Really informative

I'm in Belfast this evening having spent the day at a thoroughly informative conference. I voted at the AGM for the first time and met a few well known psychologists from around the UK, good to put names I've known for years to faces.

I was able to go to some workshops and attended one on social media where I learned some interesting facts, figures and tips. I actually learned a couple of things about Twitter that I didn't know.

My highlight of the day was a workshop on gender variance. I feel like I've left with lots of knowledge and increased confidence in the area which is receiving increasing media coverage right now.

Tomorrow morning I go to a talk about mental health for children in care given by a doctor from Queens University. Many, many years ago I held my own workshop at Queens University, Belfast, it feels a lifetime ago. . .

The workshop tomorrow is about understanding and managing exceptional mobility with a focus on children from service families. I'm hoping to learn something new.

The keynote presentation tomorrow night is given by the lady I've just spent about 3 hours chatting to over dinner, that will teach me not to read the programme thoroughly in advance, I had no idea!

The blip today shows a Dance after dinner. Great traditional music and lots of dancing in pairs. I watched from the sidelines as most other people got stuck in rather energetically. When I heard the line "Kiss your partner" at the start of the dance I was glad I'd not joined in. I'd feel really awkward kissing someone I didn't know, years of French neighbourly greetings (bissous) have taught me nothing!

It was a pleasure to watch people having such fun but I sloped off at 10:30 to watch a bit of Northern Irish political debate on the TV, I'm hoping this means I'll get up early and see the harbour before the conference starts. Snow forecast here tonight :-/