March 3, 2020

Some young people today seem to be still in the womb, even as they’re in the world.

6.00 am: After a rather stop/start night’s sleep, I launched into the shower and the day. 6.45 am: An early breakfast; too early. I wasn’t hungry, but I’d need the sustenance to keep me going through what could be a very long morning. I appreciate the consistency of this hotel chain. An over-cooked fried egg in London looks exactly the same as one in Manchester.

7.10 am: Admin. It was determined to keep on top of things. Whether I’m playing at home or away, requests and queries follow me. 8.30 am: Onto the streets and the Manchester Central Convention Centre for the first day of the UCAS fayre:

I arrived early, which I’m prone to do on most occasions that are new to me. It was helpful, in any case, to survey the lay of the land (or eye the competitors) before the games began. And it is a game: ‘We want potential applicants to be interested in us, and not you!’:

While I’ve never been enthusiastic about our university’s penchant for yellow, our stall was striking and (as it proved) attractive:

By 9.30 am, the bus loads of school children (most of whom were is their AS-level year) were bustling under our canopy, picking up prospectuses, engaging staff, and being zapped by QR scanner for contact details. ‘Data is everything’, I was told. Once scanned, they were rewarded with a drinks bottle:

Some of the inquirers had a very clear sense of what they wanted to study. However, I was struck by the significant number of others who hadn’t a clue how there lives should proceed. Hardly surprising. I could only advise them by way of principle. I appreciated working with a very professional group of Marketeers. Although, at times, I did feel like a pushy insurance salesman. 3.15 pm: Shut shop … until tomorrow.

5.00 pm: After a little email catch up, I launched into town and returned to yesterday’s watering hole for dinner.

6.30 pm: A review undertaken, and further adminy tasks – that had grown even as I was downing hake, chips, and mushy peas – dispatched.

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March 2, 2020
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March 4, 2020

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