What do you think of while you are painting? What are the thoughts that enter your head as you drag the brush over the skirting boards or pull the emulsion filled roller over the walls? How do you relieve the boredom of painting? It’s not so bad when you have something intricate to do such … Continue reading Painting
Customer satisfaction
Today I have been to a great event laid on by the Institute of Customer Service Institute of Customer Service It was one of their regular forums but this time the subject was measuring and using customer satisfaction. This builds on the recently announced figures by the institute on their UK Customer Satisfaction Index July … Continue reading Customer satisfaction
The role of physics in local government1
Physics, chemistry, biology and local government, that is the order in which they evolved on this earth. It is probably then same across the universe. There is definitely physics throughout time and space and certainly chemistry and it is very likely that there is biology beyond our own little sphere. If there is and there … Continue reading The role of physics in local government1
Lilliput on rails
If you don’t believe in parallel universes then you should have made a visit to the Parks Sports Centre at North Shields to see the model railway exhibition at Railex North East 2012. With forty different layouts, fourteen different demonstrations and twenty three different traders it was some event. The exhibition space took up the … Continue reading Lilliput on rails
Berwick Rangers
Today was a great day on the south bank of the Tweed. It was the most exciting thing to happen in Berwick, England’s most northerly town, since the last most exciting thing to happen there. It was the day that Glasgow Rangers, one of Scotland’s biggest football clubs and former darlings of the Scottish Premier … Continue reading Berwick Rangers
Causey Burn
The noise of the huffing and puffing of the engine made its way across the burn and through the trees to the old waggon way high up on the banks of the gorge. A short blast on the whistle told that the engine was on its way. It was struggling to pick up speed and … Continue reading Causey Burn
GCSE results
This year’s General Certificate of Secondary Education results are out and they’ve got worse for the first time in twenty four years. The percentage of students who got the top grades was down from 69.8% to 69.4%. That’s bad news! Standards are no longer improving, fewer students are achieving better results and the quality of … Continue reading GCSE results
Affordable Housing
Affordable housing is a phrase that has slipped into the vernacular; it was all over Radio 4 this morning. It makes sense doesn’t it? We should be providing housing that is affordable, that people can buy or that people can rent. But all housing is affordable as long as it is occupied. As long as … Continue reading Affordable Housing
On the radio
Today I have done something for the first time, something that I have never done before; I have been on the radio. Not a national station but Bishop FM 105.8 serving the towns and villages in that corner of Durham. I’m not sure how it came across for the listening public but on reflection it … Continue reading On the radio
London
London, ah London, the centre of the known universe, the most happening city on the face of the globe, the place where all life exists. If it doesn’t happen here then it hasn’t existed, everywhere else is in its shade, nothing happens in its purlieus. It’s a polyglot, a veritable tower of babel with millions … Continue reading London
Thoughts from a Guerrilla Worker 