Python Core Sprint 2025

I wrote a bit about what went on at the recent Python Core Sprint at #Arm in Cambridge, plus some bonus @pyconuk.org highlights.

hugovk.dev/blog/2025/py...

#Python #CoreSprint #PyConUK

PyCon UK 2025 Welcoming. That’s the word that comes to my mind when I think about PyCon UK 2025. PyCon UK is the main Python conference in the UK. This year’s edition took place a week ago - mid-September - in Manchester at Contact Theatre. I attended the conference in person and gave a talk, too. ## My way to Manchester In May, I was thinking about extending Python with Rust. I had done it at work and in a hobby project and it had turned out to be far easier and more convenient than I thought. People should know about that! When I saw someone advertising the PyCon UK CFP, I figured out that I might as well pitch a talk about it. I used to think that conferences and giving talks was not for me. However, attending Heart of Clojure made me change my mind. To my surprise, the talk proposal was accepted. Another surprise was that it attracted full audience. The title of the talk is _Python and Rust, a perfect pairing_ and it is about extending Python with Rust using PyO3, Maturin, and rustimport. The talk video is already on YouTube and the slides are here. Check it out! If you’d like to see me present it live, you still have a chance. I’m going to give the talk again at PyCon Finland 2025 in Jyväskylä on Oct 17 - slightly improved based on feedback. ## The other talks You can fit a lot of talks in three days. What most piqued my interest were the talks about Python performance. Sasha Romijn talked about Python performance mistakes. Kolen Cheung compared Numba and JAX. Peichao Qin talked about extending Python with C++ and Pybind11. My talk contributed to this theme as well. Out of the three keynotes, my favorite was the one by Sheena, titled _Playing the long game_. It was a balanced take on the LLM tools and how they might be affecting software development careers, especially the people early in their careers. It’s a different tack, but there was a rehearsed reading of Emily Holyoake’s play Ada. I enjoyed it a lot. ## The hallway track The hallway track is the most important track in every conference. For me, it was a chance to meet a bunch of Internet friends in person for the first time. That was great! I also met with a number of new people and talked with them about Python and Rust, and about climbing and life. That was great, too. So what made the conference welcoming? It’s not just one thing, but the conference’s inclusion efforts seemed to pay off, as noted by keynote speaker Hynek Schlawack. ## Manchester I didn’t have a chance to see that much Manchester, but I did see Oxford Road a lot. My hotel was on Oxford Road, as was the conference venue, as was the main bar we went to, as was Manchester Museum (they have frogs), as were the coffee places I had my morning coffee at. After the conference, I did a walk in Peak District near Kinder Scout. The day was stunning and the scenery beautiful. This time, I was lugging all my stuff with me, so I had to walk. The next time, it would be great to run the route and explore further. If there’s a PyCon UK in Manchester in 2026, I will do it.

One more #PyConUK post, this time on my blog, about my conference experience (it was great) and the talks I enjoyed: quanttype.net/posts/2025-09-29-pycon-u...

Original post on mastodon.org.uk

I'm a week late in posting this, but I had a great time at #PyConUK last weekend.

All of the talks are now online and worth checking out. In particular, my amazingly talented colleague, Katie, gave a talk about doing hard things as a junior engineer and how other engineers can provide support. […]

Another highlight from #PyConUK!

Katie Bickford gives a junior's perspective on doing difficult things. Contains advice for both junior developers *and* (importantly) the senior developers working with them! This is a topic that doesn't normally get enough airtime.

youtu.be/7yfGMMei0b8?...

On my way back from #PyConUK with the usual full heart/empty head that I tend to have after Python conferences.

My biggest fear was to give a keynote only for my friends so it was a big relieve that the positive feedback came truly from all sides. Different ages, experience, use-cases, … 1/4

On my way back from #PyConUK with the usual full heart/empty head that I tend to have after Python conferences.

My biggest fear was to give a keynote only for my friends so it was a big relieve that the positive feedback came truly from all sides. Different ages, experience, use-cases, … 1/4

This was a very good talk. An important topic and very well and understandable explained. Thank you! :-)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N8q... #PyConUK

Original post on mastodon.social

#PyConUK started a bit slow for me but ended up really good. Gave a talk on extending Python with Rust (with PyO3/Maturin/rustimport) and a lightning talk about an old blog post of mine. Met a number of Internet friends in person for the first time and a bunch of new ones.

What I really liked […]

Re: last RT. It was encouraging that no-one at #PyConUK seemed to be drinking the AI Kool-aid. Sure, there were talks about AI, but there were more calls to resist than bros encouraging us to get on the train.

A winding path towards a hill. There's a small brook and a bridge over it.

Austere rock faces at the top of a hill.

A scene from the top of a hill. There's a boulder field winding down between the peaks.

A path paved with large square blocks of rock. The path is flanked by heather bushes.

After #PyConUK, I went for a walk in the Peak District. I love the austere, wind-swept tops of the hills, and climbing up a rocky path along a brook provided suitable amount of athletic challenge.

A photo of me, wearing a Scottish Refugee Council t-shirt, with the slogan "Aye Welcome Refugees"

On stage for an hour in front of 350 people in Manchester. Do you think they got the message?

#PyConUK #PyConUK2025

@scotrefugeecouncil.bsky.social @amzomac.bsky.social

PyCon UK fixed my toilet.
If your fill valve is topping up your cistern every couple of hours, try turning off the water and visiting a Python conference for a few days. When you get home note the empty cistern and turn the water back on. The problem may have resolved itself. #PyConUK

Good keynote by @hynek.me. Can recommend. 👌 www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDvw...

#PyConUK

Our waiter just lost a bet because he thought we’re a Dungeons & Dragons group. #PyConUK

Our waiter just lost a bet because he thought we’re a Dungeons & Dragons group. #PyConUK

We very much approve of this #PyConUK Lightning Talk. The Pigeons and the Crows must unite to steal all the pencil cases.

#PyConUK is one of the best executed conferences I’ve ever attended. 😮

#PyConUK is one of the best executed conferences I've ever attended. 😮

Sheena on stage introducing us all to the new vibe coding cleanup specialist job role

Excellent keynote by @sheena-oconnell.bsky.social covering how LLMs affect the job market. New opportunities for… vibe code cleanup specialists! #PyConUK

A very balanced take with tips for newcomers and established devs. And a shoutout for Django and its solid security story!

A big green frog with white spots sitting on a leaf. The frog looks very smug.

Manchester Museum hosts a number of frogs and reptiles. I went there yesterday and had a lot of fun observing them. Here's one, a magnificient tree frog.

#PyConUK folks, the museum is close to the venue and the entry is free, so if you need a break activity, you can go look at the frogs.

A bearded bespactled white guy on a stage giving a presentation. There's a slide projected behind him with a picture of a python, titled "Python is not good enough". The slide is dated 2015-12-02.

when ur definitely not a python hater #PyConUK

"Build big. You'll learn how to deal with technical debt because you'll make some."

Sheena O'Connell @ #PyConUK

Thibaud, Baptiste, Tom at the Django booth

If you’re at #PyConUK, come say hi at our booth! We can let you know about upcoming @DjangoConEurope plans 🤫 and other Django events. Also we have a pony plushy to give away to one of our donors!

When is a digit simultaneously a number and not a number? When you try to internationalise an English centric programming language www.youtube.com/watch?v=ri3W... #PyConUK

Group photo of 50 core team members, triagers, special guests, and Arm hosts.

The 3.14 release room, two laptops on a table and the release CI build shown on a screen. The laptop with the "365 PARTYGIRL" sticker isn't mine.

🐍🏃‍➡️🏃‍➡️🏃‍➡️🏃‍➡️ #Python #CoreSprint day 4!

Finally, 3.14.0rc3: next RM @savannah.dev joined in to watch the process and ask questions 🥧

Then a quick core․py recording with @pablogsal.com and @lukasz.langa.pl before heading up to Manchester for #PyConUK! 🐝

Thanks again to @diegor.it and Arm for hosting! 🦾

Since #PyConUK has its AV on point, my keynote yesterday is already live on YouTube! 1/2

Original post on mastodon.social

Since #PyConUK has its AV on point, my keynote yesterday is already live on YouTube.

I don't want to say/spoil anything about it, except that it's the first real keynote I've ever written, it encompasses almost 20 years of writing Python, the feedback has been phenomenal, and that you should […]

Jayrup introducing Gitea

“I’ve spent hours troubleshooting issues. It’s always DNS” 🤣 Jayrup at #PyConUK on self-hosting jayrup.me

Don't know who's picking the between talk music in Stage 2 at @contactmcr.bsky.social today, but it's 👌 #PyConUK

OH: I know you from `pip install` #PyConUK