Gordon Fong: Food, drink, restaurants, reviews and life in general. #southbourne #bournemouth

Connected Bournemouth seminars

I went to the second of the Connected Bournemouth series of discussions and networking events, at the Steele Raymond offices last night. When we talk of Bournemouth, we mean the larger conurbation that encompasses Christchurch through to Poole in reality.

There was a short talk by Chris Thorpe about robots, automation and Artificial Intelligence and the impacts that will bring to the employment. This was really interesting, an eye opener and very worrying if it all comes true.

The central theme of the night's event was about how to give Bournemouth access to the best talented workforce. How to entice and retain?

We broke off into smaller discussion groups and the feedback collated with the aim of the council enacting on key points raised.

This was my view.

From culture to kultcha in London

Being in London and not being there to run around from one business meeting to another can be really nice.

The aim was to get up early to beat the tourists on the East Weekend, but wasn't to be but we still did get to the Natural History Museum before midday. Not sure why we didn't enter by the nearest entrance on Exhibition Road from South Kensington tube station and instead walked to the other end on Queen's Gate but it doesn't really matter. I can't remember when and if I came here last time, but I made it my mission to do this museum and then the V&A.

We didn't see the iconic Hintze Hall and Dippy the dinosaur as that was closed off, but we did see huge whales suspended in the air in one hall, and a fantastic Tyrannosaurus Rex moving model. Not sure you are the best parent when holding a screaming toddler at the front of the display in line with the roaring head.

A bit slow moving at times what with families, buggies, backpacks and so on, but you just have to go with the flow - literally - and enjoy it. Aside from the awesome displays of the dinosaur bones, we both enjoyed the human biology section and the Earth section.

We took a little break after the NHM and had a coffee with the best sausage roll I've tasted over at Gail's Artisan Bakery. There are plenty of eateries by South Kensington station for everyone's tastes.

Bournemouth Air Festival Patrons Club

Through one of my companies we have become a member of the Bournemouth Air Festival Patrons Club. The donations goes towards the clubs activities, to the air festival and charitable contributions.

I've been to two of their monthly events in the run up to the air festival. One was the ex-Red Arrows pilot Ben Murphy, who was Squadron Leader when disaster struck the festival in the tragic death of pilot Jon Egging, and another was a talk on Charles Rolls (one half of Rolls Royce) and how he took part in an air festival by Hengistbury Head and died in a crash there.

All very interesting and I can't wait till we get a chance to get on board the large Navy vessel that overseas the air festival.

Echo... Echo... Echo...

Wow, the Bournemouth Echo did an interview with me and they've only gone and published it!

Time passes by so quickly that I didn't realise that I have been down in Bournemouth for so long, over 21 years. We talked about what I used to do and what I do now. Compared to the huge number of digital startup companies around here, I do feel like a Digital Dinosaur.

This is the longest I have lived in a single place, and do firmly call it home.

Click for Bournemouth Echo Article

Sake tasting for sake's sake.

Dave Hall from the Larder House/Library of Liquor took us through a very interesting evening tasting different Japanese sake and learning about its background and the part that milling process plays.

7 sake were on offer and a couple of them had a little extra treatment to make them traditional and memorable, although for some it was a bit too much, ha ha. You shall see.

All dressed up in Akashi Tai aprons Dave and Salvatore were ready to get the evening rolling, as opposed to getting down to some deep and dirty sumo wrestling. Dave began by giving some background to the brewing process and how sake is more akin to beer than wine. Many of the sake makers are small scale, and the product can be totally encompassing for the people working there, sleeping and waking to turn the rice over and so on on a regular basis. Amazing.