As Holocaust Memorial day draws to close I would like to pay tribute to Primo Levi, an Italian atheist of Jewish decent and a survivor of the Auschwitz concentration camp. I first became aware of him when I read his book ‘The Periodic Table’ (Il sistema periodico), a collection of short stories retelling his days … Continue reading Primo Levi
The states of traffic
This is not my idea but traffic exists in three states, gas, liquid and solid. You are driving along, the road is relatively clear in front. You pass the odd car and lorry here and there, slowing down occasionally to avoid a collision or speeding up to overtake. There is very little interaction between your … Continue reading The states of traffic
The love of Deltics part 1
My passion for trains is a product of my education. I didn’t go to a boarding school but the place was sufficiently like Hogwarts to have houses, societies and clubs for eager and willing pupils. I hung my hat on the Railway Soc. mainly because, at the time I was living in Durham but going … Continue reading The love of Deltics part 1
The sin of classification
Of all the sins that befall mankind, the most deadly is the sin of classification. We do it all the time, we just can’t help ourselves. From the moment that we are born we are measured, judged and classified. Weight, colour of eyes, nationality, parental status and even religion, it never stops. We are numbered, … Continue reading The sin of classification
The flight of the teabag
It can take a long time for the kettle to boil. While you’re waiting, why not test your skill and dexterity with a game of teabag quoits? It’s a simple game. Place the teacup, or target on the bench, ready for the hot water. Take a few steps back, take aim and try and throw … Continue reading The flight of the teabag
The man in the silver Volkswagen
There is a man in Durham. He drives a silver Volkswagen. He parks it in a lane near to County Hall, near to the museum. I see him when I park there in the morning and I see him when I leave again in the evening. I see him when I drive past and I … Continue reading The man in the silver Volkswagen
Conduits
Disaster has struck my home town. Not an earthquake or a fire. Not even a flood, though we’ve had our fair share of these. No, something completely different. They’ve installed a one way system! The whole town has been thrown into chaos and confusion. Streets you could drive down both ways are restricted to one … Continue reading Conduits
Coffee or tea?
A couple of beverage related tales. Tale number 1 A colleague of mine created an alphanumeric method to note which drinks people wanted in a meeting. It was a form of abbreviations that made the recording of requirements, neat, efficient and effective. It’s quite simple really. You start with the type of drink you want, … Continue reading Coffee or tea?
The Age of Maps
There are some changes in the way that you work that you really notice and there are others that just seem to creep up on you. When I started my first job, computers were very rare, with just the odd green screen on a counter to handle transactional processing. Eventually they became much more common, … Continue reading The Age of Maps
Anyone for tennis?
Ah, the tennis season has started again with the first major of the year. At one time, the prospect of the Australian Open would leave me cold. Tennis was a game which held no interest for me, with its strange terminology, illogical scoring and whiff of elitism. The last thing that you would see me … Continue reading Anyone for tennis?
Thoughts from a Guerrilla Worker 