Wednesday 28th August 2019

The madness of work. 

Today I'd helped set up a video conference meeting. Sounds simple. Well in a homage to the BBC comedy W1A, I have lived through a west country version, let's call it BS8. Aside from trying to source flip charts, brightly coloured pens, post-it pads and some index cards with snappy topic headings written on them, I booked a room, where 6 people can sit in a video booth and talk to other parts of the UK, also sitting in a video room. It's like being there. 

Except 2 hours before the meeting was due to begin, the person who had booked the London room found out it was not a video room and could only connect via audio. The only video room available in London (there is only one) was booked. "Let's do it on Skype". I booked a different room containing a TV and Skype facilities. Time was of the essence. We had an hour to go. Skype for business is absolutely hopeless. The meeting began. After 10 minutes of picture drop out and inaudible audio, this was dropped.  I booked another room and, following yet another crocodile procession of collages between rooms, the meeting between Manchester, Bristol and London took place on a conference (called a spider) phone.  Everyone was happy.

No record was made of what happened to the flip charts, brightly coloured pens, post-it pads and some index cards with snappy topic headings written on them, during the meeting, or during the maneuvers across the site between rooms, but they all returned to my office intact. Except the index cards with snappy topic headings written on them. They have disappeared completely. 

Maybe Manchester, Bristol and London have teamed up with Bermuda and squared the triangle of mystery.  “We don’t sell crab cakes in a sausage factory.”  - Thanks Anna.