Here’s some Spring colour to brighten up the blog!

Peacock outside our house

Governor’s holiday ends

My rest from being a school governor seems to have drawn to a close.

While Vicar of Neston and Gastard I was governor of two schools in the parish: I enjoyed the camaraderie and sense of contributing to something worthwhile. I stopped these in 2005 as I started my new job with CMS.

I have been invited by Wiltshire County Council to be a governor of Corsham Regis Primary School, in Corsham, and look forward to joining the team.

Another new hobby

I am surprised to write that I have joined an evening life drawing class in Bath. Joshua wanted to improve his art skills to help with his future career and university application. I decided that it would be easier to join in than to drive backwards and forwards delivering and collecting him.

Besides, “join an art class” is on my unwritten list of things to do before I'm 90 (no, I'm not nearly there – just a little over half way).

I've never done life drawing before, and not attempted much drawing since I left school when I did not think I was much good at it. I was surprised how much I enjoyed it and that I created somethng recognisable at the first session!

Heathrow Terminal Five

If I were to write that the launch of the new terminal at London's Heathrow Airport seems a sad affair, as much reported in the news, that would not do justice to the inconvenience experienced by the many passengers who became separated from their luggage.

Being an engineer at heart, I felt I had to enquire how extensive the commissioning within the project had been of the luggage handling system. Before opening the terminial, to what extent had they tried to simulate the arrival of aeroplanes full of luggage?

I e-mailed British Airways to ask their “Corporate Responsibility” department. They suggested I contacted British Airports Authority (BAA) who had “responsibility for” the terminal. They did not reply to my e-mail.

Surely there are serious corporate responsibility issues here? On the one hand this is just a private project. On the other hand, quite apart from the cost to someone of reuniting baggage with passengers scattered across the world, the cost to the country of the wasted time of so many passengers stranded at the airport is mind-boggling. If this were due to negligent project management, would the guilty firm get fined for this kind of thing?

This has not been a perfect project (but whatever is?) however hopefully once it is working we shall have some national pride in the finished product. I hope too that there has been some pride among the engineering team – at least before opening day. That is why I am also surprised that I have not been able to find some chronicle of the project plans on the internet.

Filming in Church Street

Today as we went out for a celebration meal we discovered filming going on a few yards from our house. See 3 photos.

Filming Tess of the D’Urbervilles (1)

Filming Tess of the D’Urbervilles (2)

Divemaster and now teacher

I'm impressed with Steph. Having returned from Mexico with a PADI Divemaster qualification, she dropped in to see the manager of our local dive school. He immediately put her on the staff (part time) and gave her some work to do this week. Apparently women divemasters are in hot demand.