Showing posts with label devon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label devon. Show all posts
Sunday, 12 October 2014
Thursday, 9 October 2014
2014 : the year I got jerked around and ultimately didn't care
This year isn't over yet and I've already had two of my favourite contracts and met some great people. Life has settled well and I consider myself very lucky. Despite that I have had some fairly minor but consistent irritations which have not stopped me writing, but have stopped me posting to the blog. Here are my excuses. (Blogpost backlog will follow).
How not to visit someone
Easter 2014. Following the end of my Telegraph contract I ended up taking off six weeks to accomodate Easter and big visits from friends and family. Visits didn't happen for various reasons including neighours cats needing feeding.
How not to hire someone
Spent a fairly idyllic summer working for Camelot which ended, apparently, with a job offer from Google!
While handling exciting offers and interviews from several other companies, one agency, Identify Networks, arranges a mysterious interview with a company called Arris, heavily hinting that their client is Google - but they can't confirm it. I attend the interview, which keeps me waiting for half an hour (not a good sign in retrospect) but seems to go very well. Within 24 hours I'm told that I have got the role and only a few details need to be confirmed - among those the name of the mysterious client. Time to celebrate!
Following morning I'm called by the agency who tells me right off - the client is Google! and... the rate is way below what I was led to expect at the interview. But I can't turn down Google right?
I did (I was angry).
When they returned with a slightly improved offer, still well below what got me to the interview, I declined again.
Finally they came back with the original figure. I accepted! Only a few details need to be confirmed. Time to celebrate!
Next day I was told their figures had been wrong and - unless I accepted their rate this time the chance to work for Google was gone for good.
I told them to stick it. Would I like to talk it through with the manager at Arris who I'd got on so well at interview?
No. I was too angry.
By now I didn't believe the agency and I contacted the manager I met at interview via LinkedIn and Google+. He convinced me that the work was long term and he couldn't afford the rate mentioned at interview. OK I said. We'll talk after the weekend. On the Monday.
And on the Tuesday the agency told me (via email) the role had been given to someone else!
How not to inspire someone
Jabberwocky
I had one big music festival holiday booked for 2014 and a week before it started the promoters were still telling all it would sell out - then it was cancelled with three days to go. Luckily WorldCon came to the rescue.
How not to enlist someone
I attended a taster session for a Masters degree in Cyber Security in July. I found myself inspired by the first words of the course organiser "the situation is catastrophic" he said "we need everyone".
Two months later in October, two days before the course starts, I'm still not 100% I'll be on the course despite months of trying. I've had to apply twice, write a pleading letter and almost beg over the phone. I was told I'd get a career development loan to finance this (July), then I wouldn't (August), then I would (September) then I finally found that I wouldn't.... by driving 200+ miles to the address I told the loan company NOT to send the letter. They've just sent their final reply back to that same address despite endless phonecalls emails and a written note because "It's the only address we're allowed on the system".
I ask you - if cyber terrorists were able to interfere that process - would we notice?
Like I say, it all ended well perhaps because silver linings make everything much shinier. I got an idyllic Indian summer spent in Devon ending with an exciting new long term contract way more interesting than "Google" (Having been interviewed in the lobby of a hotel I never actually saw any evidence of Google).
Anyway - if you cared why it went quiet - that's why.
Lesson of 2014 is the lesson I learned from the road trip - If you start relying on others for your life don't expect to live it
How not to visit someone
Easter 2014. Following the end of my Telegraph contract I ended up taking off six weeks to accomodate Easter and big visits from friends and family. Visits didn't happen for various reasons including neighours cats needing feeding.
How not to hire someone
Spent a fairly idyllic summer working for Camelot which ended, apparently, with a job offer from Google!
While handling exciting offers and interviews from several other companies, one agency, Identify Networks, arranges a mysterious interview with a company called Arris, heavily hinting that their client is Google - but they can't confirm it. I attend the interview, which keeps me waiting for half an hour (not a good sign in retrospect) but seems to go very well. Within 24 hours I'm told that I have got the role and only a few details need to be confirmed - among those the name of the mysterious client. Time to celebrate!
Following morning I'm called by the agency who tells me right off - the client is Google! and... the rate is way below what I was led to expect at the interview. But I can't turn down Google right?
I did (I was angry).
When they returned with a slightly improved offer, still well below what got me to the interview, I declined again.
Finally they came back with the original figure. I accepted! Only a few details need to be confirmed. Time to celebrate!
Next day I was told their figures had been wrong and - unless I accepted their rate this time the chance to work for Google was gone for good.
I told them to stick it. Would I like to talk it through with the manager at Arris who I'd got on so well at interview?
No. I was too angry.
By now I didn't believe the agency and I contacted the manager I met at interview via LinkedIn and Google+. He convinced me that the work was long term and he couldn't afford the rate mentioned at interview. OK I said. We'll talk after the weekend. On the Monday.
And on the Tuesday the agency told me (via email) the role had been given to someone else!
How not to inspire someone
Jabberwocky
I had one big music festival holiday booked for 2014 and a week before it started the promoters were still telling all it would sell out - then it was cancelled with three days to go. Luckily WorldCon came to the rescue.
How not to enlist someone
I attended a taster session for a Masters degree in Cyber Security in July. I found myself inspired by the first words of the course organiser "the situation is catastrophic" he said "we need everyone".
Two months later in October, two days before the course starts, I'm still not 100% I'll be on the course despite months of trying. I've had to apply twice, write a pleading letter and almost beg over the phone. I was told I'd get a career development loan to finance this (July), then I wouldn't (August), then I would (September) then I finally found that I wouldn't.... by driving 200+ miles to the address I told the loan company NOT to send the letter. They've just sent their final reply back to that same address despite endless phonecalls emails and a written note because "It's the only address we're allowed on the system".
I ask you - if cyber terrorists were able to interfere that process - would we notice?
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| Even the usual North Devon complications couldn't ruin the surf this year |
Anyway - if you cared why it went quiet - that's why.
Lesson of 2014 is the lesson I learned from the road trip - If you start relying on others for your life don't expect to live it
Wednesday, 30 October 2013
FILMS TO LEAVE IN YOUR WESTCOUNTRY HOLIDAY COTTAGE FOR VISITORS
A Halloween list for a friend in 2009
FILMS TO LEAVE IN YOUR WESTCOUNTRY HOLIDAY COTTAGE FOR VISITORS
RING CURSED TAPE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Qw4FDyz904
DON'T TRUST THE LOCALS
Straw Dogs
Plague of the Zombies
Ring/Ringu
Wicker Man
Hostel
The Hills Have Eyes
Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Eden Lake
Switchblade Romance (Haute Tension)
Blood on Satans Claw
Wolf Creek
Salems Lot
DON'T GO OUTSIDE
The Birds
The Ruins
The Mist
The Fog
Picnic at Hanging Rock
The Village
Sleepy Hollow
The Happening
Hound of the Baskervilles (the Hammer version *obviously*)
DON'T STAY IN THE HOUSE
The Shining
Legend of Hell House
Amityville Horror
Burnt Offerings
The Changeling
Poltergiest
The Evil Dead
DON'T!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7W_sMFoyMs
and maybe a historical film,
Witchfinder General
to give them a bit of a break
IT ISN'T GOING TO BE ALL RIGHT
Threads
The Day After
The Bed Sitting Room
28 Days Later
28 Weeks Later
The Stand
No Blade of Grass
Day of The Triffids
On The Beach
FILMS TO LEAVE IN YOUR WESTCOUNTRY HOLIDAY COTTAGE FOR VISITORS
RING CURSED TAPE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Qw4FDyz904
DON'T TRUST THE LOCALS
Straw Dogs
Plague of the Zombies
Ring/Ringu
Wicker Man
Hostel
The Hills Have Eyes
Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Eden Lake
Switchblade Romance (Haute Tension)
Blood on Satans Claw
Wolf Creek
Salems Lot
DON'T GO OUTSIDE
The Birds
The Ruins
The Mist
The Fog
Picnic at Hanging Rock
The Village
Sleepy Hollow
The Happening
Hound of the Baskervilles (the Hammer version *obviously*)
The Long Weekend
Don't Look Know
Cabin Fever
Dog Soldiers
Don't Look Know
Cabin Fever
Dog Soldiers
DON'T STAY IN THE HOUSE
The Shining
Legend of Hell House
Amityville Horror
Burnt Offerings
The Changeling
Poltergiest
The Evil Dead
DON'T!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7W_sMFoyMs
and maybe a historical film,
Witchfinder General
to give them a bit of a break
IT ISN'T GOING TO BE ALL RIGHT
Threads
The Day After
The Bed Sitting Room
28 Days Later
28 Weeks Later
The Stand
No Blade of Grass
Day of The Triffids
On The Beach
Lord of the Flies
Omega Man
Soylent Green
maybe some classic Shakespeare to cheer them up
Titus Andronicus
Macbeth (Polanski version *obviously*)
Omega Man
Soylent Green
maybe some classic Shakespeare to cheer them up
Titus Andronicus
Macbeth (Polanski version *obviously*)
Monday, 18 March 2013
Monday, 29 October 2012
Damien Hirst's Verity statue, Ilfracombe harbour
I was very impressed with this, and thought it surprisingly restrained and tasteful in what is as you can see a beautiful setting. The exposed insides of the figure are facing the sea and you would struggle to see them from the other side of the bay without a telescope (I imagine the kind of busybody objecting to the statue is well equipped with telescopes)
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| Approaching the statue from the other side of the harbour |
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| There is definitely a touch of Ray Harryhausen Jason and the Argonauts's (the statue of Talos) about it |
 |
| I was thinking of Hurricane Sandy on the other side of the pond when taking this |
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| It is obviously very popular. The pier was busier than I've ever seen it and from talking to others I've heard hotel bookings in Ilfracombe have jumped since Verity has appeared |
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| The dual nature of the statue fits Ilfracombe and North Devon generally, an uneasy mixture of the twee and the primal. |
Sunday, 10 June 2012
Jubilee weekend in North Devon
Went back to Parracombe for the Jubliee weekend. It was somewhat ruined by one of my neighbours being taken away in an ambulance, reinforcing my impression that remote villages in the middle of nowhere are no place for single loners, in fact they are more like incubation centres for paranoid schizophrenia..
Pics are from Woolacombe beach, where the surfaces are fluid enough not to fade into backgrounds from Cabinet of Dr Caligari
Thursday, 12 April 2012
"The Walk Up To The Top"
This walk is over familiar to me in the early stages as I use it as a daily walk, but to take it right up onto Exmoor and walk down back into the village you need half a day and some good weather. We have drought right now, as is obvious from pics.
Parracombe as seen from Peter's field (compare with Beatle's version )
In one of the valleys
Finding correct access point
A great work out, partly because I was also listening to the latest Dan Carlin Hardcore History, which at 2 and a half hours, exactly filled the time taken, always a good sign you've picked the right content for a walk.
Saturday, 31 March 2012
Sunday, 25 March 2012
New Years Day on Exmoor
Wednesday, 21 March 2012
Where I live... in Beatle's Yellow Submarine
then driving my car from there to Gibraltar.. and then driving it back (via the Arctic Circle)
then I got a job in Whitehall
then I got a job at the Guardian
(and started this blog)
possibly the flat out wierdest thing of the lot,
was being told when I got back to Parracombe
by a local mystic/wasted teenager
that the village in Exmoor in which we both live, was featured very briefly in a montage of British holiday postcards in Beatles YELLOW SUBMARINE (see below)
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