This is the first time so far as I know that “Events” has had to report at the AGM. Perhaps after this, if I’m still in the role I’ll have found a way to keep records so future reports can be a bit more accurate. But as it’s the first here’s a run down of our history.
After one of the BAA meetings held at the BCS, probably in October 2007, Chris, Jake and I retired to the “Lyceum Tavern” for a pint or two. As we were in the process of seceding from the BCS it looked as if the BAA might whither away. We reminisced about past meetings when we had workshops, demos and presentations and decided, with the intervention of the friendly landlord, to try to recreate that in a small way in the upstairs room of a pub. We had nothing to lose if no-one joined us as the three of us were meeting regularly each month anyway.
Our first meeting was 21 Nov 2008 in the “Edgar Wallace”. After not many months the next year we moved to the “Knights Templar” then in April 2010 to the “Albion”. Some time between May 2015 and February 2016 we left there and so far our extended pub-crawl has landed up at “Hoop and Grapes”. We’ve traveled three fifths of a mile in twelve and half years.
Over the years we’ve been educated and entertained by many presenters, among them:
Gianfranco Alongi, Gilgamesh Athoraya, Dan Baronet, Dick Bowman, Brian Becker, Adám Brudzewsky, Ray Cannon, Romilly Cocking, Peter Cyriax, Walter Fil, Michael Hughes, Roger Hui, Kai Jager, Andy Shiers and Stephen Taylor.
Recent meetings, between last Autumn and February this year were dominated by arrangements for our sadly postponed Equinoctial events. The first of these would have been in March at the “Worshipful Company of Information Technologists” at Smithfield. So far as I know this was entirely Jake’s idea and he has remained the main driver throughout, including since the postponement and switch to the fortnightly Webinars that alternate with an increase in the frequency of Dyalog’s own Webinars.
We hope to resume physical meetings as soon as circumstances allow.