development of the Schedules as I felt that was just as important as the Articles (if not more so). Anyway I don't mind, I'm going to be concentrating on wearing Norris t-shirts with panache. We've got several classy tshirt designs including my personal favourite 'NORRIS: I'd give him one' (it's a joke about preferential voting systems, geddit?).

Conference is a very bizarre event though. 14-hour days, 1000 people, lots of factions and shouting and safe spaces and cuddly-fluffy-NUS-speak conflicting with vicious factional politics. This year we are staying in the hideous Lawton Hotel which isn't as (ahem) nice as the Norbreck but is much, much closer to the Winter Gardens. Which is nice.

But I'll tell you all about it when I get back. Toodle pip.