By the canal

I've been walking most days during lockdown and the following restrictions, there's old railways lines - now footpaths - and a canal very close to home. Today a heron was gently swimming on the canal watching passers by closely but not being alarmed!

And one from a few weeks ago:

Mutterings - Aug 31

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Broken :: Glass (maybe spectre but that's a mis-spelling!)
2. Sabotage :: Criminal
3. Pass :: Card
4. Corn :: Sweet
5. Strangle :: Lock
6. Books :: Shelves
7. Relief :: Exhale
8. Mountain :: Path
9. Tomato :: Trellis
10. Tablet :: Android

..catching up (again!)

Mutterings - Aug 18

This week's free word associations from Unconscious Mutterings are:

1. Alexander :: Graham Bell
2. Driver :: Device (geeky!)
3. Suck :: Blow
4. Approach :: Landing
5. Votes :: Up
6. Mister :: Sir
7. Low key :: Withdrawn
8. Cameras :: Press
9. Stint :: Arduous
10. Carpenter :: Plane

Mutterings - June 11

This week's free word associations from Unconscious Mutterings are:

1. Dish :: Spoon (nursery rhymes..)
2. Crunch :: Bang
3. Fire :: Sack
4. Alaska :: Pipeline
5. Heights :: Balance
6. Force :: Luke
7. Birthday :: Cake
8. Sauce :: Gander
9. Gift :: Wrap
10. Winner :: Raffle

Mutterings - May 4

This week's free word associations from Unconscious Mutterings are:

1. Baby :: Computer
2. Quarantine :: Lockdown
3. Self :: Care
4. Backpack :: Heavy
5. Digital :: Computer
6. App :: Jit.Si
7. Home :: Page
8. Show :: Boat
9. Cereal :: Bowl
10. Contract :: Bridge

Mutterings - 26 Apr

This week's free word associations from Unconscious Mutterings are:

1. Vanity :: Fair
2. Healthy :: Lifestyle
3. Tooth :: Ache
4. Mug :: Coffee
5. Reach :: Out of..
6. Parenting :: Care
7. School :: Days
8. Whine :: Lunch (I get plenty of feline whines around their lunchtime)
9. Hotel :: de France
10. Nose :: Shostakovich (an opera!)

Mutterings - Apr 18

This week's free word associations from Unconscious Mutterings are:

1. Triangle :: Isosceles
2. Shining :: Tor (see Alan Garner Weirdstone of Brisingamen, and not too far from here!)
3. Bunny :: Boiling (I've never seen the film)
4. To do :: List
5. Stuffy :: Room
6. Shake :: Rattle (and Roll)
7. Mug :: Tree
8. Julia :: Thomas (knew long ago!)
9. Hobbit :: Frodo
10. Hope :: Tunnel (at the end of!)

Mutterings - Apr 12

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Ball :: Bouncing
2. Simplified :: Notation
3. Wash :: Rinse
4. Relative :: Safety
5. Calls :: Home
6. Lotion :: Suntan
7. Compassion :: Generous
8. Swipe :: Left (or is it right?!)
9. Burning :: Bush
10. Safe :: Deposit

Mutterings - Apr 5

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Baby :: Steps
2. Telework :: Remote
3. Sleeve :: Record
4. Corner :: Shop
5. Ordered :: List
6. Grasp :: Wrist
7. Plastic :: Model
8. Slide ::
9. Communicate :: Face
10. Pant :: Short

Mutterings - March 28

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Good man :: Saint
2. Static :: Electricity (or Variable!)
3. Anxiety :: High
4. Watched :: Variable (again - a debugger keeping watch on the value of a program variable)
5. Heart :: Aorta
6. First day :: Rest (of your life)
7. Certain :: Love
8. Forever :: Ring (Tolkien or Wedding?)
9. Impressed :: Ironed
10. Nervous :: Twitch

Mutterings - March 14

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Wash :: Hands!
2. Finish :: Smooth
3. Veneer :: Respectability
4. Symptom :: Cure
5. March :: Scaffold (Berlioz!)
6. Correction :: Facility (such a nice euphemism)
7. Link :: Pointer (softwarey!)
8. Chapped :: Hands
9. Control :: Freak
10. Licked :: (into) Shape

Mutterings - 8 Mar

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Decent :: Wholesome
2. Hypnotize :: Watch
3. Whirr :: Clock(!)
4. Baby :: Bird - the cats are getting ready!
5. Solid :: Space (not sure what's going on here!)
6. Take :: Heart
7. Discreet :: Email
8. Symbol :: Wagner's Ring
9. Orange :: Peel
10. Informational :: Sign

Rendering

I had space on the train up from London this week - and needed the relaxation to create this terragen render:

Not much apart from the lighting but it went well with my mood!

Mutterings - Feb 27

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Welcome :: Mat
2. Importance :: Of No - I think I was thinking of this play which I've never seen.
3. Painless :: Procedure (but usually not!)
4. Scramble :: Bike
5. Election :: Rigged
6. Message :: Telephone
7. Providing :: Comfort
8. Evidence :: Preserved
9. Talking :: Book
10. February :: Snow

Mutterings - Feb 18

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Flu :: Jab
2. Betrayal :: (of) Trust
3. Frustration :: Crying
4. 7:30 :: Alarm (but I'm usually up before this!)
5. Backward :: Looking
6. Vision :: Clouded
7. Freezing :: Fog
8. List :: (to) Starboard
9. Need :: Emotional
10. Cougar :: Claws

Teaser Tuesday - 13 Feb

Well a bit late but lets try to bring this back!
The rules are:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) 'teaser' sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
• You also need to share the title and author of the book that you’re getting your 'teaser' from .. that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you've given!

Mrs Ellis had spotted them: Tom and Gabiella. She'd been a witness, one of the last people to have seen my sister.

From our BATS (book group) book of the month - `The Missing Girl' Jenny Quintana - we're currently working our way through the Author alphabet and this month is (surprise!) Q. I think this is heading to be traumatic if it isn't there already!

I see Teaser Tuesday is now hosted here if you wish to go and thank Ambrosia or get other ideas.

Mutterings - Feb 13

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Burn out :: Emotional
2. Swallow :: Summer
3. Tiger :: [came to ] tea
4. Cough :: Audience
5. Notes :: Postit!
6. Balloon :: popup
7. Signal :: catch (an IT computer language connection!)
8. Cast :: Line (fish rather than chorus)
9. Push :: Over
10. Shiver :: Fear

Mutterings - Jan 28

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Constant :: Gardener
2. Tragic :: Muse
3. Cougar :: JLR (Jaguar Landrover)
4. Inspect :: Clouseau
5. Stale :: Bread
6. Verbal :: Abuse
7. Annoying :: Tic
8. Pace :: Even
9. Friendship :: Lasting
10. Jade :: Green

A few weeks missing and I will attempt to beat more life into this blog with different posts!

Mutterings - Jan 4

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Pathetic :: Symphony (but better as pathétique!)
2. Snapshot :: System
3. Start :: Menu (oh dear this is getting very geeky!)
4. Combine :: Harvester
5. Assertive :: Manner
6. Think :: Storm (maybe via brain)
7. Storm :: (don't think I saw this line, see above) Mental. But I was tempted by some half remembered lines from Cocteau's La Machine Infernale - I see Cocteau associated himself into the last one too!
8. Humor :: Sense (of)
9. Regain :: Ground
10. Resolve :: Firm

Mutterings - Dec 29

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Parents :: Terribles - a Cocteau play
2. Controversy :: Political
3. Twitter :: rajm - me!
4. Minute :: Waltz
5. Back and forth :: Havering
6. Producing :: Litter (puppies rather than rubbish!)
7. Twigs :: Understands
8. Giants :: Walk
9. Clinic :: Dental
10. Amazing :: Grace

Mutterings - Dec 13

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Pushed :: (onto the ) Stack - software algorithms!
2. Desire :: Heat
3. Fold :: Over (origami)
4. Ruffle :: IRC
5. Human :: Spirit (resists torpedo!)
6. Torpedo :: Chances
7. Lantern :: Magic
8. Terror :: Existential
9. Distaste :: Prim
10. Accomplish :: Sign

Mutterings - Dec 12

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Host :: Communion
2. Nail :: Hand (take that how you will!)
3. Clause :: Subordinate
4. Pen :: Le (French politics..)
5. Therapy :: Retail
6. Highlight :: Pen(!)
7. Panting :: Desire
8. Education :: Primary (or Bad - Almodóvar
9. Contribution :: Financial
10. Lie :: Politics (and thinking of certain blonde headed - current - leaders)

Mutterings - Dec 6

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Cloud :: Cirrus (carefully avoiding internet links!)
2. Officer :: Salute
3. Physical :: Exercise
4. Advantageous :: Position
5. Mobile :: Phone (having 'fun' here at the moment)
6. Threat :: Existential
7. Potential :: Energy
8. Confined :: Prison
9. Overlap :: Origami
10. Domain :: Web

Mutterings - Nov 23

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Notification :: Popup
2. Screen :: Time
3. Purify :: Scald
4. Obsolete :: Version
5. Contaminate :: Drop (into)
6. Nightmare :: Shouting (in my case)
7. Show :: Tell
8. People :: Friends
9. Unique :: Solution
10. Install :: Package (software showing!)

Mutterings - Nov 9

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Cancel :: Delete
2. Optimistic :: Outlook
3. Surrogate :: Mother
4. Tickle :: Fancy
5. Amber :: Insect (in)
6. Stuffy :: Old fashioned
7. Chaos :: Theory
8. Desktop :: Tidy (not mine!)
9. Dynamite :: Stick
10. Holidays :: Summer

Mutterings - Oct 25

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Conceive :: [a] child
2. Exterminate :: Sink plunger (or a Dalek..!)
3. Forest :: Peace
4. Artistic :: Bent
5. Compulsive :: Twitch
6. Original :: Theme (Variations on... not sure which set I was thinking of! Elgar? Beethoven?)
7. Excessive :: Bureaucracy
8. Fancy! :: Free!
9. English :: Language
10. Conceit :: Artifice

Porto Meanderings

The full day we spent in Porto we followed the suggested InnTravel walks around the city. This picture is some of the tiles high up in São Bento, plenty more tiles there but I did like the ones up near the roof.

Evening meal was again at Jimao Tapas e Vinhos - enjoyed on both occasions!

Mutterings - Oct 13

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Say something :: Anything!
2. Eventually :: Event-u-ally (said slowly) was it a John Cleese-ism?
3. Contract :: Bridge
4. Worth :: Harry (a UK comedian of the 50s)
5. Nasty :: or Nice?
6. Corrupt :: Politician
7. Virus :: Noro-
8. System :: Backup
9. Supportive :: Friend
10. Dictator :: Mussolini

Transfer to Porto

After enjoying another evening and breakfast at Calheiros we took an Inntravel arranged taxi to Porto for a few extra days stay at the Hotel Pestana . We'd arranged a trip to the Graham port lodge for a tasting that afternoon and so wandered over the river and a walk alongside admiring painted walls:


See the album for the rabbit! I'd rather gone off the sweetness of port but the tasting and introduction to the lodge was much enjoyed! That evening we ate at Jimao Tapas e Vinhos close to the hotel - busy I'd recommend booking (which we did).
Oh and at lunchtime we ate at da Terra - a vegetarian restaurant with a serve yourself infinite buffet!

Mutterings - Oct 5

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Cold :: Fever
2. Center :: Stillness
3. Squared :: Root
4. History :: Course
5. Stiff :: Dead
6. Computer :: Board
7. Fold :: Tri(-fold) cord
8. Trip :: Fall
9. Away :: Manger (is it Christmas soon?)
10. Stuffy :: Old-fashioned

Around Calheiros

A final day of the manor houses' walk was a very gentle walk around Calheiros with grandstand views of the house:


For the rest of the day we enjoyed walks around the grounds with extensive gardens.

Mutterings - Oct 4

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Care :: (in the) Community (allegedly!)
2. Siblings :: Siegmund (Sieglinde) must have been provoked by Jessye Norman's deth
3. Underpants :: Knickers!
4. Compassion :: Alongside
5. Best :: George - there is ancient football knowledge somewhere..
6. Festive :: Hat
7. Incomplete :: Specification - lots of those
8. Educated :: Eton - not me!
9. Similar :: Mirror..image
10. Pretentious :: Tw*t

Up to Paço de Calheiros

More on that even more receded holiday in May! The next day's walk was a very gently affair, we arrived at the final manor house around lunchtime. If you do this spend more time in Ponte de Lima - where by the way the lamp posts play brass band music at you - I think this was set off by motion detectors and they seemed to be still activating late into the evening, if you're allergic to brass band music walk down the middle of the road!



A slightly ascending route and we ended up in a wonderful room for 2 nights in the manor house - the picture is a view from the terrace outside the room. Extensive grounds and the house is worth the look around. There were quite a few groups for the evening meal in a grand dining room!

Mutterings - Sep 19

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Guest :: Account
2. Intimidate :: Overbearing
3. Flavor :: Vanilla
4. Suspicious :: Glare
5. Contaminate :: Pollute
6. Bordering :: (on the ) absurd
7. Language :: Watch (your)
8. Corrupt :: Government
9. Satisfy :: Wine bottle
10. Monthly :: Pay cheque

Mutterings - Sep 15

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Ring :: Wagner
2. Chess :: Gambit
3. Fulfilled :: Accomplished
4. Drawing :: Still-life
5. Favor :: Grace
6. Proof :: QED
7. Million :: Bonus
8. Pad :: Across (as in an animal padding across somewhere)
9. Chest :: Inhaler
10. Code :: Breaking the ...

Prorogation and Tory Whipping

I wrote this letter to my MP after an earlier exchange of letters where David Rutley's response failed to address any of my points and was clearly a form letter from conservative central office. I got the first response around 24 hours after my email, his was sent my post - why(?). I'm still waiting for a response from this.

Thank you for your speedy response to my email about the deselection
of rebel tory MPs, unfortunately your letter addressed none of my
points and seemed to be to be high grade flannel from Central Office,
but no doubt you're a little busy. Let me then offer these questions
for hopefully a more to the point consideration.

Were you there at the Chequers meeting which agreed that Tory MPs who
rebel on Bexit will be ejected from the party and not allowed to stand
in the future?

Do you agree with that position?

Will the same sanctions apply to anyone from the extreme right of the
party who votes against any agreement by Johnson's 'negotiating' group
delivered before 31st Oct?

Did you know about the decision to prorogue Parliament more than 24
hours before it was publically announced? (the leader of the House
appears to have difficulty with this question hopefully you can give a
more honest answer)

Was the decision to prorogue Parliament announced on 28th Aug discussed in a full meeting of Cabinet beforehand?

If the answers to either of the last 2 questions is no, then your
letter saying 'nothing to see here' 'usual practice' is clearly a
lie. I remember (you may have forgotten) that the decision to extend
the Parliamentary session was taken to give the time for Bexit to be
done. To therefore prorogue 6 weeks before the current departure date
seems a little at odds with that!

I guess these direct questions are a little harder to flannel around. I see his twitter handle on the linked parliament page is still incorrect - should be @DavidRutley rather than @DavidRutleyMP. David Rutley is a tory whip.

Mutterings - Sep 10

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Baby :: Computer
2. Standard :: Gold
3. Pose :: Freeze
4. Rubbish :: Bin
5. Clear :: In the .. I'm thinking of this Blitzstein song
6. Hope :: Obama
7. Circumference :: Magellan
8. Scramble :: Rock
9. Gasp :: Interview (I was accused of this at an interview when a previous employer was brought up)
10. Hunted :: Look

Mutterings - Aug 25

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Adopt :: Parent
2. Turbulence :: Nexus
3. Constituent :: Demanding
4. Reckless :: Fall
5. Habitat :: Hull (my brother in law worked at Habitat in Hull back in the 1980s)
6. Spare :: Tyre
7. Horror :: Film
8. Influence :: Destructive
9. Indulge :: Ice cream
10. Humanity :: Caring

A day in Ponte da Lima

(this is getting a bit drawn out.. sorry for the delay in adding updates!)
The next day was around Ponte da Lima, we took it gently around the town. But we did include a visit to the Vinho Verde visitor centre - with tasting!



That evening we ate at Casa do Provedor where I risked the local speciality of sarrabulho - pigs' blood rice and quite enjoyed the experience!

Into Ponte da Lima

The next day of our Minho holiday was the longest (17km) but probably the flattest! Ascent through vineyards and then down to the river Lima and along an Ecovia into Ponte da Lima


A pleasant walk but on a very hot day, a cafe was advertised in the instructions but we were too early in the season and it was closed. Eventually we reached the town and walked though the wonderful Plane tree avenue pictured above to our destination for the evening Mercearia da Vila a hotel rather than a manor house in an old grocer's shop (that website is all in Portuguese!) We ate out that evening at Taberna Cadeia Velha close to the river and lovely views of the setting sun!

Men and Volunteering

I was at a (church) Readers lunch today at which I was the only male and during our discussion we talked about ratios of men and women as leaders/volunteers in church events. Last night I attended a service rota planning event where (apart from the vicar) I was again the only male. I've just checked our list of volunteers to do Bible readings and that's around 75% female, our church is fairly well gender balanced (a slight bias towards women).

I also thought back to last weekend when - as a followup event to Macc Pride at which I was a steward (again a volunteer role) - there was a pub afternoon for feedback and news. When I arrived there were around 15 women and me(!) a few more women arrived before there was just one other male! I've also inspected the rota for St Michael's which opened its doors that day to welcome folk who wanted a break from the noisyness of the event (and some children's activities). Yes you guessed, again all female!

So more (on this limited set of data points) than just a church problem? I go to some geeky voluntary events which tend to be fairly male - but that's on a pretty male concentrated population to draw on? Is it that men are too busy wanting to be the main wage earner even when they're retired?

Mutterings - Jul 15

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Baby :: Talk
2. Stripes :: Tiger
3. Family :: Home
4. Draw :: Firearms
5. Girl :: Power
6. Cup :: Ball
7. Tested :: Allergy
8. Vanilla :: Sex
9. Bronze :: Medal
10. Visit :: Holiday

Starting the Caminho

We left the Quinta da Malta - taking the packed lunch in a monogrammed bag and after a taxi transfer to the Santuario Nossa Senhora da Aparecida (a place of pilgrimage) we followed the Caminho de Santiago for the rest of the day. Fairly gentle and flat meeting a few fellow walkers en route who were mostly intending to walk a little further than us that day - onto Ponte da Lima - we were taking 2 days over that.
I think we got to our stop that night early afternoon Quinta do Sobreiro - we were the only guests that evening but were well looked after. It was a very hot day so we stayed in the shade the rest of the day.

Mutterings - Jun 30

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. School :: Secondary
2. Print :: Job
3. Falls :: Victoria
4. Manages :: Company
5. Hop :: Beer
6. Location :: Location..
7. Skipped :: Lightness
8. Sneeze :: Cold
9. Prism :: Spectrum
10. Program :: Pascal

An introductory walk

The initial walk was a gentle affair around Durrães as far as the Ponte das Tabuas - a bridge on the Caminho (pilgrim) trail to Santiago - a route we met a few times during the holiday!

It was a gentle walk I think we regularly beat the Inntravel timings by quite a bit this week. We were back at the Quinta da Malta for lunch and enjoyed a gentle afternoon with another bottle of local wine! We also had a look around the farm associated with the manor house with lots of organic produce which was used extensively in the food. We were a day behind some other walkers and during the afternoon some others arrived who then were a day behind us. Another relaxed evening meal before thinking about the first transfer walk.

Mutterings - 23 June

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Late! :: Never!
2. Swallow :: Summer
3. Infection :: Hospital
4. Mobile :: Data
5. Honey :: Hive
6. Cup :: Goblet
7. Sensational :: Skin
8. Twist :: (and) Shout
9. Thump :: Agression
10. Work :: Hours

Mutterings - June 16

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Guy :: Fawkes
2. Forces :: Equal (and opposite)
3. Governor :: Supreme (of the Church of England)
4. Done :: Sold!
5. Premature :: Baby
6. Insist :: Threaten
7. Congress :: Library
8. Invest :: Trust
9. Immunity :: White (blood)
10. Society :: Free

Manor Houses of the Minho

We're recently back from 10 days in Portugal - as ever an InnTravel walking tour! The photo album of the trip is here.
We travelled to Porto via Brussels and then tram and train to Durrães where we spent 2 nights at Quinta da Malta one of a number of manor houses which formed the stops for the trip - family homes rather than hotels but we were well cared for. .

We arrived for an enjoyable meal with lots of local wine and a gentle inspection of the huge gardens to the house.

Mutterings - June 4

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Apartment :: Arondissement (I was listening to a programme about Francis Poulenc and his living in Paris)
2. Fitness :: Gym
3. Trouble :: Blast!
4. Storm :: Lightning
5. Winning :: Ways
6. Dryer :: Normal (from a social media cartoon "what's normal - a dryer setting...")
7. Photo :: Scan
8. Stomach :: Ache
9. er :: winn-
10. Pert :: Bosom (blames Daily Mail...)

and catching up...

1. Confusion :: Stammer
2. Benefits :: Fringe
3. Nervous :: Spasm
4. Stuffy :: Teacher
5. Illegal :: Drugs
6. Optimism :: Sunshine
7. Where :: Locate
8. Symptom :: Bruise
9. Dry :: Humour
10. Sarcasm :: Confuse

Mutterings - May 25

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Anxiety :: Complex
2. Yellow :: River
3. Compulsive :: Tic
4. Nobody :: Knows (.. the trouble..)
5. Irritation :: Sand
6. Heartache :: Insomnia
7. Noise :: Phones (either head or mobile!)
8. Lock :: Head
9. Untimely :: Demise (Belloc?)
10. Disappointment :: Angst

Mutterings - May 8

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Reference :: Dictionary
2. Sleepy :: Dozey
3. Deprived :: Sleep!
4. TNT :: Arabic (numerals - via this incredible (stupid) Petition
5. Complaint :: Back
6. Monthly :: Bill
7. Sarah :: Rachel (Old Testament..)
8. Records :: LPs
9. Butter :: Melt .. Mouth (and wouldn't!)
10. Shone :: Moon

Mutterings - May 5

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Freelance :: Contractor
2. Bottle :: Courage
3. Links :: Missing
4. Choice :: Free
5. Materialistic :: Grasping
6. Case :: Attache
7. Fancy :: Takes (your)
8. Protection :: Climbing
9. Toast :: Burnt
10. Extravagant :: Show-off

Mutterings - Apr 25

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Advice :: Line
2. Volume :: Button
3. Link :: Hyper
4. Learn :: Listen!
5. Save :: Screen
6. Upcoming :: Releases
7. Summer :: 1993 (film..)
8. Always :: Cline (Patsy)
9. 2019 :: Now!
10. Response :: Time

and last week's

1. Boardwalk :: Plank
2. Son :: Prodigal
3. Trampled :: Underfoot
4. 30 :: below
5. Speak :: Easy
6. Fun :: Games
7. Best friend :: Companion
8. Memories :: Cats (oh dear - Lloyd Webber...)
9. Shallow :: Rapids
10. Sun :: Reaction - the way the sun is powered..)

Two Op 1s!

An interesting day musically - piano meetup at z-arts - 4 Rachmaninov preludes by different players, a stunning Berg sonata (Op 1) I've never heard it live before and this was I assume an amateur playing it! Someone else played the first movement of the Beethoven Op 111 sonata- I played some Bach (fugue from WTC in G min we had a lot of that key from various people!) and then in the evening to the Northern chamber orchestra chamber evening with the Mozart clarinet quintet (played with the contrabass clarinet version) some Schubert songs for baritone acc by string quartet - including the Erlkönig (another Op 1!) and then the Schubert string quintet a wonderful performance. The string quintet was interrupted when the second violin's bow broke at the end of the scherzo, but a performance of intensity throughout. The baritone Matthew Sharp doubled as the second cello in the Schubert!

Here's Glenn Gould playing the Berg Sonata

Mutterings - Apr 14

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Economy :: Urban
2. Podcast :: Music
3. Go to :: Unstructured (programming!)
4. Radio :: Gaga
5. Modern :: Harmony
6. Pleasure :: Music for (and old LP label)
7. Everyday :: Interaction (I resisted pleasure!)
8. Last month :: March!
9. Fundamental :: Tone (music again!)
10. 100% :: Give

Mutterings - Apr 5

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Expectation :: Great (Dickens!)
2. Corner :: Case
3. Hesitation :: Deviation (Just a Minute)
4. Buzzing :: Discussion
5. Headache :: Sinus
6. Social :: Circle
7. Insurance :: Home
8. Foolish :: Things
9. Tiara :: Diamond
10. Senator :: Roman

Mutterings - Mar 21

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Combination :: Lock
2. Frustration :: Weep (with)
3. Whatever :: Shrug
4. Backtrack :: Search
5. Shut :: It (Vince!)
6. Beautiful :: Laundrette
7. Mindful ::
8. Master :: Roger (Delgado
9. Contribute ::
10. Idiotic :: Babble

My mind appears to be trawling through film and TV! Rather late to come to this set of words...

Mutterings - Mar 11

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Impatient :: Driver
2. Unplug :: USB
3. Spot on :: Vet treatment
4. Matter :: Mind (over)
5. Grouped :: Isolated
6. Frequently :: Absent
7. Scratching :: Pork!
8. Birthday :: Present
9. Quake :: California
10. Squeak :: Bubble

Mutterings - Feb 28

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Stupid :: Boy! (Dad's Army?)
2. Delete :: This (C++ or hiding traces?)
3. Morning :: has Broken
4. Disassemble :: Decode (as in disassemble a program)
5. Schedule :: Tight
6. Required :: Field (too much form filling)
7. Denied :: Access
8. Calendar :: Julian
9. Wind :: Up!
10. Eyeliner :: Pencil

Mutterings - Feb 18

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Cancellation :: Penalty
2. Suspect :: Interview
3. Fireplace :: Dogs
4. Spring :: Zebedee (magic roundabout strikes...)
5. Commute :: Retire
6. Places :: Recalls (to recognise..)
7. Fraud :: Electoral
8. Adoption :: Meeting (probably political)
9. Election :: Vote
10. Moving day :: Packing cases

Mutterings - Feb 8

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Hurry! :: Late!
2. Dumb :: -o
3. Fudge :: Nut
4. Sturdy :: Theology (I had supervisions with John Sturdy from Gonville and Caius when reading theology)
5. Printing :: Press
6. Itch :: Scratch
7. Creaks :: Bow
8. Paste :: Cut
9. Waste of time :: Country Walk (well according to some - not me!)
10. Let down :: Betray

Mutterings - Jan 30

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Doubled :: Fugue (well double really!)
2. Choreography :: a points!
3. Surprising :: Result
4. Punched :: Card (ancient IT..)
5. Followers :: Twitter
6. Stunts :: Fall
7. Comics :: Daily
8. Elaborate :: Deceit
9. Fumbling :: Climbing
10. Period :: .

Mutterings - Jan 8

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Bias :: Die (a single cube with numbers ;))
2. Boxing :: Day
3. Kennedy :: Dead (occasional pop culture references here..)
4. Podcast :: Music
5. Myth :: Greek
6. Movie :: Star
7. Building :: Empire State (don't think I'd seen the next line?)
8. State :: Galleon - a Joyce Grenfell connection
9. Hotel :: 3 star
10. Book :: Lyrics

1. Scrabble :: Domino (at one point we had cats called Domino and Scrabble)
2. Gin :: Forest
3. Problems :: Emotional (Maths..)
4. Agreement :: (Hand) Shake
5. Superior :: Lake
6. Cough :: Syrup
7. Resolved :: Cadence
8. Joy :: Peace
9. Beginning :: End (of the)
10. Plan :: Map

Retired!

Oh, have I retired! That stage of life was completed at the end of last month ending two and a half years of happy employment at Codethink.

There was bread and cheese followed by a trip to Beatnitz - which had recently opened under Codethink's office. Once I get past Christmas I will (I hope) have a better idea of where things will go next!

Mutterings - Dec 23

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Planned :: Attack
2. Constant :: Gradient
3. Solution :: Clear (chemistry rather than mathematics!)
4. Whine :: Cat
5. Everything :: Meaning of ...42
6. Stick :: Brown (what's brown and sticky...)
7. Measured :: Response
8. Faith :: Constant!
9. People :: Responses
10. Restaurant :: Menu

Mutterings - Dec 21

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Podcast :: Feed
2. Newspaper :: Column
3. Standing :: Room (only!)
4. I don’t know :: Gnosis
5. Hooked :: Angling
6. Height :: Bar
7. Comical :: Situation
8. Couple :: Odd
9. River :: Bank
10. Surprising :: Result

Mutterings - Dec 13

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Podcast :: Music
2. Literally :: Misuse
3. Scratch :: Buffer ( the default emacs situation)
4. Voltage :: High
5. Intense :: Spark
6. Chapped :: Lips
7. Attention :: Seeking
8. Morning :: Glory
9. Exhaustion :: Collapse
10. Mentor :: Software

Mutterings - Dec 7

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Notification :: Emailed
2. Promise :: Keeper
3. Tailor :: Spy (leaping a few in the le Carre sequence)
4. Laughter :: Hysterical
5. Sneeze :: Gesundheit!
6. Forgotten :: (they fly forgotten..) Dream
7. Job :: Employment
8. Shift :: Night (or maybe Red - thinking of the Alan Garner novel set near here..)
9. Criticism :: Just
10. Holiday :: Long

Mutterings - Nov 25

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Hack :: Space
2. Unimpressed :: Sniffy
3. Garden :: Shed
4. Saliva :: Drool
5. Ache :: Back
6. Elect :: Gevernment
7. Format :: A4
8. Temper :: Iron
9. Snail :: Horns
10. Holidays :: Walks!

Tiles

I wanted to have a photo of the new Codethink work offices before I retire at the end of this month to link with this posting back from 2009 of TNEI's offices in Newcastle. Here's the Dale St offices

Green and white used to be very much the fashion, I think I remember similar tiling being present in the Cussons offices in North Manchester where I worked on a project back in 1977?

Mutterings - Nov 17

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Notification :: Email
2. Vote :: early, vote often!
3. Simmer :: Rage
4. Biology :: Textbook
5. Constant :: Planck
6. Nail :: Hammer (I wonder if my previous answer was the mental link of the compiler to 'nail'!?)
7. Filter :: Coffee
8. Curls :: Innocent
9. Sensation :: Pop
10. Strap :: -On (errrmm!)

Mutterings - Nov 4

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Persistence :: Dogged
2. Access :: all areas
3. Pulp :: Fiction
4. Sincere :: Greetings
5. Dog :: Follow
6. Restriction :: Choke
7. Drilling :: Quake ( contentious fracking has recently started in the North west)
8. Pony :: Red (Copland..)
9. Monday morning :: Feeling
10. Retirement :: Nearly there!!! - see the announcement here!

Non-disclosure agreements

As non-disclosure agreements are in the news I thought posting one might add a little information to the discussion. This is an extract from one I was pressured into signing in 2009.

4. The terms of this Agreement are confidential and shall not be disclosed by either party to any third party except:-
4.1 in the case of the Employee his immediate family, provided such person agrees to maintain confidentiality; or
4.2 in either case for the purposes of taking professional advice in relation to this Agreement provided the professional adviser is bound by a duty of confidence; or
4.3 in compliance with any legal obligation to disclose, for example to HM Revenue and Customs or the Compensation Recovery Unit.
5. The parties agree and undertake (in consideration of their mutual promises to that effect) that neither will make or publish any derogatory or disparaging statement or do anything in relation to the other, which is intended to or which might be expected to damage or lower their respective reputations.

You'll see that I shouldn't be posting this (clearly!) but as the other party broke the terms of this (para 5 above) in a private briefing to ex-colleagues the day after it was signed I'm not unduly bothered!

Mutterings - Oct 23

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Bitter :: Herbs (Passover)
2. Sister :: Brother
3. Health :: Service
4. Weekly :: Timesheet (not going to be many more of these for me?!)
5. Theory :: Relativity
6. Innocent :: Pope
7. Bar :: Barrister
8. Conditional :: if () ...
9. Basement :: Department store
10. Rehab :: Drugs

catching up again...

1. Peaceful :: Vista
2. Halloween :: nearly birthday!
3. Wave :: o/ (IRC..)
4. Always :: Present
5. Blow out :: Straw
6. Rumors :: Nasty
7. Family :: Commit
8. Unwanted :: Approach
9. Love :: Actually
10. Cubicle :: Work (but never had one inflicted on me)

Mutterings - Oct 10

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Unexpected :: Arrival
2. Register :: Fast (a computing connection)
3. Argument :: Parameter (ditto!)
4. Calendar :: Mayan
5. Breakfast :: Croissant
6. Crossed :: Purposes
7. Sticker :: Laptop (my work one has a few!)
8. Simplistic :: Wrong (but what do I know!)
9. Jingle :: Bells! (a bit early..but advertising is prob not UK common parlance)
10. Cornerstone :: Faith (1 Peter in New Testament)

Granada and Málaga

My line manager is Spanish and I've had a standing invite to go and work at his house in Málaga for a few days and this year once the hot weather had mostly receded, Beth and I took up the kind offer. We flew initially to Granada and had a couple of days with a trip round the Alhambra and then a bus ride to Málaga and some work. Though it wasn't without enjoying the beach side location and the chiringuitos (restaurants along the shore). Some warm weather away from the rain that week - and some serious unrushed conversations. The photo album is here and there were the sardines..

- lots of great memories from both parts of the trip.

Mutterings - Sep 30

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Secure :: https
2. Untamed :: Lion
3. Private :: Parts (I'm hoping this is C++!!)
4. Blue :: Bottle
5. Total :: Crash
6. Scrunch :: Biscuit (biting into?)
7. Supply :: Power
8. Ill-fitting :: Trousers (mine are a lot better these days!)
9. Aches :: Shoulder (and various other places I threw myself out of bed a few days ago - in a nightmare)
10. Warranty :: Time limited (money trap..)

Mutterings - Sep 23

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Frustration :: Scream
2. Lame :: Limp (also audio converter!)
3. Hungry :: Scavenge
4. Activity :: Monitor
5. Miss :: Hit (I fear that's Juke Box Jury..)
6. Butter :: Ram (too much crossword solving)
7. Creative :: Mind
8. Edited :: Second chance
9. Heat :: Seal
10. Insistent :: Ache

Mutterings - Sep 20

Last week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Flood :: Spam!
2. Enjoyable :: Trip (just had one!)
3. Fan :: Spanish (saw them!)
4. Dart :: Feathers
5. Idiotic :: Ove (saw the film 'A Man called Ove' last night)
6. Smell :: Ripe
7. Mistake :: Backspace
8. Grumble :: Stomach
9. Fear :: Freeze
10. Burn :: Barbeque

Chetham's Piano Summer School

I've recently returned from a week at the Chetham's Summer School for Pianists. I've not been before and was treated as a unseasonal Christmas/birthday present from Beth.
It takes the form of a number of lessons with an assigned teacher - I was on the amateur course though I don't think there's a hard and fast division between that and the more skilled course. There are 2 or more (piano!) concerts every night and possibly a talk. There's workshops in the afternoons and you are assigned a practice room which I shared with 2 others though we never saw one of the people and clashes were not a problem. The practice piano was a little bright and I often found a teaching room that wasn't being used.

I booked late and being local I decided to attend as a non residential. This involved a lot of early morning travel and as the course was over the bank holiday and I was trying to use the train things were a little disruptive, also concerts often went on after the last train, so I missed some of these, though the days were very intensive so an early night was welcomed! My lessons were with Marta Karbownicka. I brought along a number of pieces that were in various stages and found the lessons of benefit in all cases - well apart from one where my playing and understanding of the piece just fell apart (the Fauré 11th Nocturne) but the Mompou, Scriabin, Ravel and even the Rachmaninov Etude that I've been given by my teacher - maybe as summer work - so was at an early stage - went well. There were also workshops with Marta. All the lessons and workshops are open so you can benefit from teaching from a whole range of very experienced, and in some cases, very well known pianists.

Frances Wilson gives some useful advice on preparing and attending. There are a huge number of attendees, maybe it's more useful to be residential so you get to know people more quickly especially over meals! I spent the last night with a room I requested during the course so I could hear all the last nights events - including the cabaret - which in some years has gone on until 1am - thankfully not this year!

I found that a lot of the larger workshops on the amateur course clashed with my lessons/teacher workshops so I missed on some of the experience on playing to larger groups but I was kept very busy. Before I went I thought that asking for a 2 hour use of a practice room was hopelessly ambitious. But lots of practice was done - with an absence of most other distractions and my playing improved. I also had useful discussions with Marta over repertoire for the ARSM diploma I'm hoping to take.

Maybe more reflections to be added - work in progress!

Mutterings - Sep 1

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Mayor :: Casterbridge (never read it!)
2. Caller :: Hello..
3. Escape :: Great
4. College :: Days (the Tom Lehrer song!)
5. Nice job! :: Stand back!
6. Game over :: Collapse
7. Hesitate :: Lost
8. Land :: Rover
9. Roommate :: Compatible (ah college 'marriages'!)
10. Major :: Domo (Strauss Rosenkavalier)

Mutterings - Aug 29

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Disappointment :: Valley (I thought this was Bunyan but it appears to be a recent film!)
2. Resources :: Library
3. Steady :: Turn (as she goes..)
4. Team :: Building
5. Barge :: Horse (to pull one)
6. Issues :: Nit-picking
7. Engagement :: Calendar
8. Folks :: Museum (probably bastardised German?)
9. Supervision :: Weekly (college days..)
10. Stream :: Live

I've been very busy - still catching up! Hopefully a post will appear on the past week

CADES

I don't think I'd seen this wikipedia page on CADES before. I'd nearly forgotten the project name - I worked on this back in the early days of it in 1971 as a pre-university trainee and then in the summer vacs. I'd started off at ICL helping with simulation programs written in Beta/S1 - S1 was the forerunner of S3, I don't think there was an S2? Ostech was a small department of around 16 so working there was a great experience! In the summer vacs once we were back in Kidsgrove (we'd moved at one stage to Coptall house in Newcastle) I looked after the submission of jobs by developers into the CADES database. I see the wikipedia page labels it as a version control system and a means of validating the design

The CADES design approach, called Structural Modelling, was rigidly data-driven and hierarchical, and expressed in a formal design language, SDL. Design specifications written in SDL were processed by the Design Analyser, before being input to the CADES Product Database

. I think I once had the Computer Weekly articles referenced in that article but I suspect they've long since been lost.
Whilst there I also had an early computer keyboard/monitor on my desk, I've searched for pictures but so far failed, it had 3(?) big white push transmit buttons beneath the screen as well as a conventional keyboard. There were also the delights of using an acoustic modem and hand card punches! One of these!

Mutterings - Aug 21

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Dating :: App
2. Path :: Executable (computing as ever..)
3. Scorn :: Laugh
4. Gel :: Hair
5. Simple :: Simon
6. You :: Toi
7. Climb :: Route (rock climbing..)
8. Number :: Four (but was tempted by anaesthetic!)
9. Short :: Fzzt! (electrical!)
10. Hell :: Handbasket

Mutterings - Aug 13

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Original :: Release
2. Vent :: Fume
3. Screw :: Brass
4. Type :: Face
5. Odor :: Body
6. Lazy :: Bastard
7. Release :: Open (some gates)
8. Status :: Return (computing..)
9. Architect :: System
10. Management :: Dilbert

Mutterings - Aug 4

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. 2 weeks :: Holiday - I've just been calculating the holiday days left from work after taking Christmas into account!
2. Accrued :: Credit
3. Delighted :: Expression
4. Facilitate :: Scheme (possibly in a bad sense!)
5. Boredom :: Ennui - and reminded of France s'est ennui (grammar?) in early '68
6. Scarce :: Make (oneself)
7. Poised :: to leap
8. Family :: History
9. Backtrack :: Think twice
10. Retirement :: Imminent!

Mutterings - Jul 29

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Rude :: Gesture
2. Banana :: Palma (Canaries where we saw lots on trees!) I also wonder at the conjunction of rude and banana..
3. Crunch :: Breakfast
4. Unappealing :: Mixture (of food)
5. Pink :: Hippopotamus (disney I think..)
6. Saliva :: Spit
7. Like :: Simile
8. Lunar :: Module
9. Pine :: Long (as in pine for..)
10. Slippery :: Customer

Mutterings - July 15

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Submit :: Job (ancient terminology for having programs run on mainframes?)
2. Legal :: Verbiage (sorry!)
3. Ball :: Chain
4. Nurse :: Nurse!
5. Flags :: Paving
6. Depart :: Le (last movement of Britten's Les Illuminations - though I see there's no definite article!)
7. Memorized :: Difficult
8. Bullying :: Cyber
9. Empowered :: Affirmed
10. Construct :: Mental

Around the Riviera

On our last day - a day in Menton where we were staying at the Prince de Galles - good, modern but a bit of a long walk to the centre - we took the train to Monaco and spent the morning looking around the old town - see the album for the trip for a few photos. Back to Menton and I had an afternoon around the old town enjoying the architecture and colours before enjoying a lavender and mango ice-cream outside the Jean Cocteau museum - camp? never! - alas I didn't get inside.


I waited for Beth to get from the hotel and we then looked around the Basilique St Michel - it has a long lunchbreak.. not opening until 3:30 - and then made plans for an early evening (well 7pm) meal at Martin et fils restaurant next to the Menton market. This place isn't mentioned in the InnTravel notes but we'd recommend it! Good veggie menus and the main meateater enjoyed a whole Dorade!

Down to Menton

The next day was the final long walk from Sospel to Menton (or at least from where the taxi dropped us at the Col de Castillon -giving us a helping hand).

From there we walked up to the Baisse de Scuvion:



we then had a route finding discussion where - fortunately - I was overruled - there were 5 of us at this point so lots of comparing notes! There was then a gentle descent to the Col St Bernard. Not gentle enough , and the notes said Careful I wasn't and tripped over my walking poles and ended up full length on the ground! - the 'careful' was on route finding rather than any tricky underfoot stages! I was very grateful that I'd been walking along with another party as I would have been otherwise on my own. I was rather bruised but managed to continue on the steeper downward section to the coast. And it was a steep descent and a dodgy walk through an underpass under a motorway. But then the Menton seafront and cafes restored us. That evening we ate at A Braijade Meridiounale flaming skewers in the old town. Definitely worth the experience, we were given too many digestifs and made our way unsteadily back to the hotel.

Here's the street containing the restaurant:

alas my phone focussing...

To Italy

On the day in Sopel I ended up doing a walk I didn't intend - or most of it! There's an easier walk but I ended up on the Piène Haute walk and followed it as far as the Italian border when I returned by the way I came. The day before we'd commented that we hadn't done a walking trip in Italy so this walk nearly changed that!

Border posts are a little less active than they were post Schengen:

1943 was when Italy changed sides and supported the Allies. The walk was pleasant and shady with views over the river canyons. It appears that I made the right decision to turn around at the border as another party found the rest of walk was difficult route finding.

Afternoon was spent at the hotel admiring the views of the mountains and Sospel. We had mixed views about the hotel, beautifully situated, food was good but the management was a little off-hand (at least to us!). There were now 4 Inntravel parties all heading to Menton the next day so the evening was spent finding each other and deciding who was going in what order!

The GR52A over to Saorge

So the next day was the longest walk of the holiday, an early breakfast and then repeating the ascent I'd done the day before - I did wonder whether I should have taken a tent and camped out the day before!



The ascent was successfully negotiated and half way through the morning I was overtaken by other (younger!) Inntravellers, though we kept more or less together for the rest of the walk - it helped to pace me. The picture above is from the Baisse d'Anan at 1555m - another steep uphill scramble before these wonderful views. We found golden retrievers up there with bells on their collars - clearly sheep herders though a border collie appeared to be doing most of the work! We stopped for lunch further down. Alas there weren't the flower filled Alpine pastures that we'd seen on Saturday. We carried down to the small town of Saorge and I was pleased to have made the walk in just over 6 hours - when the walk notes suggested 8 hours. This gave us more time for a look around the very scenic Saorge.



Not only houses like the above but being nestled in a high valley, if you do this route try to take the time - even if tired!! - to walk around the village. You'll get views like this from just below:



There was then drinks at the Cafe Heinz and a taxi transfer to the Auberge Provencale in Sospel. A hotel just out of the town but with excellent views over it.

Two Walks

The next day I decided upon 2 walks - the first was of the InnTravel suggested walks around La Brigue to Notre Dames des Fontaines - linked to the French wikipedia page the English version has far less information. This was an amazing place with 15th/16th C frescoes. My pictures weren't good so here's a documentary (in french) off youtube - even if your French is not good the pictures are amazing!



It's a relatively short walk from La Brigue - the church is open at 10am and there's an entrance charge of 4€. I then walked back to the village for lunch - there's a Sunday market.

After lunch I wanted to check out the steep section of the GR52A that was the (longer) walk for the next day. As I would be on my own I wanted to be comfortable with the initial challenge without having to be concerned about the time. I almost gave up there's some very punishing climbing - I'd decided I'd had enough and with the phone checked out google maps and discovered I was 200m from the first Baisse (col) and the Inntravel walking instructions said the last 150m were level so I staggered round the corner and it was true! I returned fortunately getting off the exposed bit before rain and a thunderstorm arrived!



It was a useful reconnoitre to also make sure of the route-finding!

Vallée des Merveilles

The next day - as an extra - paid for at the hotel, we set off early for a trip to the Vallée des Merveilles where we were led - very well and knowledgeably by Sebastien the son of the hotelier - a photographer and guide. We weren't certain what we were going to see but a spectacular day was much enjoyed with the high mountains, the wildlife - ibex, chamois and marmots, alpine flowers, the Bronze Age carvings and the walks.



you can just see a marmot relaxing with a mountain view in the picture.

The Vallée was around a 30 minute drive from our hotel - a 4x4 being essential - the tour started with walks in the meadows viewing flowers and wildlife then up to the higher area to see the carvings (and lunch) and finally a tricky descent through snow back to the vehicle - it was early in the season hence still some snow. We heard a lot about the history - both of the groups who carved the images and of their discovery and preservation from our guide. We'd recommend the trip! You can see more images of the day if you visit the picture and click the 'Vallée des Merveilles' tag.

Mutterings - Jun 25

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Spring :: Zebedee!! - The Magic Roundabout - 441 episodes!
2. Glasses :: Case (usually misplaced)
3. Temporary :: Block (must be some internet thing..)
4. Event :: Book
5. Contract :: Employment
6. Memory :: Lapse
7. Tape :: Cassette
8. Cage :: 4' 33" (John Cage inevitably)
9. Inspire :: Concentrate (slow breathing)
10. Corrupt :: Hierarchy

La Brigue

Another year, another holiday and again an InnTravel walking tour, the Maritime Alps walking to the coast.


The holiday - after a flight to Nice - started in La Brigue - unfortunately Beth had twisted her ankle in a practice walk before we left - so I did much of the walking alone while she indulged in gentler occupations. I spent a pleasant in a short walk around La Brigue while we both considered the next day's excursion to the Vallée des Merveilles. The album for the holiday is here - a little more tagging needs doing but I think it's all there.

We stayed at the Hotel Mirval for 3 nights (taking an extra night to get our bearings). Some hotel facilities were a bit basic but the food and the welcome was good. And then there were the views from our room...

Mutterings - June 14

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Late :: Dead
2. Encourage :: Befriend
3. Patience :: Spider (the card connection)
4. Loss :: First (piano piece by Schumann)
5. Favor :: Curry
6. Annoying :: Whine (must be the air conditioning in the new offices!)
7. Dealbreaker :: Betrayal
8. Staple :: Diet
9. Consume :: Soup (and there's a first read of that as consommé!)
10. Validation :: Support

Beyond Inclusion: Part One - Lizzie Lowe's Story - Growth but at a price

An interview with the vicar of St James and Emmanuel Didsbury about their response and growth towards inclusion following the death of Lizzie Lowe. Their church's silence on difficult matters of sexuality led Lizzie to believe that she coud not be loved by them or by God as a young gay person. They realised they needed to change. This is worth the watch and consideration. Read more on the church's acions and her story at st james and emmanuel

Mutterings - June 9

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Fanatic :: Wild-eyed
2. Rise :: Sun
3. Ache :: Heart
4. Oh oh oh :: how good is the Lord (very 60s-ish chorus)
5. Chips :: with everything
6. Best of :: Luck
7. Lost :: Souls (Gogol)
8. Gamble :: Dostoyevsky (obviously on a russian novel track!)
9. Longing :: for home
10. Crowd :: Threatening (resists Madding!)

Fosdem 2018

This is going back a bit but earlier this year I went to FOSDEM in Brussels and this is my report for work on what I saw and heard.

I spent Saturday in the community dev room some interesting thoughts on building and supporting open source communities.
- Talk by Riccardo Iaconelli on Italy as hacker friendly, he described the policy all municipality projects are open source
https://developers.italia.it/ some discussion on how to encourage small municipalities to make source open
when those who are 'not our electors' get it for free
- An entertaining talk by Brian Proffitt of Redhat on Media 101 for communities - how to get the
message across to more than just the echo chamber.
- Then Kevin Fleming of Bloomberg on Software philanthropy for all - a talk about how they engage their
staff in volunteer community projects. Running a git event in New York they found that it helped their volunteers' cross project communications. `Pick what you're good at not what's shiny`
SeeKevin on Twitter
- A talk by Jeremy Garcia not so interesting but a nice demo of MeasuerOSS
> don't consider what you want to measure but what you want to accomplish
- Draws veil over the community karaoke and dancing (relieved to see this wasn't recorded) - but there was an advert for [FrOSCon](https://www.froscon.de/) which they emphasised takes place in warmer weather!
- Finally a talk by Vicky Brasseur on `Passing the baton' on planning for succession
Wikipedia page on succession planning implies only leaders need this - not true - described 'bus factor', How frequent interchange of roles prevents ruts, reduces load (by more knowing)
increases motivation. She moved rather quickly. Limit tenure for role (because you then have backup if you move on)
Slides (and notes) at succession planning

Sunday I was in the Distros devroom, far too much light coming from the back to see many slides.
- A talk from Andrej Shadura of Collabora (he wanted to do a LAVA talk but it wasn't accepted)
Talked about [apertis.org](apertis.org) a weird mix of Ubuntu and Debian
- Richard Brown on Distributions are not democracies. Beneficiaries of an open project are not the users but the contributors/maintainers
Differentiated between projects which reinforce the status quo (eg Apache, Ubuntu) and those having technical
committees which are less 'controlled' by the organisation. Usually the motivated rather than the better solutions win?
'democracy is the art & science of running the circus from the monkey cage' HL Mencken. Appeared to want democracy and yet..
- Others with more background have commented on Tristan's talk.

Touristy photos
Ate more waffles than last year.

Adding some culinary comments later.. ah yes at last - the first evening we ate Chez Leon - - mussels! Then asagain as the previous year it was to the Sushi train at Kabuki and the last evening we ate somewhere Brazilian near the Codethink hotel - I stayed elsewhere this year, slightly quieter and breakfast was included!