REDP INVOLVEMENT EVENT: RETFORD

At Retford Town Hall, for the fifth in the series of Involvement Events held by the Regional Equality and Diversity Partnership (REDP). This is the second day in a row that I've travelled out to Nottinghamshire for REDP-related purposes and the third time in a week I've come to this part of the region, counting my visit to Nottingham Trent University last Saturday to lead the first session of the term for the Open University course I'm tutoring.

Bit of an odd journey over here. Iris from The Race Equality Centre (TREC) driving, with Dennis from Leicester Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Centre and Taherah (also from TREC). Taherah input the postcode for today's venue into an AA route planner and printed out directions. But when we get to what's supposed to be our destination, it's a private house on the main street through Rampton! Thankfully, Retford is only six miles further on, so we still get there in decent time.

On our arrival, the laptop isn't working; Kelly appears to have been struggling with it for ages and a man from the hall is trying to help too. We eventually get it working - sort of - although I'm unable to access my PowerPoint presentation. But such things no longer faze me. On more than one occasion I've had to proceed with a session without use of PowerPoint. I would say that, more often than not, it actually improves things - if you're up for the challenge of actually talking to people, rather than reading to them (or at them). Everyone has a printout of the slides in their packs anyway, so we talk through them together. Feels like there's more audience participation doing it this way, which is a bonus in the end.

We're getting some good and positive suggestions from attendees at all these meetings. Having attended all these Involvement Events to date, it really feels like we're drawing in a good number of potential supporters and contributors - and that REDP is taking off.

I'm beginning to think that the real legacy of these Involvement Events will be a photographic collection of examples of civic architecture around the East Midlands, as used to illustrate these blog entries.

On the way home, we stop off at Tuxford Windmill, where Fari and Paul Wyman treat us to some very nice cake and coffee in the tearoom. I've been hoping to visit them at the windmill for years and am glad that today's trip has allowed me to do that at last.