Personal blog site of Alastair Cutting

12 June, 2009

MPG

OK. The Prius. It’s not going to solve global warming on it’s own. But it is a step.

A while ago I was moved by a speech by Bishop David Walker of Dudley, at General Synod, on climate change and Shrink the Footprint. He said that he and his wife had made a decision to: fly as little as possible, use public transport wherever possible, and on the occasions they had to use a car, to drive at no more than 56 miles/hour to maximise the efficiency of the engine.

When last year my then 17 & 16 year-old daughters said ‘Dad, when will you get a car that is younger than us?’ of my 18 year-old VW Passat; I started thinking about what sort of vehicle I should change to – or whether to get one at all. After looking around for a bit, I settled on a white 2nd generation Toyota Prius Spirit. It has a hybrid petrol-electric drive system.

This particular one, despite huge mileage on the clock, is in very good condition, and drives brilliantly. The hybrid drive, and a display giving constant feedback of fuel consumption, can help adjust the driving style. Warmer weather makes a difference too. But the single most significant thing that helps fuel economy, is reducing the speed you drive at.

On a recent trip, I was able to settle for a steady 60mph on the cruise control, tweaking it up a bit down the hills, and down a bit up the hills. After over 300 miles, the average fuel consumption was a stonking 69.7 MPG. There is a thought between the knowledgeable Prius geeks that the display possibly slightly over-states the MPG, but only minimally.

The photo above shows the Prius fuel consumption display. The bar-graph shows average MPG achieved in 5 minute segments. As the car was stationary whilst taking the photo (!) the final column is showing zero, but in movement shows the current MPG in real time. The stats at the bottom show the miles travelled since last fuel tank refill; and the average total MPG over that tank-full so far.

Jeremy Clarkson may be able to take the mickey out of the Prius in a rather unfair test (I would love to have seen a reciprocal test, driving both vehicles as a Prius is designed to be driven, and compare the fuel consumption then too…), but for a car of it’s size and class, that is quite impressive.

3 June, 20093 June, 2009

I’m App for IT

I’m wondering if my reputation of being a bit geeky is catching up with me. I was just checking the number of iPhone Apps, or applications I have. It’s 112. That’s quite a lot, I admit – but I am sure many people have lots more. And in my defence, these have all been free ones so far.

But I suspect the bit that might imply uber-geekyness is that – I don’t even have an iPhone. Nor even an iPod Touch that most of these apps also work on. So how ‘sad’ does that make me?!

Well, not so much sad, really, as stubborn, and stingy. I am sometimes an ‘early adopter’ of new technologies as they come out, especially Apple’s; but if what is about to be released is not perhaps quite as developped as I would hope, I can wait until the next update comes around. For example, my existing 3 or 4 year-old mobile phone takes excellent photos (for it’s size and age). A 2Mpixel iPhone camera couldn’t compete. I waited.

Rumour has it that next week the Apple Developers Conference is the likely place for the next generation of iPhone to be launched. And, not just because it is likely to have a better camera, I think this time around I may go for it.

After all, I need somewhere to keep all those Apps I have been storing.

3 June, 2009

4th Pillar update – June

The first ballot for places on @OneAndOther on the 4th Pillar took place on the 1 June. With over 1850 people signed up from the South East area’s 334 places, anyone’s chance was only about 18% anyway (only a 5% chance in London area). And I wasn’t one of the first tranch selected, for July. But do check out the site to see what some folks are planning to get up to.

Now I have a tricky issue, as I am going all antipodean for most of August, so I will be livid if I get selected somewhere in that month, and have to forfeit my place…

31 May, 2009

The trumpet shall sound

With a flourish, and a snippet from the Messiah, trumpeter extraordinaire Crispian Steele-Perkins made a brilliant impact in the Trumpet & Organ concert at St. John’s.

Crispian Steele-Perkins, Ian le Grice, Alastair Cutting

It was a bit of a journey back, in a way, for Crispian, as he is an ‘old boy’ of Copthorne Prep School; and indeed started his trumpet career at the school (see this photo!). He has done so much session work over the years, you will definitely have heard him play. If nowhere else, on the theme tune to the Antiques Roadshow. With his usual style, incorporating quite a lot of entertaining trumpet history, Crispian played brilliantly.

The organ (and piano, and even at one point harpsichord) accompaniment came from Ian le Grice, who having assisted Sir George Thalben-Ball, was later appointed assistant organist at the Temple church, where he still plays. Ian’s subtlety of playing coaxed some delicate sounds out of St. John’s organ, the like of which I have not heard before in over 13 years here. An exquisite combination with the trumpet.

The concert was in church on Pentecost evening; and thinking of God’s Holy Spirit, called Ruach in the Hebrew of the Old Testament, meaning ‘breath’, or ‘wind’, seemed entirely appropriate. That, and the entreaty from the psalmist reminding us to Praise God on the trumpet!

26 May, 200929 May, 2009

Following Celtic footsteps

In May 2008 I joined a handful of others on 5-day pilgrimage. I had been to Iona several times, but only ever seen Lindisfarne – Holy Island – from the train window. A year later, reminiscing our little pilgrimage to the North East, I thought I would put some photos etc. up.

Lindisfarne Island from Cuthbert's 'Cuddy' Island — Lindisfarne Island from Cuthbert's 'Cuddys' Island

Today (26 May) may be the feast of St. Augustine of Canterbury, but I am reminded of comments by a previous Geordie Bishop of Sheffield, who over 20 years ago spoke to a group of us young curates of the diocese: his faith was built on the foundations laid by the British Christian Saints such as Cuthbert, Aidan, and Hilda, and he had little time for “those Johnny-come-lately Romans such as Augustine”. If memory serves correctly, it was these saints that adorned the stained-glass windows of the Woodlands parish, where I was then curate.

Cuthbert’s base in Lindisfarne became a key launchpad for Celtic Christianity in North-East England in the 7th Century. The island, still cut off from the mainland by the tide twice a day, is traditionally approached by pilgrims wading barefoot across the causeway. (We cheated, went by bus, and then walked the causeway at leisure a day or two later.)

Being on Lindisfarne – in blustery May – was surprisingly idyllic. I can still hear the skylark’s singing in the sky above the meadows near Lindisfarne castle. Far from the physical extremes of weather, distance and austerity that drew Cuthbert and the early settlers there. We were a bit ‘fair-weather’ pilgrims; but the feeling of being in a ‘thin place‘, as the Celtic Christians called such holy places, where heaven and earth are somehow much closer, was still very evident to us. A short, but very inspiring and refreshing and spiritual few days.

Some of the photos from our time are in this online Lindisfarne photo gallery; and we made a short photo journal book, which can be downloded in pdf format from the link below.

Lindisfarne Pilgrimage photobook - click for 16Mb pdf download — Lindisfarne Pilgrimage photobook

Oh, and here’s another panoramic photo, also in my Flickr panoramic set. I probably have way to many photos – it could have beeen more! – per page on this blog, which probably makes it load very slowly; but they are fun…

Lindisfarne Panorama - links to original on Flickr — Lindisfarne Panorama

22 May, 200915 January, 2010

Panoramas, Hakas and Plinths

The Aotearoa-New Zealand High Commission in London is in a 18-storey tower-block called New Zealand House, a stones-throw from Trafalgar Square. The views from the top are spectacular – it is the tallest building for miles around that part of central London. Not quite as tall or as elegant as Skytower in Auckland, but good none-the-less.

NZ HOUSE — New Zealand House via Wikimedia

Skytower, Auckland, via 'kiwi' on Flickr - click to see original — Skytower, Auckland, via 'kiwi' on Flickr

Historically, Kiwi citizens were able, on the production of a NZ passport to visit the penthouse suite at the top of the London tower block and appreciate it’s spectacular panoramic views.

For years, Kay had to wait downstairs, as Kiwi friends and visitors had the chance to view London from this unique vantage-point. When she finally got her own kiwi passport (she has dual UK/NZ nationality), and the opportunity to rise to the top floor, threats of terrorism prevented access to the public after all!

Kay has finally discovered a way to get up there though. A number of organisations run events in the penthouse suite, for example KEA, (‘New Zealand’s Global Talent Community’ – never backward in coming forward these Kiwis!) presents Continue reading “Panoramas, Hakas and Plinths”

16 May, 2009

Jason Carter’s Harp-Guitar

I got to most of Jason Carter‘s Harp-Guitar concert at the National Theatre last week.

I have known Jason since he was hardly out of his teens, and he came and played for us – both formally and informally – at The Nave a few times. Jason is now, among other things, a Peace Ambassador for CafÃ© Diplo (who have the brilliant tag-line Stop the Pain, Start the Music! ). Jason’s Harp-guitar was made by Stephen Sedgwick.

You can hear some of Jason’s music here; or follow him on Facebook.

I tried bootlegging a bit of video on my phone, but possibly just as well, it did not work. A much better idea is to see Jason’s video instead:

Jason Carter – Harp Guitar – Rubber Planet from Jason Carter on Vimeo.

Jason's video

If you get a chance, do go to listen to Jason.

4 May, 20095 June, 2009

Ten Thousand – and One Other

Aside: 10,001 on #OneAndOther .

I promise not to post too many times on the One & Other project on the Fourth Plinth site in Trafalgar Square, but in less than a fortnight over 10,000 people have signed up for an hour on the plinth.

When I first applied (see image on my last post in this thread) I was within the national totals, with a chance of getting in. You can see a regional map of how applications are going on the One & Other site.

You can track One & Other info on Twitter too. I have been logging/twittering the change percentages on there.

In the South East, the current chance of being picked in the ballot is 21.6%, down from 24% and 29% within the last week. The worst chance you stand of getting a place in the ballot is the London area, with over 4,500 people trying for just over 300 places, making only a 6.6% chance of being picked: your best chance remains to live in or move to Northern Ireland, with a 73% chance (currently) of getting picked.

I have had trouble finding the details about the Borsetshire figures, but I am sure that Lynda Snell is making too many waves about the whole project, keeping it all in the public eye, reducing everybody’s chance of getting on in the the so-called interests of maximising publicity and participation. Pah!

1 May, 20091 May, 2009

Simulators

Friend is into flight simulators. I think his are computer based simulators like X-Plane, for learning the rudiments of flight, for fun.

We have other simulators locally, being close to Gatwick, as much training of airline pilots takes place nearby. More than just for fun.

billywells22 and friends landing with a bump at Gatwick!

It got me thinking though about other simulators, perhaps for other jobs. If they can do it for flying aircraft and car driving perhaps they can do it for other professions…

I have occasionally been involved in interviewing people for new positions, and there are times when I wish we could put people on some sort of simulator, to see what they may be like in practice on the job. Will they be any good? I suppose some places do it in some ways – I remember being sent off on Teaching Practice from Westhill College in Birmingham (sadly no more), which is that of a sort job simulation for teachers.

The idea of an apprenticeship has been revived in recent years – and not just by Sir Alan. Working alongside a more experienced colleague, to learn from them, as many trades in Britain and abroad have done, has value. It is also a pattern we see modelled in the Bible, whether it is Moses & Joshua, Elijah & Elisha, or Paul & Timothy. Thinking about it, that is also why after sending people to theological college, after ordination, new clergy work as a curate alongside a senior colleague. I suspect that, as with some other simulators, not everybody qualifying via these various apprenticeships are always great practitioners. But many are, because of it.

“Life is not a rehearsal”, as David Brudnoy would like to remind us. That is often the received wisdom, that we only have one chance at this life, so get on with it; make the best of it.

Gavin Ashenden, however, would beg to differ. On his Sunday morning radio broadcast (26 April 2009, briefly available to listen again), he mooted the idea that for those who believe in a resurrection life, this is indeed the rehearsal. A chance to make mistakes, get things right. Perhaps this is the ultimate simulation.

1 May, 200911 March, 2016

Please, God…

“Please, God, no more colouring…” is the astute headline on today’s Church Times.

Church Times 1 May 2009 — Please, God, no more colouring…

It comes from an article on encouraging spirituality amongst the very young, which unfortunately, if you are not a subscriber, you probably won’t be able to read. Good though.

We try to do good stuff with and for kids, introducing them to Jesus, but I am conscious the we still fall sadly short at times…

:: Alastair :: Cutting ::

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