As most of you probably know by now, May is one of my favourite months of the year. Coming straight after Birthday Month, it brings Eurovision joy and the SRP Annual Conference, two of my favourite events. However, due to a mix-up in dates, I managed to miss Eurovision this year! Shame on me! I can’t complain too much though, as instead, I was watching Bruce Springsteen in concert in Manchester, which was fantastic, and arguably better than Eurovision! My brother and mum are die hard fans and always go to a concert every time he tours, but I’d never been, despite growing up with the music, so this year my husband said he wanted to see him before he died (Bruce, not my husband, but I suppose it could easily work for both!) so we picked the Saturday after the Annual Conference because we knew we’d be in the UK at that time, not realising that it was Eurovision Day! This is the 4^th Eurovision I’ve missed in my life that I can remember. And, to be fair, all but one of those times have been completely worth it!

So back to the main star of the month, the Annual Conference. This year we were in sunny Hull, a stone’s throw from my hometown of Leeds. It was the biggest conference we’ve had to date with number of delegates and poster submissions, and, as always, was a great opportunity to meet up with some faces I’ve not seen in years…I’m talking pre-covid years! So that was really lovely, and yet another reminder that the conference is not only about the learning – there were some fantastic presentations this year – but also about the connections we make, rekindle and maintain.  The photo shows me with friends, Steph Bloomer and Sarah Warner-Jones, at the Annual Dinner during the conference.

I’ve been in the UK quite a lot over the last couple of months, and weirdly the weather has been much better in the UK than in Spain! Hull was no exception. Lovely and warm and mostly sunny. We really are usually very lucky with our choice of venue and the weather! I can also confirm that the fish and chips offerings in Hull were excellent. Aside from that, the venue was very good and the staff there brilliant and helpful. So now Hull is over, it’s time to really focus on Liverpool! As I’m sure you’re aware, next year is going to be a really special year for SRP as we’re honoured to be hosting the 7th European Congress of the International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA) in Liverpool. Planning is already well underway, but will be ramping up in the coming months, including the opening of abstracts very soon, keep an eye out for details on the website 7th European IRPA Congress. We really hope that Liverpool will be a chance for SRP members to showcase what incredible work we’re doing in the UK to a European audience, so please get those abstracts written and submitted.

I’m back in Spain now and the weather here has finally caught up with the UK. It’s a sunny 34 degrees today. I’m excited for evenings sat on terraces with a cold drink in my hand, the opening of the outdoor public swimming pools, and please no more rain!

Until next month,

Sarah

engagement@srp-uk.org

Instagram: @saragoli