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For some reason I ended up in church at an organ recital on Saturday night.  Don’t ask why as it is too long a story.  In the end I did enjoy it yet the king of instruments, as the organ is often referred to, is not my thing.  I find it all a bit too … Continue reading An organ app

I always like to have someone else with me when I am doing the presentations to ICT Services.  There are two real reasons.  The first is that I don’t think it’s great to hear me banging on all the time and having someone else there gives the audience (and me) a break.  The second is … Continue reading Volunteer Gary

Coming down on the train to London Neil and I sat next to a group of people heading to a conference in Eastbourne.  The carriage was full.  It was overly hot and felt like a cattle truck.  The group were mostly women and worked in adventure playgrounds.  Many of them worked for North Tyneside Council, … Continue reading How lucky

E-safety, security and safeguarding are very important issues.  They are subjects that we can never take our eyes off.  There is an arms race going on between those who wish to preserve our online security and those who wish to take advantage of it.  It is like the physical life we lead.  There are good … Continue reading E-safe hands

A drive into Teesdale can be a pleasant affair.  I love the small towns that are dotted across the dale.  Staindrop is a peach with Raby castle and its deer parks.  The prospect of a drive to a small industrial unit just outside Barnard Castle was a little more daunting, however, especially in the dark … Continue reading Teesdale broadband

Can it really be three years since I became the chair of the North East ICT Managers group?  It’s only a small outfit but it is something that I really enjoy being part of.  Tempus fugit as they say around here, especially when you are enjoying yourself.  It covers the ICT departments of the seven … Continue reading Three years of @NEICT

Wow, what an excellent schools conference we had on Friday.  Apart from some minor issues with the technology (there were plenty of ICT people in the house) it was our best by far.  Amanda said that they get better and better every time and so the next one has to be even better.  Having it … Continue reading An excellent schools conference

A workshop on ‘Engaging Citizens Online’ sounded up my street.  It was only a short event focussed mainly on social care applications and was at Rainton Bridge between Durham and Sunderland.  Keith, one of my colleagues was giving a presentation.  He did a good job. Of course it wasn’t clear from the title whether we … Continue reading Engaging citizens online