As always I’m about a couple of weeks behind with updating my blog so here’s a bit of a ramble of some of the key highlights from the last few weeks and as there are so many I’m now formally adopting a Mike Bright styley ;).

Back to School software for students

On Monday we launched a marketing campaign across the UK designed to promote the 3 different ways that students can access discounted or free Microsoft software either via MSDN Academic Alliance, theSpoke Premium or studentoptions.com. Visit www.studentsoftwarediscounts.co.uk/  

Microsoft Student Partner Meeting and Social

Last week the Academic Team hosted 58 of this year’s 70 Microsoft Student Partners at Microsoft Campus and Bar 38 in Reading for the kickoff of the MSP Programme 2005. This year we were inundated with nominations and have presented awards to 70 students from over 35 different universities across the UK and Ireland. It was a great chance to see some old faces – former interns such as Hardeep, Neil and Michael, Imagine Cup 2004 UK finalists – Mat, Antranik, Simon, Richard, Luke, Paul et al as well as the masses of new faces. Congrats go to all speakers as well as Chris and Emily who made it all happen.

South Bank Culture Extravaganza

I’ve now adopted the South Bank of London as one of my favourite weekend haunts given its vast array of theatres, art galleries, attractions, top notch restaurants, stunning architecture and the 5 mile Queen’s Walk which stretches along the banks of the River Thames.

I went to see yet another play with my fellow culture vulture Emma at the recently renovated Old Vic which is hosting Kevin Spacey as its new artistic director. ‘Cloaca’ is a great, light-hearted comedy starring Stephen Tompkinson, Huge Bonneville, Robert Jones and Neil Pearson, which shows a reunion of four overgrown college kids, twenty years on who are all suffering simultaneous mid-life crises. After the interval the play really takes off and includes a superb sub-Madness dance routine followed by the arrival of a stripper, so it really does have something for everyone!

I also took in a trip to the cinema to see the remake of the original, 1960s movie Alfie, reinvented for the modern day and which stars the very smooth and very sexy Jude Law and Susan Sarandon and Sienna Miller.  Alfie is a smooth talking, English chauffeur with a penchant for the ladies who continuously fall at his feet; set in New York Alfie is content with flitting from one woman to the next however deep down he is missing something… Don’t expect a happy ending but it has a great soundtrack by Mick Jagger and Dave Stewart.

In addition I’ve spent time flitting in and out of the South Bank attractions including a trip to the Tate Modern (former power station) to see Rodin’s Kiss and Matisses’s the Backs sculptures; strolled over the fated Millennium Bridge to St Pauls to listen to Evensong, took a flight on the London Eye on one of the most amazingly sunny autumn afternoons and was treated to the most spectacular 430 foot panoramic views of London (below) and of course I couldn’t resist a trip to the Oxo Tower which is one of my all time favourite bars/brasseries in London with its stunning view of the Thames and the London skyline.

So my dear blog readers are you still awake, are you even remotely tempted to take in the delights of the South Bank or have I succeeded in putting you to sleep?