We are in the middle of a heatwave with the news constantly reminding us of the long spells of dry warm weather that we are experiencing in the UK but also across Europe. As I write, there are multiple wildfires that are threatening lives, homes, nature and our food supply in Europe and closer in some parts of England. It is very worrying to see the changes in the climate and more extreme weather reported in the news and evidence by scientists.
With this in mind, this month I was able to still spend some time enjoying the hot seasonal weather. My first trip was by train to Brighton for the Business Librarians Association (BLA) conference which was held at the University of Brighton. It was great to be there on the theme of strategic partnerships and there is always so much to learn and adopt in the services that we provide, and to see in the physical spaces. The conference was help in the university’s School of Business and Law and it was great to see the big and tangible versions of the UN’s Environmental Sustainable Goals (ESG) blocks in the main reception area. Some of the delegates were actually pleased that they were not making their way to the conference at the height of the recent heatwave in June.
The conference was great for sharing practical ways that we can help our library users during the ever-present Artificial Intelligence (AI) challenges and opportunities, as well as other aspects of collaboration, research, engagement and development of library and information services. There were tips for workshops, teaching, predatory publishing, systemic reviews, gaming and general user experience and developments. There were also presentations and exhibition of some well -known business information providers like Clarivate, Mintel, EBSCO, S&P Intelligence etc.
We also had a tour of the Library on the last day but as the university was closed for summer, there were hardly any students around the whole campus.
Delegates were stationed at a local hotel near the seafront in Brighton and therefore it was nice to be near the seaside during the summer. It was nice to spend to evening having dinner in a local bistro and at the Brighton i360 – which is Europe’s tallest (450ft) moving platform in the sky. It was truly nice to see the view with a glass of champagne on a clear evening – from the city, and nearby hills, the pier and beachfront below, as well as the windfarm out in the sea to the south!
In Brighton, it was also nice to visit the Sea Life Centre with some great aquariums with sea creatures big and small. I love seeing the jelly fishes with their features enhanced with the lighting. It was humid that day so I didn’t want to stay too long as I had been at the conference for most of the earlier part of the day. I have been to Brighton before and walking along the seafront, it was nice to observe life during the week with the shops, bars and general place to spend some fun time. I am likely to visit Brighton again one day and I hope to visit the South Downs too.
I was in London for most of the time and mainly working whilst outside we are having this “balmy summer”. I have been mainly worrying about my plants and the lack of water as there is little rain. I made an effort to get out and get on the London Underground despite the heat and having to travel into town (again) at the weekend. However, once I got to the Riverside I began to feel better and more excited to be in a part of London that is famous for leisurely walks and celebrations. I went to the Royal Festival Hall for the 75th Anniversary of the first steel pan bands in the UK for a ticketed programme called Steel Plan Reimagined. It was 75 years ago that the Trinidad All Stars Steel Orchestra (TASSO) first played at the Festival Hall. It was really interesting to see and hear the history of the struggle of the steel pan – from the banning of drums in colonial time to the innovation of tambo bamboo instrument (musical songs made of bamboo) to the use of disused steel drum brought on by empty steel oil drums around 1920s in my homeland of Trinidad and Tobago. Out of prohibition came the development of a 21st century instrument that is now recognised and played across the world.
I am really proud to know how amazing the steel pan sounds in large orchestral bands moving through the streets and stages in Port of Spain as a child…to the celebrations here in London at Notting Hill Carnival to the Southbank. The evening was also celebrating calypso, reggae, song, fusion music with classical instruments and dance. It was also great to see that the Southbank was a great venue to have this celebration for the community, visitors and tourists in the area. There was also three days of free music on the riverside by other steel bands, from schools to the more accomplished London bands that you may see at the Notting Hill carnival. The free concerts were busy around 6pm when I arrived and when I left the concert at around 9:30pm – there were still a lot of people enjoy the good weather and the vibes along the riverside. I did take it all in as it reminded me of Carnival in Trinidad and there is a distinctive sound of the steel band filling the warm air across the riverside as I went along Hungerford Bridge.
I know that I like that these two outings were near some nicer parts of the UK but I guess with such hot weather, I am looking forward to being somewhere less urban and near water. I spent the last weekend visiting family in Bedford but unfortunately did not get time to see the river – which I may have showcased on here already. I do hope we do not have sustained drought this summer – touch wood! I do look forward to the rest of the summer, with a some rain, and who knows… I may spend some time just relaxing this time near fresh air and water.
Connecting the Dots 