Thursday, March 29, 2007

The Strange Incident of the...



I attended Chemical Incident training the other day. I got to put on the big yellow suit with breathing filter and set up the emergency decontamination shower! At the same time, the fire alarm went off so we got a massive audience. Also got to play around with a Geiger counter.

Just have to hope the mad world doesn't require its use!



Copyright © 2007 THE GREEN ORCHARD Ltd. All rights reserved.
All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Sunday, March 25, 2007

One Daffodil


One Daffodil Can Make a Difference

Visiting the Centre for Alternative Technology has been like opening the door to a Wonderland. I've been reading the Crazy Idealists? The CAT Story and everything just resonates.

During my visit there were two things that really struck me. At the beginning, the intro video playing at the site which stated that if the rest of the world behaves like we have done in the West, we'll require something like two more earths in addition to this one to support it! From then on it was if the door had been opened, I'd passed over the threshold and I'd come home. Just before I left I saw the daffodil growing on the living roof of a building and I thought, that's what I want.

CAT was set up in 1974 - I was 14. It's taken a long time for me to reach this point and I've been on many journeys but the biggest one begins now. We are planning our sustainable house, a not so Grand Design but oh, so great for the environment.


I'm at the last chapter of Ballard's 1973 novel Concrete Island - another 'must read'. This is the third of his books I've just read and every one of them is socially pertinent to today and tomorrow. I'm finding they dovetail with what CAT are saying - he is the Oracle of Shepperton.


rustle
(Just watched the Bioshock teaser over on Eurogamer - WoW!)


Copyright © 2007 THE GREEN ORCHARD Ltd. All rights reserved.
All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Shepperton's Oracle

J.G. Ballard: Shepperton's Oracle a film by French filmmaker Thomas Cazals on Ballard. There's a 10 minute preview available on The Ballardian and Postcardsfromthefuture (Cazals blog). It's scheduled for an April film/website release.


rustle



Copyright © 2007 THE GREEN ORCHARD Ltd. All rights reserved.
All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Marillion tickets...

Tickets for Marillion's gig at the Colston Hall in Bristol arrived today :-)

The tour is the 'Somewhere Else' tour also the name of the new album which is due for release on 9th April.


rustle



Copyright © 2007 THE GREEN ORCHARD Ltd. All rights reserved.
All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Centre for Alternative Technology

Visited the Centre for Alternative Technology (C.A.T.).

It's in Wales and is a beacon for sustainability in everyday life. It is situated in an old Welsh slate mine and was set up in 1974. The place itself is a beautiful haven but as you thread your way around the site, you discover its buildings and ideas and its inspirational effect is captivating. You can make a difference.


on a hill

In reading about the history of the place and people, I found out that Peter Harper (he coined the term 'Alternative Technology') a founding member of CAT was influenced by Bestall's Rupert!

This place is important!

Centre for Alternative Technology
Machynlleth
Powys
SY20 9AZ
UK.

http://www.cat.org.uk/index.tmpl



Copyright © 2007 THE GREEN ORCHARD Ltd. All rights reserved.
All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Sunday, March 18, 2007

Blurred Vision


Blurred Vision

Just finished my first two nights in A&E. An eerily quiet couple of evenings punctuated by moments of frenetic activity. In charge of the Observation Unit, sat in the faded night glow and listening to people's broken, mumbled sleep is comforting in a Ballardian sort of way. As I trained, a variety of emotions swelled and receded throughout the three years and I couldn't see how it would be - I had blurred vision. I couldn't imagine how it would feel, if I ever passed and got a job. I now can - it feels right.



Copyright © 2007 THE GREEN ORCHARD Ltd. All rights reserved.
All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Friday, March 16, 2007

Batman & Mario

Bandaged Batman


Bleached Mario

I finished reading High-Rise by JG Ballard what a story! Once again, it is as though you have really existed through this story. Written in 1975 but as fresh today as ever - Alsatian never tasted so good...

Walked at Avebury and photographed


Stone

My PIN came through so now I'm a registered nurse.



Copyright © 2007 THE GREEN ORCHARD Ltd. All rights reserved.
All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.