Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, Status Quo were not rocking the EdTwestival last Thursday, though it really would have been an appropriate song for the event.

25th March 2010 was christened International Twestival Day in cities all over the world as philanthropic tweeters united to tweet, drink and eat cake all in the name of the charity Concern. I’d somehow managed to be on holiday for both of the previous Twestivals in 2009 but this year the stars aligned and I managed to get myself a ticket for my first Edtwestival.

The Edtwestival hashtag erupted in a frenzy of excitement and activity early Thursday morning as its attendees quite literally buzzed in anticipation of the main event that night. I myself snuck off to the venue, Ghillie Dhu, at lunchtime to deliver a some cakes (I invented the Hashtag Cupcake you know) and got a sneak peak at the preparations.

Though there were a few pre Twestival drinks arranged I gave them a miss, mainly owing to the fact that I wasn’t sure what all the people I’d been speaking to online looked like. (Obviously a major drawback of developing relationships online.) So I trotted off to Starbucks for a needed caffeine boost and much to my amusement discovered a group of people abusing the free wifi playing World of Warcraft on their laptops. I snickered quietly in to my tea listening to them “Tbag an ally noob” and was heartily impressed that the free internet connection was good enough to allowing ganking.

Actually rocking up to the Twestival was a bit intimidating thankfully the first person I met was @Cronvek (or Liz) who I knew from her tweets is a big video games fan and just like that we’re chatting away like we’ve known each other for ages. I was worried about not knowing anyone and being by myself but I really should have known better. Everyone was super friendly and I’m pretty mad and forward anyway so I was soon plotting a master plan to get people flashing rudey bits on the webcam with, until recently, complete strangers (@krayatweet vetoed that idea damn fast and I’m pretty sure the host of the night, @CraigMcgill now thinks I have a fetish for tits, but hey its all for a good cause right?) and listening to @mikecoulter hold court at the bar with a bunch of his digital ninjas. (Now newly christened Social Media Bravehearts.)

Apologies for not mentioning everyone I met, just know that I love you and I’m stalking following you all on Twitter.

By the end of the night £3.6k had been raised, @CraigMcgill had one of his breasts waxed, many cakes were bought and consumed, (by the way did I mention I invented the hashtag cupcake?) I made a LOT of new friends and performed an EPIC knee slide across the dancefloor with the social penguin himself Mr @mike_mcgrail. (All this whilst sober…no doubt you’re all wondering the damage I’d do with a drink in me?) The Edtwestival organisers deserve a massive round of applause for all their efforts and I hope they got a chance to toast their success on the night. I’ll be there with bells on for the next one guys!

A small post script to the evening was the drive home to Fife in what can only be described as a scene from John Carpenters The Fog. I was absolutely bricking myself driving in fog so thick I couldn’t see the side of the road or the traffics lights! In fact it was so bad I was sensing my way home in much the same way that Luke uses the Force and just “feeling” which junction I was at. I did get home safely in the end so perhaps there is a future for me as a Jedi Knight? (I can see this going on the upcoming census now!)

Will add pictures when I can.