The adventure continued this morning......we needed to catch the train from Euston Station at 10.03am to travel to Coventry. We had decided if we left the hotel by taxi at 9.00am, we should have plenty of time. The first thing to get Pete grumpy this morning, was only one lift working at the hotel, and us being on the first floor! After 10 minutes of waiting for the lift and each time it got to us it was full, he took off with the first of the cases to lug it down the stairs! Then the concierge wasn't around to ring for a taxi. I asked the girl at reception to ring, but they don't actually do that, they just go out the front onto the busy street and wave one down for you. It satisfied Pete that I complained about only one lift and the receptionist did apologise and said "They are waiting for parts for the other one". She agreed that it was a problem for those on the first floor! 

 Anyway that's all behind us now! The taxi driver got us to Euston Station in time, we found our right carriage and our right seats and reminisced about our trip to Finland 9 years ago for the 25th Triennial ACWW Conference. At that conference I had the honour of leading the delegation (hard to believe it was that long ago) and the WA contingent went to Rovaniemi from Helsinki by train, before the conference. We did get into the right carriage, but didn't sit in the right seats. It was a memorable journey. We did actually get to meet a number of people and changed seats often!  

Our train trip was just over an hour, arriving in Coventry at 11.10am. We are getting quicker at finding the lift and our way out. There was a line of taxi's but the one we had to take, was driven by an immigrant to the country, with a turban on his head. Not helpful at all and he dropped us at the back entrance to the Warwick Arts Centre. Eventually we found where registration was, but not before I did a sneak peep and opened some black curtains on the Board meeting of ACWW. I could see the World President Ruth Shanks at the top of the table, and decided now was not the time to renew the friendship made in Perth in 2008.

With registration completed and directions for our accommodation, we wheeled the cases across the paving. Everywhere at the university is paving, roads and there is plenty of open space. Plenty of buildings as well of course. It seems that it will be a great location for the conference. Who should be booking into their room at Radcliffe House when we got there, but our new CWA of WA State President and leader of the WA delegation, Heather Allen and husband Peter. As our rooms would not be ready for an hour, we put the cases in the cloakroom and went to lunch in the Restaurant at the 'Rootes Building'. All meals will be provided there. We have a bit of a walk to that area of the University, so our breakfast is to be provided at Radcliffe House.

Joan Cant joined us, just as we were finishing our lunch and after lunch, Peter took Joan off to get her registration tag, which for whatever reason, had not been ready yesterday. It has been nice to have a rest this afternoon and I must confess we both made plenty of Zzz's. Must have needed to do so! Dinner was at 6.00pm and then I went to the South Pacific Area meeting at 7.00pm. We have been encouraged to do something at the 'World Entertains' evening on Friday night. So it is going to be 'Waltzing Matilda'! Thank goodness Sara Kenny took charge and hopefully she has us organised and motivated enough!

I am going to add to this blog each day of the conference, so for anyone interested in what is going on, you will be able to click on the link and be updated.

Day 2....The official opening was at 9.00am and two hours was allocated on the programme. As is always the case the parade of flags from all the member countries is enjoyed by all. The flag from the host country United Kingdom was the first flag to be carried in and it was placed near the podium. Then came the Australian flag with plenty of cheers. The next world conference is to be held in Melbourne in 2019 and there are quite a number of Aussies at the conference. Colonel George Marsh TD, Vice Lord-Lieutenant of the West Midlands and Councillor Lindsley Harvard, the Lord Mayor of Coventry, were special guests. The keynote address was given by Baroness Joan Walmsley, who is a House Spokesman in the House of Lords. The Baroness is the Liberal Democrat Lords Principal Spokesperson for Health and has worked on the Committee for Affordable Childcare, Liason Committee for Lords, House Committee, Adoption Legislation Committee and Science and Technology Committees. The official opening was finished by 10.30 am and there was nothing more programmed until 11.45 am.   

The first Plenary Session was just an information session on voting procedures etc and the Address by the World President. We finished this session early as well and were able to go to lunch early. Only trouble was the cafe wasn't ready for anyone! Plenary Session 2 commenced at 2.15pm and the Treasurer gave her financial report which went very well, despite the fact it was the 'grave-yard shift' for the poor Treasurer. This was followed by the Introduction of the Nominees for election. Each was given 1 minute to speak to those present. Then we had a break and our delegation leader picked up the Ballot Papers, for the delegation to then complete the voting. What a fiasco! We queued and queued and queued! All that time and expense with all these voting cards. As members of the South Pacific Area we had actually completed a postal vote for Area President and the only position we were actually voting for today was the World President. For all the other positions there was only one nominee. We still had to complete the voting paper for the one nominee.

We talked with the young women from Latvia when we were queuing. I remembered them from the Turku conference. One had attended with her baby son and he is now 10. I did mention earlier how time flies! Heather and I were talking to her about the fact that our daughters and daughter-inlaws would not accept this! This young woman was 40 and agreed that something different needed to happen, if they want younger woman in the organisation. I am sure you will be smiling when you read this Sue. Nothing is changing!

Day 3...Commenced with a very nice 'Thanksgiving Service'. The World President Ruth Shanks from Dubbo in NSW read a piece explaining why it was a 'Thanksgiving Service'. It was very good and I will have to find it on the internet or ask Ruth for it sometime. The rest of the morning was dealing with resolutions and after lunch we had the Committee reports, which were delivered through 'Concurrent Sessions' held in various rooms on the University Campus. The weather was awful. Raining! So we were pleased our session was in the Rootes Building' where we had lunch. The guys had an excursion to the Fordhall Organic Farm which was very much spoilt by the weather. It really rained at the farm and they were supposed to visit a Museum, but as the roof had leaked, they wouldn't open it. So not really a good day for the men. They had a long day with not a lot seen!

There was an 'Evening of Entertainment' at night in the conference venue. WA had decided to do 'Waltzing Matilda' and we had made a few props and had two practices. Not that I think it looked like we had practiced at all! But we were involved and hopefully provided a few laughs. I was the 'Coolibah Tree' and we got my prop from Sherwood Forrest alongside. The big baked beans tin from the kitchen made a good billy and was later used to collect some donations for 'Pennies for Friendship', at the end of the night.

Day 4... Was Saturday. I'm losing track of the week. More resolutions and area reports in the morning and the last of the 'Concurrent Sessions' in the afternoon. Before we had our morning break we had a guest speaker by the name of Dr Mary Tilki, who spoke on 'Dementia: A Growing Problem'. The information provided was extremely interesting. I decided to play 'hooky' in the afternoon during the 'Concurrent Sessions'. I needed to try and put some figures together for the South Pacific Area President. Tonight we have another night of entertainment. Tonight is an 'English Cultural Evening' in the conference venue named the 'Arts Centre Butterworth Hall'. All our meals have been cafeteria style. There are two areas where meals can be obtained and a couple of areas for coffee at the morning and afternoon break. There is also a cafe where you can purchase a cappuccino. The evening's entertainment was quite good, but probably went on a bit long. It was after 10.30pm by the time we got back to our room. Rained again today. The men's excursion was to the BBC in Birmingham. Things weren't that well organised and they lost three men! Mike Kenny just happened to be one and Rann Mitchell from Australia was another. Rann is the husband of Jenny a past Deputy President of ACWW. They found Rann but not Mike and the other guy. Peter knew Mike would be okay as he had been to Birmingham on the first day of conference, hoping to see a county cricket match. Sure enough Mike got the other guy and himself back to Coventry on the train. Nick the 'Communications and Promotions' ACWW employee was not impressed! The host WFI Committee were going to have to organise things far better or no body was going on the tour the next day!

Day 5....A guest speaker to start the day today from the World Health Organisation and her presentation was on Non-Communicable Diseases and Tobacco. The guest speakers have been very good. Today we got really bogged down in a resolution to give voting rights to Individual Members. Interesting the rules for debate with ACWW Resolutions. Very different to how our motions are handled in CWA of WA. The debate went on and on! Then we had an amendment after the resolution had been put and debated. We were all over it! And after all the time spent on it, the resolution was lost, which was what we wanted anyway and it was the best outcome for the debacle! But a recommendation for voting rights for 'Individual Members' and 'Category III Societies' to be investigated, was carried later in the day. Appropriate motions are to be included on the agenda of the next Triennial Conference in Melbourne in 2019. The declaration of the new ACWW Board and Committee Chairmen was the last item for the day. We were pleased that our 'Aussie' Ruth Shanks was elected World President for a second term. The South Pacific Area President is now Gail Commens from NSW. In the evening we enjoyed a Gala Dinner in the 'Rootes Building Panorama Suite'. There are so many different rooms and areas here at the Warwick University. We had Patty who is on the 'Projects Committee' on our table. She was from Ireland. There was another English lady, two were from Sweden and two women, who I hope to correspond with, from Estonia. Peter was the only male on the table and he and Patty drank a bottle of red wine! It was a great evening.

Day 6...Last day! Not much business left to be dealt with and then it was the closing ceremony. We started at 10.00am this morning as well, so that enabled me to purchase a card for our SP Heather and a small gift. It is nice to give the leader of the delegation a little memento of our time together at the conference.