ABRSM Annual Lunch 2012

I was up every three or four hours last going from eskimo cold to lava hot and being sick... I had a crazy migraine which didn't help matters, I kept having to steady my breathing to keep it all in control :-( rubbish. Probably my own fault as I had a long train journey (see yesterday's blip) and didn't particularly eat very much... Two packets of crisps, a KitKat chunky, a glass of Chardonnay dodgy white wine and a bottle of lucozade... (nutritious!!!)... I felt I was being stabbed right in the stomach all night... I did get the same pain once on the train yesterday about 12noon... Very strange...

So, today at the Annual Lunch, which was held at the Hilton Metropole in Birmingham (instead of the Hilton at Hyde Park in London due to the Olympics) I decided not to drink I know!!! Mental!!! Constantly being offered champagne, red wine, white wine basically on tap for free and me sticking to water!!! I was pretty proud of myself to be honest!! I quite often think I need alcohol to make me less nervous in social situations - it would have made me finish my complete meal and not leave anything on my plate... But I coped pretty damn well...

I made it down to the Honorary Local Representative's meeting at 11.30am after picking up my name badge (as there were over 800 people there today we were all name badged) Everyone was suited and booted or in summer dresses so it was all very very formal. I had on my Slater Suit although replaced the trousers with skinny jeans, wedges, Armani pants (too much info?!?!) and CK belt, with my Karen Millen white shirt! I looked hot!

The main speakers at the HLR meeting were Penny, Guy, and J, managing director, chief executive and chief examiner who all gave really interesting speeches, I seemed to sook in a lot of information anyway which seemed very relevant to my own exam centres and stuff I can go home an really think about changing to make the exam centres even better.

We handed out a candidate survey at the last examination session to every candidate so it was extremely interesting and rewarding to hear the results and analysis from it. Thankfully there were no direct comments about my centres (I don't think) although some were extremely funny in particular one lady got mentioned as being snippy and unfriendly, this may have been an anonymous survey or it maybe wasn't, meaning I am sure they know exactly who is being spoken about!! if the candidates did as much as whisper in the waiting room she would snap at them...!! I just cringed!!! Maybe her waiting room is very near the exam room but I let people use phones, dance around and make as much noise as they like!!! (within reason...) You just have to judge the situation at the time... It's normally me dancing around or on my phone!!

Anyway... You can't please everyone as the chief examiner read out some comments directly about the examiners from candidates saying that "one examiner had said thank you after everything that I played, which was nice to hear and put me at ease..." clashed with a comment from a candidate who wrote "the examiner said thank you after everything I played which made me more nervous..."

The meeting ended at 12.15 when we all headed through to another huge room to be seated for lunch and for the main awards to be given out such as the awards for HLR's having served 20/25 and even 30 years service!! That's even older than my whole life!!! I do want to hold onto this job as long as I possibly can, although it may not always be possible... I do love it!!

After the awards we were played a video on music medals and sung the grace by the ABRSM staff choir.

I was seated at table 47 (this photograph of the seating chart or cryptic puzzle we are faced with, quite a few of the oldest HLR's struggling to read it let alone work it out!!!) with 11 other people I had never met, various HLR's, Examiners and Portland Place Staff, a very interesting bunch! It was a military operation feeding us all and very impressive. Not quite as impressive as last years but I did drink my body weight in alcohol so maybe I just didn't notice quite as well as this year!!

Lunch was served!

Mediterranean vegetable tian with harrisa dressing.

Loin of Lamb flavoured with rosemary and garlic.

Dauphinoise potatoes, carrots, green beans, courgette, Maderia Sauce.

Chilled passion fruit and white chocolate souffle with a coconut lolly.

Nom Nom...

So.. After the lunch was over (about 3pm) I toddled off and got changed back into my glad rags Which meant suddenly none of the unknown examiners took me on!! Haha... Meaning I overheard some interesting comments from one staff member in particular, something I shouldn't hear as an HLR. I did let him know this which caught him off guard... He wasn't expecting me to turn out to be an HLR, don't judge a book by its cover... to head back down to Birmingham International for the train journey home...

I am on my second last change over (having already changed trains three times at Birmingham New Street, Preston Lancs and Haymarket, waiting for the 21:44 train to Dundee then another train at 23.03 to Laurencekirk...

It has been a hell of a long two days and my body and mind are drained although churning new views and comments on the "examination experiance" as we have had drummed into is today. I have had a great trip though, today was brilliant, I am very lucky to work in the position I do work in and be trusted and respected with the amount of responsibility I do have... Most of the HLR's are at least double, if not triple and quadrupole my age!!! I have a lot of high up connections through ABRSM which opens a lot of doors I wouldn't even dream of being able to touch let alone open!

The highlight of the train journey has to be the little old man I ended up sat next to between Preston and Lancashire. He seemed very frail as when he stood up he was shaking... He had been out for the day to get away from his cat and his son (whom he hadn't told where he was!) as he had fallen out with them. Very depressed due to troubles with his driving licence recently due to his age and Ill health. (it was hard listening to him knowing someone had the power to take away a lot of independence, it seemed) He used to deliver bread to the manager of Manchester airport, drove for royal mail who he had to take another test with because if he crashed you can't sue the queen. Although he used to drive for the royal airforce before that. He explained a story where he got a fright from 4 fighter jets while he was parked on the run way and had to give way to them meaning drive into the grass/mug verge so to not be run over by 4 fighter jets out on an exercise...! His Son and Grandson, were both great runners, he also used to run and when his Son told him he was going to Holland to run he said "I know why you are going to Holland and it's not to run - Holland is flat and has very few hills!" Bless him.

I told him to take care when he got off the train... Hopefully gave him a bit of company on the train and listened to his story...

"Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been."
Mark Twain, Following the Equator