[Note - this is a very graphics heavy post. Please be patient]

We set off on Thursday afternoon and on the way we drove past this.

An omen perhaps? Then on the bus I decide to risk life and limb to take some pictures of the Hull teams.

The Cheese Eaters got the back seat. All that lovely legroom.....

Team "Three Pair" seem happy enough. And Andy has definitely just thought of something...

These two guys are two thirds of Team Ariel. Lot of DS machines went down the motorway with us....

These guys with the artistic Contre Jour (i.e. the sun is in the wrong position) picture are Team Medaware. A few minutes after this photo was taken we arrived at our swanky hotel and then the fun began.

Andy Sithers from Microsoft worked very hard to ensure that our table was well supplied with liquid refreshment...

This is the event in full swing. The food was excellent and then we had a quiz.

One of the things we had to do was put names to all the Simpsons characters. Our table got all of them. Can you?

Then in the morning after things got real and serious. This is the opening of the event. Film crews and everything!

We took our stand and some sample apps. Spiffy eh?

This is all of Team Ariel, including the chap from Durham, in front of their poster. They can tell you how it works. But then they'd have to kill you.... Having said that, these guys finished second in the competition overall.

Who says cheese is bad for you? The Cheese Eaters and our stand.

Team Medaware and their poster. These guys are first years. So they only (ONLY?!) managed to come third in the entire competition. Well done guys!

And this is Team Three Pair who, to continue the playing card analogy, aced the competition. A good idea, a blinding presentation, and a trip to India to do it all again. Only bigger. Very well done guys.

We took this picture at the champagne reception at the end. It is the only staged picture in this set of shots....

It was Friday, and we were in a very thankful mood.....

Of course you do realise that, should you ever be lucky enough to win the UK Imagine Cup, this kind of thing could happen to you... Be careful what you wish for people....

Thanks to Microsoft for a great competition. Kudos to everyone, mentors, team members, organisers (you know who you are Dianne) who managed to make the whole thing go so well...