I was in Gateshead this morning for a meeting of the North East Regional Fairtrade Forum. We discussed Fairtrade Fortnight for next year and how we might mark it in the region in order to gain maximum publicity and impact. As the discussion went on an idea began to emerge of a way to link activities around the region and everyone became more and more animated and excited by it. I'm looking forward to sharing the ideas with Stockton's group at our next meeting and hoping to take it forward to a really good event.

This afternoon I was taking someone for a chest x-ray and had the opportunity to see at first hand the lung department at North Tees - a very long walk from the main doors but a lovely, light and airy looking place when we got there and much easier to move around than the general x-ray department. It shows what can be done with care and thought when designing a "new" part of an old hospital.