Taken for granted

Sometimes it takes the most basic task to make you realise that what you know is not always the same as what everyone else knows.
Take loading an image into a program (like word / powerpoint / etc). I was showing another member of staff where I had loaded some images to use within a lesson and telling them what the pupils should do. I clicked on the little icon that lets you change the folder display to show thumbnails, and was asked "Wow - what did you do?"

I showed it again, and realised that this was a new idea for the member of staff. It seemed like such a simple thing to do, yet has had a great impact on another member of staff.

The End of an Era

I was sat playing with my new iphone, with the news on in the background, when suddenly a news item grabbed my full attention.

Alton Towers is to retire and dismantle the Corkscrew after today. This was the first ever roller coaster I went on. It was back in the 80's, the ride was new, and I was on a school trip (when school trips were for fun!!) No other ride lifted you and twisted you in its famous double corkscrew as this ride did.

When I think that the other attractions at the time were "Doom and Sons", a log flume, the Enterprise and other un-memorable rides the corkscrew was THE attraction to ride on.

Farewell Corkscrew - you were a blast.

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Happy Blogging Birthday

November 4th, 2003. Important date that.

I was starting out as the Digital Teacher in Residence for a Digital Literacy project at Nottingham Trent University and made my very first blog posting.  Five years later and I'm still posting in the very same blog, as well as using several others!

• Digital Teacher -
  my main blog posting my thoughts

• simon-widdowson.com -
  built as a website for my projects

• Porchester Junior School Main Site -
  built for the school I work at

• Porchester Junior School | Pupil Area

• Porchester Junior School | Staff Area -
  secure area for staff resources

• DragonsCavern -
  built to report news about my hobby

• Bectan Sands -
  an online literacy project for children

Not only that, but I've set up other sites using Typepad blogs too;

• charliecat.co.uk -
  built for a cat!

• A Road Well Travelled -
  a one year, diary style, story

• Porchester Junior School - Tanzania Section -
  visit to a partner school in Africa

• Porchester Junior School - Centenary Section -
  celebrating 100 years

Router for the neighbourhood

I came across this article from a colleague I worked with during my Digital-Teacher residency all about leaving your router on 24/7.
It makes interesting reading, especially the comment about using a BT router as one of their hotspots to improve their public wireless reach.

Now this has got me thinking of what to do with the wireless school network during evenings / weekends / holidays. Could it be possible to open this connection up to the community (whilst keeping access to the school servers locked out) and launch a new revenue stream? Something that I am going to look into more carefully when I return to school.

That special teachers club

I joined a very special club today. I was in the supermarket picking up a few bits and pieces, then queued at the checkout. As my items began to be scanned through the cashier suddenly said

"Did you used to work at [insert school name here]" she said

"Yes I did" I replied

"Bet you don't remember me", she added, covering up her name badge.

It was at the moment that I remembered this was a child I had taught back in the mid 1990's. And so, I am now a proud member of the "my pupils are old enough to work" club. Where do I get the badge from?

Preparing for a U-turn

Well, this is an interesting news item from the city council, coming the first weekday after the closure of several city schools because of falling numbers...

...Officials have said too many small flats have been built and facilities to support family homes are needed. Councillor Alan Clarke said purpose built student accommodation was freeing up traditional homes in the city. But he underlined that any attempt to move families in would have to be sustainable.

"If you start from a position where you do not have the facilities, most obviously schools, you could be in a situation where children have to commute out which is a problem," he said.

That last quote is the most damning item in the whole report. When the school reorganisation committee held its meetings this is what the threatened schools argued - that moving students out and families in would see a rise in pupil numbers, and a need for the schools places. Would they listen this argument? No - they knew better.

Well, I expect to see a news report soon announcing that the city council will be re-opening one of the closed schools to cope with rising numbers. Watch this space...

Farewell, So long

I went to my previous school tonight to bid the staff and building a fond farewell, as today they educated a child for the very last time.  As of September, it is no longer an educational establishment.

It was a strange event, different emotions were running throughout. There were happy feelings at seeing people I worked with (it was only 18 months ago, but already it feels like a lifetime), but at the same time there were sad feelings that that great building would no longer ring to the sound of children's laughter, children chanting tables, or working, singing, acting and all sorts of other things.

I did get time to speak to several of the staff who I had the good fortune to work with - the staff who helped me to rediscover my love of teaching after a terrible time at another school before - and was shocked to hear that the council had done exactly what I feared they would. They didn't promise a job for staff, and (good to their word) they haven't. I was appalled that a council could treat it's employee's like that.

So, I'm now going to keep a look out for any jobs for a couple of them - see if anythng is going at my school in the near future in particular, and I hope to keep in better touch with them.

I raise my glass to Douglas - a school like no other. You made me enjoy teaching again, and for that you will always be remembered. And to the staff who stayed to the end - you are the best. I feel honoured to have worked with you.

Douglas Primary School. 1883 - 2008

Checked off

• Reports written...check

• Sports day completed...check

• Sort groups for trip...check

• Reports checked and signed...check

• Backdrop for Yr6 production finished...check

• Closing party for previous school...still to do

• House of the half term party...still to do

• Hand out reports...still to do

The Final Countdown

"So snow comes after fire and even dragons have their ending..."

A quote from The Hobbit, and one that sprung into my mind when I received a phone call from my previous school asking me if I was able to attend the final get together of former staff before the school closes its doors for the final time after 100+ years of educating children.

So, I'll be catching up with staff there in a few weeks, sharing a smile and at the same time shedding a tear as the school becomes another statistic in the councils closure lists.

I never knew I didn't know that!

Ever thought about how long it's going to take until the entire world has a mobile phone? No? Me neither! However, this website shows you!

How sad...

"Less than half of fathers regularly read bedtime stories to their children, research has suggested.

This is the first paragraph of an article on the BBC website entitled "Dads 'don't read bedtime stories'". I made sure that my daughter had a story every night when she was young. Now, she never stops reading and is busy writing her own.

At school I try and read to the class every day. It's essential, so at the moment we're reading Charlie Bone, by Jenny Nimmo, and also Smasher by Dick King Smith.

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Wii love iPlayer

Since well before the public launch when I was lucky enough to be able to test the iPlayer  in advance, I have loved the idea of it. Missed a great piece of TV, go to the computer and either download it or stream it for up to 7 days after broadcast. Keep it for a maximum of 30 days, but once viewed it then deletes itself after 7 days. Simple, effective, useful.

The only drawback to it has been the need to either sit on a hard chair in front of a PC watching, or sat on a settee staring at a small laptop screen. Not anymore! I'm pleased to see the BBC and Nintendo have reached a deal to put the iPlayer on the Wii as a channel.

So now I'll be able to sit on a comfy sofa and catch up on a big screen. As the fast show used to say "Brilliant!"

Oh related to that - ISPs are asking the BBC to fund network improvements because the iPlayers popularity is stretching resources. Are the ISPs also going to ask 4od, Joost, Sky anytime and the host of other streaming / catchup services out there too? Or is it just sour grapes that the beeb has hit on a winning idea?

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Major red face!

I can't believe that I forgot to put an RSS link onto this site! I used to have a little image - but I made a bit of a typo on it, so withdrew it a while back. I had another ready, but never added it at the time.

So, [big drum roll] ladies and gentlemen please note the tiny(!!) RSS logo on the right. Simply click on it and you'll hopefully get the feed. If you can't, try putting this into your favourite feed reader;

http://www.digital-teacher.co.uk/rss.xml

It's all a bit of a mess really

Well we're back at work today. We've had our two week Easter break. We're ready to start the long slog of the 15 week summer term (!!)

At the same as we go back others are getting ready to  do their final week of the spring term, and start their Easter break this Friday. They'll go back to do a much more sensible 12 week summer term.

I have no idea how this came about, as it has always seemed before that schools around the UK generally take their breaks at the same time (just look at the price of holidays - they go up as soon as the countries schools close for summer). However, with the way it's fallen this year there are going to be some red faced holiday companies, and some very happy familes, because the cheap season has fallen IN the holiday for some people. I imagine that next year there will be a 4 week price rise for Easter breaks so that the holiday firms don't let any family slip through!

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The holidays are coming

Christmas is definately on it's way now. I know this for a fact. There are three "dead certainty" events that tell me this.

1. The Coca Cola advert with the lorries and THAT song are on the TV*

2. The first of my 25 special "Online Advent" posts has appeared on the school website

3. It's Saturday, and I'm thinking about whether the costumes and props will be ready in time for the Christmas production because (OMG) we only have 7 days left to rehearse!

* for those who think that the Coke advert is wrong, the one above is for 2007, this one is the one we all remember;

A new start

Well, the half term saw a complete upheaval of everything, as we moved from one house into another. Never again! It was touch and go right up until the last moment because of delays and problems along the chain (solictors not doing their jobs properly).
With a scheduled move on the 19th, we only heard definately that the move could go ahead late the day before. But that wasn't the end of it, because on the day of the move we relinquished our keys as asked, but had to wait an hour before the solicitors would free our new keys (seems that it was much more important to go out for their lunch than complete our sale).
So, we are now in. The half term was spent emptying boxes and sorting out rooms, and now it's back to work without a break or rest.
Roll on Christmas!

It's all go

Well after what seemed like months of non-activity the house move has suddenly gone from a crawl to rocket speed. After a letter at the weekend with a suggested completion date (that suits us perfectly as it's at the start of half term), I phoned the solicitor to OK it. Now we have just 3 weeks to arrange everything. The removal company has given us a provisional date (we can't confirm until we've signed!). We've asked the local council to come and collect old furniture that we aren't taking with us. Tomorrow I start to ring all the utility companies to advise them of the *provisional* moving date. This I can see being the problem area, as several of their websites say to give 4 weeks notice. Hard to do when you don't know what's happening until 3 weeks before!!

A Good Deed Done

I used the tram system today to get into the city centre in order to try (unsuccessfully) and find a book. Usually when I get off the tram heading back to the car I try and give my all-day ticket to another traveller to save them paying. I couldn't see anyone today, and so headed home with it. Which, it turns out, was lucky as I needed it to go back into town later. As I parked for the second time, I noticed another parked car with the back door left open, but no-one around. Doing my good deed for the day, I hit the intercom button at the tram stop and let the control room know, who spun their cameras around to see the vehicle before sending someone to check it.

But I still didn't get to give the ticket away when I had done :-(

Cosmetic changes

As you can see, I've made some changes to the look of this website. Gone is the list, on the right of the page, of sections that I write articles into. This is now below the banner on every page. Talking of which, I've cleaned up the look of the banner too. I've altered the colours of the site, and redesigned the layout so that no matter what size monitor you're viewing on, the content will display in the middle 800 pixels of the screen.  And finally there's a clever bit of Amazon coding at the bottom of the page. It "reads" the content of the page, and then tries to show relevant products from their website. (Mind you it's struggling with some of the posts as it can't decide what is relevant and what isn't)

Presentational Skills

Just returned home from a day looking at two potential virtual learning platforms that the county are going to be selecting from. To say they were completely different would be an understatement - but it's not the architecture that runs each VLE that was so different, it was the presentation of each one. One of them was slick, professional, full of demonstrations on what the VLE can offer, and then when questions were asked the answers were consise, on the topic and detailed.
The other one...well, it wasn't!

Oh boy, was it so not a good show! I wish now that I had recorded what was being said, so that I could now play it on the computer at half speed. I might be able to understand what the rep was racing through. And did I get to see how the product works? No - instead we were treated to a view of a site set up using it, then another, and another, and then another, oh and just for good measure another example!?!?!

Even better were the questions (when they finally stopped avoiding being asked any). When you hear answers like "We've got a data centre in London, I think", or "I don't know if the software has that built into it". They're supposed to be selling it to us - and they come across as not knowing anything about it.

Suprisingly, following the presentations, there seemed to be one clear winner. Which was a shame, because the other product looked friendlier, we just didn't know how it worked.

Too busy to post?

Why no posts for so long?
Simple really. It's that time of year again when reports are being written in whatever spare few minutes I can find (and even worse this time is trying to write so much about them when I've taught them for 7 weeks!!), and - because that isn't enough to be keeping me occupied - we're selling up and moving house. That means clearing out clutter, tidying messing work areas, keeping the house looking nice and BOY is it hard work!
So, if there is little else added to this site for a while, you'll know why!

One last thing. Remember all the hassle with the DVLA? (search the site for references to them). Well yesterday a cheque landed on the doormat. I've got my money back - only 7 months after they made their mistake. Efficient or what!

Green green grass

I see that for some reason Trafalgar square has been grassed over for two days, and do you know what, it looks brilliant like this;

 

Maybe this will spark Ken Livingstone into action and ripping up the bland, dull concrete of the square and laying a permanent park there. Just imagine how appealing it would be for tourists in the heart of London to be able to sit, rest, picnic or relax. It has to be better than the concrete, surely.

Worse things happen at sea?

So, what next I am asking myself;

• Saturday 12th May. We have no oven. The element blew last week and we are waiting for a repair (it was repaired less than a year ago, so it might be under warranty still).

• Sunday 13th May. Noticed that Charliecat  has a poorly right eye. It's weeping, she won't open it fully and the pupil is bigger than the other. Need to phone the Vet.

• Sunday 13th May. Nusiance phone calls (6 of them) from an untraceable pay as you go mobile number. They eventually stopped ringing when I accidently blew into my PE whistle whilst holding the phone next to my mouth. Whoops!!

• Monday 14th May. Charlie has caught the scent of something, and spent the early evening flipping around, biting the carpet and any hand that came near her.

• Monday 14th May. The bath hot pipe sprung a leak, causing the kitchen light fitment to resemble a lovely cascading water feature. Drained hot tank, no boiler, but leak stopped. Must ring plumber.

I just hope it isn't the car, as I have to drive to Drayton Manor on Sunday.

Remember your e-Safety

From a BBC report;

More than half of children in the UK using the internet have had an "unwanted experience", a poll suggests. The NSPCC found 50.4% of 2,053 children had experienced problems such as bullying, being threatened or sexually harassed while online.

And also;

It is concerned about the popularity of social networking sites such as Bebo or MySpace, which it says 52% of children aged 11-16 use once a day.

The BBCs own Chat Guide has advice on staying safe, as does the NSPCC and Becta

 

Doctor Who make-a-comic

Have you seen the BBC Doctor Who website?
They've launched a new feature where you can create your own comic strip featuring the Doctor, Martha and a host of villians and props.
I've given it a quick go and it's simple to use. (One thing to mention, you will need to register to get the full features of it, and for children that will mean getting an adult to allow you to join).

Election days and leaving do's

Oh, it's a wicked combination to arrange a leaving do on the night before the local elections!!
Why is this? Because, quite simply, when you go out to meet the staff of the school you have recently left (to say goodbye to another member of the "team"), and you know that you don't have to be up the next day at stupid o'clock you make sure you have a good time!

It was nice to meet up again with the staff I had worked so closely with before moving on. It was interesting to hear how "my children" were getting on without me, and of course it was a chance to catch up on the latest gossip.
It was also sad in a way to know that there won't be many more times - if any - to meet up with a great bunch of people again, unless emails, texts and phone calls take place.
I still say that these people made my time working with them the best of my teaching career. I miss you guys - you rock!

So as I look at the clock it's now 12.48am and I've just rolled in. Time to sleep and enjoy a rare weekday lay in this morning.

Ofsted and the fraud!

Just before Easter I went through an Ofsted at school. I then moved to a new school for the new term and have just been through another Ofsted. Two inspections in as many months!!

The strange thing was with the second one, I felt like a fraud. I'd been in school a total of 6 days when the inspector came a calling - and three of those days half of the class I've inherited were away on a residential visit.

So, the children are new, the procedures are new, the technology I'm using is different, and I personally have not formally assessed any of my class; and then an inspector arrives to look how they are getting on. What can I say? "I'm new here"!!

What an answer - I felt like I was making excuses, the pressure was on everyone else around me and all the time I was feeling that I should know more.

Well, at least it went OK - everyone did a grand job, and they all deserve to rest.

Me? Can't really take any credit, and fully intend not to. I didn't do a thing, and that means that I'm not going to steal others thunder. Credit where credit's due I say.

Modern Art

Went out and about today in the lovely spring sun and came across this amazing sculpture in a park;

It's called Makaton, is shaped like a symbol from the Makaton system, and full of words and images.

And so I leave again

So, this was the last day with my class before I move schools, as tomorrow is an Inset day.
Assembly this morning was the usual leaving thing for both of us - as two teachers leave at the end of this term - with each class having created a suitable class card / individual cards suited to the teacher. One set of cards were themed around shoes / handbags and glitter whilst the others had the theme of dragons (wonder why that is?) Fortunately, embarrassment was saved with the correct cards going to the correct teachers!
Lunchtime saw the gathering of all staff in the staffroom - you know something is going to happen when ALL staff appear together, and gifts and cards were given, with much appreciation.
Then, later in the afternoon both of us were called into a room downstairs where I was met by parents and a wonderful spread of food followed by cards and gifts from the parents. A lovely touch.
The final part of the day consisted of the children in class handing over their cards before heading home to begin their holiday.
I will miss these children, and the staff immensely. It has been this school that rekindled my joy of teaching, as my previous appointment almost succeeded in driving me out of education completely. Without the support and enjoyment that the school oozed, I'd have quit teaching for good.
And so I thank Douglas Primary School, and wish it well for the remaining four terms that it is open before it closes for ever due to the short sighted vision of the city council.
I will remember my time there fondly.

Things to do when you're bored

What can you do if you are bored and at a loose end? Try visiting 'Things to do when you're bored' for a list of pointless things you can do with absolutely nothing, things you can do with very little and things you can do with another person.

The list is pointless, yet intriguing. For instance, don't you just want to try this out now;

"Try to not think about penguins
(Amusement Potential: 1-5 minutes)
This is especially hard, because by trying too much, you remember what you were trying to avoid thinking of. If you try too little, you end up thinking about penguins anyway."

Where have I been??

It's February 2007, and the last post in here was in 2006. Wow - where have I been??

Well, the consulation process on the future of the city schools has been and gone. Surprise surprise - it's exactly as they first planned. No changes made at all despite all the discussions, meetings, and action groups that were set up.
As a result of this my job goes bye bye in August 2008. No discussion about it at all, just disappears off the face of the earth then.
We've been asking the city what we do about jobs - and do they have a plan to move us to other schools that need teachers?

The answer was not unexepcted.

About one term before the schools shut, they "might" be able to find alternative work - but there are no guarentees! So, that leaves the younger members of staff, those who are not planning to retire, one choice and that's to go find a job elsewhere.

Nice, or what!!

Aside from all this taking place, I've still been busy building and developing websites.

And now, I plan to make at least one post a week here. I abandoned it for too long!

All fall down

I paid a visit to a local park today and went for a wander around the grounds of Wollaton Hall there. I was saddened to see that the once great Camelia House was in such a bad state of disrepair that it is in danger of falling down. Vandals had smashed most pains of glass within it, and the whole thing looked shabby and uncared for. In addition the Hall itself looked tired and old, and the steel fencing around it (together with the overgrown grass verges) added to the abandoned look of the place.
What would the Willoughbys say if they knew...

Fortunately, looking at the City councils website, they have the following statements;

We hope to begin a major programme of restoration works at Wollaton Hall & Park from September 2005. Work will take place throughout the Hall and Park and will last around 18 months. We aim to let people visit the Hall and grounds as much as possible during these planned works, but some disruption will be inevitable and parts of the Hall and grounds may be closed at various times to allow works to proceed. The Hall itself is likely to be closed from October to mid December 2005. Please telephone to avoid disappointment.

and also;

Wollaton Hall, now owned by Nottingham City Council, is to be restored as part of a £6.75m conservation project.  £1m will come from the European Regional Development Fund with the rest coming from The Heritage Lottery Fund and other public and private sources.  The plans are ambitious, but they will restore one of the nation’s most important landmarks. 

Phase one of six in the Council’s long-term conservation plan for Wollaton Hall includes: 

• Repairing and opening up the Prospect Room to the public 
• Creating access to the half leaded roof so that people can walk around it 
• Structural repairs to the Grade 1 listed Camelia House and remedial repairs to the Doric temple in the park grounds 
• Opening up more rooms in the hall and more of the park to the public 
• A modern interpretation of the exhibitions housed in the hall, with integrated displays replacing the existing natural history collection 
• A fresh programme of guided tours, featuring live actors in period costume 
• Better facilities, including a new visitor centre an caf, plus extra toilets 
• A fully accessible ramp to the hall, with a new visitor entrance through the servants’ wing at basement level 
• A lift to provide access to all levels 

I'm glad to see that the local authority is keen to return the area to an attractive state.

Where has all the respect gone?

In the last few months, these are some of the incidents that I have seen taken place on the road;

• Children hedge-hopping all the way up the street from garden to garden
• Children wandering up and down the road armed with large sticks
• Mini motorbikes racing up and down the road
• Children throwing footballs at cars (and the reaction from parents indifferent)

What has happened to respect for peoples property, and respect in general? There is the government talking of clamping down, but on the street there is nothing to be seen at all. Is this more hot air from a  political party that has lost control?

Building site wedding

We've been to the church to have a second chat with the minister about planning for the wedding.
One slight, but potentially BIG, problem is that they are planning building work at some point, and we could find that we'd be sharing the aisle with a lot of builders tools and rubble.
Could be interesting...

Where should you live?

On Tuesday night there was a wonderful program of Channel4 - The best and worst places to live in Brtain.
You'll never guess which city was up there in the worst list. Yep, our dearly loved Nottingham. But only in second place?? Please, we deserve to be first on our crime stats alone, never mind adding in the stupid new traffic systems, the education and so many other wonderful aspects of life here.
I felt really annoyed that Kingston upon Hull had beaten us. I mean, are we so bad that we can't even win at losing??
This program has annoyed so many people though; the local paper, the local radio, the local news are all up in arms about it.

I just found it funny. We knew we would be up there. There's no denying it. So, why bother to look suprised when it gets announced. Nottingham is crap. The crime is appalling. Instead shouting at the TV presenters, shout at the local council and government and ask them why they can't solve the problems. That afterall is their job.

Night Owl

Don't you just hate it when you are off work, and on holiday at home and you start to stay up later into the evening each night until it gets to the point when you realise that you are spending the night awake and sleeping through the morning, if not the whole day?
Technically it's a medical condition known as "Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome".
Got me thinking. Maybe Dracula was misunderstood. Maybe he wasn't a vampire, he was just on an extended leave from his job, and got used to staying up late and sleeping in each day and suffered from DSPS. Poor guy, persecuted for a medical condition! ;-)

Film time

I went to the cinema today with the family to see the Tim Burton version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It was nice to see a film that actually told the story as was written in the book. Darker, more depressing, and true to the tale telling of Dahl, this version suffered in only one way. Anyone old enough to have remembered the first film would have compared the two, and (as always happens with sequels) they are viewed as never living up to the original. However, for those who have only read the book, this film would have delighted them. Charlies dad, toothpaste factories, Squirrels, and the book ending all made their appearance.

Reading time

I haven't seen my daughter all day. Not since we walked down to Asda and bought the latest Harry Potter book (for just £7.97 - cheapest I found!). Anyway, she is in her room and is reading. So busy reading I had to remind her of dinner.
So, after a wait of years she will finish the book in mere days. And then...wait years again for the last book of the series.
And me? Well, there is a hardback copy on the shelf in the front room with all the other books, but it will sit there until at least next Friday and the start of the summer break before I get chance to read it. The magic seems to have drifted, and the need to read it first has gone.
Still, the main thing is that it is getting children to read, and that has to be a good thing no matter what teh subject of the book is.

British conversation

The weather - it's all we ever talk about apparently. Probably because we have so much of it.
At the moment it's hot - but the problem is we don't get chance to adjust to it. A few days of sun and the rains return. We get used to the rain, and the sun comes back again. Is it any wonder everyone always has a headache in this country? The weather needs to make a choice - be cold and wet OR be hot and dry - but please stop swapping between the two.

About time

Well it's been too long since the last crime spree in this area hit the news, but today we were there again. All it takes is a TV Shop, two thugs and a samuri sword and we're back on the headlines;

From the bbc website;

City shop in samurai sword raid

Staff were threatened with samurai swords during a raid at a Nottingham hi-fi store.

The robbers targeted the Bang and Olufsen shop in Thackeray's Lane in Arnold on Friday.
No-one was hurt during the raid but the robbers took a pair of speakers worth about £10,000.
The shop's owner said that three men wearing hooded tops had stolen other equipment just three days earlier. Police are studying CCTV footage.

On the bright side though, apparently the speaker weighs several stones, and can only be used once a PIN is entered; and the only people with the PIN are the company in Europe.
Nice try guys - you just got yourself a £10,000 pile of junk!

Whose afraid...

...of the big bad wolf. Well, certainly Rose and The Doctor as the first series of the new Doctor Who comes to a conclusion this Saturday evening. And what a series it has been. There has been alot in there to keep the older series viewers watching, but new viewers have been picked up too. I know that in our house we all sit and watch it together msot weeks (now when was the last time that your family did that?)
The Daleks are back in numbers and I feel a rearrangement of the settee coming on to allow me to relive those earlier years again!

Another aspect that has never been possible with Doctor Who before is the Internet, and the 'related sites' (mostly from the BBC) that tease the viewer to future events. In particular, Badwolf.org.uk reminds visitors of the number of references to 'Bad Wolf' throughout the series, and whether it could be relevant.

Roll on Saturday and the conclusion of series 1.

Traditions

We've just returned from a lovely restful break down in Cornwall close to St. Ives. We stayed at a lovely guesthouse run by two of the nicest people you could ever wish to meet. Their hospitality was wonderful, and the breakfasts -mmmm. They were so good we're already saving for another holiday!

Anyway, we were in Carbis Bay, around 1 1/4 miles from St Ives, and had a lovely coastal path linking both areas.

One thing we did notice, there was a distinct lack of cafes serving the traditional cream tea around St Ives. In total, we found only two places - the Beachcomber cafe on the harbour front (where we ended up) and also Bumbles, along the back streets on the way to the Tate gallery.

It's also gone very trendy along the sea front with lots of exclusive restaurants. So exclusive that if you don't book a table at least a day in advance you cannot eat! We discovered this on our first evening, and so ended up at a local pub on the main road between Carbis Bay and St Ives called 'The Cornish Arms'.

I have to say, it was a lovely place, the food was plentiful, the Guiness was perfect, and the evening we were in there was a local fundraising event and we got to meet some of the locals. Aside from being some of the friendliest people that I have ever met, there generousity was outstanding. The fundraising event was related to the Tsunami, and following a raffle for a box of chocolates and other items, the winners donated the chocolates back to auction it off. It was then donated back again and individual chocolates were auctioned off for between �2 and �6.

Now, that is what communities should be like, not around here where people shoot jewellers, and (while we were away) rob a bookmakers at gunpoint close by the jewellers shop.

It's time to move. Can you guess where to...

Emergency Voicemail

This news story is a little scary;

A Nottinghamshire man was left on hold after dialling 999 when an elderly woman was injured after being struck by a car.

"I had a mobile phone in my pocket. I did the obvious thing and dialled 999.
"I got through and I was asked what service I required, and I said ambulance.
"The voice said would you hold the line, the lines are very busy you are held in a queue."

And what did the spokesman for the Ambulance service have to say...

"I fully accept that people expect to get through pretty much straight away."

No, surely not. We like to have to wait to get an emergency vehicle. No need to rush at all, it's not like its life threatening. What next when you dial 999, voicemail asking you to leave your name, location and reason for asking for an ambulance??

Stressed?

There is a stress test on the bbc website in their health section. I know, I've been onto the site and looked...
    I've even taken the test...
    I wish I hadn't done now though...
    You see I thought I was stressed with my current job...
    I thought that it was getting to me and making me tired (can't sleep though - maybe 4 hours a night maximum), forgetful and tearful, but now I am terrified.

There were 23 questions to answer, and once you answered them you found out the following;

If you scored 5 or less: you may have low stress levels. Keep doing what you're doing! However, it's worth noting that even one symptom like 'working yourself to exhaustion' could be a sign of stress. If you do feel at risk of stress and want to know how to keep your levels down, have a look at some our related links on the right hand side of this page.

If you scored 6 or more: your stress levels could be better. Download the British Heart Foundation stress-busting booklet*, which looks at how stress can affect the heart, possible symptoms and tips on how manage the condition. You can also order the free booklet from the BHF by calling 01604 640016.

There's also a series of case studies, similar to those featured on The Stress Test TV series, illustrating how to reduce stress levels through exercise and healthy-eating plans. The booklet also offers contact details for people who want to know more.

The BBC health site also offers a wealth of information about stress. Have a look at the links in the right hand panel throughout the Stress Test site. The series itself (Wednesdays at 9.30pm on BBC1) offers plenty of advice through the six case studies, and the Stress Professors have also written a couple of articles, which we have published online, with advice on keeping calm.

If you're still worried about your health after completing the assessment and reading about how to reduce stress, then do talk to your GP. However, it's worth remembering that most people feel stressed at certain points, it's long-term continual stress that can be damaging.

I'm worried because, I didn't score 5 or less, I didn't score close to 6 or more. I scored 19 out of a possible 23.
That cannot be good.
I need to lie down.
I need a doctor.
Help me...

Voting night

Well, I've been to the polling station and cast my vote. No worries about 'chad' issues with this election - it was done the old fashioned way with a sheet of paper and a pencil. A simple cross put onto the paper in a relevant box and that's that. Something for the US to think about. No chance for anyone to claim that I have given them a vote when I clearly hadn't.

It's just a shame that it won't make any difference to the bigger picture. There is a horrible feeling that we are still going to be lumbered with the grinning, lying and most untrustworthy prime minister for a long time - isn't  Democracy great!

Had we been living in a middle Eastern country, there is every chance another nation could have forced their way in and removed Blair from power. After all, the US and UK have shown that doing that is "perfectly justifiable".

Raise the level

I was in the middle of town today, on a Bank holiday, looking in shops for a particular book I was after. It's a real shame what modern shops have done to the look of the city - it's all bland, large blocks of concrete and glass swooshing doors. You walk around and it's all very samey. There is no style at all.

However it does look good if, as I discovered today, you walk around looking at the first floor and above of all the old buildings. They haven't been altered at all and from there the city looks great.

What we need is to concrete over the ground floor and appreciate a 'new' street level of great architecture.

The sound of silence

It's been a strange few days driving to work.
On Monday evening, I put a CD into the Sony flip down car CD player (as normal) and listened to it. Later on, when I tried to switch to the radio I got no response when pressing the buttons. Using the remote control didn't help either.

When I reset the machine, I got nothing. No lights, no sounds, no response.
Visiting Halfords to ask them they looked and suggested I had a broken lead between the main section and the flip front - with that broken, no buttons or IR signals would get through.

So, the radio is out of the car ready to go to an electronics shop on Saturday and I am driving with no music, no news, no travel, no noise.

It's very strange. I can hear squeaks and groans from the car that I normally don't hear. I don't like it. I want my music back. Please.

Throwaway Society

You know, time was that if you had a television and it went wrong, you'd take it to a little shop where a man in a brown work jacket would fiddle with it and have it working again.
But then came the 'modern television' full of its digital this, and electronic that and integrated circuit blah blah that linked to the squiddly diddly card.

I've had several of these televisions over the years, and they've all gone wrong! They've all either blown themselves up for no other reason than just to annoy before a football match started, or else they decided that I'd much rather watch everyone on the TV with a green tinge to them.
Well, I'd had enough and for the past few years I've been renting. The current TV tried the green tinge trick this weekend, so I called the rental engineer (and at no extra cost). He grabbed the remote, pressed some buttons went into an engineers menu, pressed some more buttons, reset the colour tube, and hey presto, the TV is fine again now.

But what if I had bought that TV? I'd have thrown it out when it tinged, because I have no access to how to get into the engineers menu, and I would have refused to pay the ridiculously high charge for a repairman. So, the TV manufacturers ensure that their sets keep selling by refusing to give the public the engineers codes, and the public keep getting rid of perfectly good sets that just need a reset. It's stupid, it's wasteful. It's time it was stopped.

Changing values

Interesting statistics heard on the radio driving home last night;
13 million people in the UK are expected to watch a soap opera wedding on TV Friday night, but only 9 million are expected to watch a 'royal' wedding on the TV the day after.

Suddenly it hits...

Not so many years ago I used to cringe if I was sat in the back of my dads car and he tuned the radio into a station that didn't play any music, but instead just spoke.
Journeys became hell. A torture that went on and on and on during the drive to a holiday destination.
I promised myself that I would never become like that. I love music, and my radio has to play music. I think of myself as the sort of person who turns the radio up and winds down the window.
So imagine my surprise today when, whilst waiting at traffic lights, a car pulled up alongside me and all I could hear from within it was a deep booming sound that the (surely he wasn't old enough) driver was jumping around too.
And that is when it hit me. I am my dad. I have become what I never wanted to become. And how do I know this? The booming sound of the inane drival coming from the car next to me was drowning out my half hour news programme, the one with nothing but talking on. To be followed by the sports show. Where they talk. No music. Just talk.
Please, someone shoot me now before the slippers, cardigans and classical music urges begin to bite as well!

The Doctor will see you now

Well, last night was the first episode of the new Doctor Who, and I was pleasantly surprised by it. The doctor has a slighty alien attitude (well, he is a Time Lord!), his assistant seemed able to act, and the effects have lost their wobble and look better than in previous series.
The plot was entertaining too - store dummies trying to take over the world because the pollution and toxins in the air were perfect for them (nice educational slant to the episode there), although I am now a bit unsure about approaching my wheelie bin after seeing just what wheelie bins get up to in their spare time.
Overall, a cracking start to the new series, and once the Doctor and Rose start to meet strange alien races it should get even better. Bring on the next episode.

Rent DVDs for free!

I found this site tonight - you can try out a DVD rental service for free, enjoy some movies, then cancel without any charge.
Hurry, before it changes - get your free movies in quick!

Easter = DIY

Well, Easter is approaching, and so what is there that needs to be done. DIY of course!
It's time to redesign the bedroom, and as part of this it's off with the wallpaper, ready to paint the walls.
There is one slight problem though, it seems that the previous occupants papered over the previous occupants, who papered over the previous, and so on. So, as I I'm steaming away at the walls into the wee small hours (its 11pm and I'm taking a short break before going back) I get to see what is almost like a timeteam episode as history is revealed, but rather than looking into a trench I can look at the layers of wallpaper coming off!
The most annoying part of this steaming business though is that at some point in the dim and distant past (I've not found any evidence that will help me date when this occurance took place) one occupant obviously thought it would be a really great idea to use gloss paint on the wallpaper.
Well, I've news for them if they are listening. It was a crap idea! Gloss paint doesn't like to come off walls, and so in the last two and a half hours I have managed to remove less than 1/3 of the wallpaper on one wall.
That means that at this rate I will be working for another four hours before I reach the end of the wall. In other words it will be 4am before I complete this task.
So, armed with this knowledge I am desperately trying to find something else to do to avoid having to spend the night in a hot, steamy room armed with a wallpaper scraper and night time radio for company.

Update: well I seemed to have worked faster than I thought I would, because the paper is off (apart from behind the radiator - tomorrows job) and it's only 3am. Only!!

On the map

Well, I see that my city has made it onto the national news yet again because of another gun crime taking place.
Two years ago I was working in an area of the city that was experiencing at least one gun crime a week. I took a career change and thought I had escaped it.
Not so. Last year, less than four hundred yards from my home, a shopkeeper was killed during a robbery.
This week, my partners school has pupils who have seen at first hand the latest deadly attack.

It used to be such a nice city. I used to be proud to say I came from here. Now, I just want to hide and keep quiet.

I've lost pride in my city.

I've lost my city.

Period.

Exterminate

I didn't realise that it was going to be so soon, but in three weeks time one of the best shows on the television will make its long awaited return...

Doctor Who (Christopher Ecclestone) and his sidekick Rose (Bille Piper) will star in the latest version of this classic BBC Sci Fi show.

I wonder who could be the new villians that are more scary than the daleks and the cybermen. Maybe the doctor could have to face up to 'New Labour', or how about coming face to face with pure evil and defeating the deadly Dubya!?

Tumour Diary

I was saddened to read tonight on the BBC website that Ivan Noble has lost his long battle with a brain tumour.

For the past two years he has been writing about his thoughts and feelings in his online diary within the BBC website and I have been reading it with quiet admiration for his bravery.

No matter how bad things looked at the time for him, he was always looking to the future. Something that the rest of us often don't do because we don't realise just how precious it actually is.

I think one if the most powerful comments he made, in his final diary entry, was;

"If two or three people stop smoking as a result of anything I have ever written then the one of them who would have got cancer will live and all my scribblings will have been worthwhile"

My thoughts go to his wife and children.

Be Proud

Today, Monday, saw a unique event in the UK. UK Radio Aid was a joint venture by all the commercial radio stations in the UK, along with the RAB and CRCA. In total over 200 radio stations took part in this mammoth fund raising event for the survivors of the Tsunami.

Yet again, the generousity of the British public is something to be proud of. In just 12 hours over £3m pounds had been donated. This, added to the fantastic amount of almost £200m already raised throughout the UK and handled by the Disasters Emergency Committee, makes an overwhelming total of ordinary peoples money that has been donated to assist with the immediate and future aid needs on the decimated regions of East Asia.

All those who have taken part in events, donated online, sent a charity text, dropped change into a bucket at the supermarket or helped in another way I have two words for you:

Be proud. Be very proud. Your generousity will make a difference.

Respect

Well I have just returned from a quick trip to the Supermarket to get one or two items, not a major shop. That takes place on a Thursday. However, it took a while to get through the store. And it was not the usual reasons of having ten thousand customers wanting to pay, and only one checkout open that caused the delay.
Today was different.
Today all the tills were closed for three minutes as a mark of respect for those who lost their lives in the Asian Tsunami recently.
It was a pleasant site to see all customers in the store, including children, standing in silent respect.
Well I say all. I should say nearly all. You see there was one person who was wandering around still, still pushing her squeaky trolley up and down the aisles. And then - and this shows the total lack of respect she had - her phone rings and she starts talking on it. And of course the whole store can hear her, because no one else is making a sound.
Apart from her phone call to Sharon (I wondered if it was Tracey pushing the trolley at this point) about where to go and drink this evening and what time to get the taxi, the entire supermarket was as quiet as a mouse.

Some people just have no respect for anyone else do they. Still, at least she knows what time Sharon and the taxi will be coming this evening.

Is this a post?

Blimey, has it really been over a month since I last wrote something in this blog?
Since then I have been ticking along with all sorts of different activities to keep me busy.
Apart from