I managed to do the Newcastle conference in as a day-trip. It involved a 3:30 departure and I didn’t get back till 1:30 the following day, so technically it was only a 22 hour trip. Like last year it was a good event. Not one of the papers gave me the urge to yell “For Godssake step away from the lectern and stop stealing the oxygen!” Which is always a good thing. The hosts were as friendly as ever. I can’t recall anywhere that I’ve been to where I’ve thought the hosts unfriendly, but Newcastle strikes me as a department sited on a natural spring of hospitality. It’s probably right next to the other two springs which must provide the endless supply of red and white wine that they seem to have. The only disappointment was the relative absence of classicists giving papers this year. Fortunately the archaeologists and historians made up the shortfall without a noticeable drop in quality. (more…)