Occasional Flashes of Interest

Hello again, hello.

2011-01-02T16:39:00.000Z

Happy New Year to anyone that actually reads this! MY 2010 has started off well so far - it looks like my temporary job is going to be permanent (which is good for the mortgage); I've ordered a new TV (yes, I've finally entered the modern age of HD TV!) and I have three podcasts ticking over nicely.

I haven't thought about the garden yet - too cold, wet and dark at the moment. I will be planting again this year, but I'm not sure what - the only thing I know is that I will definately be converting much of the lawn into veg (probably potatoes) and I won't be bothering with the maize I tried out last year.

Anyway, I hope that anyone who actually bothers to check in here from time to time has an excellent 2011, and I hope to be posting more regularly this year (though given my past record on this...)

Back in Business

2010-10-23T22:51:00.000Z

I went through a bit of a bad patch in September/October; one that I'm coming through now.
The compand for which I had worked since 2000 went into insolvency at extremely short notice - in fact, I arrived at work after a dentist appointment one Monday morning and half an hour later was out of work (along with everyone else in the company)
Everything went on hold (apart, that is, from the new glasses which I had ordered whilst still employed and which I badly needed - luckily I had set aside the cost of the glasses and I qualified for all the various NHS vouchers so the costs were covered!) and for a while I did think I would not be able to do any more podcasts or work on other projecte.
Luckily, I was only out of work for a few weeks - I do now have another job that, I hope, will become something permanent.

In the meantime, I produced a 'book' - really a booklet, containing a couple of rarely seen out-of-copyright E.F.Benson short stories plus one of my own (a pastiche or piece of fan fiction set in the world of Mapp & Lucia) and it is currently available for sale at my E.F.Benson website online store
(or directly from my Cafe Press store HERE)

Fame at last! (well, sort of...)

2010-07-20T17:56:00.000Z

I've been a fan of the Reduced Shakespeare Company since I saw a production of "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)" at the Criterion Theatre, Piccadilly, London some several years ago; I have the audio recordings, I have a DVD of "The Complete History of America (abridged)" and I hold out the hope that I might get to see one of their other productions one day, in some form or other. In the meantime, I listen to their weekly podcast, which is entertaining, informative and, above all, short. Ish.

Today, I downloaded the latest episode (189 to be precise) and listened to it on my way home from work - it's about the right length for the cycle ride home and as Austin Tichenor was doing the traditional closing bit, I got to my front door. And then I heard my name.

The podcast always features what the RSC calls "A Random Shout Out"; as Tichenor always states, "No reason, it's just random". The shout out is usually of someone who has signed up to the RSC newsletter, or joined their website forum, which I did some time ago. I never actually expected to hear my name on the podcast though, and it felt good - especialyl as Mr Tichenor actually used the correct pronounciation (you would be surprised at how many variations people find to pronounce my name - I used to get quite shirty about it; in case anyone wants to know, it rhymes with "Lines" or "Vines" and not "Bins" or Tins"
Thank you to the RSC and to Mr Tichenor, for bringing a little light into my day! (It doesn't take much!)

Moving on, I have now harvested a second batch of spuds from the garden, and I'm having some of them for my dinner tonight...

Upgrades...

2010-06-22T23:06:00.000Z

I've been installing OS's on different machines - iOS4 on the iPod Touch (it's settling down at the moment, and I'll have to get used to some things, but so far, so good) and Ubuntu on a spare PC I had doing nothing.

The latter will take some getting used to - at least with the iPod, it's more-or-less the same interface and I can work out how do do most things; with Ubunto, it's a whole new way of doing things and I'm going to have to concentrate for a while.
So, I now have multiple operating systems again! Confusion, as ever, is waiting to see if it reigns...

Records, Veg and International Men of Mystery

2010-04-18T18:18:00.001Z

It's been a busy old weekend - the weather has been nice, there has only been a couple of light aircraft (flying low-ish) to disturb the peace and I've been out and about doing things for different reasons.
Yesterday (Saturday 17th April 2010) was Record Store Day and, as a friend had asked me if it might be possible to get a couple of UK exclusive 7" singles, I bussed it down to Adrians in Wickford. This is where the International Man of Mystery comes in - I found a stall in Wickford selling second hand DVD's and CD's and picked up Austin Powers in Goldmember, which completed my Austin Powers trilogy, for £2. Bargain! Made for entertaining viewing on Saturday night (after the obligatory Doctor Who session - of which I can only say: iDalek.)
Upon my return (with the requested records!) I decided to repot and plant out some of the various plants that have been littering my various windowledges over the last couple of months.
Here are some pics I've taken:

My garden table, covered with various pots and tubs taken out of the mini-greenhouse for a bit of direct sun and fresh air; the looking slightly dead thing in the middle is an old mint plant that I left out all winter - it seems to be reviving! The other plants are Tomatoes, Sweetcorn and Peas. Behind is the refurbished mini-greenhouse, containing the first of the chillies to sprout, plus yet more tomatoes and some more peas.

Slightly in shade, these are some runner beans - my first go at growing the things.

Another first, some peas! I have more in the mini greenhouse, and another tub of similar size waiting for them!

The first of the sweetcorn to get planted in the ground - I've had success growing sweetcorn in this particular patch in the past and, as I haven't deliberately planted anyting here for a couple of years, I thought I'd give it another go now.

I've also done something I saw in a gardening programme (the first I've ever deliberately watched!) "The Edible Garden" - I've pulled up as many of the nettles I can find in the garden, bunged them in a bucket and drowned them in water - in a few weeks, hopefully, I'll have a nice rich nettle 'soup' for the tomatoes!

Catching up

2010-04-14T18:16:00.000Z

First of all, I have the lurgi. Again. I just got over this last week and started getting set up to record some more interviews for my non-sport trading card podcast when I had to postpone due to one of my interviewees being lurgied; no sooner had I recieved the email telling me this than I started to feel that back of the nose tickle... Meh.

However, I do feel well enough to update the blog.
Easter was fun for me as far as TV and Family was concerned - I got to have a nice roast dinner with my parents and sister on Easter Sunday, and also to watch brand new series of Ashes to Ashes (s3) and Doctor Who (s5) on Friday and Saturday respectively. Plus there was a new feature length Jonathan Creek on the Sunday and the box set of the first 4 series (and two Christmas specials) of the same show turned up on Saturday (an Amazon bargain for which I exchanged some of my ill-gotten gains from having Amazon.co.uk associate links on my various websites!)

Gardening news (for which I have started a Twitter hashtag of #vegcrop2010 - though no-one seems to have picked up on it!): Most of the seeds I started planting in pots on my various windowsills have started to grow and (fingers crossed) flourish; some of them have been moved into the mini-greenhouse on my patio. So far, three different types of tomato, sweetcorn, two types of pea, runner beans, radish, chillis and sweet peppers have sprouted, along with one plant that is either a globe courchette OR a butternut squash - the only thing that seems to have sprouted from the seets I took from last year's crop - the plants look much the same at this stage and I haven't a clue which it is (and won't until it starts to fruit!)
I have also started a run of potatoes and there are a couple of onions that seem to have been left over from last year's planting that have overwintered and popped up!
The garlic (from The Garlic Farm was mostly planted when I got back from the Isle of Wight in October last year and is doing terrifically well - all in tubs and troughs and all looking nice and leafy.

Gondolas

2010-03-14T02:00:00.000Z

I was starting to wonder if I had imagined the whole thing.

Way back in the very late 70's/early 80's, I went to the local council run theatre (the original Towngate Theatre if you must know) with a friend to see a double bill of "Blazing Saddles" and "Life of Brian". Leaving the cinema, my sides hurt from laughing. That, however, is not the main point of this post - this YouTube link is: Away From It All - it should be noted that there is some increasingly strong language used (mostly in the second part)
The quality is not so good, but if you watch both parts of this short film, you'll get the gist. The film, a travelogue of the sort that used to be a popular 'filler' in cinema programmes, was a typical example - full of cliches and terrible punning links between scenes - until, that is, you realise who it is performing the narration; the fun really kicks off in part 2, but you HAVE to sit through part 1 to get the full sense of the joke.
My thanks to the noble souls who found and posted this on YouTube and provided me with crucial proof that I HAD seen it - the internet is a wonderful thing...

Callback

2010-01-18T00:11:00.000Z

First of all, a belated Happy New Year to anyone that might actually read this (I don't know if anybody does; to be honest, I very much doubt it given that I don't update very often, don't publicise and rarely have anything of real interest to say anyway!)

Secondly, about this time last year I made my first post of 2009 and noted that I had lost my Swiss Army Knife - I had search high and low for it and it hadn't turned up. It was replaced shortly there after with another knife from the Victorinox range, and that was that.

Until this week when, as a result of having to clear out some stuff (I'm having the house insulated this week!) the original knife turned up in my bedroom (it had somehow found it's way under a pile of stuff that I hadn't tried lifting when looking for the thing last year)

It now has a new home - I gave it to my Dad as it might be useful in the long car journeys he sometimes makes!

Work is quiet still, and I have been taking a break from my podcasting activities for a while (though I will probably resume recordings next month - I possibly have a rather interesting interviewee lined up for the trading card podcast!)

The only other thing to say at the moment is that I have started to work on the outline for a longer piece of creative writing - I've been pondering a plot idea for the last few years (it's that legendary 'one book' that everyone supposedly has in them) but in a low period over the Christmas/New Year break I sat down and started to actually write an outline - something I haven't done before.
Now all I have to do is write the bits inbetween the 'bullet points' in the outline...

D.I.Why

2009-09-20T22:33:00.002Z

I had a brainwave. I recently got one of those little gidgets that the Government is subsidising that is supposed to cut the amount of water used in a shower. Whilst I was fitting it, I thought, I might as well get a new shower head, the one I have having been there since I moved in 17 or so years ago.
A trip to the DIY store got me the showehead (and it didn't cost me anything asI had some internet survey vouchers which covered the cost!) and so I set to work.
All went well; the head fitted the flexible pipe; the gidget fitted at the other end, and water came out when I turned it on. Magic!

This evening, I decided to rinse around the bath using the new showehead - and notived that the flexible pipe is now broken. Doh.
As in computers, so in life - fix one thing, and two other problems arise to take it's place. I'm waiting for the second thing...

Stand By For Haribo

2009-04-04T22:51:00.003Z

OK, I can slightly spill the beans now, as the programme in question has been on the air for a few weeks now and the week in which I hada slight involvement is long gone!
Way back in January I auditioned for a new BBC Quiz show entitled "A Question of Genius"; a short time later I was called and asked if I would like to be a standby contestant for the first week of the show, which would mean a trip up to the BBC studios in Glasgow. I jumped at the chance - it's not every day that you ge tthe opportunity to see behind-the-scenes of a TV show, especially not a brand new one!

I was very well looked after the whole time I Was there and the other contestants were a great bunch of people; unfortunately, my services were not required (though those of the other standby were as oen of the contestants lost her voice on the last day of recording!)
During the day, I spent my time in the Green Room watching the recording, drinking lots of tea and coffee and knocking back the Haribo (as well as enjoying the lunch and indulging in a little quiz practice with those contestants who had been eliminated from the various rounds); in the evening, most of the group went to various places in downtown Glasgow and enjoyed great food, conversation and drink (the first night we went to The Ubiquitous Chip, which served fantastic bar food; the next night someone in the group found a pub quiz at The Drawing Room in Sauchiehall Street so we went en-masse, split into three teams and came 1st, 2nd AND 3rd! As well as this, the food was again brilliant; I had Belly of Pork and it was incrediable!)
I won't go int othe technicalities of the show, being brand new, there were still a few loose ends to be shaken out of the format, but the end result was an excellent show which deserves to do very well indeed - I hope it gets recommissioned (especially as I'm hoping to audition again!)
Plus, I got to meet the host of the show, Kirsty Wark, who was friendliness personified - all the contestants said this and she proved it in the brief chat we had on the last day of recording!

At time of writing the show is still on - you'll find it on BBC2 at 16:30 Monday to Friday.

Questions, Questions...

2009-02-26T18:56:00.002Z

I was in Glasgow this week. Why? I can't tell you - yet!
It was great fun though, and VERY interesting... All I can say (I think) is that I was involved with a new BBC Quiz Show being made by BBC Scotland, and that if the recording sessions I saw is anything to go by, it will run and run and run...

I WILL post about it once the show is on the air, I promise!

Toys and Games

2009-01-18T21:06:00.002Z

Well, Yesterday was eventful. I collected my LOOOOOOONG awaited new iPod Touch in the morning (paid for almost entirely with gift vouchers gained from online surveys!) and, in the afternoon, I went for an audition for a TV quiz show (I won't name the show or the channel - yet...)
The latter was fun, and a real eye-opener - most of the other auditionees had already been on several other game and quiz shows; contestants form "Mastermind", "Going For Gold", "The Weakest Link", "Eggheads" and "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" (amongst others!) It was interesting hearing them all talk about their various experiences on some of the best known shows in British TV, and I learnt a lot about the process of appearing on a show from them.
Now I just have to wait for the call to tell me if I've got past the audition and onto the show itself...

See what happens when you neglect something?

2009-01-03T15:39:00.002Z

New Year, New attempt to keep things updated, so I thought I'd come onto my blog and see about posting something new - first thing I see is that there is a comment I need to moderate - and it's from an old friend I haven't seen in ages and for whom I lost the email address! Hello, John! I'll be emailing you shortly!

Other news - I lost my trusty Swiss Army Knife (but will be replacing it soon-ish); I am so close to getting an iPod Touch (I'm just waiting for Macworld before getting one just in case they announce a memory bump); I have a few potential interviews lined up for the podcast; and I now have The Simpsons Season 10!
So, will this be the year I post more regularly to the blog (any of them)? Only time will tell...

Goodbye, Chairman Humph.

2008-04-25T22:14:00.002Z

Jazz Legend Humphrey Lyttleton passed away today, aged 86.
He was an excellent trumpeter, an inspirational radio presenter (his long running BBC Radio 2 show "The Best of Jazz" only came to an end last month) and irrepressible Chairman of the 'Panel Show to End All Panel Shows', "I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue", which I was fortunate enough to see being recorded last year (see the blog post "Samantha Live" below).

RIP Humph.

Busy, Busy, Busy

2008-03-30T00:33:00.003Z

Busy day today - a very good friend celebrated her 60th birthday with a great party (from which I have just returned) and, earlier in the day, I attended a seminar on "Podcasting, Rights and Music" hosted by the UK Podcasters Association and the Open Rights Group at The Guardian's Scott Room in Farringdon, London.
It was a really great afternoon listening to experts in the field of Pod/Vodcasting and Music Licencing and talking to fellow podcasters about various aspects of producing podcasts (A quick plug for my two (at present) shows - UK C ardCast and Radio Tilling!)
The seminar was video streamed live using a Nokia N95 (which was interesting to see!)Apparently the edited highlights will be online later - for more on this visit the UKPA blog.
My thanks to UKPA for giving me the opportunity to attend.

If You, dear reader, are a podcaster based in the UK, you REALLY should consider joining UKPA - there are three levels of membership, with the most basic being free.

New Year, New Bike!

2008-02-05T23:33:00.000Z

I've had my old Peugeot Puma mountain bike for 20 odd years - it's one of the first 'mountain bikes', and is really more of a standard Gents tourer frame but with thicker wheels, and 18 speed deraillier gears.
It's a bit big, a bit heavy and a lott juddery on the pitted road surface I use to go to and from work every day, so when I found I had enough vouchers to go get a new bike on Amazon, the old Peugeot was retired (no pun intended!)
The new bike, a CBR Java with full suspection, 21 speed derailliers, front disc brakes and alloy frame and wheel rims, arrived last Friday (the same day, by the way, that I went to see Spamalot with a friend who had a spare ticket - great show!).
The suspension take a little getting used to - I've tightened up the rear suspension as I was suffering from rather a lot of bounce - but so far, no reason to regret the decision to buy it!
The only downside is that it didn't come with mudguards - which means my back has been spattered with mucky water - but that will be fixed at the weekend.

2008 is the year I use the internet to get expensive stuff for nothing or next to nothing - the next step is to do enough online surveys to get me enough points for the iPod upgrade I want to make, from the 1st Gen Shuffle to the latest Classic (though I'm sorely tempted by the 32Gb Touch that has just been announced...)

Cheap Choo-Choo

2008-01-15T09:44:00.000Z

It's been a while since I posted here, which would suggest to any casual reader that nothing very much has happened in my life lately. This is true.
In fact, probably the most exciting thing that I did recently was to buy a train set for my brother in the Marks & Spencer sale - what can I say, he likes model trains, and this was reduced from £149 to £9...

What I have been doing is working on podcast episodes, planning a second podcast (about the author E.F.Benson), and completing enough online surveys to enable me to get an iPod Classic this year (and/or a new bicycle!) Before anyone asks, no, I don't do those pyramid-type schemes, where you end up relying on the entire population of the UK signing up to referral offers so you can get the latest gadget - these are legitimate 'answer some questions online for points which you save up for shop vouchers' type surveys.

It's my birthday soon, so if anyone wants to help the 'Paul needs a new Bike, preferably with full suspension and a bit lighter than the current 20 year old model' fund, send Amazon.co.uk gift vouchers! :)
Amazon.co.uk Gift Vouchers

Fan-iddly-tastic!

2007-08-25T23:11:00.000Z

Saturday afternoon, I went to the cinema to see "The Simpsons Movie" with my nephew - almost as much of a Simpsons fan as I. 30 year age difference between us, but we were both laughing (me with a chesty rumble as I have a cold at the moment) at much the same things for much the same reasons. There were a couple of moments when the question "What does that mean?" could be heard, but he answered me politely...
We stayed until the very end of the credits, which was an adventure for him - it was the first time he had been the last person in a cinema and he was thrilled by the experience - especially when he saw the various bits in the credits (and in the soundtrack) that "We're the only people who have seen" He (and I) have been waiting ages for this film - he saw the trailer at (I think) the Wallace & Gromit film when it came out and has been asking me ever since to tell him when it was coming out. Now, of course, he wants to know when the sequel is due out... And all because of one word said by one of the main characters in a credits sequence!
On the way home, he kept on singing the "SpiderPig" song. No-one else in the family quite understands why he and I love The Simpsons as much as we doo, but then they gave up on me when I first got into Star Trek, and he's following a similar path with Star Wars (you could say he is my young Padawan...)
Now, of course, it's "When is the DVD coming out and can I get it for Christmas?"

Said by both of us at the same time, to the bemused stare of his father/my brother, who came to pick us up from the cinema.

The Sound of His Voice

2007-07-17T12:16:00.000Z

(DS9 fans will get the paraphrase of an excellent Season 7 episode!)
My speaking voice isn't that hot. I've discovered that there is a slightly sibilant tone, and I sound way more 'Esturary' than I thought. The reason I've suddenly realised this is that I have been recording a podcast covering Non-Sport trading cards (one of my many collecting/hoarding activities!)
I suspect this is something that happens to everyone the first time they hear a recording of their voice - I had the idea that my voice was posher, clear and well enunciated; now I understand why some people have problems understanding what I say!

Samantha Live!

2007-05-08T10:36:00.000Z

Well, I'm back from the Clue recording and it went about as swimmingly as it could have! There are pictures, but the ones taken in the theatre are decidedly blurry, due to the zoom on my camera not being sufficient, me not being used to the various settings on the thing and the fact that one of the ushers was a little too strict about the 'No photography' thing. Still, I'll post a couple at the end.

Now, if you don't want to know who the guest panellist was until you hear the radio broadcast (in June), look away now.

Stephen Fry.

Stephen Flippin' Marvellous Fry

Sir Stephen of the Fry-ness.

Result! I was hoping for Jeremy Hardy (given we were at the home of the English National Opera, that would have been apt) by Sir Fry-ness was a more than acceptable alternative, given the fact that I'm a huge fan (and even wrote a letter to him, to which he wrote a really nice reply!)

Anyway, to start at the beginning - I got into London at around 11am and proceeded to Mornington Crescent as something of a pilgrimage (I thought it appropriate - after all, I would, hopefully, be watching a game that night and so seing the place for real would be the perfect start to the day)

On the platform, having just got off the Northern Line train.

I went up to street level (by lift - MC is one of the few remaining Tube stations with lift access), went through the ticket gates and saw - rain. Chucking it down, it was. Luckily, I had my brolly, so I dived out, and crossed the road to take the following pictures:

The Station from the pub doorway opposite (umbrella framing device entirely my own!)

A slightly damp me in front of the station - the thinning hair is purely a trick of the light (he wrote hopefully...)

I went back into the station, having first noticed the statue in the pedestrial area in front of the station:Closer inspection reveals it to be of Richard Cobden (link to Wikipedia)

What I forgot to do, of course, was take a picture of the Blue Plaque erected in the memory of Willie Rushton (mainly because it wasn't until searching Wikipedia for the Richard Cobden link above that I realised there WAS a Blue Plaque! Rats! - that means another trip in due course...)

I re-entered the station to continue my journey around town (pausing only to take more pictures of myself:

That's the last of the pictures of me, I promise)

I killed a few hours at the British Museum (which was heaving - unsurprisingly, given it was a Bank Holiday Monday and it was still raining) and Oxford Street (where I found a die-cast Dalek keyring is, of all places, Marks and Spencer - my local branch had a few before Christmas, but I hadn't bought one because I was hoping for reductions in the January sale - of course, no Dalek keyrings were in the sale) I did hope to find the Dalek Egg Cup M&S did for Easter, but no luck.

Eventually, I went off to King's Cross station to meet up with my friend, and (after a most enjoyable Indian meal near Charing Cross Road) we walked over to the London Coluseum. Huge crowd assembled in front of the theatre - a good mix of ages, which slightly surprised me (though it really shouldn't have done) . On a counter in the lobby were SIGNED copies of Humphrey Lyttleton's anecdotal memoirs "It Just Occurred to me - The Thoughts of Chairman Humph" (amazon.co.uk) for sale - so I bought one.

Entering the auditorium, and finding our seats, on stage were the tables covered in a BBC Radio 4 sheet, and (at the back) a piano:

A mirky pic I know, but you can just make out that there are 6 microphones - two each for the teams, one for Humph and one for - yes - Samantha! So, the rumours that Samantha is a completely imaginary entity can be dashed right now - what other proof does one need? :)

Jon Naismith came on stage and did a little 'warm-up', telling a pretty awful joke that made the audience laugh in much the way you'd expect a pretty awful joke to do - he asked for a show of hands to see who in the audience were first timers to a recording and it appeared to me that almost the entire audience were newbies! (that audience, by the way, was in the region of 2400 - according to Naismith, the largest audience (not including the radio listeners) they had yet performed to - I'm proud to be a part of Clue history!)
Next, Naismith introduced the teams; huge cheer after every name, and a seriously huge cheer for Fry. Next came Colin Sell and finally, Humphrey himself. Samantha was slightly delayed, attending to a few personal matters at the back.

The show started. I won't discuss all the rounds, or what songs were performed (though I will say that Stephen Fry got almost a standing ovation for his effort in "One Song To The Tune Of Another") but at one point, Humphrey made a comment about having celebrated his 86th birthday two weeks ago and Colin Sell struck up with the tune to "Happy Birthday", and the audience sang along. If you have never heard "Happy Birthday" sung by nearly 2400 people in a theatrical setting...

One round that didn't seem to do very well was an attempt at a "Life on Mars" spoof, which I suspect will either be dropped completely, or will be severely cut.

An interval followed (mad dash for the bar) then the second half, and the second week's show with the moment everyone had been waiting for - Mornington Crescent! This match involved a new Mornington Crescent computer game joining in - if it gets left in the broadcast edition, regular listeners will recognise the voice of the computer (and that's all I am saying)

A couple of pictures of the cast, though as stated above, they are not particularly good:

(L-R) Stephen Fry, Colin Sell, Tim Brooke-Taylor, Humphrey Lyttleton, Jon Naismith (Samantha had to slip off at this point to attend to an urgent call of nature), Graeme Garden and Barry Cryer.

And finally, a shot of the laser Display Board (I think being held by Samantha; a stagehand was having difficulties with it, and she had to pull it off):

It may be difficult to make out, but the display shows "Kingdom"...

So. I've seen Clue live. Would I do it again if I got the opportunity? Yes! Being in the presence of so many people all determined to heartily enjoy themselves, makes the whole experience 10 times more fun, being able to join in the traditional audience responses without having people in the home/office/bus look at you askance is a great relief! I may even try to get to the tour the cast is doing with Jeremy Hardy ( a sort of "Greatest Hits" - not for broadcast and being performed at a number of theatres in August and September, with the possibility of more dates next year)

This time tomorrow...

2007-05-06T18:54:00.000Z

...I'll be at the London Coluseum, ejnoying the early stages of an "I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue" recording. The time has dragged since I managed to get the tickets, and now the day is finally upon me. What to do before the show? Well, I'm meeting up with a friend and we're probably going for a curry beforehand (if you have the seats behind me, my apologies in advance!) but I'm not meeting him until late afternoon, so I have most of the day to kill. Suddenly, a light bulb appeared above my head (I know it did, I was it reflected in my monitor!) - a pilgrimage to that holiest of Clue holies, Mornington Crescent. I shall be going via Tower Hill, which may well leave me open to accusations of going deliberately into nip, but I don't care.
Yesterday, I planted some Tomatoes.
Tomorrow, I see Clue and visit a nondescript (probably) Tube station.
On Tuesday, I await the Gas Meter Man.
It's an exciting life I lead.

I'm Jolly I HAVE Got A Clue!

2007-03-14T11:10:00.000Z

Woo-Hoo! I have been a fan of the BBC Radio 4 show "I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue" for years, but have never, until now, been able to get tickets to a recording. Until now, that is! Either I haven't been around on the day, or I haven't been able to get through to the ticket office, or something has come up to prevent me from getting to hear the show, which stars Humphrey Littleton, Barry Cryer, Tim Brooke-Taylor, Graham Garden and, of course, the delectable (and near legendary)Samantha.
Full report after the recording in May. As long as something doesn't come up in the meantime of course...

How to build up your DVD collection on a budget 2...

2007-01-31T22:38:00.000Z

Previously in this blog, I wrote about the proliferation of 'free' DVD's given away with the UK National newspapers - well, they are still appearing (though not, perhaps, as frequently as before) - recent films include "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" and the complete ITV adaptation of "Doctor Zhivago" starring Kiera Knightley.
Since that earlier post, there have been a lot more 'partworks'; sets that are built up over a number of weeks by collecting tokens published daily. The Sun/News of the World and The Daily Mule[1] are especially good for this - recently The Currant Bun did a series of "TV Heroes" (mostly the same old reruns of Frost, Prime Suspect and John Thaw episodes) and The Mule was running that stallwart of New Year Partwork magazines, a series of improving your body and mind discs (including Yoga, Pilates etc)
I've avoided those, concentrating on Films (which this year, in addition to the previously mentioned titles, have included "Nuns on The Run" and "Privates on Parade") I'm hoping for another couple of Carry On movies (and, perhaps, the one TV Christmas special the Daily Express hasn't so far released as a freebie!), one or more Hollywood classics, some more 'Art house' from The Independent and other interesting stuff that I wouldn't have bought but which Im more than happy to add to my collection for the cost of a newspaper!
The collection is now in excess of 100 discs - and I have actually watched some of them!

[1] Steve Bell 'If...' reference :)

T'wonderful!

2007-01-31T22:23:00.000Z

First post of the new year! And its something relatively trivial, but it does show that good customer relations STILL exist!
Before Christmas, I bought a box of Twinings English Breakfast tea bags - partly because I had run out of the usual PG Tips (I had been given a big box the previous Christmas when there was a Wallace and Gromit heat sensitive mug!), partly because there was a special offer on the price in my local supermarket and mostly because it came with rather nice, free, metal tea caddy (and I'm a sucker for 'free' stuff) I like English Breakfast - it's a bit stronger and more tea-ish than the ordinary blended stuff.
Unfortunately, when I got it 'ome, I found that two bags were stuck to the bottom of the box - some of the packaging glue had leaked, and in trying to remove the bags, I tore them, spilling tea everywhere.
Later that evening, just in case they might be interested, I left a message on the Twinings website, suggesting they might want to check their gluing machine. I was emailed the next day, asking for my details and suggesting that I might be sent something back for my inconvenience. I was pleased to get the return email and, thinking I might get a couple of tea bags as replacements, thought no more of it. Last week, I got a hand signed letter from Twinings explaining the problem, apologising for the inconvenience and (again) mentioning that something would be sent to me - this week, the something arrived - two boxes of English Breakfast teabags! Woo Hoo!
I'll be writing a proper letter of thanks to Twinings, but I thought I'd mention it here (not that anyone reads this I suppose!) This is a company that responds to customer feedback and (as a result) encourages brand loyalty. Thanks Twinings!

Return of the Mac

2006-08-06T23:01:00.000Z

After some 20+ years, I am finally the owner of an Apple Mac.
Years ago, whilst (for some reason I can't remember now) I saw my first Apple computer - I think it was the Lisa - at one of the London Rail terminals (possibly Waterloo, though I don't know what I was doing there) I liked it, but there was no way I was ever going to be able to afford one.
I gradually progressedthrough various home computers (the Sinclair ZX-81, the Spectrum, the Atari 520 STFM) and eventually moved into the WinTel environment, in which I have been resolutely lodged ever since (despite the occasional detour due to the acquisition of some other piece of kit - for example, an old Apple //e that my then employer was throwing away - I gave it a home and played with it for a good while and it's still in the old study and, as far as I know, working!)
Well, recently, I've been building 'new' computers out of discarded PC's donated by friends and family, using additional parts from eBay, and was perfectly happy to continue in this vein when, out of the blue, a friend asked if I'd like an Apple Mac G4? What harm can it do to accept, I thought, and accepted.
I've had it for a little over a month now, and it's fun! I still have to get used to the different way it does things, and my PC's are still the main machines I use for emails and web surfing etc., but I can see the Mac taking over for Skype (there is a beta of Skype Video for Mac out at the moment, and I've added an iSight camera to the collection of computer bits cluttering the spare bedroom that now serves as my study!) and for servicing my iPod, amongst other things.
This leopard isn't changing his spots - at least, not ALL of them...

Fundamentally Sound

2006-06-18T21:02:00.000Z

Amongst other things, I'm a Pet Shop boys fan; I've ben to several of their concerts, have all the albums (well, not the Further Listening 2 CD sets, I'll admit!) and most, if not all, the singles (including the Fan Club exclusive!)
So, although I had high hopes for the new album, "Fundamental" when it came out a month ago, I was concerned lest it turn out to be another "Release" which, to be brutally honest, left me lukewarm.
I had nothing to fear. "I'm With Stupid" the excellent first single is representative of a return to the sound most PSB fans love them for - electronics, multi-layered backing and touching, ascerbic and typically PSB style lyrics!
Personal stand outs are "Integral", the aforementioned "I'm With Stupid" and "The Sodom and Gomorrah Show" which not only show the band in their best light, they also show the hand of Trevor Horn, who produced the album.
This is not going to be a detailed, track-by-track review - you can get that elsewhere. All I'm going to say is - if you like PSB, you'll love this album; if you don't already like them, this might be the CD you've waited years to hear*.
(the link above goes to amazon.com who, at time of posting, are doing the 2 disc version - complete with guest vocalist Sir Elton John :) - for £8.99)

* apologies for the dismal paraphrase of a PSB single...

That reminds me...

2006-04-08T13:12:00.000Z

I was chatting in work yesterday about Matchbox toy cars and I suddenly remembered that I hadn't seen my favourite, an Orange Ford Capri with a black movable bonnet, for some time. I more or less assumed it was lost, though I do still have most of my toy cars in an old Jacobs biscuit tin - (and let's not get started on my reminiscences about Granny Grumps sending a tin over from Ireland for Christmas!)
When I got home, I decided to dig out the tin, which was in my study under the Ikea bookshelves, to see what I DID stil have - and after a bit of rummaging I found the Capri! It's battered, with bare metal in places where the paint scraped off during play, but still in a reasonable condition! I don't know what it was, but when I was a child, the Ford Capri was my favourite car of all - yes, I liked the supercars and sports cars but the Capri was the one I liked the most; I was ever so excited when, age 6, I got to ride in one (my first and only trip - to date!)
Anyway, in case anyone reads this and is interested, here it is:

(Picture taken on an Olympus C-700 Ultra Zoom)

That was the WHAT?!?!?!

2006-03-06T09:48:00.000Z

Oh dear.
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.
Channel 4 broadcast the last episode of "(Star Trek) Enterprise" yesterday and I have to ask - 'What was the point of THAT?'
Basically, the plot boils down to this: Riker has a problem and used some video recordings of Enterprise to help him make the decision we know he was going to make anyway (because, being trekkers, we all saw that TNG episode already)
They didn't even show Archer's speech at the end! They built up to it, but they didn't give Scott Bakula the chance to exit with a dignified speech?
Pah!
OK, so it was fun to see Troi and Riker in 'Classic TNG' uniforms (though Marina Sirtis seemed to have problems remembering what accent she should be using), but using them as the hook for the plot was disrespectful to the rest of the cast who, regardless of what you might think of the show as a whole (I dropped out in season two to be brutally honest, though what I saw of season four suggested that things were improving into a show I might have watched more regularly) deserved a proper close.

Paramount, it has to be said, lost my respect some time ago as far as their milking of the Trek cash cow was concerned - and on the evidence of this episode, they won't be getting it back any time soon (not that that matter to them!)

G'Kar G'one.

2006-02-17T16:52:00.000Z

RIP Andreas Katsulas, who died this week aged 59. A sad loss for all Babylon 5 fans (and for fans of Trek too - he appeared in a number of TNG episodes as the Romulan Tomolok)
I saw him once at a B5 convention in London and he was both thoughtful and amusing.

The blurry image on the left is the trading card he signed for a set of TNG trading cards.

Snap!

2006-02-17T16:48:00.000Z

So I now have a Digital Camera - an Olympus C-700 Untra Zoom.
It's only 2.1 Megapixel, but it has a 10x Optical Zoom and plenty of features so it's perfect for the sort of photography I usually do - snapping!
So, in theory, I could start posting pictures from my day to day stuff - but as they will almost certainly be less interestign than the posts I make now I don't think I'll bother...

...unless something REALLY interesting happens!

How to build up your DVD collection on a budget...

2006-01-17T23:00:00.000Z

If you live in the UK, the answer is simple - buy the weekend newspapers.
For the last few years, the National press in the UK has been offering (and competing with other papers in the scale of what they are offering) various 'free gifts' ranging from CD's of unsigned music acts and PC Game demos through to double CD sets of 'classic' music by big name stars to full length DVD's of older films.
Some in the media thought that this trend would die down, especially as Rupert Murdoch, the head of News International (which owns The Times, The Sun and The News of The World - all of which have issued more than their fair share of CD's and DVD's in the last few years!)announced that he didn't like the giveaways - an item in The Independent last weekend (which itself gave away two 'Arthouse' film DVD's) noted that the average cost to the newspaper per DVD was 30p - a lot, given the cover price of the papers range from 40p to £1.60, and especially considering that the freebies don't encourage a lot of brand loyalty - many people (including me) just buy the paper that has the freebie they want, and don't bother whn there is no freebie.
However, in just the first three wees of 2006, there have been 7 Movie DVD's, 4 'Classic TV Show' DVD's and a couple of audio CD's (and that is not including the discs where one has to redeem a coupon from a weekday newspaper - there are two offers of this sort running at the moment that I am aware of!) with more to come next weekend (The new, Berliner sized Observer is offering "Dune" on Sunday, and the aforementioned News of The World is apparently going to have "Highlander" on the same day - two cult favourite SF themed movies competing against each other!)
I set up, just for something to do, a webpage 'gallery' of the DVD's I had received - so far, I've only put up the Film DVD's I've found in newspapers, though I plan to add sections for TV Show discs and music CD's. I didn't think I'd be updating it very often - but it looks like it's going to be a weekly revision from now on!
(there is a link to the page in the subject of this entry!)
Au Res.,
Paul

New Year and Springtime...

2006-01-01T16:33:00.000Z

A Very Happy New Year to anyone who is actually reading this blog (I exclude those twits who spam the comments area!)
Hope everyone had a great Christmas/Hanukah/whatever. I had a quiet time - stayed with family, opened presents etc. Saw "The Producers" at the local cinema, and so more or less finished the year as I started it (I went to the West End stage show version on New Years Day last year!) I can recommend it, though fans of the original classic (mostly) non-musical film will have to put their memories of that to one side - this, although sharing much of the same plot and sets, is a different film and should be watched as such.
I enjoyed it, though it IS a little stagy (can't really be helped in a flim based on a stage show about stage shows!) and there are some first rate performances from the cast. A little tip - if you go to see it, wait until the very end of the credits (which feature two musical numbers not in the film and a very silly 'version' of one of the songs that IS in there!) for a fun little bit.
Au Res.,
Paul

Snap! Snap! Snap!

2005-09-22T21:48:00.000Z

So, I broke my left arm, falling off my mountain bike.
20 odd years of cycling (on and off) and this is the first time I've broken something. Grrr.
I'm learning lots of things - such as how to cook, wash, and netsurf with one hand.
Meantime, the bike lurks at work, mocking me in it's garish green-ness - I
will get back on it again, once I've had the plaster cast taken off and once I've finally dealt with the irritating itch I've had for the last couple of weeks!

Of course, this pales into insignificance when compared to Katrina and the imminent Rita - good luck to anyone in their respective paths.

She's Back!

2005-09-02T09:26:00.000Z

I apologises in advance if the following sounds like serious fanboy indulgence, but Kate Bush Is Back!
According to a news item on the BBC website, her new album "Aerial" is out in November - a mere 12 years after her last album "The Red Shoes"
Gives me something to save my pennies for...

In Praise of Customer Service

2005-05-19T22:35:00.000Z

It seems to be the norm to complain about shoddy customer service received - so, for a change, I thought I'd post about some excellent customer service I've received in the last few days!
Item No. One: Land's End (UK)
Many moons ago, when the world was slightly younger and I had more money, I bought a shirt from the Land's End catalogue. This was quite a few years ago. It rapidly became my favourite shirt, and has (so far) worn well. Note that 'so far' - when I took it out of the washing machine on Sunday, the shirt showed definate signs of wear - one of the button-down collars had torn away from the rest of the shirt (taking the button with it).
Now, Land's End is famous for their "Guaranteed. Period" slogan, though I didn't hold out much hope for a shirt this old. I emailed their customer service anyway and, (please remember, this was on a SUNDAY), got a reply, from a real live human being (i.e. not an automated answer) about 30 minutes later, asking for more details. I replied and again a fast response was received, offering to send a couple of material swatches that might possibly match and so patch up the hole.
The swatch arrived yesterday and, although it is a different type of material, it will do fine as a patched repair. As soon as I have more money in my pocket, I'll be buying from Land's End again!

Item no. Two:
Integral Memory
I had an Integral Envoy 512mb USB Flash drive of which I made a great deal of use - until the day when the LED refused to light up and all of the various computers on which it was used refused to se it at all. The flash drive was dead. It was an ex-flash drive (It's blue, by the way, though not, as far as I know, Norwegian!)
I emailed the customer service at Integral to ask if anything could be done. They replied with a returns number, suggesting I post it back to them for testing. This I did last Saturday. Yesterday, there was a card in my letterbox asking me to collect a package from my local post office. Integral had sent me a brand new Envoy to replace my dead one!

Kudos to Land's End and Integral Memory - they deserve the praise...

Sticking a thumb out...

2005-05-03T21:42:00.000Z

Well, it's Hitch-Hikers week here in the UK - not only did the movie open this weekend, but BBC Radio 4 is broadcasting the last of the new radio adaptation of Douglas Adams' books AND BBC TV is re-running the TV adaptation from the eighties.
More on the radio once I've heard a bit more of it.

WARNING!!! Potential Spoilerage Follows

The film I saw on Bank Holiday Monday and... I enjoyed it!
Yes, I did. It's not the H2G2 purists might have wished for but it IS H2G2 - the movie version. I've seen a fair bit of criticism this weekend of the film and how it is not faithful enough to the original - newflash: NONE of the other versions are truly that faithful to the original radio series. The books diverted in different directions, the computer game ditto and the TV series was little more than a subset of the first two radio series/books; even the towel was a version, not an accurate representation!

Martin Freeman as Arthur is fine. A Dent for the noughties. He won't ever replace Simon Jones in the fans affections, but that is truly not the point. Sam Rockwell is underused - or, rather, Zaphod is. There are a couple of gags that feature the Big Zee but that's it. Mos Def as Ford? Fine. Again, a different Ford, but none the worse for that. He still has that 'otherworldly' feeling that marks him out as not quite belonging on Earth, and I like him. Zooey Deschamel as Trillian? She was cute and clever and really rather nice. The American accent jarred a little (as it did in the TV series - no offence intended towards Sandra Dickinson, but her version of Trillian was what I liked least about the TV series - especially as, in the special 'Making Of video that the BBC issued some years after the event, Adams admitted that she could have done an 'English Rose' accent but they (the creatives) didn't ask...)
I liked Marvin. I liked even more the fact that the TV Marvin made a cameo appearence and that Simon Jones appeared as the security video on Magrathea. I liked that Bill Bailey, one of my favourite comic perfomers, voiced the Sperm Whale. I loved Stephen Fry as 'The Book' (seing as Peter Jones was not a possibility, Fry was the best replacement) I didn't like that the film started with a song and not "Journey of The Sorcerer" by Bernie Leadon but then I was more than pleased to hear it's familiar strains over the first appearence of "The Book" itself!

The story is slight and filled with some marvelous sight gags that would possibly have appealed to Douglas Adams if he were still alive (oh, thre are a couple of other Adams related in-jokes in the film - but you'll have to find them for yourselves!).
My cony concern is that the ending doesn't actually close some of the plot points - but presumably these will be addressed in any subsequent sequel (and that has been more than adequatly set up)
If you are a died in the wool, old school radio series fan who hated the TV series and hasn't bought a new towel in years (and, by the way, Marks & Spencer missed a trick by not having one of THEIR towels in a 'Product Placement' deal!), then you'll probably have already made up your mind about this film and wont be bothering with it anyway. I respect that. To everyone else, however, go to see the film. It's as entertaining a way to spend two hours as I can think of (I do have a slightly limited imagination!).

The Mating Season

2005-04-13T23:00:00.000Z

(with apologies to P.G.Wodehouse!)
I have spawn at the bottom of my garden. The assorted amphibians, with whom I share my back garden, have obviously been busy and I'm hoping that the recent cold-ish turn taken by the weather hasn't done the spawn any damage. If the spawn is still full of living embyionic amphibia, hopefully I'll have a garden full of frogs or toads again this year...

Charging for less...

2005-03-06T00:15:00.000Z

As mentioned in a previous entry, I recently got an Apple iPod Shuffle 1Gb.
Now, this has a rechargable Lithium battery - to charge it you either plug it into a powered USB port on your computer, or you buy the relevant charger accessory from Apple for (at time of writing) £19.99.
I've found a Third Way! My local branch of W.H.Smiths is having a clear out of selected computer accessories, and in amongst the assorted cables etc., I found a Belkin Powered compact USB 2 hub - 4 USB2 ports and a standalone power supply. Reduced from £22.99 to £8.62
Well, I needed to get something to connect the iPod to the computer - the front USB ports on my Dell are not powered, so it won't charge from them (a common enough problem on most computers with front USB ports), and as the cheapest extension cable online would have cost me about the same (including P&P) I bought this instead, reasoning that it would give me an additional two USB2 ports when the iPod was plugged in, or 4 when not. (The iPod Shuffle is slightly wider than the USB plug, and so prevents anything being inserted to other USB ports next to it!)

When I got home, I had a brainwave - if the Hub is independently powered, then the iPod should charge without it being connected to the computer - a quick test shows this to be the case.
So, if you have an iPod Shuffle, want to be able to charge it from the mains without having to connect it to a computer, and can find a cheap enough USB2 powered hub, this might be your answer! OK, so it won't be Apple White, and you'll still have to connect it to a computer with iTunes installed to upload stuff to it, but it might save you money and may get you out of a 'flat battery' problem...
Next step - to find a cheap alternative to the add-on Battery pack!
(I take no responsibility for any damage caused by this suggestion - you follow it at your own risk - though I seriously doubt that any damage will occur!)

Who is that with the white headphones singing "Ice Cream Man"*?

2005-02-16T09:22:00.000Z

Well, for one brief moment (probably less than a nanosecond) I became slightly 'cutting edge' - for my recent birthday a friend gave me an iPod Shuffle 1Gb.
Has to be said, I didn't imagine myself ever needing an iPod, let alone owning one - but now I've got it working (by installing W2K over the top of my WME PC) I'm having fun with it!

*That's the Van Halen version...

Springtime for...Brooks

2005-01-18T09:43:00.000Z

Belated Happy New Year! On New Years Day I went to see the West End version of Mel Brooks "The Producers" (a very kind friend gave me a ticket for Christmas!)
Unfortunately, Nathan Lane (the last minute, short term replacement for Richard Dreyfuss) had to pull out due to having TWO slipped discs - having seen what the character gets up to in the show, I can quite understand how he managed it!
Cory English, his 'Stand-in' was excellent, and after a couple of minutes I forgot that I was disappointed about not seeing Mr Lane and realised I was enjoying seeing Mr English! Lee Evans was equally as good. The songs add greatly to the show, and there are enough references to both the original movie and to other Brooks movies to keep the anorak Brooks fan happy!
Of the show itself I will not write - if you are familiar with the movie, then you'll pretty much know the plot (though it IS slightly tweaked for the stage); if you're unfamiliar with the movie, but have heard that Mel Brooks could write comedy, then you're in for a treat (a tasteless one, but a treat nonetheless!)
The show is still running on Broadway and apparently the original Broadway pairing of Lane and Matthew Broderick are to make a new movie based on the musical.

Free 'Phone

2004-12-15T15:56:00.000Z

Visiting a friend in Switzerland (let's not talk about the fun I had getting there - at least, not yet!), he sold me on using Skype - aka VoIP.
Upon my return, I signed up at the Skype website
It's brilliant! Even though the website suggests a minimum of W2K or XP (it does run on Mac's and Linux machines as well), it runs well enough on my W98 system.
Sound quality is good and, if you have broadband connection, calls to other Skype users are free! The rates to non-Skype users are highly competitive too.
I know, this is starting to sound like a plug - but I can't (at the moment) recommend it highly enough...

Demo Tapes from Harpists...

2004-10-26T22:10:00.000Z

John Peel 1939-2004
RIP

Radiators

2004-08-04T11:47:00.000Z

It's been an interesting couple of weeks, it has to be said. (well, it doesn't have to be said, but if I didn't say it, I'd have nothing to put in my blog!)

First, the living room radiator sprung a leak. Thsi is the second radiator to go in the living room in about 6 years - luckily I have no carpet on the floor, or I probably wouldn't have noticed it as quickly as I did (I got up from an evening of TV zombiedom and noticed a puddle. As I am house trained, and I wasn't doggysitting at the time, it was either a leak from upstairs or a leak from the radiator. Gee Whiz Sherlock!)

A little praise for British Gas, who service my central heating. I noticed the leak at around half past midnight. I mopped up what I could, shut off the radiator and put a bown under the leak (once I had found it) this took about 15 minutes, so it was 00:45 or so when I called the emergency hotline. It was answered within a couple of rings, the chap who answered was helpful and polite, and arranged for another chap to come and have a look the next day. You're expecting me to say I had to wait in all day for the service chap, but I didn't - he was there at 9am and arranged for a replacement to be delivered and installed the following week (last Friday, in fact) The only thing left is the old radiator, which someone is apparently going to collect from the front of the house...

The weeknd after the leak, I visited a friend in Sandy, and was given the 2 most recent paperbacks by Alexander McCall Smith (The Kalahari Typing School for Men and The Full Cupboard of Life - both in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series) which was unexpected! Both great reads, gentle humour, and if you haven't already read the first three volumes, I'd recommend that you do so.
I get back from Sandy and find yet more books - another friend had sent me some stuff hje thought I'd enjoy (so far, he's right!)

Jennings' End

2004-06-29T10:31:00.000Z

Jennings was, as usual, not entirely concentrating on what Mr Wilkins was saying, and so it came as no surprise to anyone that when, as might have been predicted in advance, the teacher asked a question, Jennings didn't have a clue.
Mr Wilkins had built up quite a head of steam, and was about to let rip (the "I - I - I - Corwumph" was on his lips) when the classroom door opened, and in walked the Headmaster. "I have an announcement to make" he said, in solemn tones. "Mr Buckeridge, who did so much to bring this school to it's current prominence, has sadly passed away. Linbury Court will, therefore, be closing it's doors for the last time, and all pupils will be sent home."
A thoroughly deflated Mr Wilkins dismissed the class. As he passed into the corridor, Jennings asked his friend Darbishire, "Well, what happens now? Mr Buckeridge was the only thing that kept this school going."
"We'll be sent to another school, I suppose" replied Darbishire. "As my father sometimes says..."
Jennings didn't bother listening to what the Reverend Darbishire sometimes said; it wasn't important. What was important was that there was to be no more Linbury Court.
"Goodbye, Mr Buckeridge" he thought, "and thanks."

Anthony Buckeridge 1912-2004 RIP

Radio Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

2004-06-28T11:46:00.000Z

Now I have broadband up and running (a doddle!) I can now listen properly to BBC7.
BBC7 is one of the new 'digital' stations operated by the BBC, and is available on DAB, Freeview and via the internet.
streaming audio is available on the websites for each of the different 'Digital' stations, but on a dial-up connection, this isn't really practical (the streaming is via RealMedia and it keeps buffering the stream, leading to silence!)
The big advantage on the BBC 7 website is the "Listen Again" feature - there is a page devoted to an entire day's schedule, and you can listen whenever you like up to 6 days after original broadcast - if you have a fast internet connection, this works rather well, and the sound quality is pretty good (at least, it is through my PC speakers!)
Most of the other digital BBC stations are devoted to music, but BBC7 is the 'Archive' station, and is full to the brim with old BBC drama, comedy and book readings - the rule being, as long as it has been repeated on the analogue station of origin, or was last broadcast more than three years ago, it can appear on BBC7 (subject to the usual licensing issues)
For an old-fashioned spoken word radio fan such as myself, the station is a godsend - Round The Horne, The Goons, Hancock, The Masterson Inheritance, I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again, Sherlock Holmes, Discworld adaptations, all are (or have been, or will be!) broadcast on BBC7. (No news breaks or advertising either, though there are sometimes some lengthy 'trails' for other BBC7 programmes)
If you have digital, check it out; if you have broadband, try out the BBC7 website

Sticking a thumb out again

2004-06-22T09:49:00.000Z

Yes! At Last! At the end of last year (2003) news circulated about a new "Hitch Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy" radio series that had been created by Dirk Maggs, and based on the third of the Douglas Adams books, "Life, The Universe and Everything" - there was even a suggested broadcast date of February 2004. Then, all went quiet. (Apparently there were licensing issues, presumably something to do with the film version that made bigger headlines at the time!)
Well, now there is good news - the BBC has announced on their website (and via newspaper items this morning) that the "Third Phase" will be broadcast in six parts from Tuesday 21st September 2004 at 6:30pm (UK time)- more details at The Official BBC Radio 4 Hitch Hiker announcement page
Including a 4.5 minute 'trailer' (sounds good!) and a video - which I cannot watch yet, but will do so on Friday when the broadband will hopefully be up and running!

Make sure you know where your towel is.

Things are probably getting faster

2004-06-18T16:00:00.000Z

Well, I finally bit the bullet and signed up for broadband (DSL) internet access; assuming nothing goes wrong, and that it is as easy to set up as BT claims, I should be experiencing the wonders of fast internet access next weekend.
The main reason I held off for so long was the price; it's still quite pricey even now (BT Broadband, without email or webspace, it Â£27 per month) but the Surftime dial-up I'm using at present has been getting slower and slower, and the broadband option is only about Â£13 more a month.
Note the 'about' in that last sentence - I had to do a lot of digging to get to that figure; nowhere on the BT site could I find what would have been of most use to me, a price comparison table (surely they can do one? They know how much they charge for Surftime, and they must still have links to the BT Yahoo side of things to get their monthly subscription costs!)
At least I don't have to pay extra for connection or the modem - and I should, apparently, also get a voucher for a free flight to Europe or the USA! I could do with a holiday.
Anyway, here's to fast surfing (though, knowing my luck, the minute I connect up, someone will drop the price for newbies...)

Gardening Left

2004-06-04T15:22:00.000Z

I'm not a happy, green fingered son of the soil. I know what a plant is and I vaguely remember something about osmisis and photosynthesis from school, but that's it. My sister is the gardener, and she occasionally comes over to prune/hack etc.
She did so last weekend. 13 sacks of garden 'waste' later, and I have something that is a lot less like a jungle - at the house end, that is. The shed end is still a bit wild, and will need to be tackeled at some point.
The thing is, when househunting all those years ago (I bought at the top of the LAST property boom...) the ONE thing I insisted on was a decentlt sized garden; this one is about 60' long, and (for an ex-council house) is huge!

The point of this entry? None at all. I just wanted to put down something about the garden. And to mention that, as a result of the hard work put in by my sister, I can now see all sorts of insects and animals I wouldn't have noticed before - such as the damsel flies, the frogs and (I think) toads, the woodlice (I like the look of woodlice!) and the orangy-brown slug with the forked 'tail'.
Au Res.,
Paul

Richard Biggs - a nice bloke

2004-05-24T13:56:00.000Z

I heard at the weekend that Richard Biggs, probably best known for his performances in "Babylon 5" as "Dr. Franklin" passed away at the age of 43.
I only met him at conventions, so cannot in any way claim to have known him well, but from what I saw of him suggested that he was, indeed, 'a nice bloke'.
Not that anyone from his family or friends will probably read this, but I offer my deepest sympathies to them for their loss.
Apparently, some of his friends and former colleagues are working on something to help his family - as and when details of this are available, I'll post them here.
In the meantime, there is a tribute page on the The Gallactic Gateway
Au Res.,
Paul

Oh No, Not Another Blog...

2004-05-19T10:39:00.000Z

Given that practically everyone with internet access has probably got a blog of some sort somewhere, I don't suppose my setting up a new one will be of interest to anyone at all - but here it is anyway.

I'll post whenever something I consider interesting happens - I'm not political (that is to say, I have a slight interest in politics, but not enough to pass on my opinions to the waiting world!) and more often than not I'll be moaning about postal deliveries, or bad behaviour or TV, but as there probably won't be anyone reading anyway, it doesn't really matter!

Just in case you HAVE stumbled on this blog before I've had time to post anything else, here is a brief run down on the stuff I'll probably cover - Books (anything from E.F.Benson, Bill Bryson and Agatha Christie to Terry Pratchett, Tom Holt, P.G.Wodehouse - I like books and have rather a lot of them still waiting to be read...), Humour, music (which is varied), the Royal Mail (currently going through 'Interesting Times'!) and anything else that catches my eye.
Au Res.,