These are just some of my random thoughts.
Sunday, 9 October 2011
Sunday, 25 September 2011
"Our Business Now Is North"
The BBC is running a series on its BBC Four channel at the moment titled Army: A Very British Institution which is a "collection of BBC programmes about the British Armed Forces......dating back to the 1950s, available online to watch in full". (in the UK at least!)
Tonight, I watched "When TV Goes to War". This programme looks "at how war has been dramatised on British television from the Second World War through the Falklands campaign to contemporary conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan."
Part of the programme features an eve-of-battle speech given to British troops on Wednesday 19th March 2003 before military operations began in Iraq on the 20th. The speech was given by Colonel Tim Collins of the Royal Irish Regiment.
No video recording actually exists of this speech and was recorded only in short hand by a journalist who was embedded with troops
Ever since I heard about this speech several years ago, I have continued to revisit it as a source of rousing inspiration. It turns out it touched a nerve with Prince Charles too.
For me, the topic of the legality of the Iraq war is largely irrelevant here. My interest is in the power of words to communicate passion. Field Marshal Montgomery once said, on the topic of leadership that;
Leadership is the capacity and will to rally men and women to a common purpose and the character which inspires confidence.
I have read this speech many times, and will often read it when I have to write something and need a source of passionate articulation to rally my neurons into action.
Whatever your opinion on the war may be, I encourage you to read this.
Eve-of-battle speech by Colonel Tim Collins
"We go to Iraq to liberate not to conquer. We will not fly our flags in their country. We are entering Iraq to free a people and the only flag which will be flown in that ancient land is their own. Show respect for them.
There are some who are alive at this moment who will not be alive shortly. Those who do not wish to go on that journey, we will not send. As for the others I expect you to rock their world. Wipe them out if that is what they choose. But if you are ferocious in battle remember to be magnanimous in victory.
Iraq is steeped in history. It is the site of the Garden of Eden, of the Great Flood and the birthplace of Abraham. Tread lightly there. You will see things that no man could pay to see and you will have to go a long way to find a more decent, generous and upright people than the Iraqis. You will be embarrassed by their hospitality even though they have nothing. Don't treat them as refugees for they are in their own country. Their children will be poor, in years to come they will know that the light of liberation in their lives was brought by you.
If there are casualties of war then remember that when they woke up and got dressed in the morning they did not plan to die this day. Allow them dignity in death. Bury them properly and mark their graves.
It is my foremost intention to bring every single one of you out alive but there may be people among us who will not see the end of this campaign. We will put them in their sleeping bags and send them back. There will be no time for sorrow.
The enemy should be in no doubt that we are his nemesis and that we are bringing about his rightful destruction. There are many regional commanders who have stains on their souls and they are stoking the fires of hell for Saddam. He and his forces will be destroyed by this coalition for what they have done. As they die they will know their deeds have brought them to this place. Show them no pity.
It is a big step to take another human life. It is not to be done lightly. I know of men who have taken life needlessly in other conflicts, I can assure you they live with the Mark of Cain upon them. If someone surrenders to you then remember they have that right in international law and ensure that one day they go home to their family.
The ones who wish to fight, well, we aim to please.
If you harm the regiment or its history by over-enthusiasm in killing or in cowardice, know it is your family who will suffer. You will be shunned unless your conduct is of the highest for your deeds will follow you down through history. We will bring shame on neither our uniform or our nation.
[Regarding the use by Saddam of chemical or biological weapons]
It is not a question of if, it's a question of when. We know he has already devolved the decision to lower commanders, and that means he has already taken the decision himself. If we survive the first strike we will survive the attack.
As for ourselves, let's bring everyone home and leave Iraq a better place for us having been there.
Our business now is north." -- source - Wikipedia
This speech was dramatised by Kenneth Branagh in the BBC's production 10 Days to War.
Tonight, I watched "When TV Goes to War". This programme looks "at how war has been dramatised on British television from the Second World War through the Falklands campaign to contemporary conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan."
Part of the programme features an eve-of-battle speech given to British troops on Wednesday 19th March 2003 before military operations began in Iraq on the 20th. The speech was given by Colonel Tim Collins of the Royal Irish Regiment.
No video recording actually exists of this speech and was recorded only in short hand by a journalist who was embedded with troops
Ever since I heard about this speech several years ago, I have continued to revisit it as a source of rousing inspiration. It turns out it touched a nerve with Prince Charles too.
For me, the topic of the legality of the Iraq war is largely irrelevant here. My interest is in the power of words to communicate passion. Field Marshal Montgomery once said, on the topic of leadership that;
I have read this speech many times, and will often read it when I have to write something and need a source of passionate articulation to rally my neurons into action.
Whatever your opinion on the war may be, I encourage you to read this.
There are some who are alive at this moment who will not be alive shortly. Those who do not wish to go on that journey, we will not send. As for the others I expect you to rock their world. Wipe them out if that is what they choose. But if you are ferocious in battle remember to be magnanimous in victory.
Iraq is steeped in history. It is the site of the Garden of Eden, of the Great Flood and the birthplace of Abraham. Tread lightly there. You will see things that no man could pay to see and you will have to go a long way to find a more decent, generous and upright people than the Iraqis. You will be embarrassed by their hospitality even though they have nothing. Don't treat them as refugees for they are in their own country. Their children will be poor, in years to come they will know that the light of liberation in their lives was brought by you.
If there are casualties of war then remember that when they woke up and got dressed in the morning they did not plan to die this day. Allow them dignity in death. Bury them properly and mark their graves.
It is my foremost intention to bring every single one of you out alive but there may be people among us who will not see the end of this campaign. We will put them in their sleeping bags and send them back. There will be no time for sorrow.
The enemy should be in no doubt that we are his nemesis and that we are bringing about his rightful destruction. There are many regional commanders who have stains on their souls and they are stoking the fires of hell for Saddam. He and his forces will be destroyed by this coalition for what they have done. As they die they will know their deeds have brought them to this place. Show them no pity.
It is a big step to take another human life. It is not to be done lightly. I know of men who have taken life needlessly in other conflicts, I can assure you they live with the Mark of Cain upon them. If someone surrenders to you then remember they have that right in international law and ensure that one day they go home to their family.
The ones who wish to fight, well, we aim to please.
If you harm the regiment or its history by over-enthusiasm in killing or in cowardice, know it is your family who will suffer. You will be shunned unless your conduct is of the highest for your deeds will follow you down through history. We will bring shame on neither our uniform or our nation.
[Regarding the use by Saddam of chemical or biological weapons]
It is not a question of if, it's a question of when. We know he has already devolved the decision to lower commanders, and that means he has already taken the decision himself. If we survive the first strike we will survive the attack.
As for ourselves, let's bring everyone home and leave Iraq a better place for us having been there.
Our business now is north."
This speech was dramatised by Kenneth Branagh in the BBC's production 10 Days to War.
Thursday, 8 September 2011
More Cheese Gromit?
The zoom on my new camera may help to solve the mystery once and for all. Is the moon made of cheese? It appears not.
Friday, 29 July 2011
Elmo Wants to Experience Weightlessness
Elmo doing his impression of weightlessness at 58secs. I very much doubt it gets better than this? Surely amongst the cutest things on planet Earth?
Tuesday, 14 June 2011
Alive and Drumming
The rush of playing live in a band.....
Alive and drumming
Stepping forth into the arena,
A band of merry gladiators appear,
Brandishing our weapons and ready to fight,
A vibrate sound we shall play here tonight,
Swords of different shape and size
Cheers from the crowds making our prize,
Oozing blood sweat and tears,
The reggae and funk fill our ears,
Chemicals rush into our bloodstream,
Charging with weapons at fullsteam,
Smiles and happiness fill the air around me
Did I just hear "have another cup of tea"?
Stepping forth into the arena,
A band of merry gladiators appear,
Brandishing our weapons and ready to fight,
A vibrate sound we shall play here tonight,
Swords of different shape and size
Cheers from the crowds making our prize,
Oozing blood sweat and tears,
The reggae and funk fill our ears,
Chemicals rush into our bloodstream,
Charging with weapons at fullsteam,
Smiles and happiness fill the air around me
Did I just hear "have another cup of tea"?
Monday, 9 May 2011
Dear E.T., Beat This...
I like living here. Planet Earth that is.....
Here is why....
(recommend you view this in full screen)
This beautiful time-lapse movie was created by "TSO Photography" during a visit to the Teide National Park, Tenerife.
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Also, I really like the music which accompanies this. I knew I recognised the tone from somewhere, so using the Shazam app, I discovered the song is Nuvole Bianche by the amazing Ludovico Einaudi (who I also discovered using Shazam!)
Here is why....
(recommend you view this in full screen)
This beautiful time-lapse movie was created by "TSO Photography" during a visit to the Teide National Park, Tenerife.
View Larger Map
Also, I really like the music which accompanies this. I knew I recognised the tone from somewhere, so using the Shazam app, I discovered the song is Nuvole Bianche by the amazing Ludovico Einaudi (who I also discovered using Shazam!)
Monday, 2 May 2011
Catherine Middleton
One photo from Friday after standing for a long time on the Mall.
What a wonderful atmosphere! Summed up perfectly by the one and only Boris here.
What a wonderful atmosphere! Summed up perfectly by the one and only Boris here.
View full size.
Saturday, 23 April 2011
Bringing Rio to the Runners
Last Sunday, 17th April 2011, a bright shining light sat high above London embracing it in a warm glow. This fireball of heat provided the backdrop for an energetic display of human endurance; The London Marathon.
Some 35,000+ passionate and dedicated individuals from all walks of life descended upon London to cover the 26 miles and 385 yards, running their socks off to raise millions of pounds for charity. I hold each runner in an extremely high regard and their commitment should be an inspiration to us all.
Lining the route, amongst the thousands of cheering supporters were numerous music bands, churning out the notes of many disparate styles of music. One of these bands, and one I was playing in, was the London School of Samba.
Setting myself up along with around forty other drumming amigos from the LSS in Cabot Square, Canary Wharf, lots and lots of fast and funky samba music was played for some five hours -- often finding ourselves getting carried away and literally jumping for joy!...
Taking many of the breaks (different rhythms/bits of trickery) from the practice sessions (see this YouTube video), there was somewhat of a personal mini battle of endurance going on in myself and my fellow drummers to play both quality and quantity for this duration of time -- but nothing that compared to the monstrous battles being endured by all the runners.
However, any aching of arms soon disappeared once the electric atmosphere ignited the event. An astoundment at both the physical and mental strength of all the athletes filling my vista drove up my own energy levels, spurring on the desire to give the motivation to the runners who needed all the support they could get! Playing a part in this was a real honour.
For the last hour, another samba group, Rhythms of the City joined in. At this point, there were around eighty of us thrashing out a rapid, vibrant sound for the growing numbers of spectators and exhausted runners.
(video taken by Mestre Fred, director of music for the London School of Samba and all round jolly nice chap!)
So, all in all, a wonderful, music-filled sambtastic (don't worry, it's a word!) day with a lovely bunch of drummers and some truly inspirational members of the public engaged in efforts for the greater good!
All of this got you tempted to come along and play some samba? Good! I thought it would! Your informational needs will be met here.
Some 35,000+ passionate and dedicated individuals from all walks of life descended upon London to cover the 26 miles and 385 yards, running their socks off to raise millions of pounds for charity. I hold each runner in an extremely high regard and their commitment should be an inspiration to us all.
Lining the route, amongst the thousands of cheering supporters were numerous music bands, churning out the notes of many disparate styles of music. One of these bands, and one I was playing in, was the London School of Samba.
Setting myself up along with around forty other drumming amigos from the LSS in Cabot Square, Canary Wharf, lots and lots of fast and funky samba music was played for some five hours -- often finding ourselves getting carried away and literally jumping for joy!...
Taking many of the breaks (different rhythms/bits of trickery) from the practice sessions (see this YouTube video), there was somewhat of a personal mini battle of endurance going on in myself and my fellow drummers to play both quality and quantity for this duration of time -- but nothing that compared to the monstrous battles being endured by all the runners.
However, any aching of arms soon disappeared once the electric atmosphere ignited the event. An astoundment at both the physical and mental strength of all the athletes filling my vista drove up my own energy levels, spurring on the desire to give the motivation to the runners who needed all the support they could get! Playing a part in this was a real honour.
For the last hour, another samba group, Rhythms of the City joined in. At this point, there were around eighty of us thrashing out a rapid, vibrant sound for the growing numbers of spectators and exhausted runners.
So, all in all, a wonderful, music-filled sambtastic (don't worry, it's a word!) day with a lovely bunch of drummers and some truly inspirational members of the public engaged in efforts for the greater good!
All of this got you tempted to come along and play some samba? Good! I thought it would! Your informational needs will be met here.
Tuesday, 12 April 2011
The Awkwardness of Dates
With some adult content (nothing dodgy though), this short film, "Blind Date" starring Sophie Anderson; latest hit at the British Film Institute, shows the awkwardness of a first (in this case a blind) date. How people misinterpret meanings, appear too keen, appear too weird and when the mind decides to have a bit of fun with its owner are all explored through this short snippet of comedic motion picture.
I encourage you to give up 10 minutes of your time to watch this. I'm sure there will be something in this that will take you back to an experience you have had.
Want to help encourage young British acting talent? Follow @sophieanderson_ on twitter!
I encourage you to give up 10 minutes of your time to watch this. I'm sure there will be something in this that will take you back to an experience you have had.
Want to help encourage young British acting talent? Follow @sophieanderson_ on twitter!
Monday, 21 March 2011
Sunday Lovers
Kept meaning to do this one for some time since I saw a couple walking past a few Sundays ago, having a lovely romantic moment to themselves (yeah guys can be suckers for romance too you know folks!). Today (although a Saturday), I saw another couple together holding hands, so with that inspiration engaged :).......
Well with spring firmly on its way, the Sunday lovers shall soon be out in force! Yes, that secret (and envied amongst singletons) club of couples who dominate the paths of towns, cities and parks across the country. Sharing their love for one another as they stroll innocently along the streets in their own little bubble of love.
Sunday Lovers
Together in this moment,
Serenity exists,
I have everything I want
When I feel your soft sweet kiss
This moment is ours,
The world stands still,
Gazing into your eyes,
This feels such a thrill,
Loyal by your side, holding your hand,
For this special moment, admiration demands,
On these shared paths both the new and the old,
I have just to smile, your beauty I behold,
The sun on our backs, the wind in your hair
I know that I want not to be elsewhere,
Matters not do the sights, smells and sounds,
For you my sweetheart my love knows no bounds.
Well with spring firmly on its way, the Sunday lovers shall soon be out in force! Yes, that secret (and envied amongst singletons) club of couples who dominate the paths of towns, cities and parks across the country. Sharing their love for one another as they stroll innocently along the streets in their own little bubble of love.
Together in this moment,
Serenity exists,
I have everything I want
When I feel your soft sweet kiss
This moment is ours,
The world stands still,
Gazing into your eyes,
This feels such a thrill,
Loyal by your side, holding your hand,
For this special moment, admiration demands,
On these shared paths both the new and the old,
I have just to smile, your beauty I behold,
The sun on our backs, the wind in your hair
I know that I want not to be elsewhere,
Matters not do the sights, smells and sounds,
For you my sweetheart my love knows no bounds.
Monday, 28 February 2011
My Plan For State TV
Well, it seems there are a lot of evil dictators around at the moment. Hosni Mubarak, Colonel Gaddafi, Simon Cowell to name but a few.
Much of the focus for western broadcasters is to show the relevant country's state TV channel. I thought, given that I already have my own manifesto set out for when I become the next supreme leader, it would make sense to decide what I would show on my state TV channel. Well, ladies and gentlemen, faces of Jesus in butter, I have decided!
Actually, I am a nice guy, one who has been raised well and more recently one who has been encouraged to be more mindful about things. So state TV would consist quite simply of the following website running on a loop -- Do Nothing for 2 Minutes. This is a wonderful website and huge congrats to whoever came up with it!
I would want all my subjects/citizens to be happy and calm and so my channel (I'd still have to have a channel of course - I'd be a dictator after all!) would promote relaxation and thought - the two key ingredients for a kind, happy society.
Ramblingsfromakitkat State TV
Much of the focus for western broadcasters is to show the relevant country's state TV channel. I thought, given that I already have my own manifesto set out for when I become the next supreme leader, it would make sense to decide what I would show on my state TV channel. Well, ladies and gentlemen, faces of Jesus in butter, I have decided!
Actually, I am a nice guy, one who has been raised well and more recently one who has been encouraged to be more mindful about things. So state TV would consist quite simply of the following website running on a loop -- Do Nothing for 2 Minutes. This is a wonderful website and huge congrats to whoever came up with it!
I would want all my subjects/citizens to be happy and calm and so my channel (I'd still have to have a channel of course - I'd be a dictator after all!) would promote relaxation and thought - the two key ingredients for a kind, happy society.
Sunday, 27 February 2011
Saturday, 26 February 2011
I Can't Believe It's Not Allah
Today, I found the face of Jesus in my butter. I kid you not.
Here is photographic proof of this religious experience (which is ironic as I'm not religious). I am going to dub this event "I can't believe it's not Allah".
Edit: Several comments have some in suggesting this may not be the face of Jesus after all...Suggestions for alternatives are Rolf Harris, Casper the friendly ghost, and the ghost from ghostbusters - even one suggestion that it could be Winston Churchill. I'll let you make your own mind who you think it is. Either way, I'm very flattered that he/it chose my butter to live in.
Here is photographic proof of this religious experience (which is ironic as I'm not religious). I am going to dub this event "I can't believe it's not Allah".
Edit: Several comments have some in suggesting this may not be the face of Jesus after all...Suggestions for alternatives are Rolf Harris, Casper the friendly ghost, and the ghost from ghostbusters - even one suggestion that it could be Winston Churchill. I'll let you make your own mind who you think it is. Either way, I'm very flattered that he/it chose my butter to live in.
Sunday, 20 February 2011
My Life in Maps
It is the places and the experiences we have in these places that shape us to become who we are.
These are the places that are important to ME. How about you?
This is my life, geographically organised using Google Maps.
I was born in 1982 in Sheffield in the now closed (nothing to do with me, honest!) The Jessop Hospital for Women which dates back to 1878 (I think that's when my Mum went into labour - not an easy pregnancy!)
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I grew up (and lived for the first 16 years of my life) in the town of Penistone (yes I know, ha bloody ha!),
An overview of the town
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See, it does actually exist as a place name!
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This was my home
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This is where I started school, which by the way is completely different from when I was there. The only thing that has remained the same is the location.
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However, I didn't like it at that school, so I changed schools to St John's
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The main reason I changed is because my best friend Paul went to that school. Paul lived on this road. We would take it in turns to go to each other's homes to play with our Micro Machines and have burgers and chips!
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This is where I learned to swim
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My next school (down the path from my infant school) was here
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When I was 8 years old, I went on an airplane for the very first time. I was petrified! I got myself in such a state, I was getting bad stomach aches from nerves that my Mum thought I was having an appendicitis. Fortunately, I wasn't. I can't be 100% confident that this is the exact apartment complex we stayed in, but I think it is here. The down of Cala Blanca, Menorca, Spain.
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We (my family and I) went to Menorca two more times staying at this apartment complex in the town of Santo Tomas. I made good friends with a boy called Marcus from Germany who I played with for a lot of time during those two weeks, especially crazy golf. There was also a really cool waiter at the restaurant across the road called Jose who we hung out with! (dunno why I remember that, but I do)
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When I was 10 years old, I properly asked a girl out. My aged had reached double figures, so I should be a man right! (bless!). Her name was Debbie and she lived somewhere up this road. I got her number and called her up to ask if she'd like to go to the cinema with me. Unfortunately that didn't work out too well! OK well she laughed down the phone at me! I do think it left an impression on me (well it must have done, since I've included it here) as since then I have never been confident around asking girls out. That said, I don't "blame" her for it. I mean for Christ's sake, we were 10. Oh well, moving on! (don't worry, I know I'm totally awesome now!)
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I had liked it at primary school. Then I went to big school. I did not like it there (any friends of mine who read this would I am sure confirm!).
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Still, I did have some nice friends there. Other than Paul, my other best friend was Warren. He also lived in Penistone somewhere up this street
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When I was 12 I had my first experience of being in love (not that I knew it was love at the time) -- no more schoolboy crushes on girls called Debbie for me now ha! For quite a few years (by a few, I mean around 8!), I was in an unrequited love situation. This is where I saw her for the very first time in this cafe. It's weird, but I can remember she was there with her Mum and sister. She ordered a Sprite or a Tango with a butterfly bun to eat.
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While not enjoying my big school, I would often find some escapism by going to see a friend of the family Don, the carpenter. In fact, I recently found out that Don had passed away. Quite upsetting actually to find that out as he left a lasting impression on me. This is where Don lived during that time.
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As a child, I also used to collect gemstones and precious stones. I loved to take days out to Tideswell in Derbyshire to visit the Tideswell Dale Rock Shop. I still have some of the specimens some 15+ years later.
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When I was fifteen/sixteen, I got myself a Sunday paper round. I collected my newspapers from here.
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This was the route that I took (weird what things you can remember!)
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My two favourite places to eat when I lived in Penistone (yeah I know, ha bloody ha!), were;
The Taste of India
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.....and from this Chinese take-away
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Well, it looks like both are still there!
We had a family holiday to France. I visited Normandy (this was where we stayed)
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Then we went to visit beautiful Paris
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When sixteen, we moved homes (just 4 miles away) to a little village called Silkstone Common. This was my home there
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In August 1999, me, my Mum, Dad, Sister, Aunty and Uncle went for a family holiday to Florida. Best holiday I've had! This is the house we stayed in for those two weeks
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This is the building where I first used the internet. I had set up an e-mail address, mainly so that I could e-mail my Uncle Geoff. One day, I saw he replied. I could not figure out how to open it. Someone showed me that if I clicked on the word (I was looking for an Open E-mail button), I would load. Wow, there were at least two pages on this internet thing then I thought. You'll see the irony of this thought later.
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On Friday March 16th 2001 I met someone, Emilie who I now would say has gone on to become my best friend here.
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It was here that I had my first "adult party (I was 17 actually) where I got drunk. I remember having a nice chat with a tree on my way home.
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I don't remember exactly how old I was here, but I think around 18. I went with my friend to see (for the third time in as many years), Jools Holland at Sheffield City Hall. After this concert, while waiting for my Dad to collect us, we decided to hang around outside the back doors to hopefully meet him. We did!
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I briefly worked in a call centre here taking billing inquiries for Thames Water. Mostly uneventful except from when I had a call come through from the nuclear bunker at RAF Strike Command -- they wanted to change the name on the bill. Another colleague had someone from Buckingham Palace call to pay her majesty's water bill. Well one presumes one must use water. Other than that, nothing to say about that.
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I did some voluntary work for a short time at the Barnsley Mental Health helpline here at Athersley Health Centre.
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Moving on until adulthood, when 21, I moved with my family to Leek, Staffordshire. My family still lives there now (so I'm not showing you the house I'm afraid - although that is in part because it's not visible!)
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Leek as somewhere to to show you lots of places was pretty uneventful. An exciting story was unraveling in my parent's study (well, it was my home too of course!). At the time, I was not working. I had very little money and too much time on my hands. I have always loved aerial photography and would spend literally hours scouring the internet each day for aerial/satellite photos. One day, I saw this product called Keyhole. A piece of downloadable software providing aerial photographs - and it would be updated - WOW! BUT, it was $99.99 and I could not afford it. Then, it was reduced to $69.99. Hmm, still a bit too much. I'd downloaded the trial version several times and I knew I wanted it! Then this company called Google purchased the company, and as part of the announcement, the price was reduced to $29.99 - I could do that! I did. Best decision of my life. The story is a fascinating one (I think) and if you want to know more, let me know and I shall provide you with it. Long story short. Google had acquired Keyhole. Google needed to expand its workforce. I somehow managed to be asked. I accepted. I worked my lil socks of as a temporary worker for one year. I was converted to permanent status. All of this was facilitated, my progress and source of inspiration all came from the co-founder of Keyhole, Michael T. Jones. Research him.
As part of this process, I visited Google HQ in Mountain View, California. I met many wonderful people (including a rather special Spanish girl, cough!). I got my break, I was going to make it work.
The hotel I stayed in in Mountain View was here
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I was in room 1321 here, in the centre of this image
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That's where I may have caused an explosion using a can of coke and a freezer!
During that week, many fun times were had here
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One month later after this trip to California, I began my temporary/contractor work at Google.
In 2007, a combination of reasons lead me to spend a fortnight on the east coast of the US. In Philadelphia
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New York City
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and, Washington DC. This was also the location where I learned that I had been successful in my quest (with the help of many others I add!) to become converted from a temporary contract to a fully fledged "Googler".
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In August 2007, I had my first proper experience of living away from home (now I had a regular income!). I chose Manchester. This was my apartment.
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In the March of 2008, I went to Amsterdam for work. I briefly found time to go "window shopping" (well when in Rome....err Amsteram). I didn't purchase anything though before you ask! (wouldn't have known what to put on the expense form....presumably it'd fall under "sundry items"!)
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On Thursday 10th April 2008 I was at program launch at our offices in London. Our guest speaker Sir David Attenborough. I briefly got to meet him and have my photo taken with him in this building here. This is where I currently have an office.
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Several weeks later, another surreal, but wonderful experience here
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While living in Manchester, I went to see my musical hero Mark Knopfler in concert here
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Back in August 2008, I briefly moved back home whilst looking for somewhere new to live. However, in the September, I received a rather exciting opportunity from my manager;
"You are invited to relocate here.
You might want to do a short visit for a few months to test the waters or you may prefer to just do the jump all at once. So far as I know, no barriers to either choice exist. It is really about convincing your mum to let you go. ;-)"
Me doing things the hard way, I went for the big jump (actually this was required from an immigration perspective). So, I decided not to look for new flat, stop with my parents while the moving processes were worked out. Naturally big relocations such as this take time, contracts, visa etc etc. Anyway April 2009, bye bye to the green and pleasant land of the UK. Sunny California it is!
When I arrived, work very kindly provided me with some temporary accommodation while I found somewhere my permanent. This was my temporary home (very nice it was too)
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...and this is where I found my permanent home for the whole time I was out there. I discovered a lot here.
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Each day, I would ride my bike into the office following this route. I liked to take the scenic way. Did you know they drive on the wrong side of the road over there?! That was fun!
View Ride to work in a larger map
During my time in the US, I visited Colorado. Specifically to have the truly surreal experience of going inside Cheyenne Mountain (a nuclear bunker built inside a mountain!)
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We also stopped off in Boulder
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and Denver on the way back
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I had fun experiences, such as going to see my favourite band, Coldplay here
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and see views such as this of San Francisco.
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I also had a couple of not fun experiences, here....(I think it's called "growing")
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In the December of 2009, I returned to the UK.
In June 2010, I went to see Mark Knopfler for the second time at the beautiful Royal Albert Hall here
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Now I live in London
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I go for walks along here (especially after dark)
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and here
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and other places too!
At weekends, I like to go play the drums, jump about and have samba themed fun here
View Larger Map
Who knows what and where will be next
View Larger Map
I shall aim to keep this updated though!
The memories we collect along the way and what we do and don't remember eh :) Beautiful.
These are the places that are important to ME. How about you?
This is my life, geographically organised using Google Maps.
I was born in 1982 in Sheffield in the now closed (nothing to do with me, honest!) The Jessop Hospital for Women which dates back to 1878 (I think that's when my Mum went into labour - not an easy pregnancy!)
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I grew up (and lived for the first 16 years of my life) in the town of Penistone (yes I know, ha bloody ha!),
An overview of the town
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See, it does actually exist as a place name!
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This was my home
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This is where I started school, which by the way is completely different from when I was there. The only thing that has remained the same is the location.
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However, I didn't like it at that school, so I changed schools to St John's
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The main reason I changed is because my best friend Paul went to that school. Paul lived on this road. We would take it in turns to go to each other's homes to play with our Micro Machines and have burgers and chips!
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This is where I learned to swim
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My next school (down the path from my infant school) was here
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When I was 8 years old, I went on an airplane for the very first time. I was petrified! I got myself in such a state, I was getting bad stomach aches from nerves that my Mum thought I was having an appendicitis. Fortunately, I wasn't. I can't be 100% confident that this is the exact apartment complex we stayed in, but I think it is here. The down of Cala Blanca, Menorca, Spain.
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We (my family and I) went to Menorca two more times staying at this apartment complex in the town of Santo Tomas. I made good friends with a boy called Marcus from Germany who I played with for a lot of time during those two weeks, especially crazy golf. There was also a really cool waiter at the restaurant across the road called Jose who we hung out with! (dunno why I remember that, but I do)
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When I was 10 years old, I properly asked a girl out. My aged had reached double figures, so I should be a man right! (bless!). Her name was Debbie and she lived somewhere up this road. I got her number and called her up to ask if she'd like to go to the cinema with me. Unfortunately that didn't work out too well! OK well she laughed down the phone at me! I do think it left an impression on me (well it must have done, since I've included it here) as since then I have never been confident around asking girls out. That said, I don't "blame" her for it. I mean for Christ's sake, we were 10. Oh well, moving on! (don't worry, I know I'm totally awesome now!)
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I had liked it at primary school. Then I went to big school. I did not like it there (any friends of mine who read this would I am sure confirm!).
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Still, I did have some nice friends there. Other than Paul, my other best friend was Warren. He also lived in Penistone somewhere up this street
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When I was 12 I had my first experience of being in love (not that I knew it was love at the time) -- no more schoolboy crushes on girls called Debbie for me now ha! For quite a few years (by a few, I mean around 8!), I was in an unrequited love situation. This is where I saw her for the very first time in this cafe. It's weird, but I can remember she was there with her Mum and sister. She ordered a Sprite or a Tango with a butterfly bun to eat.
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While not enjoying my big school, I would often find some escapism by going to see a friend of the family Don, the carpenter. In fact, I recently found out that Don had passed away. Quite upsetting actually to find that out as he left a lasting impression on me. This is where Don lived during that time.
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As a child, I also used to collect gemstones and precious stones. I loved to take days out to Tideswell in Derbyshire to visit the Tideswell Dale Rock Shop. I still have some of the specimens some 15+ years later.
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When I was fifteen/sixteen, I got myself a Sunday paper round. I collected my newspapers from here.
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This was the route that I took (weird what things you can remember!)
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My two favourite places to eat when I lived in Penistone (yeah I know, ha bloody ha!), were;
The Taste of India
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.....and from this Chinese take-away
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Well, it looks like both are still there!
We had a family holiday to France. I visited Normandy (this was where we stayed)
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Then we went to visit beautiful Paris
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When sixteen, we moved homes (just 4 miles away) to a little village called Silkstone Common. This was my home there
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In August 1999, me, my Mum, Dad, Sister, Aunty and Uncle went for a family holiday to Florida. Best holiday I've had! This is the house we stayed in for those two weeks
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This is the building where I first used the internet. I had set up an e-mail address, mainly so that I could e-mail my Uncle Geoff. One day, I saw he replied. I could not figure out how to open it. Someone showed me that if I clicked on the word (I was looking for an Open E-mail button), I would load. Wow, there were at least two pages on this internet thing then I thought. You'll see the irony of this thought later.
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On Friday March 16th 2001 I met someone, Emilie who I now would say has gone on to become my best friend here.
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It was here that I had my first "adult party (I was 17 actually) where I got drunk. I remember having a nice chat with a tree on my way home.
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I don't remember exactly how old I was here, but I think around 18. I went with my friend to see (for the third time in as many years), Jools Holland at Sheffield City Hall. After this concert, while waiting for my Dad to collect us, we decided to hang around outside the back doors to hopefully meet him. We did!
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I briefly worked in a call centre here taking billing inquiries for Thames Water. Mostly uneventful except from when I had a call come through from the nuclear bunker at RAF Strike Command -- they wanted to change the name on the bill. Another colleague had someone from Buckingham Palace call to pay her majesty's water bill. Well one presumes one must use water. Other than that, nothing to say about that.
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I did some voluntary work for a short time at the Barnsley Mental Health helpline here at Athersley Health Centre.
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Moving on until adulthood, when 21, I moved with my family to Leek, Staffordshire. My family still lives there now (so I'm not showing you the house I'm afraid - although that is in part because it's not visible!)
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Leek as somewhere to to show you lots of places was pretty uneventful. An exciting story was unraveling in my parent's study (well, it was my home too of course!). At the time, I was not working. I had very little money and too much time on my hands. I have always loved aerial photography and would spend literally hours scouring the internet each day for aerial/satellite photos. One day, I saw this product called Keyhole. A piece of downloadable software providing aerial photographs - and it would be updated - WOW! BUT, it was $99.99 and I could not afford it. Then, it was reduced to $69.99. Hmm, still a bit too much. I'd downloaded the trial version several times and I knew I wanted it! Then this company called Google purchased the company, and as part of the announcement, the price was reduced to $29.99 - I could do that! I did. Best decision of my life. The story is a fascinating one (I think) and if you want to know more, let me know and I shall provide you with it. Long story short. Google had acquired Keyhole. Google needed to expand its workforce. I somehow managed to be asked. I accepted. I worked my lil socks of as a temporary worker for one year. I was converted to permanent status. All of this was facilitated, my progress and source of inspiration all came from the co-founder of Keyhole, Michael T. Jones. Research him.
As part of this process, I visited Google HQ in Mountain View, California. I met many wonderful people (including a rather special Spanish girl, cough!). I got my break, I was going to make it work.
The hotel I stayed in in Mountain View was here
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I was in room 1321 here, in the centre of this image
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That's where I may have caused an explosion using a can of coke and a freezer!
During that week, many fun times were had here
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One month later after this trip to California, I began my temporary/contractor work at Google.
In 2007, a combination of reasons lead me to spend a fortnight on the east coast of the US. In Philadelphia
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New York City
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and, Washington DC. This was also the location where I learned that I had been successful in my quest (with the help of many others I add!) to become converted from a temporary contract to a fully fledged "Googler".
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In August 2007, I had my first proper experience of living away from home (now I had a regular income!). I chose Manchester. This was my apartment.
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In the March of 2008, I went to Amsterdam for work. I briefly found time to go "window shopping" (well when in Rome....err Amsteram). I didn't purchase anything though before you ask! (wouldn't have known what to put on the expense form....presumably it'd fall under "sundry items"!)
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On Thursday 10th April 2008 I was at program launch at our offices in London. Our guest speaker Sir David Attenborough. I briefly got to meet him and have my photo taken with him in this building here. This is where I currently have an office.
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Several weeks later, another surreal, but wonderful experience here
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While living in Manchester, I went to see my musical hero Mark Knopfler in concert here
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Back in August 2008, I briefly moved back home whilst looking for somewhere new to live. However, in the September, I received a rather exciting opportunity from my manager;
You might want to do a short visit for a few months to test the waters or you may prefer to just do the jump all at once. So far as I know, no barriers to either choice exist. It is really about convincing your mum to let you go. ;-)"
Me doing things the hard way, I went for the big jump (actually this was required from an immigration perspective). So, I decided not to look for new flat, stop with my parents while the moving processes were worked out. Naturally big relocations such as this take time, contracts, visa etc etc. Anyway April 2009, bye bye to the green and pleasant land of the UK. Sunny California it is!
When I arrived, work very kindly provided me with some temporary accommodation while I found somewhere my permanent. This was my temporary home (very nice it was too)
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...and this is where I found my permanent home for the whole time I was out there. I discovered a lot here.
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Each day, I would ride my bike into the office following this route. I liked to take the scenic way. Did you know they drive on the wrong side of the road over there?! That was fun!
View Ride to work in a larger map
During my time in the US, I visited Colorado. Specifically to have the truly surreal experience of going inside Cheyenne Mountain (a nuclear bunker built inside a mountain!)
View Larger Map
We also stopped off in Boulder
View Larger Map
and Denver on the way back
View Larger Map
I had fun experiences, such as going to see my favourite band, Coldplay here
View Larger Map
and see views such as this of San Francisco.
View Larger Map
I also had a couple of not fun experiences, here....(I think it's called "growing")
View Larger Map
In the December of 2009, I returned to the UK.
In June 2010, I went to see Mark Knopfler for the second time at the beautiful Royal Albert Hall here
View Larger Map
Now I live in London
View Larger Map
I go for walks along here (especially after dark)
View Larger Map
and here
View Larger Map
and other places too!
At weekends, I like to go play the drums, jump about and have samba themed fun here
View Larger Map
Who knows what and where will be next
View Larger Map
I shall aim to keep this updated though!
The memories we collect along the way and what we do and don't remember eh :) Beautiful.
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