Puppets for peace (no strings attached)

The last Travelodge I stayed at was in Kings Cross and seriously grim - my window wouldn’t shut and I shivered all night. Now I’m in the one in Shoreditch and it’s very hip. I have my hornbill rimmed glasses with me, but alas no beard. I’m presenting our research on lighting in refugee camps at an event held in a very cool co-working space with free beer and yoga. Someone before just showcased puppet shows for hygiene promotion which was lots of fun. The auditorium where we present us very Steve Jobs, we sit in steps and anyone over 21 has bum ache - what on earth is wrong with chairs? I give my presentation and afterwards a lovely Canadian man tells me it is the most important thing he’s heard all day. 69 other people didn’t say that and headed for the free beer and I joined them soon after. Later I headed off to Westminster to an international committee of the Red Cross reception where I was representing Oxfam GB’s new CEO who couldn’t make it and neither could the 7 other people more important than me who were asked before I was but hell i’m in London anyway and I love the ICRC, they do brilliant work. The speech was about the Falklands/ Malvinas and returning The bodies of Argentinian soldiers to their families - it was very moving although the Swiss speech-maker seemed unaware of the sensitivity of addressing a crowd full of Parliamentarians in Westminster about ‘the Malvinas’. I met old friends and we took full advantage of the free bar and copious canapés as we debated free speech, counter-terrorism laws and whether older or younger people are (a) more principled and/or (b) more innovative. I went for older both times. I’m not biased!