A Sell Out at the Dementia Market Place

We had an amazing day at Trinity Park at the Dementia Market Place. The event, organised by Care Development East in conjunction with key personnel from Suffolk County Council (I am thinking specifically of the brilliant and tireless Gail and her team/colleagues) was a huge success.

With over 50 stalls representing a range of organisations and companies, every element of dementia care seemed to be covered.

We also had an American guest with us, Nikki Jardin from Mirador Magazine which I think made this an international conference! Nikki was astonished at how this event went and the numbers of stalls involved and will, I'm sure, be reporting back to her colleagues in the US on how we in the UK - and specifically Suffolk - go about our business. Nikki, Peter and I are in the last photo of the selection and, as she said, we look like the Avengers! Strange poses from all....

Peter and I had the luxury of an hour's slot in which to talk (and, had I read the agenda I would have known that instead of trying to cram everything into 25 minutes....) but nonetheless we managed to fill the time quite happily and the feedback we received validates our attendance and the generous time slot.

It was fantastic to meet so many old faces (I mean that in the familiarity sense rather than casting any aspersions on people's ages) and to see people in the flesh (and, again, you know how I mean that!) as opposed to having only met them virtually - the amazing Clare Fuller being a prime example.

An especial shout out to Kayleigh Kent who is trying to kick start a new project in conjunction with Suffolk Libraries and the Reading Well for Dementia scheme Reading Well for dementia - The Reading Agency. When the project is fully up and running, Peter and I will be delivering a talk in one of the three libraries in which she is implementing the scheme (probably Ipswich). As always, I had that little frisson of pleasure at seeing "Slow Puncture" displayed on her table, nestled between the 19 other books selected for the Reading Agency's scheme.

Well done all for organising and planning for this day and see you all next year where I will endeavour to read the time slot on the Agenda.