GSL

That was a day!

The Gorse Fox and Silver Vixen headed out from our overnight sojourn in Buckingham. It was a glorious start to the day and traffic was light, at least until we arrived at the NEC. Once we had cleared the Hooray Henriettas going to the showjumping, we made our way onwards to the Gadget Show Live.

People were queuing for the shuttle buses by eschewing the free transport we walked from the car park to the exhibition halls.

The building had not long been open but was already thrumming with the rampant excitement of geeks and nerds - and the whiff of linament from the more mature visitors. On display in the halls was a wide selection of every gadgets and gizmos that you could wish to see. There was a supersonic car, there was a Formula One simulator, there were Power Tools, there were cameras, there were video cameras, there was every kind of laptop, netbook, notepad, and e-reader that you could wish to see.

Making our way around the show wheezy bitter and sad down each aisle to ensure that we did not miss any of the exhibits. Having said that we did skip the game zone, which was of no interest to the Gorse Fox.


Soon after lunch, we made our way to the auditorium. The live event was scheduled to begin at two o'clock. As the introductory music reached a crescendo, an 8'6" robot strolled onto the stage and introduced the presenters of the show; Jason Bradbury,Ortis Deeley, Suzi Perry, and John Bentley. There followed an hour and a quarter of entertainment featuring competitions, giveaways, amazing technology, gadget racing, and even dance. The Gadget Show Live was without any doubt well worth the entrance fee.

Leaving the auditorium, we returned to the exhibition halls. The initial crush had died away, and it was easier to examine interesting gadgets close-up. The gorse Fox returned to examine several cameras and several small net books, but in the end, he Resisted the temptation to part with any money.

The exhibition closed at 5:30 and we made our way back to the car park, fought our way out of the exhibition centre, and joined the Friday rush-hour on the M42. Within an hour we were back in Buckingham, quaffing a glass of cold white wine, and preparing to go out to dinner with the Silver Vixen's sister and partner.

Cheng-Du the Chinese restaurant in Buckingham, turned out to be an excellent choice, and we had a splendid evening. All in all, it was an excellent day.