The Lost

Today I finished handing over the last of the keys and paperwork (bar one piece that I missed) for the St John unit I’ve been attached to/running the last three years. Amoungst other things this had left my keychain looking horribly empty in my opinion but also potentially means that I’m free (at least until I return to Hampshire and find they need a new county commander or something…)

Over the past couple of weeks I’ve also been through the finishing events of my time at university, namely my final exam on Wednesday the 3rd (not my best experience), the VOSCARS where the society unfortunately didn’t win (beaten by stuff like stop the war…) but I came away with a small award for an outstanding contribution to volunteering (an award for over 100 hours of volunteering, personally I managed 336 hours, with 97.5 of them being in the first month of uni), again on the 3rd.

Following these events I was then given one day to rest up prior to The End (Friday 5th June). I’m still undecided as to whether this year was more or less successful than the previous year. It could just be that my perspective of it was different as this time I ended up as duty manager to in theory running the event. Luckily for me however all the St John personnel involved were experienced members and well acquainted with both the university in general and the event and casualty types specifically. In addition to the 10 first aiders on site (including a nurse and student nurse) and a St John ambulance crew we also had a doctor provided by the SU once again for half the night and this year the head of Colchester ambulance service as an NHS paramedic to back us up. Even so we ended up with 37 Patient Report forms filled in, probably saw around 50 people over all and sent 4 people off to A&E in ambulances, up from last year. As I said, luckily everyone knew what they were doing so all I had to do was listen into the radio (for a change we were using one of the campus patrol officers radios which was quite fun) and even got to pop off to the scene of a few things and do some treatment myself (something I technically shouldn’t have done as duty manager). Had there been fewer experienced people and more of our new members however, (in the end we didn’t have a single on of our new members on the duty) it would have probably been a much worse night for me to try and command.

Wasn’t much to learn from this year other than possibly increasing staffing levels a bit to make things easier on us and getting in a more powerful radio/additional radios. We do however now seem to be best mates with the paramedic who reportedly enjoyed himself on the night (despite of our new unit hero, possum boy) and seemed quite impressed with what we were doing/managing.

Finally before today's sorrow of returning keys the next night (Saturday 6th June) saw the Summer ball, a more classy and formal end to the year. Being my final year I only worked half the shift and didn’t see much before gaining free entry. I had a good time and was able to see several friends possibly for the last time, but it didn’t really seem like it would have been worth the £38, although if I’d paid and entered earlier I might have made it onto some of the rides.

The backlogs will return shortly until I have something else interesting to talk about, as it is beyond the events mentioned here my time at uni seems to have just fizzled out and run out of steam, maybe the job hunt will amuse me instead (or V festival should be good).

QOTD:

‘We are so screwed’ junior tactician shortly before being executed by the Commissariat.

Additionally, a picture of what happened to our break room in the closing hours of the end.

Almost up to date.

Dissertation:

Recently (ish) I completed my dissertation. Due to the fact that I’m lazy with blog up-dates and the fact that hand in date was the 1st of May I use to term ish at it’s furthest extend. The reason it makes it into my blog it two fold. 1) it’s an important part of the final year of my course. 2) it sums up the ‘difficulty’ I’ve had through out my final year. Namely that I have not felt the “panic” at all for the last year. Although I admit it is not the best tactic it has often come down that I’ll get uncomfortably close to the deadline for a piece of work and thus feel the “panic” and suddenly focus whole-heartedly on the subject at hand thus completing it. Throughout my final year I have not felt this “panic”, part of this may be due to the general lack of course work but either way it’s felt strange to me all the way through.

The panic even failed to raise it’s head during my work on the dissertation. Whilst I did still manage to find focus on it, it wasn’t in the same category as the “panic”. This may be good after all but it’s unusual for me so I don’t entirely trust it as yet. Only time will tell really at this point…

QOTD:

GLaDOS: There was even going to be a party for you. A big party, that all your friends were invited to. I invited your best friend, the Companion Cube. Of course, he couldn't come because you murdered him. All your other friends couldn't come either, because you don't have any other friends, because of how unlikable you are. It says so right here in your personnel file: "Unlikable. Liked by no one. A bitter, unlikable loner, whose passing shall not be mourned." Shall NOT be mourned. That's exactly what it says. Very formal. Very official. It also says you were adopted, so that's funny, too.

LINKS National Conference:

In April (getting closer to the present) I went to my first national LINKS conference, with the noble goal of maintaining our unit tradition of being the father jack of LINKS (and I was generally amoungst the last to leave the bar).

Very enjoyable time where I got to make further contact with other units (namely UEA again and a member of Surrey LINKS I had met before at the Southend Airshow in Essex two years ago) as well as some interesting talks and workshops (namely the talk from the Harry Dymond [Chief Commissioner Operations] on the new uniform and operations strategy and the workshop on Triage).

Unfortunately I’m not going to have another opportunity to go which I regret and wish I’d taken the two previous chances when they were available

~more back log yet to come~

QOTD:

Hancock: [after seeing a video of himself throwing Walter, the beached whale, back into the ocean, knocking over a sailboat] I don't even remember that.
Ray Embrey: Hmmm... Greenpeace does.
[pause]
Ray Embrey: Walter does.

Been meaning to put these stories up for a while but didn’t get round to it. So today we have part 1, with part 2 and 3 to follow shortly before current affairs resume.

UEA vs UoE Derby Day 09:

Last term on Wednesday 11th March was the annual derby day between the University of Essex and the University of East Anglia where the two universities compete in pretty much every sport imaginable.

This year it was held at UEA (whilst last year we held it and my St John unit provided and organised the first aid cover of the event) and we received a request for assistance from UEA LINKS. In my first year ASP had contacted UEA to offer our assistance only to get a response along the lines that they don't cover it or their sporting events in general (didn't see it myself and can't remember that far back really). We then meant to invite them down last year but weren't organised enough to contact them in good time (something we will correct next year).

The event went well (resulting in the average 40ish casualties, was quite amusing when during the briefing it was stated that 10 PRF’s per 4 teams was ‘excessive’. I scoffed quietly at the back then made a sarcastic comment at the end). There were however a few teething problems but all were minor and just a matter of trying it one way, finding it didn’t work as well as possible and finding another way in future.

Having added a couple of UEA on facebook now I’m mildly concerned about this but hopefully they won’t want to kill me… maybe.

QOTD:

Bob: There is no honour without pie.

Democracy re-born at Essex

I saw this (a bit late by the wording of it but I don't remember spotting it before) and thought I was going to be sick. Though that could just be the bottle of wine...

---EDIT--- it turns out it was posted yesterday (10th Feb) although at one point it says 'Last night proved this'. Petty complaint but if you're busy and can't post it when you intend I personally find (having missed many blog deadlines) that editing the text slightly doesn't cost too much.

QOTD:

Robin: Yeah, it's the end of the world. But so what? We're still here, still fighting, still friends.
Young Raven: Look at me, Robin! There's nothing I can do! There isn't any hope!
Robin: Then I guess... I'll just have to have enough hope for the both of us.