Snow

The first flakes of December snow for 2009 have fallen in "the north". Nowhere near as bad as those two days in early February when there was a veritable blanket of the white stuff, ceasing all normal business activity. So, we find the Johns relaxing at home in front of the telly, catching up with important work . .  .




Those "in the south" have no idea of this type of behaviour in relaxation, and will no doubt be seen on BBC regional (all regions) television (all day), bemoaning their wrecked commuting plans back home from the capital to places like Spalding and Henley. So, sod them!

Gather Closely. . .

Huddersfield University heads a consortium of providers in the north of England, dealing in Professionalism and Education. Their chief stock in trade in this regard is a range of teaching qualifications such as the PCET(PGCE/Cert Ed) as a first step into teaching and learning in the post-16 arena, then moving upwards onto the BA in Education and then the MA in Professional Development.

I have studied with Huddersfield University since 2007, and now teach there as well. I can honestly say that the place is a genuine institute of HE, and quite unlike many of the pretenders based in the locality that are outside of the Consortium, and who will still offer you that vital PTTLS, PCET, FD, etc. You want a HE qualification? Then don't you think you should be in a HE environment? Better infrastructure, equipment, and resources, to name three. This is a no-brainer! Who would not want new buildings, working IT equipment, a library where you will not get assaulted, and decent lifts?

Do you understand really what it means to do a HE course in FE? Think to yourself "What I am doing this for? What changes do I expect in my life? How will I meet and collaborate with others like me?" Are you going to achieve your goals and exceed your expectations by staying put at your local college?? Who knows? You do!

WIKI Launch

The profile for the ArmstrongEd experience is here. So, if you are one of the (un)lucky people to have received an invitation to join in, you have a choice: To contribute. Or. Not.

Voyeuristic spectators are not encouraged: you will need to set up an account and then actively engage with the Fora. Full instuctions will be found in the WikiSpaces webpage. Those are the only instructions.

See you there!

Happy Hannuka . . .

Tick, tock! It's that time of the year again. Yes, it's time to rise up and challenge the widespread practice of Christmas "music" in shops, and other inappropriate activities like greetings cards sent from the postman! Not. In the same vein,  I read in the Guardian today that 8 people have already complained about "sexism" in the Winter M&S advert! Well, all I can say is, "Get a life!" Yes, indeed, sirs and madams,  what you need badly to be complaining of is the deep sadness of your empty schedules, and the glut of it that you insist on spreading about like ordure. Look what became of Kenneth Williams . . . .Ask yourself, "Why do I have all this free time?"

I suggest that you take up some voluntary work, maybe holding the hand of someone dying in hospital alone, or shopping for the elderly, or anything involving doing something for SOMEBODY ELSE. Narcissism is not so attractive if it happens to be your only attribute. Be warned: ringing in to the BBC complaining about the adverts does not count as a life. So, get those pills lined up now.

By the way, happy Christmas!

Lips

Decontamination and Escape . . .

Murder

Madness

Contamination

Bookmarks

Armstrong Education . . .

Armstrong Education website to launch the week of October half term 2009.

Watch this space . . .

Book Launch . . .

Empty Gesture . . .

Like most people that enjoy still a modicum of social and working life, I have noticed a few odd changes to a couple of the fixed assets in our milieu since we crossed the line beyond 40. These do not include the obvious, like Fashion, Music, and Popular Culture, as these phenomena exist only to flux and tantalise. One of these changes, absent in earlier incarnations of self, is the realisation that the very fabric of space-time warps as maturity sets in. I've looked for various formulas and theories beyond Euclid for explanations, but most published and regarded works, for example that of Einstein and also Lorenz on this matter, relate to the mutability of space-time at acceleration or in the vicinity of gravitational pull. Now, I am making the assumption that since the Bradford area is not accelerating any more than it was last week, and that the gravitational pull exerted on me, since the time that I reached adult size has remained constant, then my space-time should have & continue to remain, unchanging. Then why is my time itself moving so quickly? Not only are the days peeling by at an alarming rate, the pace of change is accelerating. This new observation is my theory of Priority Ageing: Put simply, the more things that I have still left to do, the faster time becomes as I engage with my environment and do them, thus acquiring further items still “to do”. Hmm. . .

On the subject of changes, I have been aware, particularly this year, of a certain group of person attracted to people like us (Gay? Jewish? Bearded? Obvious? Bespectacled?) Actually I mean, people more like me, inasmuch as I am perceived by some to be in a position where I can/ will do something for these chancers. This is all the more notable when the Grand Request benefits me little if at all. I am then expected to carry out the “favour” for no charge! I know reader; this is shocking, written as it is in a country where it is virtually impossible to leave the house without a wallet stuffed with cash and cards. Why would anyone, especially a supposed friend delude themselves into thinking that the friendship will survive repeated requests for "help" when nothing is being offered to sweeten the pill?? Moreover, and as a starting point, why, when I don’t know you, would I ever consider a "small favour" like promoting your band, introducing you to my publisher, or even show you how to  . . . . . . . . . . .

Anyway, the services asked of me range from the sublime such as the insertion of links for, say musical instrument repairs on one of my less commercial websites, right through to the out and out ridiculous. You know who you are, and I know what you want.  You are BUSTED!

The guidelines are simple: If this is a business proposal, then go, please, through my business portal online and contact me to discuss business. Anything else, right now, as a “friend” you should be aware of just how snowed under I am with a whole raft of issues, and that it is you that should be reciprocating with favours? What I do not want is the "Any time you need help, just come and see me!!!!” I believe, like most people, that I can read an empty gesture at fifty paces, blindfold. So, don't bring shame on yourself. If you can't say owt, then say nowt!

Book Launch. ..

Cafe Fish. York Place, Scarborough. Saturday, 24th October, 8.00 pm until late.


Grand Hotel even later.


Sunday, return to Cafe into the Opera, Salt's Mill.

Maiden Exhibition . . .

I have been working with the Bradford photographic artist, Danny Hill, to coordinate his maiden exhibition at a central Bradford location - that is very definitely NOT going to be at the Odeon Building. We are all very  much hoping to get the ball rolling by Christmas 2009.


This is a steeply inclined learning curve for quite a few of us involved, and we all owe a debt of gratitude to CL of the YCC who has been a great source of knowledge and support, despite being herself snowed under with the weight of professional commitments.


More on the exhibition as it unfolds. Look either at the news page at Delius or the news page at LinkedIn.

40th Birthdays with Richard and Jamie

Yes, it's that Richard. Which Jamie do you think? It's Mandy's 40th birthday party this Saturday night, 03 October, at the Rugby Club, and we will be supporting her at her time of greatest need. The theme is PINK. More pictures and live feed to follow as as the night progresses into madness and, well, daytime.






















Sorry, forgot to mention the rules:

See you all down there - we will be webcasting from here

Music, People . .

Oh what a night! There are no memorable absences as the floodlights flicker north of Bierley, proving Bradford to be a hot, hot ticket, and all for right reasons. Tonight is the the official opening of Factory Street recording studios.

Live music, jamming in the studios, talk with the artistes, interaction with the stars, shaking with the movers, and popping with the makers. Here we are witnessing a whole stratum of opportunity as creativity twists free of the mould and grabs opportunity with both bare hands, shaking it by the neck.

Danny Hill the photographer was on hand to take numerous great pics, to which I have added my own offerings. An online album is now being up loaded here.

Night Stalker

I cannot sleep, again, and find myself on the balcony over the park at around 0300 this morning. I am pretty sure that the person out there that is lurking near the newly vandalized "Band of Hope" monument cannot see me. Not that I am made in any way anxious by the prospect of being revealed, sat up here here, as I am in my dressing gown, and behind the sanctuary of my high railings. Not to mention the park wall and the locked gates. I cannot but help think back to a time when I was still a smoker, the flaming, orange butt having given my vantage point away quite early on in this game of cat & mouse. However, with my big binoculars, I can see him. Not wanting to get involved in these unknown, mysterious, antics, I make some notes on the HP Tablet and slope off in search of more MAO inhibitors for the gnawing pain in my feet. This is NOT GOOD. A decade ago I started with neuropathy in my left foot, and now, it is with me, nibbling away at all of my extremities. There are moments, nay, days, where I fear that I will suddenly and irrevocably snap, snatch up a meat cleaver, and hack off a toe or two. Merely to bear witness to my suspicion that there could be some small release, not matter how brief in these imagined actions.

When I was a child, I recollect our insane mother, Joan Armstrong, taking us three to the great park near home, just for a stroll in the swirling autumn leaves. There, I became somehow convinced that squirrels were similar to us humans: that they foraged and fought during the day, resting only at night. Now, I understand that they are like me instead: that they do as they care, and if they happen to be out and about in the wee hours and on my balcony at the same time, then this IS GOOD. I hand out some raisins into the glass bowl on the table beside me and watch in delight as my food is tested and then snatched to go back to the nest.

The peeper out there, for I am sure that is what he is, is now singularly aware that he is the observed. The body language suddenly and acutely changes. Looking slowly around  and behind, he is pulling up his hoodie even further over his forehead and crouching down into the ground. Momentarily distracted by my own overwhelming urge to rip off a handful of my own toes, I nurse a generous brandy and put down the heavy optics, vigorously and impatiently massaging aromatherapy oil into my feet with my free hand. Now, really needing to view just what it is that I am doing down there, I suddenly reach up and snap on the large, 1,000,000 Candela searchlight torch that I have carried out with me.

This sudden, blinding beam of white lights up the balcony like a bolt from Zeus and sends forth into the park such a crack of illumination that anyone out there would have to be both blind and deaf not to register me sitting here, in my eerie. I am surprised that the scorching, fat beam doesn't cut down some poor commercial aircraft into the greenery of Peel Park itself. I hear myself uttering discouraging words of surprise at the intensity of the light, flailing as I am, in my seat, just helpless with the shock, just moments before I can discern our chap's feet hitting the tarmac and then vanishing into the distance, quickly lost over the grassy fields.

Next time, my friend, you pick somewhere different. You are known to me. I have seen you somewhere during the day quite recently, and I will remember.

In the morning, before I go to the recording studios, I am planning to drive over to Spring Hill's Pain Clinic to get some professional input, once more. Dr Susan may be long gone, but I still have to be rid of this craving to tear off my limbs before Friday. They know me of old down there, by now. I'm on first name terms with even the Gatekeeper. I am a success story by any clinical standards in pain management: every time I go, we tweak some old, and creakingly ancient medications, then combine them in threes. The pain will recede, quickly, and I will skip off happily into the sunset for another 4 months. I am lucky to have such good support.

I slink into bed at 0400 and remain awake until the alarm screams at 0640.

Mine's a Blue Bols and Lemonade . . .

The Party Season is upon us. It has not gone unnoticed that Bradford University is currently hosting Freshers Week, and the whole campus area is now throbbing to a different beat, with "young uns" swirling in their DESTROY Jeans, strutting in tie-died T-Shirts and matching multi-tone hair, and sooooo obviously having a grand old time of it all. The young lady that ran, wild-eyed, into the traffic on Great Horton Road earlier at 21.15, STARK NAKED, apart from a Diesel wristwatch, was evidently under the strong impression that she had landed on the planet Good Time, Good Time. Gorgeous watch, love. Thank God for ABS and halogen headlights.

Anyway, that aside, to tap into some of this energy and creativity, Factory Street Studios is throwing a full-on, Rock God opening event complete with bar, AND where guests will be invited to participate in a variety of musical and media-centred activities in the studios for Friday night. That's the 25th. We are supporting her, and have promised to be there from 17.00 onwards. I am hoping to do some networking with the Delius Centre and hobnob with certain providers in the area such as Calderdale College, Bradford University, Shipley College, Park Lane, Huddersfield University, and of course, Leeds University. Amy has put a lot of work into this event, and I have invited as many key colleagues in Education and Development from Greater Manchester as I can manage. Johnnie is bringing in reinforcements from East Yorkshire just for good measure. I am certain that there are people out there who would argue that this is hardly a party, since it has taken so much planning, and the guests, well they're tres, tres,  bourgeousie - that indeed, to have a real party involves an element of spontaneity, a big gesture, a smattering of crusty nibbles, not to mention the parallel lines of some sweet white powder. Ah, sady, these people, they're right! They are so bang on target, it hurts. Baby, I say, we're in our FORTIES now: one too many glasses of wine and I'm in bed for three days recovering. Put simply, it's not worth it. Not for me. Not at my age. Besides, we have RESPONSIBILITIES. How bourgeoisie . . .


Let's hope that we are equal to the task asked of us, and that we support Amy and the good folk of Factory Street in the way that they want. The Delius Centre is gearing up for it's opening ceremony on the 16th October. The Lord Mayor of Bradford will be there, doing the honours. In fact he will be there the preceding day, the 15th, hosting the Community Development (LEGI) Awards for this year. I am proud that the Delius Centre continues to gather momentum and expands upon its portfolio of services and facilities. We are currently letting excellent artist studio space at £90 per month, but you will have to be quick, as there are only the two studios left - the rest have already been taken. Interested parties should contact Chris Howson at the Delius Centre on chris.howson@deliuscentre.org.uk or go to the website for more information.

On the subject of upcoming events, I must remember to mention that we are all very much looking forward to the Bradford 1Mile2 Arts Project, that is going to be based in one of the studios at the Delius Centre. I personally, cannot wait to put out the publicity materials and other marketing doo daahs and gizmos when we eventually find out when they want to start. As soon as I know . . . . you'll know. Okay?

Don't forget Friday is also the day at the Delius Centre where we are having the submissions for the Art Competition. CL will be at the Centre this coming Friday between 1400 and 1600 to receive submissions. Contact CL for more information. But please, remember, keep it cool, and keep it decent. We all know what happened last year: when we saw those paintings and sketches it was more than evident that the artist had probably never even seen a woman nude, and it was commented that they may not, therefore, have been suitably well qualified to be drawing one from scratch. I never saw such things . . .

On reflection then, it looks like Friday evening is, after all, going to be a bit MAD? Will I have time to even hang out the washing, and load up the wine cooler for the weekend?? Maybe . .

New

Just a small thank you to students and staff at Huddersfield University who made my first evening back at Lockside, LS2.10 so pleasureable. I am looking forward to working with you all in the coming academic year.

Just to make clear that I think that Huddersfield is a great, but distinctly odd, Pennine town that reminds me very much of Oldham and the outlying villages. Parking in town is a swine, and not merely at the university campus, notwithstanding my impression that the centre seems very much busier, and more hectic than Bradford's nightmare of congestion. The waterside was a very attractive feature and I am hoping to spend some time down by the canal, reading, and writing in the few weeks we have left before the good weather leaves for good.

Catch you all Saturday, 03 October!

Light Fingers . . .

I had to go down there today just to nip into Payroll, and make some sense of my salary slip from the last month: for which I have as yet,  received no reply from HR. This is highly disappointing, but expected. J and I greeted at the base of the steps inside the foyer at WB and then she dropped the bombshell: there have been thefts from staff on the top floor.

What?? I said in astonishment. I knew that LF had £80 or so taken from her office drawer about a month ago, but I put that down to the all-too-common syndrome of, DON'T LEAVE CASH IN YOUR OFFICE, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU CANNOT LOCK IT AWAY. Anyway, with this money being for Cancer Research, I think that quite a lot of people knew that they lolly was there for the taking. Easy come, easy easy go?

But, zut alors, there have been other instances of kleptomania on the premises, and J is upset that the collective finger is pointing at everyone. A finger with many strands, so to speak. I mean, she says, the thefts are happening after she came to work up there: a handbag was stolen from Tracey some time before LF's cash, and there have been other bits and pieces going missing, too. She's not taking any chances, and is locking herself in the office. This has H & S implications, but theft is theft, and the sooner that they catch the culprit the better. As to who we think it is - well, the pinching started during the summer recess, i.e. when students were absent on the whole. We think that this fact alone points at an inside job . . .

On I sailed up the stairs, the lift and into Payroll, where I got answers at last. The mistakes made by the organisation were awful, and left me quite despondent. I checked the money that was being paid in this coming Tuesday, and left, vowing that this would be their last error at my expense.

Autumn be here . . .

I knew the second that my toes touched down on the bedroom carpet sometime before 08:30 that it was cold out there in West Yorkshire. If Patsy Stone were with me, she'd have voiced displeasure by purring all the way along the bed, and I would have felt the contrast in temperature between her warm belly and the cool of the duvet cover.

I got up and hit the boiler in the kitchen and turned on the gas fire in the living room for good measure. I microwaved a coffee from last night and took it with me, back to bed for 30 minutes: enough time for my painkillers to kick in.

So, I have two very different events going on today: lunch with Tina at 1230, followed by a tile-cleaning operation at the Delius Centre for late afternoon. That's what my Google diary says at any rate. What to wear? well, reader, after a very hot shower I rummaged for my Alain Mikli (Rony Corbett) spectacles and decided to go for an autumnal preppy effect! I discovered a great knee-length khaki mac and found a black Hugo Boss jacket and very pale Levis trousers. A tan belt and shoes, plus the polka dot tie and matching Liberty handkerchief came in handy I as accessorized and got ready for my foray out onto Great Horton Road. Now, not wanting to appear too much of an arse, I thought , "Do I go for the woolly scarf, or do I not?". I dithered over another coffee, and in the end, I  elect go with the scarf, but only a baby one: since it merely mid-September and not midwinter: I don't  want to stand out for all the wrong reasons. Remembering my manual tasks, I found a couple of unloved shirts, a hoodie, and a pair of very baggy jeans, stuffed them in a plastic carrier and congratulated my good fortune at having located a cleaning ensemble without further effort.

Now, having safely parked up the SMART at the college, I was in a buoyant mood as I took in the sight of the many hundreds of young people in their vibrant and high summer attire of T-shirts and jeans, nearly all to a man exhibiting various states of chill, hurrying across the road (dangerous and BAD choice), or huddling outside Westbrook having a cigarette (WORSE). I notice, but care not, of the various colleagues from the near past who cut me dead (you know who you are), by looking the other way, and I stroll fashionably on by to the cash machines located just a street up the hill. I cannot wait to see the same location in just a week's time - the University starts Winter Term proper, and the many hundreds of students will swell to many thousands. Good luck to them, and the many businesses that feed off them, and vice versa.

Tina emerged a little after 1230 and we trotted over Great Horton Road to have a look over the Delius Centre, which, I am pleased to say, is looking great, after a new carpet, and further coats of white gloss and emulsion on the staircase. Thanks to Darren. Tina, I believe is impressed. However, we are hungry. Also, Tina is not very well. We decide to go to Floor Six at the college, and check first at Reception, that the kitchen and restaurant is indeed, open for business. We are in luck. We hear in the distance a Subaru Impreza racing up Great Horton Road, glance at each other knowingly, shrug, and move off to the entry barriers. Our feeling is that someday soon, a pedestrian will get killed or very seriously injured, and all we hope for is that it is not one of us nor a loved one.

The restaurant is empty. There are a mass of Catering and Hospitality students in a gaggle at a table in the distance near the windows over Bradford. We are welcomed by the Maitre'd and led to our table in the well lit and comfortably warm eating area. We order, eat, and gossip well until past 1400. We discover loads of local business, do a gossip swap, and find out that the Saltaire festival is on right now. The bill is £20.40 and we both pay eagerly and leave. I am sorry to see our lunch date over. Tina is still worried that she is unwell. I reassure her and promise to be in touch tomorrow.


I go to the Delius Centre at 1430 to find out where the other volunteers are up to. I am not surprised to find that there are NO volunteers in sight. I speak with Darren about chemicals and bugger off for coffee at Spud Murphy's, where I natter with JR for 10 minutes about coming down to the Delius Centre and having a look at the place. We make a date for this Friday at 1430! Now, not wanting to go home and do the domestics, I go over to the YCC and hope to meet with Clare. More gossip and business. The it's 1600 and I am supposed to be meeting Vanja to have a look at her piano. I wait until 1645, and then she rings. She's just coming down, now, would I mind waiting? Of course I wouldn't. So, in the car back to V's house, we gossip in the stationary traffic about all things related to work, life, children, money, travel, happiness, and the rest. V has a lovely Victorian home that has been/ is being restored tastefully. I meet husband and piano and like them both. V's coffee and Baclava are wonderful. I promise to get back soon with a price on the instrument, having first of all checked to make sure that she's alright with selling it. She is.

I cannot but wonder what I did today! I had but lunch and the Delius Centre cleaning thing planned, yet I seem to have done not much. Can I please have more days like this? As long as I get paid!

The Voluntary Sector. . .

Not unless I can cure my addiction to the odd glass of wine and a good evening meal will I ever be able to get into a Vivienne Westwood half-belted trouser. Even her "etxra large" offering is around a 32 inch waist. Deplorable. That's about a couple of light years in diet pills and exercise away from where I am now, here on Planet "Angst". Anyway, that aside, I have been daydreaming less and less, and just for today, in the heat of this Indian Summer (that I said would never happen in a million years), I have focused on eating way less food. Sadly, I have drunk the odd glass more of wine. True, that for every glass of wine I consume, I down an equal volume of water, this has more to do with ensuring that the alcohol goes further than any innate health issues. Apparently, it was a crime in ancient Greece to drink undiluted wine unless for a medical issue . . .it looks like the BMA want to ban alcohol adverts here in the UK. Yes! Yes, indeed, they must be MAD! If people want to drink, then they will. And they will do crack, H, unprotected sex, cigarettes, and indulge in a Smorgasboard of adult behaviours that are undoubtedly bad for body and soul, but would seem like a good idea at the time. I am certain that a lot of these every so filthy habits are really quite good for the economy, both local and national.

Why have I volunteered to work in the Delius Centre today? I am having lunch with my colleague and friend, TL, at 1230, an event that I am very much looking forward to. I hope that we have the chance to go to Floor 6 at the College? Anyhow, back to reality. At the last Board meeting - last week, I volunteered to help with some DIY issues, including getting the Victorian floor tiles in the entrance hall free of gloss paint and other contaminants. I have a selection of chemicals in the garage that will do, inlcuding Nitromors paint stripper, but do I have old clothing?????

I have, just this morning, been offered more teaching slots. Thank you! Thank you, to whatever Gods there are listening right now. The class that I lost that was scheduled for tomorrow night - Flash Animations - cancelled last week due to poor numbers - has now been replaced with two more: Digital Imaging courses that run until June 2010. So, I am obviously glad that these hours come in, and since my University course slots appear to be Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings, I could be okay? That's the theory anyhow. Let's see when it starts to get a litte hairy. That will be down to someone at the College "accidentally" deleting my log on credentials, or not paying me, etc. In fact, I must go down there today and see Payroll about outstanding monies. I am really trying to make sure that I am fully diarised, and have my teaching appointments for all to see on Google, and on my website at www.johnarmstrong.me.uk

The Lendal Bridge

I was convinced that the day would not be a scorcher by any stretch of the imagination, and so I had several layers of clothing on. Most of the items were mine, but I did "borrow" some bits and pieces from Johnnie Boy! In fact, I did not feel the benefit of my multiple layers, despite the late summer sun, until well after the Chinese Buffet (adjacent to the York Bus Station and round the back of Aviva) sometime around14.30 hours. Excellent value for money at £17.00 in total with drinks and two courses each (as much as we could eat in an hour and a half). We parked up near the Mound, and were disappointed to find the our Mercedes driver's door had been badly dented by some arse (in a crap car) when we came to leave the town, around three hours later. Shan't be going back to York for some time.

In the interim , we "did" York Museum. Shame. The "Museum" has a collection of enviable pieces from antiquity, but the exhibition methodology is straight out of the 1970s. Where was the multimedia? What happened to a guidebook? Audio? There were several pamphlets (I do mean "several") at a £1 each, but none of what we wanted nor needed to know about. The whole building was poorly lit, with disparate displays poorly linked. Items in display cases lacked decent-sized descriptions. As I said, where were the multimedia units? I can only view a drawing of a medieval "palace" once before I get bored to the point of screaming, so what chance of younger people when confronted with yet another (excellent) crayon sketch of "what it might have been like". Not worth the £5 each to get inside. I dearly desired to pay another £2 or £3 just to get outside again in double quick time just as soon as I realised that the place was a maze in the style of museums of my youth. At least the gardens and ruins surrounding the venue were lovely and worth the free walk through.

Coffee was great in Starbucks! I would have loved to have said that we found a great little book-lined independent café near the Minster. This would have been untrue, despite looking for one such for almost 30 minutes. The Starbucks we found was small, ancient, welcoming, clean, and within a stone's throw of the Minster - just off Minstergate - opposite "Shared Earth". Super for people watching through the great big bow windows at street level.

Changes

Renovations have stalled completely, due to other commitments right now, so that leaves me with a half-demolished set of cupboards in the hall, with exposed pipework and all the attendant mess. Stunning. We hope to get James the Electrician back in the next few weeks to move the distribution / fuse box so that Frank can then build a new carcass with sliding mirror doors to give extra storage and a larger hall.

My old Unit (ESU) is to be absorbed by City Training Services - probably before October. These changes were outlined in sketch last Monday at BC in a hurried meeting chaired by POB. Not that many were surprised at all. The numbers were two, in fact, MA and her absent mate. This was only my 2nd week of working PT in this unit, in open anticipation of September, when I will have more teaching hours than I had earlier in the year, and will more than likely would have had have to jack ESU in anyhow.


The class that I has last night was a success - we met at the library and took a tour of the Grove and the facilities there. Due to early closing at 20.00, we had to leave in the pouring rain, whereupon we toddled off to the Sir Titus Salt for coffees and a group discussion. We have two more sessions after this week according to my records - just going to prove that teaching can take place throughout the year.


I am hoping to get more hours to fill in the gaps via activities with my colleague, RSAB, so I continue to assist with new clients like PACE and advise on funding, etc. I have also been approached by Huddersfield  to deliver web design training, and I also want to focus on an education and training programme for the Delius Centre together with Factory Street Studios. The next class that I am scheduled to give for Miguel is not until the week of 15th September, so I have a little time to make other commitments should there be hiccups or let downs.


Very much looking forward to the Factory Street Studios Opening Party on 25th September!

Bank Holiday Mode

Amy Eden started promoted the Opening Party at the Factory Street Recording Studios today, for Friday 21st September! So, be there, network like crazy, and support us, is the message.

Obviously, I have promoted this event on my own website and have also asked certain friends and colleagues who could benefit and bring benefits, such as Marilyn and Col, Sharron, and RSAB, etc.

I can see the end coming for Facebook, certainly in this household! Ning looks to be a better bet, and I am already a part of Linkedin, both of which are social interactive sites for adults. So, I implore my colleagues, students, and friends to have a look around at other social networking sites, and then make the leap! Even I have my own social interactive components (Elgg) in the Armstrong website and also the Delius web.

We're off to an auction on Anlaby Road this morning. We had a preview last night, not long after Johnnie had got home from work. There was a lot of high end, commercial catering equipment up as Lots - looked like a hotel or Kebaberia had had a complete clear out. There were steel tables, gas cookers, deep fat fryers, grills, industrial mixers, rice boliers, kebab machines, coffee makers and the like. So, now that we have our eye on a thing or two, we're off at around 10.00, after which we'll probably go and see Simon at the Walton Street Market.

The Quiet of August

Now that I have the Dell back, I can catch up with all the work that I should have done in the last 2 weeks! Isn't that a wondrous prospect? No? Thought not.

The forecast for East Yorkshire is not good for today, nor indeed for the next few days, which will include the weekend. Not that we have any faith left in the Met Office, of course! I think that their funding should now be cut: after the huge expenditure of the last 10 years, a failure to improve indicates to me that they are not able to. Get rid now and and go back to chalk and board.

Thoughts of purchasing natural daylight bulbs from Amazon and other suppliers were far from mind as the sun streamed in through the gap in the bedroom blind. However, being aware that this is the last Bank Holiday weekend of the year, I am very cognizant that summer, and hence sunlight are fading, FAST. So, off we headed to Planet Coffee on Newland Avenue and ordered several "Obscene" sized drinks. "Ah, the sun!" I thought, relaxing back in my stylish alfresco chair.

Before you know it, October half-term will be upon us, along with Halloween, a sea of deadly hot toddy recipes, small-talk of Christmas Economics, and inane 'conversations' commencing, "What's on'telly, then?" Yes, the Northern Hemisphere is exiting warmth and light, and within mere weeks, we will be lighting up first thing in the morning, and before 18.00 in the evening. No wonder, then, that many take to drink in the winter months. If I do the same, it will be down to informed choice and not solely attributable to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Why? Well, because this year, I am purchasing a pair of full spectrum, daylight light boxes and several of the same light bulbs for both our homes. All of us are affected to some degree by the short days and the grey skies, so this Autumn/ Winter we come prepared and our Pineal glands won't know what's hit them.

Johnnie has gone to Kwik-Fit in order to get his front tyres replaced, since they have about a millimetre of tread above legality - a fact established by Mercedes-Benz when he took the car in for work on the brakes last week. So, I am thinking, do I do a light lunch of chicken and salad for us both, or do we skip and have a substantial eat out this evening? I decide on a bigger meal later this evening with Johnnie, and focus on Frank's dinner.

Found, this afternoon: the Bose iPod SoundDock and Amplifier. After making renewed acquaintance with the (simple) controls, we had a great boogie in the dining room to mainly 70s and 80s heroes of pop (Debbie Harry, you ARE a goddess, STILL) whilst cooking up meatloaf and a steak & kidney casserole with honey & mustard for Frank. Now, that's some choice. Even Patsy Stone benefited from the mood of the afternoon by slipping daintily down a small but quite bloody plate of chopped kidneys. She'll be fast asleep underneath the garage for most of the evening, right now. Better than cruising the streets like a rebel without a cause: "Just what is it you're rebelling against, Patsy Stone?"

Rainy Day

It rained extensively overnight. Sometime between nodding off at 03.15 and 08.30 this morning, I had a BIG nightmare. My Mind conjured up Technicolor images of some strange and twisted neighbour who was out to poison Cat with a sweet paste that he sprayed through the gateposts. In my nightmare the situation was made all the more real as events occurred here, in East Yorks, and not over in Bradford. Even in my sleep, it night, and raining hard, lending the potted begonias a fresh and glistening appeal in the garden lights. Losing the power of coherent speech in the real world above ground, I aimed to shout "Kill Him!" as I chased the culprit around the raised beds. I was doing nothing of the sort, of course, except thrashing in bed, screaming a mumbled jumble of animal noises. I think Johnnie and Cat woke up around 04.00, wondering what the hell I had been drinking?

Anyhow, that was last night, and today, I have loads to do. Number 1 is to ring Mercedes Benz of Hessle and get the car confirmed in. I aim to drop it off at 10.00 and return home in the courtesy car.

My hit list for this week consists of:

1. Forms and paperwork for RB

2. PACE - forms and paperwork to do with TTG Enhancement Fund + costings and budget

3. Speculative bid and business outline for SEM and analytical equipment in Bradford

4. A Units for Johnnie

5. Getting my PC back from DELL and updating the Delius website, amongst other things

Mercedes rang just a little after 12.30 to let me know that they had identified a defect on the car's rear door/ window, and that a whole new unit would have to be ordered. That means that tomorrow! I will have to continue to use the A Class that they have given over to me as a courtesy. No complaints here. What are they going to do with Frank's SMART, then, as it is still booked in for tomorrow morning? It looks like this has the same generic defect? Let's watch this space . . .

I have just been to the local TESCO off Beverley Road, where the self-service checkout queues were almost 12 deep. Note to self - don't go shopping for food at this time, not unless you do Lidl or Aldi. Lots of half-price booze, mainly Australian Shiraz, on display, so I obviously loaded the basket with a couple. I had forgotten that I had a telephone interview scheduled for 17.00 - REED Education had rung earlier to check my availability, and I has said "yes!" So, I was multi-tasking, stocking up with kitty-litter and other essentials as I loafed around the store answering questions as to my suitability for a role in Leeds.

Quite a productive day today, but I need to get more done ASAP in the next 4 weeks: I feel guilty as hell that I am not in work and miss Johnnie whilst he is out at work . . .modern life, eh!

New Projects and Twin Cities

I want to focus on the Delius Centre this coming week by ensuring that I have some meetings and conversations, at the very least with people like Maria Mousawi @ BC,Chris Howson (Delius) and other Directors, Sarah at Interlude, and people in business in the city to pull together some events and a programme of activity for 2009-2010. I will be concentrating in a separate Blog my activities in more detail.

I am putting the finishing touches to my novel, which has already got a publisher. I hope to complete the schedule of work that the publicist has requested. It has been a very changeable and varied four years of life, and I hope to communicate the travels, trials and tribulations of my family, friends, and some colleagues during this time of great change. Although working in Bradford, I must confess that East Yorkshire is a great place to get away from it all: although the journey along the M62 motorway to the Leeds-Bradford conurbation to work and business can be a bit of a pain, I think that we are lucky that we are able to do this: work with fantastic people (you KNOW who you ARE!) and have more choices than we would necessarily by staying in the one city.

Kiss Me Off . . .

I was paid off yesterday, Friday afternoon, at around 1500. I was in HR photocopying and printing, enjoying the extensive and free use of the A3 colour printer that they have in their offices, when the Unit Head, P, came to see me, and asked that we "have a word". We went back to 13H, the office/cubicle/ex-photocopy cupboard, where SI , the HR Officer, was sat.

Without much audiable preamble from P, I was offered a month's salary without the work - instead of working out my notice, given 10 days ago, all I had to do was leave then and there. "Fabulous!!" I replied. "Oh, where do I sign?", I ventured, open eyed with greed and glee. "You'll have to hand in your security pass and any keys, and leave straight away." I gleefully retorted "Of Course!!" Obviously, I was gone in under 4 minutes, as I hardly needed to hear, much less listen, SI saying to me "You're a very lucky boy!". Verily!

Indeed, such was my high, with "nil extra" convincing of this state of affairs being required, even at my great 42 years of age, that unsure that my luck, nor boyish good lucks, would evaporate before I left the table, I bade leave in such an (unseemly) manner, that I virtually chucked these same requested items at R, beamed out "Good luck" at nobody in particular, took the fluffy monkey from my bottom drawer, and said my farewells to MJ in the office opposite.

In fact I went outside with her whilst she acted out digestion of my news over a Lambert in the shadow of the big building. Any sadness I had was reserved for not having been able to say "Bye" to L and A, etc.

I had noticed that attempts had been made to break into my email account in work from my arrival yesterday, so i made sure that I password-protected the Personal PST Outlook Files. You see, when I send myself an email later in the evening, it was not bounced back. So, R must be reading the incoming comms. As I said at the time, good luck . . . EnSu is in the toilet and the people left behind know it.

I dropped my Thermos flask in the back of the SMART and made my way to the YCC, where I caught up with CP, CH (Delius) and CL (Ex-Delius) prepping for a meeting. Obviously, I was just in the nick of time, and was invited to join in.

Later, before I had embarked on the longish drive home to Hull, I rang MM of Community to set up some activities in Delius, and also RSAB to let hom know of the status of my departure - projects involving me would not be unless there was a firm committment from BC, now. Watch this space, as they say.

Down Town . . .

Bradford is looking kinda, well, rough! like a lot of Bradford people, I am tired of the aesthetics and feel of the place. Just look at this, for example, the main thoroughfare into the City, and people, whether they like it or not, zip by in their cars and see this.

This is one of the latest news articles today:

http://www.localgov.co.uk/index.cfm?method=news.detail&id=81136

We have a huge hole on the other side of town where the Westfield Shopping complex should have been rising into the sky, and only around the corner, close to the University, is another half-finished, but practically dead, city-centre apartments development. The latter has now been left languishing since last summer.



These signs are not encouraging. How can people be tempted to invest in Bradford when we have such a sight at the iconic and decaying towers, complete with summer foliage, casually greeting visitors. Would it not be better to rip them down or shield them from view until we have a definite way forward???? How much does it cost to keep this rotting shell on an acre of prime city real estate? Opposite this, is the old police station, now virtually derelict, and sporting a 25 foot sign proclaiming that it is "To let". No way, Jose. Not in this economic climate, not without parking, and not looking out onto that view.



I implore people to join in with local projects, talk to their MPs and councillors, and pitch in with ideas against this, this tide of apathy.

DELL . . .

We're posing here on the terrace at Harewood House, as it is a lovely, sunnay day, and Johnnie has never been before. I would highly recommend a visit by anyone, but please be warned, save aside a whole day for appreciating the house and all it has to offer before enjoying the extensive gardens and terrace. Bring a good camera, as you will treasure the pictures for years to come. We used a Canon PowerShot A620 (a great buy from a colleague, Saudagar, in 2008).

My Dell Laptop (Inspiron 1525) was bought last summer in a Kingston-Upon-Hull branch of Tesco. I had to have a new laptop at that time, as I was finishing off a Uni course and needed to get my work done. The ACER Aspire 3630 that I had was good, but had poor capacity on the HDD. The DELL is a VISTA machine - I was suspicious at the time - and altough representing good value for money on paper, gave me huge problems for over three weeks, culminating in a call to Microsoft's VISTA Helpline, and not long thereafter, the machine had to be totally reinstalled and then all my old docs and files restored. That was sooooooooooooo MUCH FUN! I could have thrown it out of the window back then.

The honeymoon period never was - the time frame between payment, and unpacking in the dining room was too narrow to be called a honeymoon - but there was instead a time, between September 08 and December, when the machine behaved in an expected manner. That behavious broke down in the New Year, and the laptop now spends considerable amounts of MY time unexpectedly overheating and shutting off. THIS IS NOT good!

Today I have been on the phone to DELL support (very good), who have decided (quite quickly) to collect the laptop from my home and return it around the 14th August. I am happier, but I am not happy at the prospect of having to go 10 days without my PC. I will probably never buy a DELL again. Let's see what happens re this issue before I pass further comment. I have to backup all of my files today and tonight, and still do the work that I need to do!

Mad Weekend Unplanned . . .

I and Johnnie gave up our Sunday morning to travel to Bridlington & Community Hospital, in order to man Johnnie's marketing and promotions stand at the "Open Day" Not Occupational Therapy, but "Productive Community Hospital Project". We set up his PCH Blog late on Sunday night/ Monday morning, however, the URL of said Blog eludes me right now. More information later.

After we had finished in Bridlington Hospital, we fancied a spot of lunch in the town and off we went for cash and a seat at "Audrey's" Chippie on the main drag, opposite the bus stops and loos! I ordered fish cakes and Johnnie had the large, battered fish. It was nudging 22 degrees inside the chippie. At last, we managed to get through to Karen on her mobile, and she joined us just as we were wincing at the instant coffee and making for the stairs and the exit to the street.

"TSB's Bar" for coffee was much better - located behind Audrey's Fish 'n' Chips - on the High street where the market is held. Anyway, I did a circuit of the charity shops and managed to find some bargains in the form of a silk scarf and a book, whilst the other two caught up on gossip. We eventually made our way around the harbour ("Wendy's Waffles", and "Shell World" are still there (!)) ending up finally at yet another coffee shop near to the pelican crossing rock shop adjacent the harbour entrance. We bade our farewells and left - like most people - around 16.30

Knackered, we had a lie down when we got back to Hull. Then we started with the web development stuff for Johnnie's little projects, along with mine.

Looking forward to Wednesday, when we can clear Viv's name at work and more forward. Never have I worked in such a place before. I can see me resigning formally within the next 7-10 days.

Welcome to my very posting of my Blog "Peel Park" that will document my happenings as a resident, tutor, and web developer in Bradford, West Yorkshire.

Some of the projects that I am involved with already are listed here:

Bradford College - www.bradfordcollege.ac.uk
Delius Centre - www.deliuscentre.org.uk
Jon Armstrong - www.johnarmstrong.me.uk

I hope that I have not taken on too much, but feel, that with changes afoot at Bradford College with the complete (!) of my department by City Training Services (www.citytraining.org.uk), and my opting to go part-time as External Projects Coordinator in anticipation of my present unit's failure, I plan to have more productive time for CPD, Education and Training, property development, and most importantly, family and pet personal projects.

So, please watch this space . . . and, contribute!