This week I've hosted Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett, Education Secretary Alan Johnson (three times), International Development Secretary Hilary Benn, Minister for Schools Jim Knight (four times), Minister for Higher Education Bill Rammell (twice), Minister for Children Beverley Hughes (although I was late which is unforgivable), former Secretary of State Charles Clarke (who tapped me on the shoulder in congratulations), Bob Geldoff, and some astonishingly gifted children from around the world from the Yehudi Menuhin School Of Music.
I've met ministers of education and their advisers from all over the world, from Afghanistan to Tonga, people from South Africa to the Caymen Islands, the USA, Cuba, Bahrain, Iraq and Japan. And yes, I did mention Buffy Sainte-Marie when I met colleagues from Canada (and showed the photo of Buffy on my phone). One of the things that unites all these people is how nice they are and how friendly they are and how committed to education they are. How many UN/UNESCO meetings receives this kind of turn-out? It's a privilege to meet such people.We had a reception in Kensington Palace and a formal dinner at the Royal Garden Hotel, packed out the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre and descended on Olympia for BETT. My dinner companions on Tuesday evening were from Cuba, South Africa, Canada and the man who invented Smartboards. Bob Geldoff spoke passionately about Africa but I was fascinated by his brown checked suit and shoes with no heels. Children from the Yehudi Menuhin School provided the after-dinner enterainment and they were astonishing - 14 children including a 12 year-old violinist from Singapore playing Paganini and an 11 year-old from Malaysia playing piano - truly wonderful.
It's been an incredible week so far and I've met many delightful and dedicated people. Moving
Young Minds ended on Wednesday and it seems to have gone so well, with lots of praise from our overseas guests. Bigger and better than in previous years, we hosted about 67 overseas ministers from around the world and over 200 guests in total. The event is 'closed' so that's about all I can say about it really. But it's an event I'll remember. And, in traditional manner, here is my MYM 2007 rose, which is white this year.
Young Minds ended on Wednesday and it seems to have gone so well, with lots of praise from our overseas guests. Bigger and better than in previous years, we hosted about 67 overseas ministers from around the world and over 200 guests in total. The event is 'closed' so that's about all I can say about it really. But it's an event I'll remember. And, in traditional manner, here is my MYM 2007 rose, which is white this year.Although Moving Young Minds ended, BETT started on Wednesday, so it was a tricky logistical problem getting our guests from MYM to BETT. It was particularly awkward for me since I not only lead on MYM but I'm one of the policy leads in the ministerial speech at BETT. It can be a tricky state of affairs at the best of times without the complications of running the MYM event as well. That's why I was briefing our press office at 1.42am and in work at 7.50am the following morning to brief and be de-briefed by my boss - yes, we do actually do more than just drink tea. Despite all this, I'm proud of this event. We did something that no-one else in the world has the nerve to try and we pulled it off.
Now, of course, it's BETT at Olympia and continuation of the 'weekus horibilus'. Luckily, this year, my week ended on Thursday with a meeting in the afternoon and then I was free to see something of the show. Since BETT is about educational technology then it's ideal for ministerial announcements. My part of the announcement was about providing home access to computers for all children although that's not quite the way it's being portrayed in the press (here's the BBC version).
I hosted a seminar this morning for potential industry partners. It was pulled together very quickly to take advantage of people being at BETT but I was pleased with it. People from Intel, BT and a range of other potential partners were there to hear how they could contribute and they all seemed positive about working together to deliver universal access to ICT so I was relieved. We also showed four new videos for the first time which I hadn't seen myself but they seemed to go down well. Of course, this all means lots more work ... what's that old cliche? 'Be careful what you wish for...'?
Our stand at BETT is smaller than usual but it's full of giant photos and I think it works really well. It's noticed. We're in the middle of the photo which was taken from the balcony in the National Hall at Olympia.I hosted a seminar this morning for potential industry partners. It was pulled together very quickly to take advantage of people being at BETT but I was pleased with it. People from Intel, BT and a range of other potential partners were there to hear how they could contribute and they all seemed positive about working together to deliver universal access to ICT so I was relieved. We also showed four new videos for the first time which I hadn't seen myself but they seemed to go down well. Of course, this all means lots more work ... what's that old cliche? 'Be careful what you wish for...'?
I'm exhausted now. Physically and mentally tired and feeling borderline ill - all the rushing round, strange hours, missing meals and eating posh stuff at the 'do's' means I haven't been taking my tablets this week (I really must carry spares round with me) and I'm feeling it. It's going to take a few days to get my body 'balanced' again. The adrenalin's wearing off. I'm taking tomorrow off so I can sleep.
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