Tragedy of Grenfell Tower, impressed by Dany Cotton

Peacock feather under the microscope

Spent an enjoyable late morning helping visitor C become familiar with her microscope. Just seeing her sheer joy at getting a good image during the setting up procedure and going through the magnifications was a delight. As we shared a similar camera make, we were able to use my camera attachments and establish how to take pictures with her camera.

After lunch finalised the planning and PowerPoint slides for my five minute speed presentation at the 'Connecting with the Crowd' conference at the Natural history Museum tomorrow. Train ticket bought online and collected as it is an early start tomorrow.

Grenfell Tower loomed darkly in the background of the news stream, dominating the extended 10 o'clock news. Parents and friends were still looking for unaccounted loved ones. There were harrowing stories of relatives reliving the last conversations of trapped family members. The image of speech slowing and then stopping, with crackling of flames being the last sounds coming from the phone; the smokey video of a family who never escaped, they flicker persistently in the memory after hearing about them. Perhaps I'm also sensitised because it is a year ago my sister began gradually slipping into her terminal last few days.

The person who impressed me during the continuing news story, was the Commissioner of the London Fire Brigade, Dany Cotton. She radiated a composed calm when the Mayor and the Police Chief spoke. When her turn came, she spoke with authority and compassion, both for the victims of the fire and the hundreds of firefighters who laboured and risked their lives in a truly towering inferno to rescue others. She painted a clear picture of how they would be working in the building in the days and weeks to come. How some shoring would be required to make sections safe to search. That the benefit of using specially trained dogs would allow them to cover areas faster and safer. I found a fascinating interview with her in the Guardian - a great role model! See (https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/mar/05/dany-cotton-london-fire-brigade-commissioner-interview).

Politics began to resume again after a respectful pause. The Tory-DUP talks in order to secure a house majority continue quietly behind the closed doors of Number 10. The Queen's Speech has now been set for next Wednesday and Brexit talks will begin Monday.

Meanwhile, in Germany, Brexit hardly features, as the main Euro news is today's agreement to provide Greece with more credit.