In Belfast on an NPC mission to foster the creation of a postgraduate student organisation for Northern Ireland, with colleagues from NUS-UK, USI (Union of Students of Ireland) and the US.

NPC Exec meeting at Leeds Graduate Centre.

NUS National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in London, reconvening after a break.
I was attending as the Postgraduate/NPC Observer.

Lobbying the then Scottish Education Minister, Nicol Stephen MSP.

Launching an information-card campaign to prevent student suicides, with Student Union President colleagues from Edinburgh and Heriot Watt Universities, and the Edinburgh University Rector, Robin Harper MSP. It had been a serious problem with several tragedies and we determined not to have any during our year in office.

Appearing live on BBC News 24 on Friday night. I hadn't been too keen, but, the BBC insisted that the audience profile included precisely the young people we wanted to reach. Colleagues (above) and I had experience of recorded interviews, and regularly did print-media interviews and briefings, but nonetheless it was quite nerve racking to find myself alone in a TV studio, listening through an ear-piece and looking at the camera ready to go live to the nation.

Being interviewed about the campaign and the difficulties facing students today. Having done some hours of frantic preperation, I had plenty of facts and soundbites in my mind to suit any anticipated line of questioning or discussion. So much, indeed, that I felt I'd hardly started by the time the interview was ended!

At NUS Conference in the Blackpool Winter Gardens, by far the biggest and best event in the British student politics calender, with a long and vibrant history.

Unsurprisingly for the last surviving truly confrontional political arena, riots and occupations broke out pretty much every day, if not twice a day. This one was sparked off by the Union of Jewish Students leader describing the Socialist Worker delegation as anti-semetic.

Receiving Graham Brady MP, Tory Education Spokesman in the Commons and at the time Member of the Education Select Committee, on a fact-finding visit to Edinburgh, together with Alan Melville, sabbatical colleague at NSA (shaking hands).

Talking at the Scottish Parliament HQ with Edinburgh-region politician, Margo MacDonald MSP, who happened to be related to an NSA Exec colleague.