Last week, amid the pouring rain, the game staff of Arts Council England in this region took to the streets of Birmingham on the latest edition of A City Adventure.

Despite the meteorological challenges the staff really got stuck into the activities Craig had set up for them. Change Kitchen provided a predictably delicious lunch before we cracked into an afternoon of reflection.

It was a reassuring day, not only did the adventure deliver the range of experiences we had hoped but the ACE team got stuck into it with commendable enthusiasm and showed a great deal of intelligence, sensitivity and creative thinking in their afternoon session. They showed a strong team spirit, which given the huge upheaval they have experienced in recent months was impressive to see. Obviously the chances of me slagging Arts Council England off on this blog are slim, but here I am genuine in my admiration. Not least for trusting us with a good slice of their pressurized training budget.