This weekend was the turn of the NAS annual conference, time for NAS members and others to get together, have a few drinks, congratulate associates on some excellent work over the past year and listen to some absorbing presentations from a whole range of speakers.
Friday night was a chance to meet up with the tutors and fellow trainees from the courses I've been on this year and introduce myself to other members whose path I'd yet to cross. Friday was also the start of an ongoing campaign from Pip, newly elected to to the NAS Sub-Aqua club (NAS SAC) committee, to try and recruit me to the club; unfortunately the commute from Cambridge to Portsmouth is a bit much for the average dive.
The Saturday was packed full of speakers covering everything from recently launched diver trails on the protected wreck of the Coronation to some deep water survey work in the Baltic prior to laying of a gas pipeline, closing with a peek at the new Mary Rose Museum to whet the appetite for next year when it opens and everything that can be imagined in between.
The presentation of a number of awards also took place and congratulations go to Adopt a Wreck award winners Weymouth Lunar Society for their work on the Lost Torpedoes of Weymouth and to all the nominees and eventual winner of the Keith Muckelroy award, David Strachan, for the publication on the Carpow logboat.
The range of conference speakers certainly gave me a lot to think about as well as giving me and some friends from the East of the country some thoughts on what to do over the next year as well as longer term inspiration.
The new NAS SAC rib outside the front door gave Pip a chance to try out his sales job on a number of other occasions, but I held him off for now!
After the conference was out for the day it was back to the Royal Maritime Club for a few games of skittles, I was paired with Ken Pavitt of Big Anchor Project fame, and despite a few too many beers we made it to the Grand final, only losing out to the 2009 winner, Mike Williams, and his partner Ash Black.
Friday gave me a chance to take a look round the Historic Dockyard in Portsmouth, something I haven't done in over 15 years, unfortunately I wasn't quick enough off the mark to have got on the Mary Rose mid construction tour but those who did were deeply impressed.
Overall a fun and informative weekend and one I'm already planning on doing again next year.
