...by the Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppets...

From TED...

A new website and initiative introducing children to the organ.

http://www.danmagic.org

Another video from the TED goldmine- David Pogue on simplicity in software...

This was played as part of our staff training day today; it's a 'must-watch' for anyone with an interest in education.

Lots more on the TED site to explore, and more from the same speaker on the same theme here.

So both the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates have chosen their running mates for the forthcoming election. The prospective republican VP candidate sounds vaguely familiar... ;-)

Seen in a shop in Cornwall- says it all really!

Monday 1st September saw me bright and early at Newquay-Cornwall airport on the site of the RAF St Mawgan base to catch a flight to St Mary's, Isles of Scilly. Newquay is an expanding airport but meeting a real need providing regional aviation links from Cornwall to the rest of the UK as well as to connect with flights from Gatwick. Indeed in the departure lounge I happened to meet a former colleague from a previous school, now living near St Ives and about to catch a flight to Newcastle to visit her daughter (and possibly end up as the new NUFC manager!). Skybus fly to St Mary's from a range of airports in SW England, but the day trips from Newquay and Land's End are much more affordable. The outbound flight was onboard a de Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter, G-BIHO and much of the 35 minute journey was at 3000 feet in low cloud, as it was a pretty grey and overcast day, Nevertheless, a skilful and spectacular approach and landing from Captain Jack Hawkins at St Mary's and I was soon being whisked off down into Hugh Town and ready to start the day.


No sooner than the shuttle minibus had dropped me off than the heavens opened and I sought refuge in a cafe for breakfast. The downpour soon passed and a weak sun enticed me down to the harbour to book a boat trip across to Tresco. This was a fairly sporty crossing, bumpy but more of a theme park ride than anything too dramatic! Once on Tresco, the clouds and rain decided to close in again, and going round the Abbey gardens was slightly damp. A walk upto New Grimsby for lunch at the inn, but it was decidedly wet when I set off back to the quay for the boat back. The return journey was notable for drenching most of those on board, myself included, as waves broke across the boat, and I discovered my coat was not waterproof as advertised! Fortunately I had brought a change of shorts and sweatshirt, and was glad of these, until the persistent heavy rain risked making these wet as well; so I sought refuge in the Museum (exhibits of shipwrecks, oil slicks, stuffed birds and a flavour of island life in the past) and then the church (as featured in the recent BBC series); I discovered some past copies of the Friends of Cathedral music magazine and spent an hour or so drying out and reading these. Finally, I sought refuge in one of the pubs to while away the time before my pickup for the airport.
What I hadn't realised was that all flights in and out of the island had been suspended because of excessive crosswinds, and a message on my phone offering me a crossing on the Scillonian (no thanks) wouldn't reach me until 8pm thanks to poor reception. So, opting not to try and get on the Sikorsky on standby to Penzance and then a transfer to Newquay, I chose to stay overnight and was put up at Tregarthen's, a smart hotel overlooking the harbour. The hot bath and chance to dry my clothes was very welcome, and they even allowed me to enter the restaurant in a normally prohibited state of undress (no shorts allowed) whilst my wet clothes dried- though it was made clear they wouldn't normally allow this and I was put in a (nice) corner where I could hide my legs under the table-cloth! The meal (lamb patty followed by cod followed by poached pear in red wine with Cornish ice cream) was however very nice. And so to bed.



Tuesday dawned sunny and clear, so with an 8.30am pick-up I had time for an early morning (7am) walk around Hugh Town with my camera- I could at last see that on a good day, the islands are indeed beautiful. Better still was the view from above, and photos are included in the slideshow on Flickr.



There were six passengers on the return flight, and I got to enjoy the airport at St Marys- the very helpful staff remembered me from the previous evening and we had a good chat about aviation on the island. Outward the flight was on a Britten-Norman Islander G-BUBN; similar to the three engine variant Trislander I experienced on the Channel Islands a year ago. 

Clear skies, great visibility and a smooth flight with plenty of photos, and I was soon back in Newquay, and ready to head back up the A30 and M5; I made very good time, with a stop at Bristol for lunch and some shopping at Cribb's Causeway, and before long it was up the A46 (hitting a downpour between Tewkesbury and Evesham) and along the A45.

Sunday morning saw me at the Eucharist at Truro Cathedral, with a visiting choir from Bristol being somewhat outpowered by the Father Willis which sounded in splendid shape. Thereafter upto Newquay (sorry, but what an awful town centre- parody of the typical faded English seaside resort selling naff souvenirs. I stayed as short a time as possible, and in the end headed back to Padstow, with a visit round to Rock (the 'Millionaire's row' of Cornwall) and Polzeath, near where Sir John Betjamin is buried at the church of St Enodoc. I found a nice B&B near Padstow and headed back in in the evening, which had turned out to be lovely. The combination of battered John Dory from Stein's Fish n' Chips, and the Cambourne Town Brass band playing on the harbour side in the sunset was just perfect!