tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71509429592968428132024-03-05T09:03:42.582+00:00Tales from an English Coffee DrinkerI drink a lot of coffee (black no sugar), so much so that no matter what I'm doing I usually have a cup on hand. However, this isn't a blog just about coffee -- it's about anything I find interesting!Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418527698793489162noreply@blogger.comBlogger609125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150942959296842813.post-57143592582138949702015-12-24T18:33:00.001+00:002016-01-02T09:51:37.126+00:00Happy Christmas!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a author="Mark A. Greenwood" class="noimage lightwindow page-options" title="Happy Christmas!" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ0EM6iGGtPTC1EjoZBe0OBAmXk3Czoh_hp9sN9rUM8NTpeQJh05yKlMehqBIyDFT6-Rcxv8wASayvfkPDogqebU4ZsIEe-9yltTcn3cyN3OzMoqipLwySbwwLcl3nViwSz_umgwZrnVs/s1600/christmas-card.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" class="photo" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ0EM6iGGtPTC1EjoZBe0OBAmXk3Czoh_hp9sN9rUM8NTpeQJh05yKlMehqBIyDFT6-Rcxv8wASayvfkPDogqebU4ZsIEe-9yltTcn3cyN3OzMoqipLwySbwwLcl3nViwSz_umgwZrnVs/s700/christmas-card.png" /></a></div>Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418527698793489162noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150942959296842813.post-69515628701275905652015-06-16T18:08:00.000+01:002015-06-16T18:08:19.243+01:00Hummingbird Hawk-MothAs many of you will know Bryony is most definitely not a moth person yet I have her to thank for the subject of this post. We were heading out in the car yesterday when she spotted something larger hovering at the bottom of the drive. Her initial thought was a large insect and it wasn't until I took a closer look that I realised it was a Hummingbird Hawk-Moth (<i>Macroglossum stellatarum</i>).<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a author="Mark A. Greenwood" class="noimage lightwindow page-options" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi6Jdo6I_NiT92DV1hh1vx3BIw95CTL8znDea8hk2HxHxcWBEH6iLEiK30uU6mjXQIiLGfYFAy1DvWc9qEe_NL6EZkQCGRdyMEcpFRabOtRImF8TpvmVlXk4Uy4mqTLdRFkL4a81SfbD4/s1600/hummingbird1.jpg" title="Hummingbird Hawk-Moth"><img alt="" border="0" class="photo" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi6Jdo6I_NiT92DV1hh1vx3BIw95CTL8znDea8hk2HxHxcWBEH6iLEiK30uU6mjXQIiLGfYFAy1DvWc9qEe_NL6EZkQCGRdyMEcpFRabOtRImF8TpvmVlXk4Uy4mqTLdRFkL4a81SfbD4/s400/hummingbird1.jpg" style="margin: 5pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 360px;" /></a><a author="Mark A. Greenwood" class="noimage lightwindow page-options" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_jwiK33vW1_PZQR_zVw5Olc_p1hfes7YwsDk6AqKbgIHSoWoMI67PvxTTAkA6-v6eIl1QyJsVVg0PlkV6GOoLGDZNDyyafxS81u4CaheW8g_y7D_vGCEFOhyphenhyphenTfYkrM1omiVO-P3_DeA0/s1600/hummingbird2.jpg" title="Hummingbird Hawk-Moth"><img alt="" border="0" class="photo" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_jwiK33vW1_PZQR_zVw5Olc_p1hfes7YwsDk6AqKbgIHSoWoMI67PvxTTAkA6-v6eIl1QyJsVVg0PlkV6GOoLGDZNDyyafxS81u4CaheW8g_y7D_vGCEFOhyphenhyphenTfYkrM1omiVO-P3_DeA0/s400/hummingbird2.jpg" style="margin: 5pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 360px;" /></a></div><br />
I've never actually seen one before, although I think one put in a brief appearance at my sister-in-laws wedding which I saw as a shape flying away. Fortunately they are kind of hard to confuse with anything else.<br />
<br />
<a style="float:left; padding-right: 10px;"><img class="photo" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjddwdxTMtJBiO1kK8JQv0_HpOqr-5fDpqquPT1WDCZ_gvovaNvwJSB8ZZNGMk56xDIg65Ksv3yfE1K5NkbwqSpR3QnEiIYyfHd7b2sBNHTBn7mBPDhgLAQboXuCEL8AeRVSYghxksmcg0/s400/steady001.gif" /></a>After a few photos I thought I'd try a video to show you just why it's called a hummingbird hawk-moth. Unfortunately the camera was playing up (it's working fine now so I'm assuming operator error) and it kept stopping after recording just a second or so; the longest useful clip contained just 14 frames shot at 25 frames per second!<br />
<br />
Rather than showing the raw video I've cropped and processed it (a complex procedue that itself can and will fill a technical blog post at some point) to produce an animated GIF that loops around to give you an idea of how it behaves.<br />
<br />
I saw it again, briefly, this morning in the back garden but by the time I grabbed the camera it had gone. Hopefully it will be back and I'll get some better photos and video.Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418527698793489162noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150942959296842813.post-67581561186636012592015-04-02T16:12:00.000+01:002015-04-02T16:12:30.076+01:00The Political Futures Tracker<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrBeMawuYcEQqt9X8HGCf37gNAc6lEhCVcUtjTXHGziRuMi0Uw3lyVBPjHCgfLnaZK5Vyyru3e2zSZy82VdpWy52kLkZnetzB17W3aoHYCjFfCRg_EhZKTjG4TTxU503UE2Php52k_Uok/s360/nesta_political_futures_tracker_square_v1.jpg" /></div>I usually avoid politics, I certainly don't tend to air my political thoughts in public. Of course if you live in the UK then you can't really avoid politics at the moment as we now have just a month to go before the election. Not only will I be bombarded with leaflets and adverts but even my work is political at the moment. We've been working with <a href="http://www.nesta.org.uk/">Nesta</a> to develop the <a href="http://www.nesta.org.uk/news/political-futures-tracker">Political Futures Tracker</a> which <i>"tells us the top political themes, how positive or negative people feel about them, and how far parties and politicians are looking to the future"</i>. I've been spending a lot of time on this recently writing code, analysing data, and producing nice visualizations.<br />
<br />
Most of the work has been looking at how politicians use Twitter, but we are also analyzing the party manifestos as they become available. So if you want some (hopefully) unbiased analysis have a look at the <a href="http://www.nesta.org.uk/news/political-futures-tracker">six blog posts we've published so far</a> and keep an eye out for some live analysis this evening (<a href="https://twitter.com/WindsorGeorge">George's tweets</a> are probably the best live source).Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418527698793489162noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150942959296842813.post-87248069664080330022015-03-21T12:51:00.000+00:002015-03-21T12:51:32.026+00:00Solar EclipseLong time readers might remember that back in 2008 I managed to get <a href="http://englishcoffeedrinker.blogspot.co.uk/2008/08/partial-solar-eclipse.html">a photo of the partial solar eclipse</a> with the help of a few clouds to stop the camera just washing out. On that occasion there was only a small part of the sun that was obscured. Yesterday's eclipse was an altogether more impressive sight, and yet again the cloud cover was just perfect for taking photos with a normal digital camera.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a author="Mark A. Greenwood" class="noimage lightwindow page-options" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFw6mAioXQXI4fKFDb7UDIMSaYe3_OUyPJ3QNBRVISmbLa2_8_fj1mKZbXYNne6pnroSDwUb8ODYF6bnVKC2D2HuF7dRgdn5Nlz0EWCDLI0GzJEzP6KrvLWKSF9gpO8pQxwjszhR8qAxY/s1600/eclipse-922.jpg" title="Solar Eclipse at 9:22am"><img alt="" border="0" class="photo" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFw6mAioXQXI4fKFDb7UDIMSaYe3_OUyPJ3QNBRVISmbLa2_8_fj1mKZbXYNne6pnroSDwUb8ODYF6bnVKC2D2HuF7dRgdn5Nlz0EWCDLI0GzJEzP6KrvLWKSF9gpO8pQxwjszhR8qAxY/s400/eclipse-922.jpg" style="margin: 5pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 360px;" /></a><a author="Mark A. Greenwood" class="noimage lightwindow page-options" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLNC2ccRMIn4MJu-iPhqP4YKdN_U2ypLw6D8ABOfxWklBhkBdwCfQxsREYhl2vTMy7zDYHdblXIXoyipuYHiclJYNKIFcJIK1adtXj2Jlg764DWtz_xwe6WS9eoWqfI2GXwzIFm6t9XC8/s1600/eclipse-935.jpg" title="Solar Eclipse at 9:35am"><img alt="" border="0" class="photo" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLNC2ccRMIn4MJu-iPhqP4YKdN_U2ypLw6D8ABOfxWklBhkBdwCfQxsREYhl2vTMy7zDYHdblXIXoyipuYHiclJYNKIFcJIK1adtXj2Jlg764DWtz_xwe6WS9eoWqfI2GXwzIFm6t9XC8/s400/eclipse-935.jpg" style="margin: 5pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 360px;" /></a></div><br />
Both photos were taken from my doorstep, the one on the left at 9:11am and the one on the right at 9:35am which was roughly the peak of the eclipse. If you missed it, then you'll have to wait until 2026 so see a similar eclipse in the UK.Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418527698793489162noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150942959296842813.post-39432958429884024812015-01-01T12:43:00.000+00:002015-01-01T12:43:29.912+00:00NeglectedLooking back over the posts for 2014 it seems this blog has been rather neglected. In fact I've made just 14 posts. It isn't that I'm not blogging as much as I used to but that my posts are now spread across three blogs. In total I've actually written 167 posts; six over on my <a href="http://englishjavadrinker.blogspot.co.uk/">code and electronics blog</a> and 147 on <a href="http://englishjavadrinker.blogspot.co.uk/">model railways</a>. I also joined Twitter at the end of 2013 and so have <a href="https://twitter.com/encoffeedrinker">posted some items there</a> over the last year as well. It does mean though, that I have a fair amount of catching up to do on this blog, so <a href="http://englishcoffeedrinker.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/last-years-loose-ends.html">just as I did last year</a>, I'll fill this post with brief glimpse of the rest of my 2014 adventures.<br />
<br />
Looking back over the year the most interesting things (from a blog post of view) have probably been the trips away with work, as I've had the opportunity to visit some really great places. I visited four new places but only blogged, briefly, about the trip to <a href="http://englishcoffeedrinker.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/i-know-where-bodies-are-buried.html">Kaiserslautern</a>. The first trip of the year though was in February when I went to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lule%C3%A5">Luleå</a> in northern Sweden.<br />
<br />
One of the main reasons for holding the meeting in Luleå in February was that there was a chance to see the northern lights. Unfortunately the weather was rainy rather than very cold and clear so I'll have to wait to see the northern lights. I did, however, get to experience a 15km ride over an ice road from Luleå out to the island of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinders%C3%B6n">Hindersön</a>. The trip was at night (we had dinner at the <a href="http://www.jopik.nu/">Jopikgården</a> restaurant on the island which included reindeer steak and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubus_chamaemorus">cloudberries</a>) so there wasn't much of a view, which was probably a good thing as it was scary enough as it was. As we left solid ground and were driven onto the ice we were told to undo our seat belts as it's easier to escape from a sinking car without them on! If that wasn't bad enough part way over there was a little moment where the car wasn't pointing the right way, and our driver admitted he'd never driven an ice road before and it wasn't his car. It was certainly an interesting evening.<br />
<br />
The following morning, before the meeting started, a small group of us managed to also make it out to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gammelstad_Church_Town">Gammelstad</a> which is a UNESCO world heritage site just outside Luleå. Apparently it's the best preserved church town and consists of 424 wood-built houses around the central church. Traditionally the he houses were only used on Sundays and during religious festivals by those members of the congregation who couldn't return home the same day due to the distance and travelling conditions.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a author="Mark A. Greenwood" class="noimage lightwindow page-options" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg28P4s9BLnSWMJXAegxV-fZcLdC-aHR7s_z3FFGBylJKhZBBvDArjCPLkBGt22vVJFmwnKDdOhAtEMvqrZqFsTQKIcyrC4HLER6uqfXlZiKj3CVQdiH0Nu6pPJrGJEE5QbPiI5SA7OC4M/s1600/sweden1.jpg" title="The Ice Road"><img alt="" border="0" class="photo" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg28P4s9BLnSWMJXAegxV-fZcLdC-aHR7s_z3FFGBylJKhZBBvDArjCPLkBGt22vVJFmwnKDdOhAtEMvqrZqFsTQKIcyrC4HLER6uqfXlZiKj3CVQdiH0Nu6pPJrGJEE5QbPiI5SA7OC4M/s400/sweden1.jpg" style="margin: 5pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 360px;" /></a><a author="Mark A. Greenwood" class="noimage lightwindow page-options" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigowzmTdlVSsbPf3q1iSgINTuRE655R2yABNOfH3xV1WhOIc6Ync5ubeiIhUZBGe3sp4PYgig6l4PQuFnnNigt5DwsqFhP9RWDrFcy8sVTkLsG9N8PWTI9NjaYSEg88dAmI9LfaoNC3T8/s1600/sweden2.jpg" title="Gammelstad"><img alt="" border="0" class="photo" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigowzmTdlVSsbPf3q1iSgINTuRE655R2yABNOfH3xV1WhOIc6Ync5ubeiIhUZBGe3sp4PYgig6l4PQuFnnNigt5DwsqFhP9RWDrFcy8sVTkLsG9N8PWTI9NjaYSEg88dAmI9LfaoNC3T8/s400/sweden2.jpg" style="margin: 5pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 360px;" /></a></div><br />
After the icy cold of northern Sweden a trip to Turin in June made a nice change. It being Italy there was an awful lot of good food and coffee, although strangely I didn't have any pizza, but the highlight of the trip had to be the evening visit we made to the <a href="http://www.museoegizio.it/pages/hp_en.jsp">Egyptian Museum</a>. Apparently it houses the worlds second largest collection of Egyptian artifacts after the museum in Cairo; it certainly was very impressive with lots to see and take in. Certainly well worth a visit if you are ever in Turin.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a author="Mark A. Greenwood" class="noimage lightwindow page-options" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUFY8kKptbKXvGvutZC31Gto5ROVl5_wD6cKEV0OHvR0cUAfEYpIMNbMsSMZBeM-AJBAcywjZfsbSp_-YpLl9iV76UTGazbF-39OqHWnsSgpU_YDL9ssWAQrOBom-iuVOM1VOKeegQ7xQ/s1600/turin1.jpg" title="A Sarcophagus"><img alt="" border="0" class="photo" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUFY8kKptbKXvGvutZC31Gto5ROVl5_wD6cKEV0OHvR0cUAfEYpIMNbMsSMZBeM-AJBAcywjZfsbSp_-YpLl9iV76UTGazbF-39OqHWnsSgpU_YDL9ssWAQrOBom-iuVOM1VOKeegQ7xQ/s400/turin1.jpg" style="margin: 5pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 360px;" /></a><a author="Mark A. Greenwood" class="noimage lightwindow page-options" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuYO9MHLA1wHmx77d2Hjn3quFvMGYkgJEeIWR8iRV1MhkAc9AeDKQni_q7ceKsYomAZBA43EA0j0JIXrkL7OX1NXl9gnU-izmSTVM86eTE6ilNTRatv9jpWJYPHb5q9xMqXBSEZ63VLAs/s1600/turin2.jpg" title="Mummified Pets"><img alt="" border="0" class="photo" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuYO9MHLA1wHmx77d2Hjn3quFvMGYkgJEeIWR8iRV1MhkAc9AeDKQni_q7ceKsYomAZBA43EA0j0JIXrkL7OX1NXl9gnU-izmSTVM86eTE6ilNTRatv9jpWJYPHb5q9xMqXBSEZ63VLAs/s400/turin2.jpg" style="margin: 5pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 360px;" /></a></div><br />
October saw the final work trip of the year to a new destination, this time Istanbul in Turkey. This was my first trip to Turkey and was certainly interesting. First of all Istanbul is HUGE. I don't think I've ever seen such a large sprawling city, which means I saw only a very tiny part of it, but what I saw was great. It's the first time I've seen the boundary between two continents. We had dinner at a restaurant on the European edge of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosphorus">Bosphorus</a> looking across the water to Asia. I also managed an afternoon of sightseeing and with a colleague in which we visited both the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sultan_Ahmed_Mosque">Blue Mosque</a> and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagia_Sophia">Hagia Sophia</a> as well as sampling the delights of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dondurma">Turkish ice cream</a> which is chewy and doesn't melt in the heat!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a author="Mark A. Greenwood" class="noimage lightwindow page-options" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPDsEXRbpDiEX_YzyeOywdU07fGKLm4H8ygF0nF1PbX5oV5aZch9jHGiklCM_sqMr4S93PqyWJanMRbiNeXhu8zzAYNI6zcIaK3faCMcsn0CpVlVY0MAea3vWlh7m5GS55RcoZ3Q2n4d8/s1600/two-continents.jpg" title=Two Continents"><img alt="" border="0" class="photo" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPDsEXRbpDiEX_YzyeOywdU07fGKLm4H8ygF0nF1PbX5oV5aZch9jHGiklCM_sqMr4S93PqyWJanMRbiNeXhu8zzAYNI6zcIaK3faCMcsn0CpVlVY0MAea3vWlh7m5GS55RcoZ3Q2n4d8/s400/two-continents.jpg" style="margin: 5pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 360px;" /></a><a author="Mark A. Greenwood" class="noimage lightwindow page-options" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvPEgZbLQWYEtu-6gvDs1Goo_emc94N3PHlhfmgicIqwWAd0pjpg8i93g_C0jkc2ul0B5e_C7BpRxJsncDEdtWtq3dVUMYXGoNTKTXxEuhT4aaCtpWLVCfr9lQsOnwVMr4avakDCsq2j8/s1600/blue-mosque.jpg" title="The Blue Mosque"><img alt="" border="0" class="photo" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvPEgZbLQWYEtu-6gvDs1Goo_emc94N3PHlhfmgicIqwWAd0pjpg8i93g_C0jkc2ul0B5e_C7BpRxJsncDEdtWtq3dVUMYXGoNTKTXxEuhT4aaCtpWLVCfr9lQsOnwVMr4avakDCsq2j8/s1600/blue-mosque.jpg" style="margin: 5pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 360px;" /></a></div><br />
I've already blogged about some of our holiday on Skye in August including <a href="http://englishcoffeedrinker.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/dolphins.html">dolphins</a>, <a href="http://englishcoffeedrinker.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/seals.html">seals</a>, and <a href="http://englishcoffeedrinker.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/loch-coruisk.html">Loch Coruisk</a> but it's also worth mentioning that we had a wonderful lunch at the <a href="http://www.kinloch-lodge.co.uk/Dining.aspx">Kinloch Lodge Hotel</a>; the first time I've eaten food that comes with a Michelin star!<br />
<br />
Strangely I also seem to have spent quite a while fixing things this year, I even spent about 45 minutes on Boxing Day replacing the door lock on a dishwasher. My favourite fix of the year had to be the new bracket to fix the fridge door. I've <a href="http://englishcoffeedrinker.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/keeping-milk-in.html">already blogged about this</a>, but I thought it worth mentioning agin especially as it made <a href="https://www.shapeways.com/blog/archives/19464-2014-in-review-shapeways-community-3d-printing-stories.html">Shapeways review of the year blog post</a>!<br />
<br />
I also fixed a toilet using a piece of gaffer tape after it stopped flushing. It turns out that part of he mechanism is a rather flimsy plastic sheet, which can easily tear over time and when it does it can no longer lift the water to flush the toilet. Fortunately it's easy to repair... if you can get the toilet apart.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a author="Mark A. Greenwood" class="noimage lightwindow page-options" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpthlu4VizLmcYc3EcdGkCjxx9QwjYdNUVjhIvy6-kMAKBEKj1OD-SLj_h_5rN7gEBkk-uM2tyuItN338m2BlKnahqB6OvpUZXN5zp8XHFekUPQSZfbOTt9LZ9MinYrustGGelxup0Hso/s1600/fridge-door.jpg" title="Fixing TheFridge"><img alt="" border="0" class="photo" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpthlu4VizLmcYc3EcdGkCjxx9QwjYdNUVjhIvy6-kMAKBEKj1OD-SLj_h_5rN7gEBkk-uM2tyuItN338m2BlKnahqB6OvpUZXN5zp8XHFekUPQSZfbOTt9LZ9MinYrustGGelxup0Hso/s400/fridge-door.jpg" style="margin: 5pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 360px;" /></a><a author="Mark A. Greenwood" class="noimage lightwindow page-options" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdi83n1Dz7PFKe7L6pdbaSZXSsVQrCQ7qWePXAvIfXMNTTta-_OWH35YkhvTLh6at7p90h42CbWmofSBKeFwHNu2-aPDonoCeqd7d1hfg50FkEVRZlgGv0Lu6pMz8R4r3ahbrKJLRWU7Y/s1600/broken-toilet.jpg" title="Broken Toilet Part"><img alt="" border="0" class="photo" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdi83n1Dz7PFKe7L6pdbaSZXSsVQrCQ7qWePXAvIfXMNTTta-_OWH35YkhvTLh6at7p90h42CbWmofSBKeFwHNu2-aPDonoCeqd7d1hfg50FkEVRZlgGv0Lu6pMz8R4r3ahbrKJLRWU7Y/s400/broken-toilet.jpg" style="margin: 5pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 360px;" /></a></div><br />
So it was an interesting year even if I didn't blog about a lot of it. Hopefully 2015 will be just as fun for us all!Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418527698793489162noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150942959296842813.post-76255132102620895462014-10-07T16:50:00.000+01:002014-10-07T16:50:27.396+01:00Loch CoruiskSo having past the <a href="http://englishcoffeedrinker.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/dolphins.html">dolphins</a> and the <a href="http://englishcoffeedrinker.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/seals.html">seals</a> on the boat trip from Elgol on Skye we eventually disembarked from the boat and made the short walk to Loch Coruisk, which was perfectly timed for us to eat our lunch, and what a place to have lunch!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a author="Mark A. Greenwood" class="noimage lightwindow page-options" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFp_fvq8Dw2YmunXc4dbIhd0_KMPmRKlAq8toBXOieLdsFHbNdwjGD73MUpNHP8mQ9U2glaO4LvgxP8A8wSd3uL-oTxo7MrjnoK3oi4tAcMkdKf1PvAWZxvJS1fY-uvEgFoYivJc_RrdI/s1600/Loch_Coruisk.jpg" title="Loch Coruisk"><img alt="" border="0" class="photo" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFp_fvq8Dw2YmunXc4dbIhd0_KMPmRKlAq8toBXOieLdsFHbNdwjGD73MUpNHP8mQ9U2glaO4LvgxP8A8wSd3uL-oTxo7MrjnoK3oi4tAcMkdKf1PvAWZxvJS1fY-uvEgFoYivJc_RrdI/s750/Loch_Coruisk.jpg" style="margin: 5pt 10px 10px 0pt;" /></a></div><br />
Getting to Loch Coruisk on foot would require a serious walk and while I'm sure that would have been much better exercise I wouldn't have got to see the dolphins so I think we definitely chose the better option!<br />
<br />
So I've now done three blog posts covering just one day of the holiday. It was a very good day but there were certainly other blog worthy moments during the week so I'll try and pull at least a couple more posts together for you all to enjoy.Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418527698793489162noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150942959296842813.post-62701969545947069662014-09-15T11:50:00.000+01:002014-09-15T11:50:17.533+01:00SealsWhen we came back from our recent trip to Skye I really did intend to try and get blog posts up quickly, given how few I've written for this blog this year. Alas, I seem to have failed alread as it's now over a fortnight since we got home and so far you've had <a href="http://englishcoffeedrinker.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/dolphins.html">one post, albeit with a video of Dolphins</a>. So here we are with a second post ... all about seals.<br />
<br />
So having seen the dolphins playing right up against the boat, we eventually headed back towards the short and Loch Coruisk. The harbour entrance is protected from the worst of the weather by a number of small rocky outcrops and this, on a good day at least, is where the seals bask in the sun.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a author="Mark A. Greenwood" class="noimage lightwindow page-options" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTXNTN44CqiMjqGQdJAK43vgN1PrGo2WBgV-nQJAzIvGGqO5KuVWuP18R2bLep2xiW0HUHI9CtLMG3UzMgrTa96po2W_h1C0yC-Q-gC4bO1rQ2S05xHKHfuwdUYuKja7TLObypagpImO0/s1600/seals1.jpg" title="A Seal"><img alt="" border="0" class="photo" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTXNTN44CqiMjqGQdJAK43vgN1PrGo2WBgV-nQJAzIvGGqO5KuVWuP18R2bLep2xiW0HUHI9CtLMG3UzMgrTa96po2W_h1C0yC-Q-gC4bO1rQ2S05xHKHfuwdUYuKja7TLObypagpImO0/s400/seals1.jpg" style="margin: 5pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 360px;" /></a><a author="Mark A. Greenwood" class="noimage lightwindow page-options" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaWdoTzr83Q_1gb-DFaVG1BF8bVDkC5hAxgyL2xXU0ljHe9EA3GB50ffUH946NncyNSd7GJLbSvKriuiR-m3_b9zeRmc6ak2kSL0geIAgJZQHd08WCCJgnX3yn5BaEeOyI-cGu0Zd59Zo/s1600/seals2.jpg" title="Seals"><img alt="" border="0" class="photo" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaWdoTzr83Q_1gb-DFaVG1BF8bVDkC5hAxgyL2xXU0ljHe9EA3GB50ffUH946NncyNSd7GJLbSvKriuiR-m3_b9zeRmc6ak2kSL0geIAgJZQHd08WCCJgnX3yn5BaEeOyI-cGu0Zd59Zo/s400/seals2.jpg" style="margin: 5pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 360px;" /></a></div><br />
The boat did a number of turns around the rocks to make sure we all got a really good view, before heading into the harbour so we could disembark and visit the loch, but that will be for the next post, which hopefully won't take another two weeks to appear!Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418527698793489162noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150942959296842813.post-35815935683648301092014-09-06T10:24:00.000+01:002014-09-06T10:24:13.924+01:00Dolphins<img style="display:none;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisx89COvBJ8fc-y-1YuomPvhJoIrm-r2IpMZiVqUdXBBRBnMK2axkCreX0qx1r9uLmU7iV9XEW61W-vrYHvZXRPKBuANCUBQ23fetcLCZWIyNHpfkuEFPjuWaXJq-Yx6m1HwURpIGMkDQ/s320/dolphin.jpg" />So in the previous post I blogged about a wonderful weekend in Inverness at a <a href="http://englishcoffeedrinker.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/perfect-weather-for-wedding.html">family wedding</a>. Now driving to Inverness, or anywhere else in the north of Scotland, takes quite a while. It's made worse by the fact that I don't drive so Bryony did all the driving; approximately ten hours each way. You would think this would rather limit our trips to Scotland, and it does, yet just two weeks after the weeding we were in the car heading north, this time to stay with friends on Skye. Fortunately my mother-in-law was joining us as well so there were two people to do the driving. There will probably be a number of posts about the holiday as we had a great time, but I thought I'd start with the dolphins.<br />
<br />
Ever since we first visited Skye back in 2009 (you can see all my previous Skye posts <a href="http://englishcoffeedrinker.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Skye">here</a>) our friends have suggested we take a boat trip from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elgol">Elgol</a> to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loch_Coruisk">Loch Coruisk</a> which is right in the heart of the Cuillins. Unfortunately either the weather hasn't been great or we've visited too late in the year and the boat trips haven't been running. This year we were there at the right time and had glorious weather (for the first three days anyway) and so over dinner on the first night while planning the week the boat trip finally made it onto the schedule.<br />
<br />
There are a number of companies that run boat trips from Elgol but we went with <a href="http://mistyisleboattrips.co.uk/">Misty Isle Boat Trips</a>; this is the company our friends always use when taking visitors out to Loch Coruisk and as everyone involved is so friendly they've never seen any reason to try any of the others. One of the reasons for the trip, other than to see Loch Coruisk, is that you can be pretty much guaranteed a close up encounter with seals which bask on the rocks on the entry to the harbour where you disembark for the short walk to the loch. Of course it is likely that you will get to see other wildlife as well (we got a golden eagle soaring over our heads as we re-boarded the boat) but there is obviously no guarantee. Fortunately we were lucky and had a pod of dolphins playing around the boat on the way out.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="450" src="//www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/iFubYM6iT8o?rel=0" width="800"></iframe></div><br />
Apologies for the quality of the video. Firstly this is straight from the camera with no sensible editing and secondly for some reason it looks horribly blocky once uploaded to YouTube. I'm not sure what the problem is but I'm guessing it's down to a reduction in file size to make the streaming possible on "normal" internet connections. Anyway... this should at least give you an idea of the experience we had which was best described as magical, and that was before we got to the seals or to see Loch Coruisk, which will be the subject of future posts.Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418527698793489162noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150942959296842813.post-48013311132729246702014-08-12T18:44:00.000+01:002014-08-12T18:46:19.781+01:00Perfect Weather for a WeddingThe weather last weekend, throughout most of the UK, was appalling thanks to the tail end of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Atlantic_hurricane_season#Hurricane_Bertha">Hurricane Bertha</a>. Fortunately we managed to find a nice dry and sunny spot to spend Saturday; <a href="http://www.perfect-manors.com/achnagairn-castle-luxury-accommodations-in-scotland/">Achnagairn Castle</a> just outside Inverness. A trip to Inverness for the weekend isn't something we would normally do, the ten hours it takes to drive there usually rules it out, but on this occasion, even a full on hurricane wouldn't have stopped us from getting there as we were attending a family wedding.<br />
<br />
When we got up on the Saturday morning we couldn't believe the weather as it was wonderfully warm and sunny, although the forecast was still suggesting rain for the afternoon. By the time everyone started to assemble there was still no sign of the rain. At this point I should probably introduce the happy couple; Gareth (Bryony's cousin) and his wife Carol.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a author="Mark A. Greenwood" class="noimage lightwindow page-options" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvoNu7TYsQrgTpUM0NddlThJ9DD-WVDwaClq7EeikcZUbnpbI2tMTfqNHKhdc0cWzKv88x6k_RL_eoFiSCHPYgJIJFJArw-ktoJr29kAzGxQ5uCA3T8by-EJLMjAPjrE62ERH7RthsUQ0/s1600/wedding-arty.jpg" title="A Scottish Wedding"><img alt="" border="0" class="photo" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvoNu7TYsQrgTpUM0NddlThJ9DD-WVDwaClq7EeikcZUbnpbI2tMTfqNHKhdc0cWzKv88x6k_RL_eoFiSCHPYgJIJFJArw-ktoJr29kAzGxQ5uCA3T8by-EJLMjAPjrE62ERH7RthsUQ0/s600/wedding-arty.jpg" style="margin: 5pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 600px;" /></a></div><br />
Having been to a number of weddings in recent years I find this photo extremely interesting. At every wedding I've ever been too, I've either not seen the register being signed (this happens with church weddings when the bride and groom wonder off to sign the register), or have been explicitly told that photography during the signing is prohibited (some legal reason that I've never understood). Yes you'll have seen plenty of photos of people signing the register at their wedding, but they are all staged with a blank register, not the actual one. It appears, however, that in Scotland the laws are different. This is the first civil wedding I've been to in Scotland (we went to a church wedding in St. Andrews a few years ago) so the signing took place in front of us, but this time we were actively encouraged to take photos.<br />
<br />
Anyway it wouldn't be a Scottish wedding without lots of men in kilts, including the groom and his <a href="http://galenote.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/oh-how-gods-did-smile.html">father</a>.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a author="Mark A. Greenwood" class="noimage lightwindow page-options" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXqkiry3erCEIS0Yau6Jt54SxlSrXaoOqmos4MJW0btmchmAqjrJJpQoG_v_U9CoN2CzS2JulAq9P13Zf6qkizqHvNBLwtYd1HUTMlIQYtuPaLih3WI9bEn_yapCn6fh7b2Tmha83CAbU/s1600/wedding-kilts.jpg" title="A Scottish Wedding"><img alt="" border="0" class="photo" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXqkiry3erCEIS0Yau6Jt54SxlSrXaoOqmos4MJW0btmchmAqjrJJpQoG_v_U9CoN2CzS2JulAq9P13Zf6qkizqHvNBLwtYd1HUTMlIQYtuPaLih3WI9bEn_yapCn6fh7b2Tmha83CAbU/s600/wedding-kilts.jpg" style="margin: 5pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 450px;" /></a><a author="Mark A. Greenwood" class="noimage lightwindow page-options" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf1KGEZZM5duPsny2cF8Hvws2V0fuEmxI-RKBP2PpBwHe72ruWgn3yvycMrhPndqBbHtbYnBpCDFTg-jnGRzSaM9KkmZ-VHs_QCsarKPI3pRKFYMIvw8MoHGaR3vOeN46V44-3EUWv43o/s1600/wedding-father-son.jpg" title="A Scottish Wedding"><img alt="" border="0" class="photo" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf1KGEZZM5duPsny2cF8Hvws2V0fuEmxI-RKBP2PpBwHe72ruWgn3yvycMrhPndqBbHtbYnBpCDFTg-jnGRzSaM9KkmZ-VHs_QCsarKPI3pRKFYMIvw8MoHGaR3vOeN46V44-3EUWv43o/s600/wedding-father-son.jpg" style="margin: 5pt 10px 10px 0pt; height: 341px;" /></a></div><br />
Given the long trip home, we called it a night at around midnight by which point it still hadn't rained and everyone seemed to have had a fantastic day. I've lots more photos to sort through so there might be another post, but I'll end this post by saying congratulations again to Gareth and Carol and thanks for inviting us.Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418527698793489162noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150942959296842813.post-3112653669391837312014-07-14T19:16:00.000+01:002014-07-14T19:16:06.065+01:00Large Skipper<a author="Mark A. Greenwood" class="noimage lightwindow page-options" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj6QFMrh-e4YD_ocQrf5xpXpHw3PCiPKmF5INRTuKCDppG7FKTy8t3eOvhRLYrZQY1W-cwj1o_LXBmkEWAYWmL9F_U98rPpfQeu0Ky18MkWmHNbDY4dpX_qT6M4a4kFy2v6F4yU8rPBG4/s1600/large-skipper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="float: left; margin: 00px 10px 0px 0;" title="Large Skipper"><img border="0" class="photo" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj6QFMrh-e4YD_ocQrf5xpXpHw3PCiPKmF5INRTuKCDppG7FKTy8t3eOvhRLYrZQY1W-cwj1o_LXBmkEWAYWmL9F_U98rPpfQeu0Ky18MkWmHNbDY4dpX_qT6M4a4kFy2v6F4yU8rPBG4/s350/large-skipper.jpg" width="350" /></a>Last year we were fortunate to <a href="http://englishcoffeedrinker.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/skipper-garden-isnt-really-that-dingy.html">see a Dingy Skipper butterfly in the garden</a>. On Saturday we had the much more common variety, a Large Skipper, visit the garden. It seemed to really enjoy sunning itself on some bricks we've been using to mark out sections of the garden as we continue to work on adding borders.<br />
<br />
I thought we had seen one in the garden before, but there is nothing written in my butterfly book, so it might be a new species for the garden. Either way it was a nice diversion from working in the garden!Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418527698793489162noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150942959296842813.post-67039064308784090912014-05-27T19:28:00.000+01:002014-05-27T19:28:15.118+01:00Garden Bunting<a author="Mark A. Greenwood" class="noimage lightwindow page-options" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio_zKUXs1HXD4dTNaK3oILMMTuNkGxn9QdrK6lu0zta5ss2EWa66b54st6FxYX4T0A5IfgoL2Y6cCtDekIYYs_bRUxASaXlnSEoqzstxBl4coqVL4vdtagRSyieEk_ue_bcz8Our89j48/s1600/yellowhammer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="float: left; margin: 00px 10px 0px 0;" title="Yellowhammer"><img border="0" class="photo" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio_zKUXs1HXD4dTNaK3oILMMTuNkGxn9QdrK6lu0zta5ss2EWa66b54st6FxYX4T0A5IfgoL2Y6cCtDekIYYs_bRUxASaXlnSEoqzstxBl4coqVL4vdtagRSyieEk_ue_bcz8Our89j48/s350/yellowhammer.jpg" width="350" /></a>While the garden is beginning to look really good after the hard work we've put into it this year, we aren't about to start hanging out the bunting. That doesn't stop a bunting enjoying the garden though. Specifically a Yellowhammer visited this evening. Sorry about the rather poor photo, but it was taken hand held in poor light (we lose direct sunlight to the garden by about 4 o'clock due to the railway and trees) and through the kitchen window which is definitely in need of a clean.<br />
<br />
I haven't heard it sing the traditional <i>"little bit of bread and no cheese"</i> song yet, but I'm assuming it is primarily the male that sings, and this would be a female. Either way a nice new addition to the species list for the garden.Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418527698793489162noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150942959296842813.post-45647562514629545492014-05-18T19:27:00.000+01:002014-05-18T19:27:21.894+01:00No Post On Sundays?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left; float:left; margin-right: 1em;"><img class="photo" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1qYGd9RlnvCjo8uVtZ1mLmxwXXmZb7qHKSHElYLY6lfOPgheemYL3jPb_xdN5c2ZVVFQ-6RHC22rFWxKO5WPQADBGePmJkRZO69U8o_ofe8pybJ9w9S3GetijtFzjpC6bAXsyw5-mdR4/s400/no-post-on-sunday.jpg" /></div>It would appear that, at least in the UK, Amazon are now using owls to make their deliveries. I ordered a small item from Amazon late on Friday and didn't pay any attention to the expected delivery date, I just assumed that, as I have Amazon Prime, it would arrive on Monday.<br />
<br />
When I got up this morning I had an e-mail which said that my parcel was out for delivery today, i.e. Sunday. My initial thought was that it was a glitch in their system, and that it had actually only been dispatched today and would be delivered tomorrow.<br />
<br />
Given that the weather today has been great, we spent the afternoon in the garden working, but I did keep an ear out for a delivery vehicle just in case. When it got to 6pm I decided that it really was just a glitch in Amazon's system as who would expect a delivery after 6pm on any day let alone a Sunday. So imagine my surprise when at 7:10pm there was a knock on the door and my parcel was delivered!Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418527698793489162noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150942959296842813.post-38934924475218153642014-05-16T11:59:00.000+01:002014-05-16T19:33:09.632+01:00Keeping The Milk InThe fridge in the kitchen is old. I don't know quite how old, but we've been using it for over 10 years and before that it was in my Mother-in-law's kitchen. However old it is it still works and we'll keep using it at least until we redecorate the kitchen. For the last year or so there has though been a small niggling little problem. Periodically you would open the fridge only for the milk to go flying across the kitchen, usually leaking everywhere in the process. The problem was that one of the brackets holding the shelf edge on was broken.<br />
<br />
I initially fixed the bracket by super-gluing the retaining pins back on, and while this works for a short while it will let go again after a few months. I also tried numerous varieties of tape to keep things together but this was worse than gluing; I'm guessing due to the cold temperature and moisture. Just after lunch last Friday I opened the fridge and yet again the milk went flying. This time it had been less than a day since I'd tapped the shelf edge in place and I'd had enough. Given how old the fridge was I didn't hold out much hope of being able to just buy a replacement part, and sure enough a quick web search didn't turn up anything helpful, so I set about creating a replacement part instead.<br />
<br />
Long term readers of this blog may remember that <a href="http://englishcoffeedrinker.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/3d-priting.html">almost two years ago I experimented with 3D printing</a> for the first time. Since then I've <a href="http://caffeine-train.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/3D%20printing">designed and printed quite a few model railway items</a> and even <a href="http://www.shapeways.com/shops/penistone-railway-works">opened a shop on Shapeways</a>. Given how easy simple geometric shapes are to model and print, I decided that it would be eminently feasible to design and print a replacement bracket.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a author="Mark A. Greenwood" class="noimage lightwindow page-options" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwiR5ZaacYG366CybMHRIEtf34co_b8x2jLlzMpM0ViuMEjIpq1Dlnax2kSDTvkl1TGyXWhKWVU3ulnteoQC2M_IkngKXtu6fvM9MPocLu5j6VUEaNDXUzBxtOBLXoV7jKUmNAHijSdDw/s1600/fridge-montage.png" title="Keeping The Milk In"><img alt="" border="0" class="photo" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwiR5ZaacYG366CybMHRIEtf34co_b8x2jLlzMpM0ViuMEjIpq1Dlnax2kSDTvkl1TGyXWhKWVU3ulnteoQC2M_IkngKXtu6fvM9MPocLu5j6VUEaNDXUzBxtOBLXoV7jKUmNAHijSdDw/s800/fridge-montage.png" style="margin: 0pt 0px 0px 0pt; width: 700px;" /></a></div><br />
It took me about half an hour to model the bracket in <a href="http://www.blender.org/">Blender</a> using a set of digital callipers to measure the matching unbroken bracket. The part was quick to model as I focused on function rather than form (the model consists of just four cubes, a cylinder, and few mirror and boolean modifiers); it certainly isn't going to win any design awards!<br />
<br />
After creating the model it was simple to upload it to <a href="http://www.shapeways.com/">Shapeways</a> and less than 45 minutes after deciding to 3D print the replacement part I had one on order in the <a href="http://www.shapeways.com/materials/strong-and-flexible-plastic">white strong and flexible material</a>. Yesterday, just four working days after placing the order, the printed part arrived. A quick comparison with the original and it looked as if I'd got the measurements right, and indeed it fits perfectly, so now I can open the fridge without worrying about the milk going flying across the kitchen!<br />
<br />
Whilst I really enjoy using 3D printing for producing small models, I think using the process to produce replacement parts is even more useful, especially when there is no other way to source the parts you need. Having proved how well it worked in this case, I'm sure this will be my first choice for any similar situation in the future.Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418527698793489162noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150942959296842813.post-14727558938755571442014-05-10T17:51:00.001+01:002014-05-10T17:51:14.616+01:00I Know Where The Bodies Are Buried<div style="text-align: center;"><a author="Mark A. Greenwood" class="noimage lightwindow page-options" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmcNYScIiCWjKKKEg2bjDXdwbbF06dz1tKhCA1iLILEdQyVP_2nkly6rFDlm22CGJ3ATqcjDl15zPulbwuUxixjOWSWrkj84kG0imhKlh_UR3h6UacG84BJDIo4RJI4f4-tvlhPK0SM_I/s1600/bodies-buried.jpg" title="I Know Where The Bodies Are Buried"><img alt="" border="0" class="photo" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmcNYScIiCWjKKKEg2bjDXdwbbF06dz1tKhCA1iLILEdQyVP_2nkly6rFDlm22CGJ3ATqcjDl15zPulbwuUxixjOWSWrkj84kG0imhKlh_UR3h6UacG84BJDIo4RJI4f4-tvlhPK0SM_I/s800/bodies-buried.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 0px 0px 0pt; width: 700px;" /></a></div><br />
On a recent work trip to Kaiserslautern in Germany we had a guided tour of some of the old remains in the city centre. This photo shows where a number of old graves were discovered during previous archeological excavations just outside the modern town hall.<br />
<br />
Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418527698793489162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150942959296842813.post-14132296189590127532014-02-11T13:35:00.000+00:002014-02-11T13:35:58.356+00:00FirefoxI'm sure many of you use the <a href="http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/">Firefox browser</a> for surfing the web, but I'm guessing that many will also have never seen a real firefox before.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a author="Mark A. Greenwood" class="noimage lightwindow page-options" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMLculpWDV-iPPFFDS81cj9DO0xyIZ6XQpuqNU3cvQZdNmUQwD2wQ8E50M1BXqaXIy2VCYB8KexYJJwmczfnXZjNzAaJLBehrYeVOaBZqKwwulcajKZhHE9kkuhVQuNzmzNEtRHTUSD2E/s1600/firefox.jpg" title="Firefox"><img alt="" border="0" class="photo" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMLculpWDV-iPPFFDS81cj9DO0xyIZ6XQpuqNU3cvQZdNmUQwD2wQ8E50M1BXqaXIy2VCYB8KexYJJwmczfnXZjNzAaJLBehrYeVOaBZqKwwulcajKZhHE9kkuhVQuNzmzNEtRHTUSD2E/s800/firefox.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 0px 0px 0pt; width: 700px;" /></a></div><br />
We recently had a weekend staying with friends near Oxford, and one of the things we did was a trip to the <a href="http://www.cotswoldwildlifepark.co.uk">Cotswold Wildlife Park</a> which have a pair of <a href="http://www.cotswoldwildlifepark.co.uk/meet-animals/red-panda.htm">Red Pandas</a>; otherwise known as a firefox.<br />
<br />
Now before you all shout that the icon for Firefox doesn't look like a Red Panada it isn't intended to as the <a href="http://www.hicksdesign.co.uk/journal/branding-firefox">designer</a> actually modelled the icon on a Japanese drawing of a fox!Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418527698793489162noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150942959296842813.post-45360927108559445832014-01-29T19:57:00.000+00:002014-01-29T19:57:59.771+00:00Beef From The Orchard<a author="Mark A. Greenwood" class="noimage lightwindow page-options" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfiHs1l9W5DoREyJmc_FK_xWi7OBu1EhKT34Oa7s95Lim-TwXe0sKXLecEW7_EwnhJVgKcEe1jeUDpf_F6oy9RH5pmtRXeGSZTcWrHY7sS-Nujl3OIHq9wW9m2iDmxJQIASTawWaajpQE/s1600/finest-meat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="float: left; margin: 10px 10px 0px 0;" title="Tesco finest* Meat"><img border="0" class="photo" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfiHs1l9W5DoREyJmc_FK_xWi7OBu1EhKT34Oa7s95Lim-TwXe0sKXLecEW7_EwnhJVgKcEe1jeUDpf_F6oy9RH5pmtRXeGSZTcWrHY7sS-Nujl3OIHq9wW9m2iDmxJQIASTawWaajpQE/s400/finest-meat.jpg" width="350" /></a>Last year I was invited to join Tesco's new product testing site <a href="https://orchard.tesco.com/">The Orchard</a>. Essential what happens is that Tesco run some form of promotion, they send me a voucher so I can try the promotion free or for less than full price and then I give them feedback, as well as publicising the promotion in some way (like this post). Given that I do almost all my food shopping at Tesco (they are the main supermarket in Penistone) it seems like a good deal to me, and hopefully you won't be too annoyed by the occasional blog post.<br />
<br />
So the first promotion I was asked to participate in was for uncooked fresh meat from the Tesco finest* range and I was sent a £5 off voucher at the beginning of December. Unfortunately due to being away for Christmas and my local store not always stocking the full range (it's not a huge store) I've only recently used the voucher. The wait was, however, worthwhile. In the end I bought 2 fillet steaks which I served with a <a href="http://hotcooking.co.uk/recipes/37/greek-bubble-and-squeak?print">Greek inspired bubble and squeak</a>. As I wasn't serving a sauce with the steaks I wanted to make sure they were really nice and succulent so I soaked them in 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar for about 10 hours in the fridge before I cooked them. A simple but effective way of preparing the steaks especially as they turned out to be possible the best steak I've ever eaten; they really were unbelievably good. I'm sure a lot of that was down to the quality of the meat, but I'll take some of the credit for the marinading!<br />
<br />
All in all, an excellent meal, and I'd be more than happy to recommend the Tesco finest* meats. I've already enrolled in the next promotion which is all about potatoes!Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418527698793489162noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150942959296842813.post-46089081228498702482014-01-29T09:12:00.000+00:002014-01-29T09:12:11.754+00:00I'm Torn<img class="photo" style="float:left; margin-right: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVrBNXGiBUge-fXwA6TSd_8dMZsZVIBmQZILNP_ESmtmhrsRIn8Rf32I0rhc_OnzRxKbXPn-XO1o0I9ZLMGqu84HQ-AcLFs_bi_nGrGVxnKo_6EItFGSI1kTM85JmZHFjpkEMOvfXI9Gc/s320/betterInfoBetterCare.jpg" />If you live in the UK then in among the junk mail that your postman kindly delivers in order to ensure your waste paper bin gets fed you will probably have had a leaflet from the NHS entitled "Better information means better care". Essentially this is about the pooling of medical records in order to improve care; or at least that is what the leaflet suggests. The problem is that this sharing of data isn't about ensuring that you get better care as your medical details are already shared between your GP, hospitals, etc. to provide you with the best care. In fact, as far as I can tell, no one who would ever treat you would ever have direct access to this shared data. So if it isn't about treating you better what is it about?<br />
<br />
The real aim of pooling the data together is for strategic planning and research. Now given that I work as a researcher I understand that in most instances the more data you have the better your results will be. While I'm not a medical researcher I have, over the last few years, been involved in a number of large projects which have involved limited access to medical records of individual patients. So in theory, I should, eventually, benefit from this programme as there will be more data available not just to medical researchers but to people like me (for those who don't know I'm a Natural Language Processing researcher) who can also help society; just a few of the projects I've worked on, or know about, have ensured that prescription information is accurately recorded, have helped to <a href="http://englishcoffeedrinker.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/seven-of-fifty-one.html">find a new cause for cancer</a>, and have built a system that can predict suicide attempts from medical notes. In all cases access to the medical records have been strictly controlled (the number of hoops you have to jump through can be insane) and for good reason. These documents contain a large amount of very personal information. All the data I have seen has either been from patients who have opted-in to a study (like the cancer work) or has been used on a purely non-commercial basis.<br />
<br />
I certainly have no problem with opt-in medical studies and research within a hospital to improve patient care seems a worthwhile use of data. Selling data to outside companies, however, seems to cross a line. I'm sure that large pharmaceutical companies have strict controls in place over data, but the wider you share things the harder it is to control. And anyway, why should the <a href="http://www.hscic.gov.uk/">Health and Social Care Information Centre</a> (HSCIC -- the people who will collect and hold the data) be allowed to make money by selling your data? If you asked HSCIC they will of course tell you that in most cases the data they release or sell will be fully annonymized.<br />
<br />
I certainly have no problem with releasing population statistics like the percentage of the country who suffered from flu last year. I can see that that is useful information and can in no way lead back to me, if I had flu or not. The problem with handling individual medical records is that they are often very private, and the details have been shared knowing that they are treated confidentially. By the time I see a medical record when doing research, they should have been annoymized (like the majority of HSCIC releases will be) to ensure that I can't work out who the patient is. This usually involves removing name, date of birth, address, etc. Unfortunately there are two problems with this. Firstly no matter how hard you try to annoymize a data set, it is often possible to reverse this and to uncover the people involved; two large examples of this are the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AOL_search_data_leak">AOL search dataset</a>, and the <a href="http://arxiv.org/abs/cs/0610105">Netflix Prize dataset</a>. The more important problem though is that large scale annoymization is usually done automatically, and like any automatic system it will fail and some of the worst instances of this I have seen were actually in medical records. The worst case I ever saw was a large set of notes in which the names of the patients had been correctly removed throughout. Unfortunately these were letters and notes regarding social care and in many cases the names of other family members, including the patients spouse, had not been removed.<br />
<br />
So, as the title of this post suggests, I'm torn. On one side I know from first hand experience that the data the HSCIC wants to collect can be extremely useful, while on the other hand I know that keeping it secure can be very difficult. Added to this, while I might be happy for the NHS to internally use this data for research I'm not convinced it should be sold to commercial third parties, however strict the conditions on its use might be. For example, are we talking about selling to pharmaceutical companies for research or advertising?<br />
<br />
I've still not made a final decision on what to do about my own records, but I thought some of you might find this post an interesting reflection from both sides of the fence. Unfortunately the leaflet that was sent out didn't actually include an opt-out form. If you do decide you want to opt-out then you don't need to make a GP appointment (that would be a serious waste of the GPs time), all you need to do is send them a letter explaining that you don't want your records included, and there even a couple of websites (<a href="http://www.care-data.info/">here</a> and <a href="http://medconfidential.org/how-to-opt-out/">here</a>) that have form letters you can use to make the process easy.Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418527698793489162noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150942959296842813.post-2659668959495696212014-01-11T16:15:00.001+00:002014-01-11T16:15:57.286+00:00The Proofreader's Day OffAmong the many excellent presents I got for Christmas (thanks everyone) I got a copy of the brilliant 1986 film <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001EJW0U4/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B001EJW0U4&linkCode=as2&tag=coffee_blog-21">Space Camp</a>. The DVD release has been available since 2008 yet it has a glaring error on the front. Can anyone spot it?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNYIrinq1M1xSO5p4_qkXgRyx0CIAACvqugfOlKm-nSkli27Yo3XZmUuOkBFNeJqbtK_IbuuTLa1z6YWTXP9EPpw9t-ENNqoq6SRodwONSSddKPWdJ0BzKJHVMz2EBdez1xy2SGhIIQY/s800/spacecamp.jpg" height="800" /></div><br />
Yep, they have managed to mis-align the names and faces of the cast. The actress on the far right is actually Kate Capshaw, while Kelly Preston is the actress labelled as Kate Capshaw second from the left. I can't believe this was missed when the cover was originally produced in 2008, but what I don't understand is why it hasn't been corrected in all that time?Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418527698793489162noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150942959296842813.post-32663934726747693102014-01-01T14:55:00.000+00:002014-01-01T15:13:03.882+00:00Last Year's Loose EndsSo the world has moved on into 2014, and yet since August I've managed just a single post on this blog. It isn't that I haven't done anything interesting since August, but for some reason I've just never got around to blogging about what I have done. I suppose at least part of the problem is having multiple blogs, and now a <a href="https://twitter.com/encoffeedrinker">twitter account</a> as well, which means that when I do have something to share this blog isn't always the most appropriate place. So to make up for the lack of posts I'm going to do one long(ish) post that will hopefully bring me up to date.<br />
<br />
After my <a href="http://englishcoffeedrinker.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/gent.html">trip to Gent</a> in August the rest of the summer was fairly quiet; no work or personal trips and nothing particularly interesting to report from the garden either. Things started to pick up in mid-September when we had visitors to stay for the weekend of the <a href="http://www.penistoneshow.com/">Penistone agricultural show</a>, for which the weather behaved. If the summer had been quite though, I made up for that in October.<br />
<br />
<a author="Søren Schaffstein" class="noimage lightwindow page-options" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7iCuXADIucw81727ixGEAETcprjF0a5_nYdEfUw8BS57V4B5Ohv8WZymIoE2DWV7vXU2_6xYoBZuhYG31ipT5ezP0MZ-KINA32R_NlSdMGzSixZIgDoSuMxFmaSXGrY4uZAQM8nB4EG0/s1600/H10T0904.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="float: left; margin: 10px 10px 0px 0;" title="Managed Forgetting"><img border="0" class="photo" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7iCuXADIucw81727ixGEAETcprjF0a5_nYdEfUw8BS57V4B5Ohv8WZymIoE2DWV7vXU2_6xYoBZuhYG31ipT5ezP0MZ-KINA32R_NlSdMGzSixZIgDoSuMxFmaSXGrY4uZAQM8nB4EG0/s400/H10T0904.jpg" width="350" /></a>First up was a trip to Thessaloniki in Greece for a <a href="http://www.blogger.com/forgetit-project.eu">ForgetIT</a> project meeting. This was my first trip to Greece and it was definitely an interesting place to visit even if I did keep getting mixed up with the different alphabets (note to self: write things down for taxi drivers in the local alphabet). Half the fun of these work trips is the socializing with other participants and this time was no different; the photo shows some of us watching the fish in an unbelievably clear ocean on the first evening before dinner (thanks to <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/103245096094731208619/about">Søren Schaffstein</a> for the photo, especially as I didn't take any of any interest). As usual I didn't have that much time in which to explore, but I did experience a <a href="http://earthquake-report.com/2013/10/11/moderate-earthquake-greece-on-october-11-2013/">magnitude 4.5 earthquake</a> on the final morning; I was in a rather decrepit lift at the time which certainly added to the experience!<br />
<br />
Given my schedlue for October it was unfortunate that I managed to pick up some form of throat infection while in Greece that left me barely able to talk. I was fine when I boarded the place home in Thessaloniki but by the time I arrived in Munich I could hardly talk at all, even copious volumes of weissbier while waiting for the plane to Manchester failed to improve things.<br />
<br />
Five days after getting back from Greece, and with a throat that still didn't want me to speak, I headed to London to take part in the <a href="http://newshack.co.uk/">BBC #newsHACK</a> event at <a href="http://shoreditchtownhall.com/">Shoreditch Town Hall</a>. I've <a href="http://englishjavadrinker.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/newshack.html">already blogged about this event</a> over on one of my other blogs, so I won't bore you with the technical details, but I will point you at our <a href="https://annomarket-demo.services.gate.ac.uk/newshack/">hack/demo</a> and possibly more interestingly show you the video of the pitch session: If you don't want to watch all 27 demos, you can skip to around 55 minutes to see our presentation; including hearing how bad my voice was when I tried to answer a question.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align:center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/mX5WAvhhums?rel=0" width="640"></iframe></div><br />
I ended October with a visit to the <a href="http://www.nrm.org.uk">National Railway Museum</a> in York for a one in a lifetime chance to see the six remaining A4 steam locomotives together (two of them are usually to be found in North America). As with the #newsHACK event I <a href="http://caffeine-train.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/the-great-gathering.html">blogged about this trip</a> elsewhere, so I'll just include the obligatory photo at this point.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a author="Mark A. Greenwood" class="noimage lightwindow page-options" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKd6d6SDE_jk_vFI9kvysZJD68BPJyva5-9E71c7OOE_tKiQC25MYT3CkkMHABvSHVUBVl9ICsKUc8dC95tjNKHCSSVrVOCVKXr4H0vZFmTH5kmrH-BX-3NH4w5Wkm_uhwWPpbB3DgjQc/s1600/gathering-panorama.jpg" title="The Great Gathering"><img alt="" border="0" class="photo" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKd6d6SDE_jk_vFI9kvysZJD68BPJyva5-9E71c7OOE_tKiQC25MYT3CkkMHABvSHVUBVl9ICsKUc8dC95tjNKHCSSVrVOCVKXr4H0vZFmTH5kmrH-BX-3NH4w5Wkm_uhwWPpbB3DgjQc/s800/gathering-panorama.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 0px 0px 0pt; width: 700px;" /></a></div><br />
October also saw me being paid for the very first time for the <a href="https://www.shapeways.com/shops/penistone-railway-works">3D models I have on sale via Shapeways</a>; my first sale was back in January 2013, but they only pay out when you've made at least $30. I won't claim this as profit, as I spent more than I've made on test prints, but it's a very good start! In fact someone ordered another model this morning so hopefully 2014 will be profitable.<br />
<br />
<a author="Mark A. Greenwood" class="noimage lightwindow page-options" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGO27gprcSaQMY7DoqCa5X974YfaSyyUPhrVdVQKx0XjR8XkEUQt1MNKeYfGHDWMSlXuIJZlnso7WRdDKtVUar_-47TuKkpGp8VWe_Qws4bR40vs5HQ92w-IIBEUW0gp-jCnzDuFApcmE/s1600/nps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="float: left; margin: 10px 10px 0px 0;" title="National Poultry Show"><img border="0" class="photo" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGO27gprcSaQMY7DoqCa5X974YfaSyyUPhrVdVQKx0XjR8XkEUQt1MNKeYfGHDWMSlXuIJZlnso7WRdDKtVUar_-47TuKkpGp8VWe_Qws4bR40vs5HQ92w-IIBEUW0gp-jCnzDuFApcmE/s400/nps.jpg" width="350" /></a>November was again mostly taken up with work, but we did take a few days off to have a long weekend in Warwickshire so we could attend both days of the <a href="http://nationalshow.poultryclub.org/">National Poultry Show</a> at <a href="http://www.stoneleighpark.com/">Stoneleigh Park</a>. I always thought that it was interesting looking at marque worth of chickens at the Penistone show, but I think I was all poultried out by around lunchtime on the first day. I'm not entirely sure how many chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys we looked at but according to the programme there were nearly 7000 entires plus 500 sale pens, and as some of those will have contained more than one bird you can begin to imagine just how much there was to see. The hope was that by the end of the weekend we would have a much better idea of which breed(s) of chickens we would like to keep once we have sorted out the garden, but if anything I think it just gave us more options! Still it was a fun weekend.<br />
<br />
December mostly saw us getting ready for Christmas and visiting relatives, and strangely I haven't taken many (if any) photos so there isn't really much to show for our travels. Anyway that brings the blog nicely up to date ready for whatever 2014 may throw at me. I hope you've all had a great holiday and wish you all the best for the new year!Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418527698793489162noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150942959296842813.post-42735615316142736402013-12-03T18:08:00.000+00:002013-12-03T18:08:42.767+00:00Am I Just Unlucky?<img class="photo" style="float:left; margin-right: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC7svhJJGngR0stpOPfoL9itBv1aphkAif3tMGhY5gZAsvkaeY4ALS_A_y7UdVL9Y6FSiG3-cYqjKa-nGNXeZqXqwsINy43hTzbJxJMrUtdUE_Y_i5g6wGtbs7AAvSIqYUU9Yxf2j-cDs/s320/amazon-uk.jpg" />I don't think I'm particularly prone to bad luck more than the next guy, which makes me think that <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/">amazon.co.uk</a> is having a very bad week.<br />
<br />
Over the last two days we should have received three parcels from Amazon. We have Amazon Prime (we order a lot of stuff over the year) which means we have guaranteed next day delivery and the ability to track our parcels. This usually really helpful, but this week it's just been frustrating.<br />
<br />
Yesterday I was expecting two parcels, both of which were supposed to be delivered by <a href="http://www.city-link.co.uk/">City Link</a>. When neither parcel had arrived by about 4:30pm I decided to check the tracking website only to find that there were no details after the initial "we have details of your parcel message". I rang City Link only to be told they weren't sure where my parcel was. I decided to give them all the benefit of the doubt and so waited until this morning and then rang again. This time I was told that Amazon had never passed the parcels on to City Link! I contacted Amazon who were very polite and helpful and have replaced the missing orders while apologizing profusely.<br />
<br />
I should also have had a parcel today, this time via DPD but yet again by 4:30pm no sign of useful tracking info. Rang DPD and got the same story; they never received the parcel from Amazon. Amazon slightly less helpful this time as they want me to wait until the 6th to see if it turns up -- unlikely if they haven't given it to a courier.Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418527698793489162noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150942959296842813.post-64717334054225363362013-08-11T18:12:00.002+01:002013-08-11T18:12:43.040+01:00Up North<a author="Mark A. Greenwood" class="noimage lightwindow page-options" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUtyG_eemsJSsX84mwSgM5i1gslLW1O1FPSicwJoTm2wIHAqHseCbrdFINri4UY5S-Vf4QY8CMiAZiHMIy6BOq_7dgy-jftS7UvXbWQ-0A_BC0ULYbYXSVcqC6is3iFR2Od_60Io8kCCI/s1600/sallow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="float: left; margin: 10px 10px 0px 0;" title="Sallow"><img border="0" class="photo" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUtyG_eemsJSsX84mwSgM5i1gslLW1O1FPSicwJoTm2wIHAqHseCbrdFINri4UY5S-Vf4QY8CMiAZiHMIy6BOq_7dgy-jftS7UvXbWQ-0A_BC0ULYbYXSVcqC6is3iFR2Od_60Io8kCCI/s400/sallow.jpg" height="350"/></a>I was outside doing some gardening this afternoon when I came across this moth, which I'm fairly certain I haven't seen in the garden before. I also had no idea what the moth was so I had to look it up.<br />
<br />
Given the number of books in our house you shouldn't be surprised to find that I actually have two moth books; a <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0713686367/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=0713686367&linkCode=as2&tag=coffee_blog-21">photographic guide by Chris Manley</a> and an <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0953139980/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=0953139980&linkCode=as2&tag=coffee_blog-21">illustrated one by Waring, Townsend and Lewington</a>. While the illustrated one contains more textual information I find the photographic one easier to hunt through, so that was where I started.<br />
<br />
It didn't take me too long to identify the moth as a Sallow (or in Latin Xanthia icteritia) the only problem is that the photographic guide suggests that common throughout Britain during September and October. Now I know the weather has been confusing the wildlife this year but we aren't even half way through August yet.<br />
<br />
Fortunately the more detailed, illustrated guide came to the rescue. It says that there is one generation a year which flies September and October in the south and August and September in the north. So I'm guessing Penistone is in the north; thank goodness for that!Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418527698793489162noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150942959296842813.post-76441305871365268352013-08-08T07:01:00.000+01:002013-08-26T18:39:48.984+01:00GentI realised yesterday that I never showed you anything of my trip to Belgium apart from <a href="http://englishcoffeedrinker.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/and-missing-letters-were.html">a beer glass</a>, so here is a panorama I shot from one of Gent's many bridges in the centre of the old town.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a author="Mark A. Greenwood" class="noimage lightwindow page-options" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifLWTQdmKVUR_fwEkjz1CZ4YVBLoP-CRSB2o0layjYtmPHDdzC3x9wqlmrJk-70l8rAhZb_Bix8T80XzfNJXfmmKYgOqN5c61G9KdWLYeQvJixb5QHyNQ6RZ6Vg-8LYDMQcouFqRvQ-bM/s1600/gent.jpg" title="Gent, Belgium"><img alt="" border="0" class="photo" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifLWTQdmKVUR_fwEkjz1CZ4YVBLoP-CRSB2o0layjYtmPHDdzC3x9wqlmrJk-70l8rAhZb_Bix8T80XzfNJXfmmKYgOqN5c61G9KdWLYeQvJixb5QHyNQ6RZ6Vg-8LYDMQcouFqRvQ-bM/s800/gent.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 0px 0px 0pt; width: 650px;" /></a></div><br />
As you can see it wasn't exactly the ideal time of year for really appreciating the architecture as a lot of it was hidden behind the stages set up for the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gentse_Feesten">music festival</a>. On the plus side there was plenty for me to do in the evenings, besides drinking Belgium beer.Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418527698793489162noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150942959296842813.post-87688955992191946782013-08-02T19:53:00.001+01:002013-08-02T19:53:42.046+01:00Air Drums... Way Cooler Than Air Guitar!<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/0OJ24YAKuGo?rel=0" width="640"></iframe></div>Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418527698793489162noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150942959296842813.post-87421368681307540942013-07-24T23:28:00.002+01:002013-07-28T11:08:33.666+01:00And The Missing Letters Were....<a author="Mark A. Greenwood" class="noimage lightwindow page-options" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl5ZgRWJtgk0htyCwwXkWWMfzDEBUXOSFzxc2BmidelPRzlgFBr5Dr8GYVTgLOtS1CQDoBH7g7wRd4MOvLw-UXFv5YZYkJ2ft9-PqR9Ox4G_HE-iYiYxtCurhVIDXYidMXJfP2XCYDT4A/s1600/duvel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="float: left; margin: 10px 10px 0px 0;" title="Duvel Glass"><img border="0" class="photo" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl5ZgRWJtgk0htyCwwXkWWMfzDEBUXOSFzxc2BmidelPRzlgFBr5Dr8GYVTgLOtS1CQDoBH7g7wRd4MOvLw-UXFv5YZYkJ2ft9-PqR9Ox4G_HE-iYiYxtCurhVIDXYidMXJfP2XCYDT4A/s400/duvel.jpg" height="350"/></a>So the missing letters from the last post were v and l which should allow you to spell the name of a well known Belgian beer; <a href="http://www.duvel.com/en-us">Duvel</a>. I was assuming that at least one of my readers would drink enough Belgian beer to recognise the distinctive font used on Duvel bottels and glasses but I was guessing I was a little over optimistic.<br />
<br />
I was trying to spell Duvel as I'm currently in Gent, Belgium (I've been giving a <a href="https://gate.ac.uk/">GATE</a> training course to a great bunch of people at <a href="http://www.crosslang.com/en">CrossLang</a>) and happened to arrive in the middle of their <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gentse_Feesten">yearly arts/music festival</a>. The <a href="http://www.nh-hotels.com/nh/en/hotels/belgium/ghent/nh-gent-belfort.html">hotel I'm staying at</a> has a Duvel sponsored bar, and for each Duvel you buy you get two tokens which represent bottle tops with a letter on them. If you manage to spell out Duvel then you get a free commemorative Duvel beer glass.<br />
<br />
It took me two nights and some trading of tokens but I now have my glass and lasting proof that I was here. Of course now I have to hope that I can take the glass on the plane home within my hand luggage, a) so that it will survive and b) as I don't have any checked luggage with me (after my <a href="http://englishcoffeedrinker.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Marrakech">trip to Marrakech</a> I try and avoid checking luggage unless I really need to).Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418527698793489162noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150942959296842813.post-1919369703111327892013-07-23T22:41:00.000+01:002013-07-23T22:41:13.143+01:00Give Me A 'P' Please Bob<div style="text-align: center;"><a author="Mark A. Greenwood" class="noimage lightwindow page-options" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcDkuSpAS1PpWPQVxCuGYqdI9s0_m6nNUvk9QR8DkN9vFHJQ50xZrI-GRfg5VNwx-_UXGj7x3akddvacEVz8D75CClj8qQsN6ucohYE2PpotPx9MxbUFmuAzYpVsx-Eo2nUUvpxssrgNA/s1600/give-me-a.jpg" title="Give Me A 'P' Please Bob"><img alt="" border="0" class="photo" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcDkuSpAS1PpWPQVxCuGYqdI9s0_m6nNUvk9QR8DkN9vFHJQ50xZrI-GRfg5VNwx-_UXGj7x3akddvacEVz8D75CClj8qQsN6ucohYE2PpotPx9MxbUFmuAzYpVsx-Eo2nUUvpxssrgNA/s800/give-me-a.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 0px 0px 0pt; width: 650px;" /></a></div><br />
Yet again a work trip turns interesting; although technically I'm not missing a 'P', but I am short too letters.Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418527698793489162noreply@blogger.com1