Nothing happens before 10am.

I see that Bexley College are looking to close the Redcliffe nursery on the Tower Road site in Erith in an attempt to cut back 19% on their budget. The college intends to concentrate on their core activities, which include providing further education to local 16 - 19 year olds. Strong local rumour has it that they are looking for a buyer for the entire Tower Road site, and that  a property developer is contemplating turning the main college tower block into residential apartments. I know that Bexley College have a plan to relocate to Bexleyheath, and the centre of the borough, as they regard Erith as being too marginal and "out in the sticks". Time will tell no doubt.

I was out and about in Erith at 8.30 this morning; one thing that very much was brought to my attention is that nothing in the town happens before 10am - Erith is effectively dead before 10 on Sundays.

I recall as a kid, being absolutely fascinated with radio in all its' forms, something that has lasted to this day. Now I hold an advanced class Amateur Radio licence, as well as a marine VHF radio licence, (see the photo below) in addition to having worked for the largest offshore radio station in the world, back in the day. My first real spark of interest was kindled by the launch of UK citizen's band radio. It was a pale and weedy relation to the long established and exceedingly popular American version.  CB was enthusiastically embraced by people in all walks of life. It led to CB clubs forming throughout the land, which were mostly in competition with each other for ideas and members. In some areas, committees were formed from representatives of individual clubs to try to avoid popular activities from clashing. Club activities often included the normal social activities of any clubs, such as meals, coach trips, quizzes, raffles, treasure hunts and CB-related events like 'fox-hunts'. They often collapsed through financial short-comings (often fraudulent), fall-outs or just a general decline in interest but some of them were well run and outlasted the decade of the 1980s. Many of these clubs sowed the seeds of long-lasting friendships, marriages and divorces. They were important centres for the CB sub-culture that was a noticeable feature of the 1980s, although many did not last for long. The cause of legalisation and the community spirit of beating "smokey" and not getting "busted" was very strong. CBers adopted the ten-code and much of the incumbent US slang, but this rapidly evolved into a distinctly English slang. New ten-codes were frequently made up, used for a while in the local area, then fell into disuse. For example, a "10-100" was often used to refer to a need to go to the toilet. Most of the official ten-code was ignored, except for basic ones such as 10-4, 10-20 and 10-9, which had mutated into "Give us a nine" (repeat the message). A weak signal was '10-1'. Everyone was required to have a "handle" - using proper names was definitely out. In addition, at one time the use of slang terms for the most everyday things was considered virtually compulsory. Another typical aspect of the UK CB culture was the low-level of paranoia that accompanied every conversation in light of the fact it was breaking the law. It was forbidden to disclose ones location (or "twenty", after the ten-code), but it was OK to give clues in a semi-cryptic form. Presumably any eavesdropper had the same chance of solving these as the intended listener, so the value of this was moot.

I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised by the good turn out for the election this time around. As I came out of the polling station (an enchantingly quaint portacabin parked in a side road near Pewty Acres) I was accosted by a man with a wireless microphone, who was standing next to a open topped double decker campaign bus. He thrust the microphone in my face and asked "I trust that we can depend on your vote?" To which I replied in no uncertain terms "What the F*ck has it got to do with you? It is a secret ballot!" I think he got the point, as did the couple of dozen other voters in the vicinity of the extremely loud bus PA system.



A story came up this week that even most of the UK and international technical press failed to pick up on; NASA has spectacularly and successfully tested the launch abort system - the ejector seat, as it were - for its new Orion crew space capsule. There's just one problem: according to President Obama's stated plans, Orion will never be launched with crew aboard. The Pad Abort 1 test took place on Thursday at the White Sands Missile Range at 2pm UK time, and it simulated what would occur in the event of an Orion crew needing to escape following a disastrous mishap to their rocket stack as it stood on the launch pad. In such a case, the Pad Abort rocket system fitted above the nose of the astronauts' capsule is triggered, pulling the capsule up off the failed, perhaps exploding launch stack almost instantly. The Abort rocket is exerting approximately 250 tonnes of thrust within "a fraction of a second" of being triggered, according to NASA, accelerating from 0 to 600 mph in two seconds, with the capsule dragged behind it within a cone of flame from the exhausts (what G-forces must the crew have to suffer?  - it sounds almost as dangerous as a fuel tank explosion). Once it has abruptly blasted clear of the stack, the abort rocket can steer itself in any direction using eight side-firing exhausts mounted at the top of the Abort system spike. After soaring free for approximately ten seconds, these are used to flip the flying capsule and spike end for end so that the capsule is descending to Earth with the Abort spike trailing. After twenty-one seconds, a further jettison motor fires and the Abort spike blasts clear of the capsule, which then descends by parachute bringing the crew in to a safe landing. If, as expected, the Abort system isn't required during launch and ascent, it is jettisoned once the Orion is in space. According to NASA, the rocket getaway spike is "a key element in NASA's continuing efforts to improve safety as the agency develops the next generation of spacecraft". The only snag with that is that President Obama has lately cancelled the Ares I rocket stack which was intended to lift a crewed Orion into space. He originally axed the Orion too, but later relented saying that it might be sent into space unmanned for attachment to the International Space Station (ISS), there to serve in place of the current Soyuz capsule as the station's lifeboat. The President has also said that an unspecified heavy-lift rocket to replace the similarly cancelled Ares V will be chosen in 2015 for the purpose of getting deep-space missions (that is, ones beyond the Earth-Moon system) into orbit. However, this will probably not be rated to carry astronauts, in order to reduce costs.

You can see a video of the test below - it is pretty spectacular stuff, though as I said, I think that if this was ever used for real, the acceleration would turn the crew into Passata. Let me know what you think by posting feedback below.

I am a guilty addict of classic car TV makeover show Wheeler Dealers. I know it is nothing more than a blokes version of the kind of daytime home makeover telly designed to appeal to the stay at home Mum, but neverthemess I love the programme. The whole concept of buying a basket case classic motor and getting it back on the road and making a small profit really appeals to me. The double episode featuring the Bentley Mulsanne Turbo is one of my current favourite pieces of television - I just wish I had known about it during production - I would have snapped up the finished car!

Anyway, onto more pressing matters; here is a short docmentary on the formation of seminal hair metal band Steel Panther, from the makers of the television documentary series "Behind the Music" - beware there is savoury language!

Snow Leopard and Steel Panther.

The photo above shows the moment I started the upgrade of my iMac to OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard. Suffice to say all I had to do was insert the installation DVD and follow the simple instructions. Forty minutes and two reboots later I had a fully updated Macintosh. Snow Leopard superficially is not very different from its' predecessor, but under the bonnet it has been completely rewritten to make the operating system smaller, sleeker and more efficient. It certainly seems run make my Mac run around 20% faster with no upgrade in hardware. This is a lesson Micro$oft could do with learning – forget the bloat and concentrate on efficiency.

Talking of efficiency, this is also something the local bus company could take on board. The 99 bus service has now been running on its' new route since the middle of January; I get their double deckers running past my house – something that has taken quite a bit of getting used to. The problem is, the buses seem to get bogged down in Slade Green, in the area close to Slade Green station. Last week I waited forty minutes for a 99 bus in Erith, then three turned up at the same time! One then promptly went out of service and the passengers decamped onto the bus I was on; bearing in mind it was already crowded, it made for a very unpleasant experience. I know a lot of people have been whingeing about the situation, what I am unsure about is just how many have contacted the bus company or Transport for London to do anything about it. I have also noticed a marked increase in ticket fraud on the route – some bus drivers are more vigilant than others in policing the problem, only yesterday I witnessed two Chav girls trying to board using a single ticket; fortunately the driver spotted this and forbade either from getting on board. After much foul mouthed protestation, and with the driver threatening to call the police, both girls got off. A small victory.

My tickets have now arrived for the recording of two episodes of the excellent wartime radio comedy series Hut 33. No doubt this will merit a blog entry of its' own in due course.

I notice from the news that former deputy London Mayor Ian Clement has been charged with fraud over his expenses claims whilst in office. It will take a jury to determine his guilt or otherwise; I have to say I used to know him slightly, as we went to the same school, and if my somewhat hazy memory serves, he was a right old Tory Boy way back then.

I have seen several stories in both the local and national press, as to how gang members and other scumbag low lives are using dogs as weapons.

Local free radio station WNKR get a mention in the Media Network programme on Radio Netherlands International, the world's longest running media and entertainment radio show. You can see the on line version by following the link here. Radio Netherlands are one of the foremost shortwave broadcasters, in both Dutch and English. Shortwave radio is a rather overlooked medium nowadays, but it provides a fascinating and challenging way of hearing the world. Some of the links on the right of this text will take you to shortwave radio websites – have a click around and see what you think.

I have just added my name to the online petition to get Alan Turing a posthumous pardon and knighthood. Turing was a mathematician, cryptanalyst and Olympic standard athlete whose theories formed a large part of the foundation of modern computing - the Turing test for artificial intelligence was created by, and named after him. He was instrumental in breaking the four rotor German Naval Enigma code during WW2, and much of his theoretical work enabled Tommy Flowers and his team at the Dollis Hill Post Office research station to construct Colossus – the World's first computer. Turing was a true genius, who foresaw the computer age in what he described the “General purpose computer”. He died by his own hand, aged 41 after being persecuted, stripped of his security clearance and eventually being forced to undergo chemical castration due to his “mental illness”. His crime was being gay in pre – 1960's Britain. After insufferable persecution he ate an apple laced with cyanide in an ironic tribute to his favourite story, Snow White. The logo used by Apple Computers showing an apple with a bite taken from it is a direct tribute to Alan Turing. The video clip below from Manchester local television news covers his story, and the campaign both to clear his name and see him officially recognised for his contribution in shortening the second world war by what some historians consider may have been up to two years.

Coincidentally, I am only now discovering that my late Great Uncle Horace may well have had some part in the war time code breaking efforts. I recall when I was a child, he was always extremely reticent about his war time activities, it has only been recently uncovered that he lived in Hendon during the war, and all his adult life he worked for the GPO as a telephone exchange engineer, ending up as chief engineer for the City of London. He was certainly a far more colourful character than anyone in the family realised until only a few weeks ago. It is not beyond belief that he may well have worked at Dollis Hill – on my next visit to Bletchley Park I will attempt to find out.

I am currently sitting in my usual corner of the bar in the Robin Hood and Little John typing this entry whilst awaiting the delivery of my lunch (veggie Kiev with chips, mixed green salad and grilled mushrooms). At the table next to me are a group of six extremely intellectual and vocal Catholic priests and an archetypal bespectacled, buck toothed nun, talking shop (subjects have included the slow chanting by Carthusian monks, and their special devotion; the use of mea culpa when making a mistake in a chant, and later the morality of revolution – all heavy stuff) and mainly drinking Brakspeares best bitter – every so often, one of the younger ones keeps on breaking into bits of hymns – most off-putting. It is almost like a deleted scene from an episode of Father Ted!

Can someone please enlighten me as to why some parents are so keen on getting their babies' ears pierced? It strikes me as nothing short of child abuse – bodily mutilation under a socially acceptable guise. The child has no say in the matter, and if, at a later point they decide to remove the earrings, they are going to be left with a permanent scar. I have major issues with the whole concept of making non medical changes to ones' body. Basically I think it is unmerited – hence my previous postings regarding tattoos. I still find it beyond comprehension that the Point to point Erith tattoo parlour offers gift tokens, which many of the local population seem more than keen to take up. The place seems to be almost continually busy usually with repeat customers. I suppose it takes all sorts.

Period comedy movie about offshore radio “The Boat that Rocked” comes out on DVD and Bluray next week. As I previously posted, the film is far better than one would be led to believe; the portrayal of life on board an offshore radio station, though idealised, is far closer to the truth than I was expecting.

Here is a video of an absolutely stunning guitar / drum solo by Satchel, guitarist with the incomparable heavy rock combo Steel Panther - they rock!

Steel Panther.

Remember you read it here first. The next big thing in popular music are going to be retro 80's L.A hair metal band Steel Panther. Trust me. Imagine Poison and Motley Crue, mixed with Whitesnake, and with a touch of Bon Jovi added, then all turned up to 11 with the Dobly turned on. Totally shameless and utterly brilliant. Any band with songs like "Eatin ain't cheatin'", "Fat girl - thar she blows", and "Party all day - f*ck all night" have to be heard to be believed. The disclaimer on the back of their album states "The CD you are about to listen to contains material that features foul language, adult content, Satanic imagery and depictions of sexually deviant fantasies that may offend the religious right, the unreligious left, fat girls, skinny girls, metrosexuals, animal lovers, animal haters, hippies, skinheads, the current Presidential administration and people with ears. The record company and its' parent companies do not endorse or support the opinions of Steel Panther. They just think they f*cking rock!" Quite. You can read the BBC's rave online review of their album, "Feel the Steel" by clicking here. I bought the album yesterday, and I have had it on almost continuous play ever since. Real feel good, old fashioned rock and roll; great tunes and superb musicianship - and then there are the lyrics... Ahem.



Anyway, back to more mundane matters; Morrison's in Erith have introduced four self service checkouts - an exceedingly brave move in my opinion. These automated, self scanning tills tend to be successful in prosperous middle class areas in shops like Waitrose, but in impoverished, run down hell holes like Erith I predict the levels of shop lifting will rocket. I give the whole enterprise six months before they are removed as not being cost effective. What usually happens is that the store has to employ extra security guards, who cost more per hour than check out staff, and the whole thing gets written off as too expensive. Personally I don't see why I should have to check out my purchases - that in my opinion is a job for their staff - after all, you don't have a dog and bark yourself.

Erith Riverside Centre had a visitor yesterday - Titan the Robot, who scared the kids and some of the adults too - according to Ian who took the following photograph.

Nice to see something unusual happening in the area; it will be interesting to see what coverage the event gets in the News Shopper. Plenty of still empty units in the centre though; a pity that after over two years of opening, the place is still hanging on by the skin of its' teeth.

That dreadful rag the Daily Mail (in my opinion the worst national daily newspaper, consciously aiming its' appeal primarily at white, middle aged, middle class women) has been running a campaign that for once I can actually sympathise with. They are campaigning against the use of domestic wheelie bins, and the compunction of residents to act as unpaid litter sorters, bearing in mind the profits made by many councils in selling the pre - sorted waste on to recyclers for cash. I have decided not to play the game at all. Every day I take a small bag of my rubbish from the previous 24 hours round the corner to the waste recycling site in Morrison's car park - usually I do this on my way to work in the morning, after picking up my daily copy of the Times. I then pop round to the recycling point, drop off my rubbish, then head onwards to the railway station, and thence to London. No wheelie bins, stroppy and uncooperative dustmen, or smelly clutter despoiling my front garden - and a Zen like sense of completing the circle; All my food comes from Morrisons, and my waste returns there for recycling. The bonus is that in a very small way I feel that I am for once beating "the man".

The comments I made last week about the future of short wave radio sparked quite a bit of interest; I wonder if anyone remembers the excellent proto commercial shortwave news, technology and current affairs station Radio Fax that broadcast in the early nineties, only to be crushed by the government. You can read all about Radio Fax here.

This weeks' video clip is a little longer than usual; it shows twelve minutes from the pilot episode of "Virtuality" - the new sci fi drama series from Ronald D. Moore, producer and writer of the truly ground breaking remake of "Battlestar Galactica". Here is a sneak peek at his new show...