Room with a view

Easy winner of this week's "Small World" prize for the best reason for going to a conference in an attractive foreign venue goes to Andrew Thornley, of the London School of Economics. At the Regional Studies Association meeting in Gothenberg he gave a paper comparing aspects of Gothenberg with London. He gestured towards a window and its spectacular view of the city's river, and said: "One advantage of this location is that it saves on overheads. Instead of my using slides to illustrate this paper, you can look out of the window."