Northern grit and coffee make a good mix

It’s a funny place up north. Having just read Pies & Prejudice, I do think we have a deep down sense of insecurity, boisterousness, bravado, bloody minded cussedness sometimes – possibly it has something to do with the weather.
After all you could die on a walk on the Moors if you weren’t prepared. I know I did come close to that once on Pen-y-Ghent climbing it the wrong way round.
But forget London – there is lot’s happening up here, especially in the area of Web2.0.
In spite of our rough, wode-daubed features northerners are starting to do some good things in IT and in the social media space. Leeds, Manchester and Sheffield has some great talent.
I attended the first OpenCoffee event in Leeds today – organised by the excellent Imran Ali (we are planning a few of these this year across the north ending with a big bash at BarCampLeeds).
OpenCoffee was held at Starbucks on Albion Street, Leeds and we had a really good turn out of developers, entrepreneurs, business angels, VCs and various geeks.
There was a real buzz – and if we can keep the momentum going I am sure this will be a regular monthly event. If you want to get involved contact me or Imran and we will get you networked with the north’s social media.