Android or iPad?

I know, it sounds like one of those awful icebreakers used at training events, doesn’t it?  Well, my week started with a training event, actually (which is where the pile of tablets needed to be switched on and prepared) but the icebreaker was far from boring or embarrassing.  It was a JISC workshop, led by the extraordinarily talented and enthusiastic Esther and there was not a single dull moment whatsoever.

We began by logging into TodaysMeet , warmed up with Mentimeter and got to know Esther better by means of Thinglink.  She introduced us to Popplet, to Padlet and to Quizlet before getting her feedback via Kahoot and Socrative. 

Oh, and she let us play with her google cardboard so the views from the conference room were no distraction whatsoever.  Whatever was going on outside, I was in an aquarium!

I stayed dry, though 

There’s a fine view of the cathedral from up there in Shire Hall.

An even better one from down here – but this isn’t Gloucester.  This is Cirencester.  Keep up at the back!

Penny and John stayed here with us for a couple of nights as part of their UK tour.  I hope they were a little more comfortable than “Humfry Bridges and Elizabeth his wife”, whom we visited whilst looking around the parish church in Cirencester.  We struck lucky and joined a guided tour around the place, for although we’ve lived here thirty years or more, we’ve never learned about the special features in there till now.

A 14th century fragment of painting high up on the wall there, a contrast to the newly restored south porch where the weasel in the photograph above was to be found.  We learned that the Polish stonemasons left one or two zloty in the stonework, which should be nicely confusing for archaeologists in years to come!

More fragments of all paintings to appreciate a little further on, too.  This time, they’re Roman and came from one of the grand villas here in the town of Corinium and are now in the museum.

There is something I like about a fragment like this mosaic.  Perhaps I like to imagine what fills in the gaps?

Anyway, of all the lovely things we’ve seen in the last couple of days, this one reminds me especially of Penny.  She – and other mutual friends – will know why