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The World of Illusion Knitting

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PICKING UP THREADS

This was written in
2007
so is now very dated

A few weeks later we went to Oxford to speak to a conference of the National Association of Mathematics Advisors and Consultants. This was another weird experience for us, as practising teachers. Amongst others, we were to be speaking to the people who advise the people who advise us in school. It all seemed rather topsy-turvy.

The conference was taking place in a large hotel and most of it consisted of delegates attending sessions of their own choice. We were to be doing the pre-dinner slot, in the dining room, for all delegates. We arrived some time before we were to speak intending to hang the afghans and set up the overhead projector we had taken with us. We have done this so many times and in so many situations that we go well stocked with hooks, chains and other means of fixing our poles to whatever may be available. When we arrived the vast room was empty except for tables and chairs stacked at the back. It was a room that could be partitioned and, consequently, there were several doors in and out. The easiest place to unload was at the fire exit, which happened to be in a building site.

We unloaded all the afghans, and smaller items, but had no idea what to do next. This room was to prove difficult as the walls were panelled and there were no fixing points. We didn’t know how much of the room would be occupied or what the layout would be. We spoke to a succession of members of the hotel staff and it took a lot of negotiation before we got any sensible answers from anyone. Eventually they were able to produce some flip chart stands which would give sufficient height to keep the afghans off the floor but they would not really be high enough for anyone beyond the front row to be able to see properly. They would have to do.

We were then told that we could not hang anything as the room had to be vacuumed and set out with tables first. This seemed reasonable but I’m sure that I could have done the job myself in less time than it took four or five waiters to do it. At least it was progress. They continued laying tables while we arranged our exhibits.

The plan, as understood by the organisers, was that delegates would collect a glass of wine on their way into the dining room then take their seats at the tables ready for our talk, which was to last about two hours and be followed by dinner. It was obvious to all that there would have to be some movement of chairs as nobody would want to sit with their back to us. This wasn’t a serious problem. These were mostly ex-teachers who were well-used to organising rooms full of chairs and tables.

Unfortunately the management had slightly different plans. When delegates started to arrive they were channelled into another area of the hotel for the ‘wine reception’. Time was ticking away and, when the organisers realised what was happening, they tried to get everything back on track but it wasn’t easy as delegates were scattered all over in small groups, deep in discussion, unaware that they should be elsewhere.

When they finally reached the dining room it was nice to see many familiar faces. There were people we had worked with frequently during MathsYear2000 plus others we knew from previous conferences or because we had previously spoken in their particular education authority. Eventually they were in and we were ready to start but there was obviously another problem. The head waiter had been to ask if it would be alright to go round and take orders for wine, while we were speaking so that they would be ready to serve it immediately afterwards. At least they asked! Of course, the answer was no so there was a further delay while wine menus were produced and orders were taken.

By the time all this had happened we were left with about forty-five minutes speaking time. We normally work on a minimum two hours and longer if possible. This gives us time to do a quick run-through of our ideas but no time for elaboration of any topic. We always work as a double act or, as Steve always says, he talks and I interrupt. He’s never quite sure what the interruptions might be but we feed off each other and can always get back on track from any diversion. We do not rehearse or practise what we are going to do, although there is a vague outline plan. Audiences seem to appreciate this as it is always spontaneous and relies very much on two personalities interacting. Although we both know the material equally well, the whole is greater than the sum of the two halves.

Because of this approach, situations like this we found ourselves in at Oxford, don’t cause a problem. When you don’t have a script there is no need to panic about not sticking to it. We completed this presentation at breakneck speed and it was one of the best we have ever done. We left the delegates to their dinner as we still had a 200 mile journey to get home and be back in school the next day. It seemed a very long way to go for such a short time but we know it was a success because of the comments and requests we received afterwards.

24b. SECRET MESSAGES continued