Most of the day has ben spent working through the work that is planned for the next 6 weeks - what has to be done, who will do it, whether there is sufficient time, and whether the required resources are available.
Frustrating stuff, but had to be done.
Silver Vixen has finished another of her creations and it looks really good. GF will be taking photos for the archive tonight. (Of the bag).
Monday, June 30, 2008
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Gardens
The Silver Vixen and Gorse Fox were again visiting Betty and Barney Rubble.Lunch was enjoyed at the Jekyll & Hyde on the Reading Road. A wonderful chicken and bacon salad to start and then a rack of excellent ribs (though not quite as tender as GF likes).
From there we stopped off at another house exhibiting under the National Garden Scheme. This one at Sherfield-on-Loddon was about one third of an acre and subdivided into a number of smaller garden "rooms".
Far be it
In fact very far be it from the Gorse Fox to defend members of this corrupt, vexatious government, but the Gorse Fox foes think this nonsense over Wendy Alexander resigning is wrong.
If she checked with Holyrood officials regarding the donations and they said the need not be declared, and if the Scottish parliamentary standards commissioner said they should be treated as gifts... then it is not she who should resign but rather the Scottish parliamentary standards commissioner and the Holyrood officials who gave the incorrect advice.
If she checked with Holyrood officials regarding the donations and they said the need not be declared, and if the Scottish parliamentary standards commissioner said they should be treated as gifts... then it is not she who should resign but rather the Scottish parliamentary standards commissioner and the Holyrood officials who gave the incorrect advice.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Hoops
The Gorse Fox continues to jump through the various hoops and leap the various hurdles that are set by Starfleet. He has spent another full day working on his case, working on his presentation, and generally word smithing.
Meanwhile, in the next room the Silver Vixen has been sewing to prepare some new chenille so that another bag can be completed.
It seems a shame to spend the whole day inside when the weather has looked so good, but time is conspiring against us.
Meanwhile, in the next room the Silver Vixen has been sewing to prepare some new chenille so that another bag can be completed.
It seems a shame to spend the whole day inside when the weather has looked so good, but time is conspiring against us.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Archives
The Gorse Fox is not feeling particularly inspired this evening so he thought a rifle through the archives would be interesting...
It wasn't.
What he did find, however, was that 25 years ago today he was starting his first day's work in Long Beach whilst evaluating some software for British Aerospace.
And going back even further, thirty-five years ago today the Gorse Fox was packing his stuff ready to move into our first house.
It wasn't.
What he did find, however, was that 25 years ago today he was starting his first day's work in Long Beach whilst evaluating some software for British Aerospace.
Woke up at 6:30 after a very good night’s sleep. I put on my trunks and headed for the pool, but on arrival saw that it doesn’t open until 9 o’clock, similarly the Jacuzzi so I went back to my room and showered.It was obviously a good start to several week's of intense research! Looking back on it, possibly the most significant entry for the day was:
...decided to stroll across the road to the shopping mall to get something to eat. When we got there we decided to try the “Shuma” Japanese restaurant. We went to the Tepan room where we all sat around a steel griddle and had the meal of our choice cooked right in front of us.Yes, the Gorse Fox's first time in a Japanese Restaurant - and whilst he rarely gets the opportunity to repeat the experience he would still rate it as his favourite style of food.
And going back even further, thirty-five years ago today the Gorse Fox was packing his stuff ready to move into our first house.
Guest Walk
The Gorse Fox has not published a walk for a while. However he was sent this link which he includes as a "guest walk". He hopes you have a head for heights!
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Comparisons
Showered and ready to greet the day, the Gorse Fox went down to breakfast. settling at a table he realised that behind him was table occupied by a select group of crusties. Their conversation of last night (probably about their grandchildren) had dried up and this morning there was blow by blow analysis of the State funerals they had witnessed.
Now there's a top ten list that would be worth collating.
Now there's a top ten list that would be worth collating.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Smile
This made the Gorse Fox smile. he was walking towards the restaurant yesterday evening and was confronted by these vans...Three said "Give Blood", and behind them was one saying "Free Home delivery".
A whimsical juxtaposition if ever there was one
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Barely Contained
The Gorse Fox submits the earlier blog post as evidence of the level of excitement that has filled Tuesday.
We discussed tact. One colleague explained he was ina shop with his wife at the weekend and was the victim of abuse when he answered "Does my bum look big in this?" with "No, it's the cream cakes that does that". Some people can be so unreasonable.
We discussed tact. One colleague explained he was ina shop with his wife at the weekend and was the victim of abuse when he answered "Does my bum look big in this?" with "No, it's the cream cakes that does that". Some people can be so unreasonable.
Brackets
The Gorse Fox has lost a left-bracket key on his laptop... it's just lying on its back sulking, leaving exposed the intimate components of the keyboard.
Time catches up with everything.
Time catches up with everything.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Meeting
Not a typical Monday. A meeting had been set in Reading that (whilst interesting) was an irritating diversion from the design work that GF has been doing. He had to duck out at 15:00 for a telecon... which he took in the car and then headed across to Worcester as it seemed daft to drive home then drive back at the crack of dawn tomorrow.
It was a quiet evening in Worcester as GF was the only person out and about. The question was Tapas or Pizza? The answer was settled when GF found the Tapas restaurant closed. Pzza demolished he was back in his room by 20:00.
The hotel is fully of sherry swigging lavendar spritzing blue-hairs tonight... and though the Gorse Fox has a nice room, he doesn't have WiFi access from this part of the building.
It was a quiet evening in Worcester as GF was the only person out and about. The question was Tapas or Pizza? The answer was settled when GF found the Tapas restaurant closed. Pzza demolished he was back in his room by 20:00.
The hotel is fully of sherry swigging lavendar spritzing blue-hairs tonight... and though the Gorse Fox has a nice room, he doesn't have WiFi access from this part of the building.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Hotair
The Register offers an early review of "Without the hot air" by Professor David J C MacKay of the Cambridge University Physics Department.
Looks good so far. No hype, just numbers and calculations. Oh yes and on the subject of hot air
Looks good so far. No hype, just numbers and calculations. Oh yes and on the subject of hot air
if we covered the windiest 10 per cent of the country with windmills, we might be able to generate half of the energy used by driving a car 50 km per day each.Oh, so what do we need then?
The windmills required … are fifty times the entire wind hardware of Denmark; seven times all the windfarms of Germany; and double the entire fleet of all wind turbines in the world.What about solar energy then? Er no, he's analyzed that too:
All in all, according to MacKay, if you like solar it probably makes more sense to put the panels in North Africa and bring the power to the UK over efficient high-voltage DC lines.He reviews a number of different options and plans but the one that caught the Gorse Fox's eye was this:
MacKay made no effort to cost plan G, but he offers maps and figures indicating the staggering scale of the engineering. Britain would be literally covered with — and girdled by — massive wind farms, tidal barriers and wave barrages, and every sizeable body of water in the land would rise and fall to the strange new tides of the national grid. We would have literally rebuilt the British Isles as a single mighty renewable generator, pouring concrete and erecting steel on a scale so far matched only by human habitation — industrialising the land and sea in a way that would make intensive agribusiness look like a wildlife refuge. And still we’d be importing power.
That’s the reality of the Greenpeace plan for the UK, in hard numbers. You can see why MacKay is worried about their response.
Garden melee
What the photos don't reveal is that degree of popularity afforded to the gardens. They were absolutely heaving with people, and each of the photos was the result of immense patience or sheer luck finding a nanosecond when nobody was pushing through or blocking the view.In summary several of the gardens were very nice but most were fairly average, and the whole event was rather spoiled by its own success and the number of visitors that were milling around and queuing for garden after garden.
Quirky
An article in The Times recently began: " Hidden in the seaside town of Worthing, behind a busy high street, is an easily missed gem. Ambrose Place, a beautiful row of white, balconied Regency terraced houses, is known locally for two things: it is where Harold Pinter wrote The Homecoming and it is home to a group of people who, for 25 years, have opened their gardens to the public, as part of the National Gardens Scheme."Ambrose Place is a wonderful Regency terrace with long narrow north-facing courtyard gardens. Normally you would expect the a north facing garden to be cold, but here on the coast the protection that the terrace provides from the strong sea-born wind has allowed some nice gardens to evolve.
But then you see a feature such as this and realize maybe they are cold after all.
NGS
It was a bright, though very breezy day down on the coast.The morning was dedicated to catching up on some coding chores and helping the Silver Vixen select a paper bag supplier (GF assumes they will arrive in a paper bag).
In the afternoon we headed for Worthing to some gardens that had been opened under the National Garden Scheme.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
What's your name?
We sat on the train and as it pulled away from East Croydon station a huge pair of eyes came and squatted on the seat opposite the Gorse Fox.
They blinked and peered round.
"What's your name?" asked the eyes and then one by one he pointed at each person nearby and asked their name. He shuffled and tried to climb on the seat, but settled back down.
"Have you got Spiderman?" asked the eyes? and again one by one he repeated the question to each of us. The lady next to the Gorse Fox was called Jo apparently, and she didn't have Spiderman. She did however have a cup of tea.
"Is that a cup of tea?" asked the eyes. She confirmed that it was. "I like tea" said the eyes, "do you mind if I join you?"
And so the questioning continued for the following 90 minutes until the 4 year old owner clambered off the train at Worthing with his mother, baby sister and 7 year old brother (who'd bee sitting in the next bank of seats).
They blinked and peered round.
"What's your name?" asked the eyes and then one by one he pointed at each person nearby and asked their name. He shuffled and tried to climb on the seat, but settled back down.
"Have you got Spiderman?" asked the eyes? and again one by one he repeated the question to each of us. The lady next to the Gorse Fox was called Jo apparently, and she didn't have Spiderman. She did however have a cup of tea.
"Is that a cup of tea?" asked the eyes. She confirmed that it was. "I like tea" said the eyes, "do you mind if I join you?"
And so the questioning continued for the following 90 minutes until the 4 year old owner clambered off the train at Worthing with his mother, baby sister and 7 year old brother (who'd bee sitting in the next bank of seats).
Passport
The Urban-cub needed a new passport. She phoned and made an appointment to get it seen to at the Passport Office in London today. What would she need?
The Gorse Fox accompanied her arriving at the Passport Office 20 minutes or so before the appointment. (It's such a good idea to have timed appointments).
"Good morning, I have an appointment at 1:15, is there somewhere I can fill in the form, or do I do that during the appointment?" seemed like a polite query to open proceedings.
"Over there" came the reply and so we stood (there were no chairs) by a 3 in shelf trying to fill in an A4 application form.
Having filled it in we went back and asked where to go, and were told that U-c had to go up by herself. GF explained he would be paying for it, so where should he pay?
"Go and get the cash from Victoria Station" he was told and ushered to the door with U-C. GF has learnt over the years that it is pointless arguing with jobsworths and it was very clear that this part of the Passport Office was inhabited solely by jobsworths.
As he made his way to the station he mulled over the fact that he was actually paying for the Home Office and its staff and it was clear they had no idea how to deal with the public (their employers). Needless to say he had to queue at the ATM but was soon back at the door with Urban-cub, and still early for the interview.
As she moved forward GF was blocked off and told he had to wait, but when he went to wait at the area marked "Meeting and Greeting". The jobsworth bore down on him. Apparently the sign is irrelevant, the Gorse Fox was not allowed to remain in the building. By this point GF was barely maintaining his equanimity and walked out without comment.
remember the Gorse Fox say what a good idea the appointments are? Well forget it - there were loads of people with the same time slot so U-c had to wait further until being seen.
"Where's you photo?" she was asked. She patiently explained the instructions she had been given last weekend and was told "You need a photo, there's a machine downstairs". Now U-c was getting cross, but maintained her civility and asked if she could get change for a £5 note. "No, we don't give change" a woman nearby (almost in tears from her encounter) came to U-c's aid. As Urban-cub walked down the stairs a couple of staff called out sarcastically "Missed your appointment?" she asked them what business it was of theirs and carried on to get the photo.
Over an hour after she went up she finally emerged. The pent up fury was clear... and shared. She commented, through gritted teeth, about the disgusting way in which people were treated and how rude the staff were. GF couldn't bring himself to discuss it.
It was the most disgraceful display of the utter disdain with which certain parts of government treat perfectly innocent and civil members of the public.
- The current passport
- A form of picture id
- Proof of residence (e.g two utility bills) etc.
The Gorse Fox accompanied her arriving at the Passport Office 20 minutes or so before the appointment. (It's such a good idea to have timed appointments).
"Good morning, I have an appointment at 1:15, is there somewhere I can fill in the form, or do I do that during the appointment?" seemed like a polite query to open proceedings.
"Over there" came the reply and so we stood (there were no chairs) by a 3 in shelf trying to fill in an A4 application form.
Having filled it in we went back and asked where to go, and were told that U-c had to go up by herself. GF explained he would be paying for it, so where should he pay?
"Go and get the cash from Victoria Station" he was told and ushered to the door with U-C. GF has learnt over the years that it is pointless arguing with jobsworths and it was very clear that this part of the Passport Office was inhabited solely by jobsworths.
As he made his way to the station he mulled over the fact that he was actually paying for the Home Office and its staff and it was clear they had no idea how to deal with the public (their employers). Needless to say he had to queue at the ATM but was soon back at the door with Urban-cub, and still early for the interview.
As she moved forward GF was blocked off and told he had to wait, but when he went to wait at the area marked "Meeting and Greeting". The jobsworth bore down on him. Apparently the sign is irrelevant, the Gorse Fox was not allowed to remain in the building. By this point GF was barely maintaining his equanimity and walked out without comment.
remember the Gorse Fox say what a good idea the appointments are? Well forget it - there were loads of people with the same time slot so U-c had to wait further until being seen.
"Where's you photo?" she was asked. She patiently explained the instructions she had been given last weekend and was told "You need a photo, there's a machine downstairs". Now U-c was getting cross, but maintained her civility and asked if she could get change for a £5 note. "No, we don't give change" a woman nearby (almost in tears from her encounter) came to U-c's aid. As Urban-cub walked down the stairs a couple of staff called out sarcastically "Missed your appointment?" she asked them what business it was of theirs and carried on to get the photo.
Over an hour after she went up she finally emerged. The pent up fury was clear... and shared. She commented, through gritted teeth, about the disgusting way in which people were treated and how rude the staff were. GF couldn't bring himself to discuss it.
It was the most disgraceful display of the utter disdain with which certain parts of government treat perfectly innocent and civil members of the public.
Pensions Adviser
The Gorse Fox notes a quote from Dr Ros Altman, former pensions adviser to No. 10: "Our state pension is a national disgrace. It is the lowest in the developed world. We cannot continue to treat old people this way"
Why did this stand out? Well the Gorse Fox had just read a letter from someone saying his pension had increased 25% over the last 10 years at a time when his Council Tax has increased 95%.
Oh yes and the latest estimate from experts is that Gordon Brown's raid on our pension schemes has so far cost us £100Bn.
Why did this stand out? Well the Gorse Fox had just read a letter from someone saying his pension had increased 25% over the last 10 years at a time when his Council Tax has increased 95%.
Oh yes and the latest estimate from experts is that Gordon Brown's raid on our pension schemes has so far cost us £100Bn.
Gadgets
Google have just release a neat little gadget for the iGoogle interface that allows the Gorse Fox to blog directly from his search page. He likes that.
Friday, June 20, 2008
What?
The Gorse Fox is sometimes surprised by our civic leaders. He discovers that this surprise should take on a global context, reading:
Officials in the US state of Massachusetts are investigating how 17 teenage girls from the same school have become pregnant.Surely they know?
Stuff the flux capacitor...
... and forget the dilithium crystals.
Mother Superior phoned and during the conversation revealed that one of the highlights of last weekend's dress rehearsal for the roll out of the new and complex IT system we've been designing and building was passing the mission control centre and overhearing the delivery manager instruct the remote operations team:
Mother Superior phoned and during the conversation revealed that one of the highlights of last weekend's dress rehearsal for the roll out of the new and complex IT system we've been designing and building was passing the mission control centre and overhearing the delivery manager instruct the remote operations team:
"It's time to load the pineapple".The Gorse Fox won't spoil things by explaining further.
MS Dinosaurs
There are some quotes that Gorse Fox cannot resist repeating for his valued readers. Today sees a discussion in Information Week on the hook up between IBM and Google
With these two behemoths uniting to take the next evolutionary step in IT, it's not hard to see who gets left out in the cold, a dinosaur awaiting the nuclear winter of cloud computing: Microsoft.You have no idea what a heart-warming thought that is.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Organisation over Arrogance
The Gorse Fox got back to Sussex in time to see the football. The beauty of this summer's tournament is that England aren't there. This means that GF can watch the games without any emotional attachment to his own team. He can just enjoy the sport.
Germany were playing Portugal. Germany are beginning to gel, and their organisation and work ethic are beginning to tell. Portugal have been fooled by their own hype and swagger about the field believing that it is their divine right to win.
Well they didn't, and GF is delighted.
Germany were playing Portugal. Germany are beginning to gel, and their organisation and work ethic are beginning to tell. Portugal have been fooled by their own hype and swagger about the field believing that it is their divine right to win.
Well they didn't, and GF is delighted.
Commission
Gorse Fox is very proud of the Silver Vixen. A lady called to see her and not only bought some of her bags, but also commissioned further examples.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Flames in June
A strange evening.It started in Spur 0.
Well actually it remained in Spur 0. The Mexican had laid on a BBQ and though GF had known nothing about it, Andrea sent him through to participate as soon as he arrived. It was splendid evening.... and the Mexican did us proud.
Perhaps the oddest moment came when we witnessed the first stages of an arranged marriage with the Mexican's daughter being linked with Deep Blue on the assumption that once she was old enough to marry, he'd be dead and could leave her his fortune.
It's amazing the extents to which we will go to keep a client happy.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Unusual suspects
Some of the the strange denizens of a cricket a cricket ground. Just as denizens of the deep seem to thrive in water, these seemed to thrive on liquid also and this was evident from the concerns rasied in the bar that they may run dry.It is Cricket
It was a quintessentially English event. The cricket ground was packed and the crowd enjoyed the spectacle of Worcestershire taking on Warwickshire.Over twenty of us sat in the Cathedral Block watching the game unfold and heckling each noteworthy event on the field or in the crowd.
There was an announcement asking the crowd to stay off the pitch during the break - this caused a stir as the Mexican offered:
"Oi, Danny de Vito, I'll help you over the boundary rope at the end of the game, if you like"
The banter continued throughout the evening... and a thoroughly good time was had by all.
Stumped
The roads were remarkably quiet; GF wondered if it was related to the fuel constraints caused by the tanker drivers' strike.
The day has been busy as the GF continues to write up the design work that he has been involved with over the past few weeks. He also had the opportunity to meet up with a colleague he hadn't seen for many years, which was very nice.
After work today there are plans to go and watch the cricket. This should be fun as there are about 25 of us going. There's no sign of steel drums, rattles, or flares so far... but who knows what'll happen later.
The day has been busy as the GF continues to write up the design work that he has been involved with over the past few weeks. He also had the opportunity to meet up with a colleague he hadn't seen for many years, which was very nice.
After work today there are plans to go and watch the cricket. This should be fun as there are about 25 of us going. There's no sign of steel drums, rattles, or flares so far... but who knows what'll happen later.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Conundrum
Starfleet seem to be moving dates for various HR-related activities, so
If "A" has a pre-req of "B"or is GF stuffed?
and "A" is rescheduled to occur before "B"
then can "A" occur, or does it mean the Gorse Fox's participation in "A" has to defer 12 months.
If "A" does occur with the assumption of "B",
and "A" requires the presence of GF in "C" when GF is actually in "N",
then will a telephone call provide sufficient presence?
Dress Rehearsal
We were all very excited. This weekend saw the first dress rehearsal for the first release of the project. All went exceedingly well, and most of the steps finished earlier than expected. The Gorse Fox is immensely pleased with the team involved.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Spotted Cow
The Gorse Fox was taken out to lunch for Father's Day. Urban-cub joined us and we headed to the local pub, The Spotted Cow, which was doing a roaring trade. Despite how busy they were, service was good and the food was excellent.
During the afternoon GF spent some time looking for a suitable, but short holiday that he could book. The problem with online holiday selection is the sheer degree of choice that's available and it is easy to become stressed wondering if you really achieved the best deal available.
Cousteau-cub phoned from Thailand to send wishes to GF. All in all... a damed fine day.
During the afternoon GF spent some time looking for a suitable, but short holiday that he could book. The problem with online holiday selection is the sheer degree of choice that's available and it is easy to become stressed wondering if you really achieved the best deal available.
Cousteau-cub phoned from Thailand to send wishes to GF. All in all... a damed fine day.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
32K - Impressive
Reading continues and we see that there are 32,000 deniers - That’s the number of scientists who are outraged by the Kyoto Protocol’s corruption of science.
Is this enough to establish that the science is not settled on global warming?
Is this enough to establish that the science is not settled on global warming?
Just Say No or Yes
The EU Constitution was defeated in referendums in France and Holland three years ago.
So they tinkered with the words, changed the spacing between the lines and changed the typeface. This new version was called the Lisbon Treaty. This was signed by the Heads of State of the member countries... though the dithering coward that sits in No. 10 slithered in later in the day to put his signature on the document and tried to avoid the photo opportunity.
This Lisbon Treaty (EU Constitution) has to be ratified by all the member nations. Only Ireland was democratic enough to allow its citizens to vote in a referendum. The snivelling weasels that run the UK, having promised a referendum on the Constitution, reneged on their promise (but for anyone living in the UK for that last 10 years, why would you have believed a word they had said any way?).
The Irish said NO.
The 27-nation EU requires all its members to ratify the treaty, so our snivelling boy Milliband says the UK will press ahead with ratification - meaning there will be a vote in Parliament and the rest of us can get stuffed. In the true style of the EU, the French (who lost 4-1 to Holland) & Germans (who lost 2-1 to Croatia) have urged the EU to press ahead with the project. This implies a change in the rules to accommodate and ignore the defeat.
GF expects there will be a bit of a re-write (a comma will be moved, and some capitalisation changed) and the Irish will be asked to vote again and get it right this time. No doubt some huge EU subsidy will be contingent on them behaving... and we in the UK still won't get a say because the UK Government, an Executive Agency of the EU, daren't ask the question for fear of upsetting their masters in Brussels.
The Gorse Fox has his own views on whether the Treaty (Constitution) should be ratified or not - these views aren't relevant - what is relevant is that the electorate should be given a say, as they were promised. Then they can say Yes or No.
So they tinkered with the words, changed the spacing between the lines and changed the typeface. This new version was called the Lisbon Treaty. This was signed by the Heads of State of the member countries... though the dithering coward that sits in No. 10 slithered in later in the day to put his signature on the document and tried to avoid the photo opportunity.
This Lisbon Treaty (EU Constitution) has to be ratified by all the member nations. Only Ireland was democratic enough to allow its citizens to vote in a referendum. The snivelling weasels that run the UK, having promised a referendum on the Constitution, reneged on their promise (but for anyone living in the UK for that last 10 years, why would you have believed a word they had said any way?).
The Irish said NO.
The 27-nation EU requires all its members to ratify the treaty, so our snivelling boy Milliband says the UK will press ahead with ratification - meaning there will be a vote in Parliament and the rest of us can get stuffed. In the true style of the EU, the French (who lost 4-1 to Holland) & Germans (who lost 2-1 to Croatia) have urged the EU to press ahead with the project. This implies a change in the rules to accommodate and ignore the defeat.
GF expects there will be a bit of a re-write (a comma will be moved, and some capitalisation changed) and the Irish will be asked to vote again and get it right this time. No doubt some huge EU subsidy will be contingent on them behaving... and we in the UK still won't get a say because the UK Government, an Executive Agency of the EU, daren't ask the question for fear of upsetting their masters in Brussels.
The Gorse Fox has his own views on whether the Treaty (Constitution) should be ratified or not - these views aren't relevant - what is relevant is that the electorate should be given a say, as they were promised. Then they can say Yes or No.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Staff
The Gorse Fox notices, as he peers out across the grounds, that Mellors has brought his totty with him.
GF makes note to self, "keep key to potting shed hidden".
GF makes note to self, "keep key to potting shed hidden".
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Plans again
Heading back across country, the Gorse Fox had to be back in time for the Council meeting. This is always a rush - the three hour drive, bolting down supper whilst finishing his reading of Council papers - then back out the door.
Yesterday saw members of the public attend the Council for the first time in ages. They had a grievance in respect of a particular set of plans that we were to debate. It seems that for the second time these plans include a fraudulent letter purporting to document support from a neighbour, that the neighbour knew nothing about.
Gorse Fox finally got home to stay soon after nine... it had been a long day, and he was probably not the best company for the rest of the evening as he vegetated in front of the TV and wrapped himself round a small glass of wine.
Yesterday saw members of the public attend the Council for the first time in ages. They had a grievance in respect of a particular set of plans that we were to debate. It seems that for the second time these plans include a fraudulent letter purporting to document support from a neighbour, that the neighbour knew nothing about.
Gorse Fox finally got home to stay soon after nine... it had been a long day, and he was probably not the best company for the rest of the evening as he vegetated in front of the TV and wrapped himself round a small glass of wine.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Just another day
Quote of the day came from Mother Superior, She was giving the team a pep talk and saying thank you for all of the hard work. She commented on how long a few of us had been involved and were "jointly involved in the conception of Sam"(*).
Well this week's theme at Spur 0 is, apparently, music and take-away pizza. So the Gorse Fox is imagining that big Stu is sitting there strumming on his pizza with a pepperoni plectrum whilst munching on his guitar.
Meanwhile GF and 20 odd colleagues have just been out for a curry - on return from the restaurant he wandered into the hotel and headed for his room. In the library sat a cluster of 8 or 9 of the folk from Perry Mortem Tours. They were sitting around a tray of tea... asleep(**).
(*)GF would point out that Sam is the name of the computer system.
(**) At least, GF hopes they were only asleep.
Well this week's theme at Spur 0 is, apparently, music and take-away pizza. So the Gorse Fox is imagining that big Stu is sitting there strumming on his pizza with a pepperoni plectrum whilst munching on his guitar.
Meanwhile GF and 20 odd colleagues have just been out for a curry - on return from the restaurant he wandered into the hotel and headed for his room. In the library sat a cluster of 8 or 9 of the folk from Perry Mortem Tours. They were sitting around a tray of tea... asleep(**).
(*)GF would point out that Sam is the name of the computer system.
(**) At least, GF hopes they were only asleep.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Tuesday - it must be Worcester
Well the brilliant sunny day that the Gorse Fox left as drove to the Midlands did eventually catch up with him.
Like most days, it's been busy - and is far from over yet. As usual it is a matter of juggling several competing and mutually exclusive requirements. GF has left the office early in oder to settle in to his hotel before getting on with some further work and participating in some riveting teleconferences.
A large coach is pulling up outside - it looks like Perry Mortem Tours have just arrived. The corridors will be infused with the scent of lavender and formaldehyde.
Like most days, it's been busy - and is far from over yet. As usual it is a matter of juggling several competing and mutually exclusive requirements. GF has left the office early in oder to settle in to his hotel before getting on with some further work and participating in some riveting teleconferences.
A large coach is pulling up outside - it looks like Perry Mortem Tours have just arrived. The corridors will be infused with the scent of lavender and formaldehyde.
Monday, June 09, 2008
Oh dear!
Sometimes you suspect that life may be perverse.
The Gorse Fox and Silver Vixen had noticed that some of the double-glazed units had blown or were a bit iffy (i.e. there seemed to be a slight haze within the units in question). We contacted our friendly local supplier who immediately responded by ordering replacements (thus honouring their warranty without question).
About 10 days ago the phone rang - it was the trust local supplier trying to arrange to come and fit the replacements. All was arranged.
He then phoned back - could he leave it for a week or so? He had just dropped the unit for the patio door.
Ooops.
At 08:01 this morning he called. Could he come and fit the replacement units today? Gorse Fox assured him that he would be around and yes he could.
At 12:15 the friendly soul arrived. All was well? Not exactly - he'd left one of the units back at the depot!
He replaced the couple of units he had with hime, and will be back tomorrow with the other. (Or so we were assured).
The Gorse Fox and Silver Vixen had noticed that some of the double-glazed units had blown or were a bit iffy (i.e. there seemed to be a slight haze within the units in question). We contacted our friendly local supplier who immediately responded by ordering replacements (thus honouring their warranty without question).
About 10 days ago the phone rang - it was the trust local supplier trying to arrange to come and fit the replacements. All was arranged.
He then phoned back - could he leave it for a week or so? He had just dropped the unit for the patio door.
Ooops.
At 08:01 this morning he called. Could he come and fit the replacement units today? Gorse Fox assured him that he would be around and yes he could.
At 12:15 the friendly soul arrived. All was well? Not exactly - he'd left one of the units back at the depot!
He replaced the couple of units he had with hime, and will be back tomorrow with the other. (Or so we were assured).
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Pardon?
This little glass water feature caught the Gorse Fox's eye. The water tinkled gently from one level to the next in a musical but restful rythm.It was at this point that GF became aware of the announcement over the Tannoy. "The flowers in the Chapel are being auctioned off to benefit the Alzheimer's Society".
"That's nice" he thought, realising that there had been various announcements going on all afternoon that he had not really taken interest in.
A few moments later the Tannoy crackled into life again: "The flowers in the Chapel are being auctioned off to benefit the Alzheimer's Society".
"They obviously want a good turn out" he thought; but then when the announcement was made a further 4 or 5 times he became suspicious that it was more to do with the symptoms than the auction.
Being Green
In the words of the great Kermit, "It's hard being green". Maybe that's so, but this clump of grasses certainly made a magnificent effort.
Gorse Fox wasn't really sure what to expect. Being a Garden Show he was sort of surprised when there were no show gardens. Indeed reallt it was one huge outdoor market selling flowers, shrubs, garden ornaments, garden tools, crafts, comestibles and preserves.Despite the lack of show gardens, there were some wonderful plants on display.
Stansted Park
The Gorse Fox and Silver Vixen pottered across country, through Chichester, East Ashling and Funtingdon and joined the acres of cars that were filling the Stansted House car park. Despite the thousands of cars that were there Betty and Barney Rubble actually pulled into the car park immediately behind us.Once through the gates we joined the people milling around the various stands and displays in glorious summer sunshne.
Summer
Garden shows are a feature of the English Summer. The sun is beating down across the south of England and we are preparing to head to Stansted Park for their annual show. The plan is to meet up with Betty and Barney Rubble when we get there, so it should be a nice afternoon.
Saturday, June 07, 2008
Tap, tap
The Silver Vixen is again sharing a spell with her coven and leaving the Gorse Fox to get up to his own mischief. The reality of his mischief is, however, work. They have moved the dates of some of Starfleet's internal processes and this has meant that GF has spent the last 5 hours hammering away at his laptop.
Friday, June 06, 2008
There's lucky
The doorbell rang. It was Mellors. He had completed his chores in the garden and was expecting payment. The Gorse Fox handed over a few sovereigns and wished him a fine week-end.
Mellors turned, "I'm going to have a woman next week".(*)
The Gorse Fox said that would be nice for him, it's good to plan ahead, and closed the door.
(*) Silver Vixen later explained that he was getting an assistant who would be working with him next week.
Mellors turned, "I'm going to have a woman next week".(*)
The Gorse Fox said that would be nice for him, it's good to plan ahead, and closed the door.
(*) Silver Vixen later explained that he was getting an assistant who would be working with him next week.
Extraodinary talent
As promised, the Gorse Fox can reveal the live recordings of Worcester's answer to Glastonbury.
Questions are already being asked:
Questions are already being asked:
- Why is Deep Blue sitting on The Abbot's knee?
- Were royalties paid to the Eagles?
- Will Hotel California sue?
- Which other festivals will they be playing?
- Is it true they are opening for Kaiser Chiefs this summer?
- Where was Simon Cowell?
Thursday, June 05, 2008
From our Entertainment Correspondant
Last night's curry was a pleasant affair and introduced a new member to the team. The real excitement (it is reported) however, started after the meal when returning to Spur 0 turned into a karaoke and talent night. The Gorse Fox has been given video evidence of the event (as he was not there)... and is considering publication on YouTube.
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Fair
Well it sounds as if the Craft Fair was interesting... lots of interest, several discussions, several requests and a follow-on engagement
Crafty
The Silver Vixen is presenting at a Craft Fair today. This is the first time she has done such an event, and so it's all quite exciting - Unfortunately GF is in Warwick so unable to go an help or support.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Signs
There were signs on all of the tables - the Gorse Fox was at table 18. He walked past the various groups to get his lunch and noticed a table with the sign in small text "RNIB"... nobody was there.
Spray
As the rain poured down across the south and central swathe of England the Gorse Fox mused that a motor-boat may be a more appropriate form of transport, as he made his way to Warwick once more. He seems to remember from "The Cruel Sea" talk of the Kent Clearview Screen providing the crew on the bridge a clear view ahead despite the pounding waves... that would indeed have been handy this morning as waves of spray battered the car on the way north. On the bright side, however, there was no sign of icebergs or torpedoes.
Monday, June 02, 2008
Drawing conclusions
The Gorse Fox seems to have spent most of the day drawing. Albeit with fancy drawing software, but still drawing. There are some things that are still easier to visualize in a picture than on a precedence-sequenced table. The trouble is that the next task will be to try and turn it into a plan which means stooping to the baser arts.
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Wry smile
The Gorse Fox allowed himself a wry smile as he read the Regional Housing Plan it talks of the Governments targets of reducing fuel poverty by 2010...
Excuse me!
When over 50% of the cost of fuel is tax(*) - just who do you think is the biggest cause of fuel poverty?
(*)OK, the Gorse Fox admits that this is only true for petroleum based fuels, but it was only a wry smile.
Excuse me!
When over 50% of the cost of fuel is tax(*) - just who do you think is the biggest cause of fuel poverty?
(*)OK, the Gorse Fox admits that this is only true for petroleum based fuels, but it was only a wry smile.
Quangos
The Gorse Fox has been doing his civic duty reviewing papers, plans, and strategies for the Parish Council. As usual this has thrown up the odd anomaly here, or irritation there... but the most noticeable was the increasing power and influence of the QUANGO know as the South East Regional Assembly. This organisation is an unelected body imposed on the region by the execrable Prescott when he lost the referendum on the establishment of a Regional Assembly for the North-east. In their normal arrogant way the Labour government didn't like that answer the voters gave - so in a Mugabe styled huff Prescott imposed his will anyway.
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