New Moreton Hall After-School Club

While we are talking Education, both the little ones go to Sebert Wood CP School. Then after school they go to after school club at New Moreton Hall Pre-School in the Children's Centre just across the school car park. They love it and all its facilities and activities. They get picked up at 5:30pm, and sometimes, on a Friday, when it's my turn to collect them, I have to drag them away!

King Edward VI School - Intake Interviews

In September, Big Miss will be going to King Edward VI Upper School, still known around Bury St. Edmunds as KEGS, from its days as a grammar school. They are currently running a set of "intake interviews" for new pupils and their parents. So on Thursday evening I set off early from Telford to get there for our 7:30-8:00pm slot.

She looked a bit nervous when I collected her. We had to take all sorts of information along with us, including her birth certificate to prove who she was, and a sample of her work at Middle School to present.

She needn't have worried. After filling in all the forms, the genial deputy headmaster, Mr. Rees, took us to a table to check over the forms and have a bit of a chat. He asked Big Miss to present her work - she had chosen a poster she had done on Electromagnetism. She did well and Mr Rees said he had learnt something new, which pleased her. He remarked on how unusual it was to find a girl who was keen on physics and was also impressed with the range of her musical prowess. They then had a good discussion about all the extra-curricular things she will be able to do and the famous school meals. I said I would like to have them myself. He finished by saying he thought she would be an asset to the school. Now she was really happy!

Then it was on to choosing school uniform. Rather hilariously, the smallest size of everything she tried on was plenty big enough for her. Room for some growing before September then.

But what about the parent? Well I think I passed the interview too!

East Anglian Beer Festival 2008

This is one of my favourite weekends of the year. Yes, it is the annual East Anglian Beer Festival, now in its 17th year and this year providing 72 local real ales and 10 real ciders. The standard seems to get better every year.

The best time to go, to my mind, is the Friday lunchtime and it's a great use of a half-day's holiday. The Bury St. Edmunds Corn Exchange makes a fine location, especially convivial with sunshine streaming through the skylights.

At the Friday lunchtime session all the beers were still on - at least I found all the ones I looked for from the programme. The stillage is an impressive sight.

Of course, there are only so many of the beers you can try in a session without falling down, and this year they have introduced 1/3 pint measures to let you try more. I stuck to 1/2 pints, though, and returned yesterday afternoon to add a few more to my list from Friday (and meet up with a couple of singing pals).

So what gets my vote this time? I started with Bartrams Rougham Ready (3.6%), which was on great form and very tasty, and also enjoyed Spectrum Brewery's Light Fantastic (3.7%), Tindall Ales Liberator (3.8%) and Waveney Brewery's Lightweight (3.9%). Double ticks in my scoring scheme went to both the Oakham Ales beers - Jeffrey Hudson Bitter (3.8%) and Bishop's Farewell (4.6%). (My equivalent list for 2006 is here - it shows I'm consistent!).

But my beer of the festival (I did taste less than a third of those on offer, though), was the Crouch Vale Amarillo (5.0%). 3 ticks for that one!

Rabbit Pie Day

I was treated to a song at breakfast time today...

On the farm,
Ev'ry Friday
On the farm,
It's rabbit pie day
So ev'ry Friday,
that ever comes along
I get up early,
And sing this little song...

Yes Little Miss is learning World War II songs at school. And do you know what the song is yet? Everyone knows the chorus...
Run, rabbit, run, rabbit, run, run, run...
You can get the music here.

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator - I'm an INTP

A couple of months ago I was asked to take a personality test at work, to determine my Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. The test is a questionnaire designed to identify certain psychological differences according to the theories of Carl Jung. Some academics have criticized the indicator as not being based on sound theoretical basis, but it is quite popular and seems to have reasonable predictive powers as to behaviour.

The model is described quite well here, but, in summary, works by examining 4 opposite pairs of ways of thinking or acting:

Extraversion/Introversion - whether you prefer to act and interact with people or things or think and reflect

Sensing/Intuition - do you prefer to gather concrete information or do you trust information that is more abstract and theoretical

Thinking/Feeling - do you make decisions from a logical, detached viewpoint or do you look at the situation from the inside and empathise

Judging/Perceiving - this dimension describes how you look at the outside world - do you prefer to have matters settled or keep things open

The 16 possible combinations give the Myers-Briggs personality types. There are plenty of places to take the test online. My Personality Info lets you create a badge for your blog, like this...


So does it predict how I behave? Well, firstly, it's pretty consistent with the results of the test I did at work. When I did it there, I had an interesting discussion with the assessor around my 'JP' dimension. The important thing in doing the test is to describe how you would prefer to behave not necessarily what you would do. I found I had learned lots of 'J' behaviour to get by in my professional life, but that, actually, I prefer just to go with the flow like a 'P'.

Once you've established your profile you can find lots of material about your personality type. Here and here are only some of the descriptions of an INTP-type person and here's how they can behave at work.

As an INTP, I am, of course a bit of a sceptic and aware of the Forer Effect that writers of horoscopes etc. rely on. Nevertheless, I think there is at least some truth in what it says about me. The most significant thing I've learned is that, by nature, I prefer not to organise people or things, which explains why I find it hard to do. So don't go asking me to organise a p*****p in a brewery!

Match of the Day

"Dad, can you help me?", asked Little W. He had decided he wanted to build his Lego space shuttle again. "Dad, have you got any batteries?" - well that bit was easy to fix. But finding all the bits to match the assembly instructions was less easy...

Yes. All the Lego pieces were in one large box - actually that picture shows only half the story. If we pan out you can see the solution...
Yes. The Lego Sorters were hard at work matching all the pieces of the same colour. Keep going - only another 2000 pieces to sort and match!

Update: This is what it looks like now...

That's better!

Weeting Castle

It was the day we went to the Devil's Punchbowl and we thought we would go somewhere else before we went home. "I know somewhere we haven't been", I said. Weeting Castle is not far from Brandon, on the B1106 - here on the map. So we went to see.

It is actually the ruin of moated manor house, rather than a castle, but no matter. The most recognisable part of the main structure is the remains of the Great Hall.

There are plenty of stone walls to be told off for clambering on!

The ice house is still pretty well intact, though.

Quite interesting, with some informative signs from English Heritage, but not a place I would go out of my way to visit. I thought St. Mary's church next door was much more interesting!

Gonville and Caius College Annual Gathering

About every 10 years I get an invite to an Annual Gathering of my old Cambridge college, Gonville and Caius. For some reason or another I missed both the previous two, but this year I decided I would go. And I was very glad I did; I had a great time.

The dinner itself is free, but for £33.50 I got to stay overnight and have breakfast in the morning. I was given a room in Harvey Court, which is where I stayed in my first year in college (1976-7).

It doesn't seem to have changed a bit, beyond network socket and more power outlets in the rooms. I discovered at dinner later why that is - it is now a listed building. Quintessential 1960's, apparently.

The main part of the college itself in in the centre of Cambridge - at the end of Kings Parade, next to the Senate House. They had the college flag flying proudly.

I missed the commemoration service in the chapel, unfortunately, but was there for the drinks before dinner. It is a bit unusual these days to find such formality - black tie and academic dress, for those who merit it, but it does add to the atmosphere. Dinner was held in the hall.

It looks pretty much as I remember it, but there are some new windows, including a stained glass DNA strand, and a couple of new portraits, including one of Stephen Hawking, probably the most famous living member of the college.

The meal, or maybe I should say "feast", was excellent. Pigeon Salad, Sea Bass, Medallions of Beef and a "Poudinge" were followed by a break where the seating was rearranged and then dessert, coffee, toasts and the Master's speech followed. Along the way we were treated to 6 different wines and some fine singing from the balcony from the justly renowned college chapel choir, culminating in us all joining in the college song (I didn't even know there was one).
Then there were further drinks afterwards.

Of the 150 or so people there, I knew only 2 of them well, but that didn't matter. It was really interesting to hear what some others had got up to in the last 30 years or so. Over dessert I sat next to someone who, although a year younger than me was already retired. A lawyer, he had, as someone said, "crammed a lifetime's chargeable hours into 20 years" and didn't need to do any more. Am I envious?

In the morning it was back to hall for the breakfast. I walked through Kings College on my way there. I had forgotten how fabulous Cambridge looks on a bright spring morning.

It's odd, but we never go to Cambridge, even though it is only 40 minutes from Bury St Edmunds. Probably because it's not really a place for kids to visit. But maybe we should try it some time.

Lynford Arboretum

Previously, whenever we've been to Lynford Lakes and Arboretum we've parked at the start of the Zig-zag covert walk, but this Sunday we decided to do the walk starting from the other end, at the arboretum - just past the Lynford Hall itself.

We had a few little snow flurries as we walked, including some perfectly formed little flakes, like this one in Big Miss' hair.

Watch out for the ducks while you are walking there. They come pestering for food.

But we had nothing for them this time - who forgot to bring their bread, then?

The hall itself is a hotel. It looks like a very pleasant place to stay.

They do bar meals. Maybe we should try them next time.

50 Not Out

I'm not sure I can believe it. I am 50 years old today! And there's so much I haven't experienced yet. Well time for a resolution, then - to continue to seek out new things to learn and do. And here's the first. "You've always said how you wanted to play the saxophone. Why don't you get one for you birthday?" asked The Missus. So I did. Courtesy of Balaam's Music, I got an ex-rental Jupiter Alto Saxophone for a very reasonable price. I got started with Andy Hampton's Saxophone Basics and could play myself Happy Birthday by 10 am.

So this afternoon we had the first rehearsal for the Tassel Jazz Band, featuring Big Miss on trumpet, Little Miss on piano, Little W on percussion and me on saxophone.

Apologies to the neighbours - it was quite racket! And, guys, next time, why don't we try all playing the same music in the same key at the same time?

Dunwich Heath

While I've been back at work, the rest of the family have still been on holiday. They've been to the coast again - without me! They went to Dunwich Heath, just a few miles down the Suffolk coast from Southwold and a regular favourite. So here are some pictures from the last time we went there. See if you can guess when it was.

At the top of the cliff, with the car-park next to them, are the old Coastguard cottages.

There are an Observation room, tea-room and gift shop there, but stay away from the cliff edge in case it collapses under you!

There is a range of walks available around the heath and through the adjoining woods and wetland, with plenty of wildlife to spot. We saw this small group of deer on the heath...

The nature reserve adjoins Minsmere, so it's great for bird-spotting too. The water and reeds make a typical East Anglian landscape in winter.

And then there's the beach. Here, for once, is a photo without me behind the camera.

The beach goes on and on, but we returned to the Coastguard cottages for a picnic.

Have you guessed when it was yet? With the low winter sun, the Sizewell nuclear power station, just a bit further down the coast, looks a bit menacing.

Still can't guess? Well it was Boxing Day 2007. Mild enough for a picnic. I'm not sure it will be this weekend, from the forecast!

The Red Screen of Death

I find it somewhat ironic that I'm doing some work on technology strategy, including looking at the implications of using social networking and blogging sites for business, and this is what I get if I try and access my own blog from my work computer...

Known colloquially as the 'Red Screen of Death' it is the price of the need for security over free access to the web. It's somewhat galling though to find, on accessing my sitemeter statistics, that while I can't get at it, some of my visitors are former colleagues catching up on me from their work computers. Ho hum.