Tim Atkinson's Blog, page 86
January 27, 2012
Oranges and Lemons
I spent a very pleasant day in London last weekend at this:
I'll tell you more about it in another post. I learnt an awful lot about backs, the cause of back problems, and how to avoid them (the problems, that is, not the backs). For now, just try brushing your teeth while standing on one leg.
Anyway, I had a bit of time on my hands before heading for home and as I wandered along the Strand I happened on St Clement Danes Church. This is one of two London churches claiming to be the inspiration for the nursery rhyme (the other is St Clement's, Eastcheap) and the story goes that the association with citrus fruit comes from both from the docks that were once nearby and the fact that porters used Clement Danes as a short-cut to a nearby fruit market. In fact, no lesser source than Charles Dickens claims that the church charged them a small toll for the privilege, and Clement Danes still holds an annual 'Oranges and Lemons' service as well as playing - as you'll soon see - the rhyme on its carillon daily.
Unfortunately, the truth behind the famous nursery rhyme (first recorded by Playford in 1665 though almost certainly older) is rather less wholesome. For the bells of the various London churches mark in music the journey of a condemned man from the river to his execution at Newgate gaol. Hence the rather macabre (and little performed) ending to the nursery rhyme:
Here is the candle to light you to bed,
And here is the chopper to chop of your head.
Of course, Newgate gaol never did have a chopper. It had the gallows. But that doesn't rhyme.
Anyway, enjoy the tune. And if you want to find out more about the murky origins of those nursery rhymes we love to teach our children I've a copy of Albert Jack's excellent Pop Goes the Weasel: The Secret Meanings of Nursery Rhymes to give away. Just leave me a 'pick me' comment below. And don't forget to brush your teeth on one leg.
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I'll tell you more about it in another post. I learnt an awful lot about backs, the cause of back problems, and how to avoid them (the problems, that is, not the backs). For now, just try brushing your teeth while standing on one leg.
Anyway, I had a bit of time on my hands before heading for home and as I wandered along the Strand I happened on St Clement Danes Church. This is one of two London churches claiming to be the inspiration for the nursery rhyme (the other is St Clement's, Eastcheap) and the story goes that the association with citrus fruit comes from both from the docks that were once nearby and the fact that porters used Clement Danes as a short-cut to a nearby fruit market. In fact, no lesser source than Charles Dickens claims that the church charged them a small toll for the privilege, and Clement Danes still holds an annual 'Oranges and Lemons' service as well as playing - as you'll soon see - the rhyme on its carillon daily.
Unfortunately, the truth behind the famous nursery rhyme (first recorded by Playford in 1665 though almost certainly older) is rather less wholesome. For the bells of the various London churches mark in music the journey of a condemned man from the river to his execution at Newgate gaol. Hence the rather macabre (and little performed) ending to the nursery rhyme:
Here is the candle to light you to bed,
And here is the chopper to chop of your head.
Of course, Newgate gaol never did have a chopper. It had the gallows. But that doesn't rhyme.
Anyway, enjoy the tune. And if you want to find out more about the murky origins of those nursery rhymes we love to teach our children I've a copy of Albert Jack's excellent Pop Goes the Weasel: The Secret Meanings of Nursery Rhymes to give away. Just leave me a 'pick me' comment below. And don't forget to brush your teeth on one leg.
January 25, 2012
Do dads raise more adventurous kids?
Just over a week ago I was contacted by someone on behalf of Sustrans, the sustainable transport charity, about their Free Range Kids campaign. The idea of the campaign is that children today should be able to do the things their parents took for granted, such as cycle to school, play football in the street and, well, have a free range childhood.
As someone who took for granted the freedom to go AWOL all day in the summer - returning home only when hungry - I was immediately interested. I'm a firm believer that risks - calculated risks - have to be taken and that children who are wrapped in cotton wool, kept free from all dangers are more likely to come a cropper later. But here's an intriguing question: do 'free range' kids do even better if they're lucky enough to have a 'hands on' rough-and-tumble, spirit of adventure father. In other words, do dads raise more adventurous kids?
That's what former stay-at-home dad Noah Fagan, an architect from Bristol, thinks. Here's his guest post.
Watching my son scale the 'big kids' climbing frame in the park last weekend - while his friend quivered at the bottom - a sly smile spread across my face. My three-year-old has got to be one of the ballsiest kids I know. And I like to think I've played a key role in that because for 16 months, I was a stay at home Dad.
Back in 2008, I was lucky enough to be made redundant three weeks before Isaac was born. I say lucky, because what followed was nearly two years of working for myself, from home, which also meant spending a lot of time with my family – something many 'big business' dads miss out on. My wife works for herself too, so we fell into a blissful, if slightly impoverished, 'new-bohemia' where whoever had work was at the desk while the other one did childcare. In general though, when it came to the physical stuff like swimming or the park, the responsibility fell to me.
Isaac has never showed any fear in the playground and I've never discouraged him. He was one of the few kids that could climb the ladder by the time he was 18 months. He jumped off the top of it when he was 20 months! While mums in the play area twittered around their kids, telling them things were 'too high' or 'scary' for them to attempt, I'd be giving Isaac a leg up to the fireman's pole. As a result, he's the first to throw himself into the pool each Saturday, the last to cry if he gets pushed in the playground – even a bee sting didn't elicit any tears.
This success, in my opinion, hasn't been without criticism from others– and I hate to say it, but mainly women. 'There is a road there!' one woman yelled a couple of weeks ago, as Isaac ran along in front of me happily. 'I know, and he'll stop when he gets to it,' I smiled. 'You hope!' she hissed, rolling her eyes. Another lady, about a year ago in the park, kindly 'helped' my son off the top of the slide. 'He was about to go head first!' she chuckled nervously, handing a – by now – screaming toddler over to me. 'That's how he likes it,' I smiled politely, putting him right back on. You see, while I've been keen for Isaac to explore his limits, I've always been there in case he crossed them. He knows to stop when he gets to the road, because I taught him to do so. He's not afraid to ask for help if he climbs too high, because I've shown him there is no shame in knowing when to back down. He's not a hard nut or a future adrenalin freak, he's just a boy whose sense of adventure has been pandered too, not discouraged.
Last year UK charity Sustrans launched their Free Range Kids campaign in an attempt to encourage parents to let their kids play outside, and other roads users to be more responsible as a result. We want our two boys to cycle to school, to walk the streets with their mates. I don't want my teenagers to be stuck in the house playing the Wii because they don't know any different, and I worry the UK has fallen foul to a cotton wool culture, where our fear-driven attempts to keep kids safe are actually limiting their childhoods, maybe even putting them in harm's way.
Last week, my wife brought Isaac back from the park, covered in mud from the zip slide. Apparently they spent ten minutes trying to encourage his friend to give it a go, but to no avail. 'His mum said to me, "aren't you afraid Isaac might be a racing driver or something?" And I said how cool that would be!' my wife laughed. So, on reflection, maybe Isaac's dare devil persona isn't all down to me – but there is one very unscientific test we could try... Eli, son number two, is six months old and being raised primarily by my wife. If he's not leaping from the playground ladder by his first birthday, I'm going to claim victory. Watch this space...
Do you want an environment that encourages kids to be active? Signing Sustrans' pledge is a quick and easy action you can take if you agree. Visit www.sustrans.org.uk/freerangekids
January 23, 2012
A rubbish post
They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Well in my case the good intentions usually consist of something to do with recycling, reducing my carbon footprint, reusing stuff instead of throwing it away or otherwise reducing the harm done to the environment. The hell - on earth - will be what's left of our planet if we don't.
So I've signed up for Karen Cannard's Rubbish Diet challenge. Over the next eight weeks I'm going to slim my bin. And I've already begun this morning by doing this...
Ok, not much; I'm sure the planet isn't going to feel the benefit just yet. But it's a start. And I'm hoping there'll be more. Karen's site - The Rubbish Diet - contains a whole host of ideas. There's surely something, however small, that everyone can do. I'm not sure I shall be able to meet the challenge of having a zero waste week at the end of the eight-week programme, but I'm determined to do something to slim that bin.
Fancy doing something similar? You can find out more about it right here, and there's a post launching the eight-week challenge published this morning.
If we all did something, anything, however small...
...there'd be less work for the bin-men for a start.
So I've signed up for Karen Cannard's Rubbish Diet challenge. Over the next eight weeks I'm going to slim my bin. And I've already begun this morning by doing this...
Ok, not much; I'm sure the planet isn't going to feel the benefit just yet. But it's a start. And I'm hoping there'll be more. Karen's site - The Rubbish Diet - contains a whole host of ideas. There's surely something, however small, that everyone can do. I'm not sure I shall be able to meet the challenge of having a zero waste week at the end of the eight-week programme, but I'm determined to do something to slim that bin.
Fancy doing something similar? You can find out more about it right here, and there's a post launching the eight-week challenge published this morning.
If we all did something, anything, however small...
...there'd be less work for the bin-men for a start.
January 19, 2012
Win an LG Optimus 3D Black
A while ago, thanks to Tesco Mobile I ran a competition to win an LG Optimus 3D smartphone. All you had to do was leave a comment with your favourite money-saving tip, the connection of course being that Tesco Mobile Capped Contracts are designed to give you complete control of your mobile spending, eliminating any unexpected surprises in your monthly bill.
Well, it proved so popular they're offering another. This time there's an LG Optimus 3D Black up for grabs, boasting 'crystal-clear, eye-popping 3D imagery' and well as 'dual core, dual channel and dual memory technology.' Here's what it looks like:
And here's what you have to do to get your hands on it. Simply share your favourite New Year money-saving resolutions. It could be something short-term, designed to help ease the pain of all that Christmas spending. Or it could be a top tip designed to last the whole year. And it doesn't have to be anything to do with mobile phones either! (Although feel free to share any mobile tips you've got.)
You can find out more about Tesco Mobile Capped Contracts by having a look at their latest TV advert. In the meantime, get those money saving resolutions rolling and the first thing you might be saving is a cool £420, which is the price of the Optimus, sim-free. The competition closes at midnight on Saturday 21st January and I'll be announcing the winner on Sunday.
Good luck!
Well, it proved so popular they're offering another. This time there's an LG Optimus 3D Black up for grabs, boasting 'crystal-clear, eye-popping 3D imagery' and well as 'dual core, dual channel and dual memory technology.' Here's what it looks like:
And here's what you have to do to get your hands on it. Simply share your favourite New Year money-saving resolutions. It could be something short-term, designed to help ease the pain of all that Christmas spending. Or it could be a top tip designed to last the whole year. And it doesn't have to be anything to do with mobile phones either! (Although feel free to share any mobile tips you've got.)
You can find out more about Tesco Mobile Capped Contracts by having a look at their latest TV advert. In the meantime, get those money saving resolutions rolling and the first thing you might be saving is a cool £420, which is the price of the Optimus, sim-free. The competition closes at midnight on Saturday 21st January and I'll be announcing the winner on Sunday.
Good luck!
January 16, 2012
Get smart
With winter well and truly upon us and energy prices eating more of the family budget it makes sense to be savvy about your home heating bills. Add to that the environmental benefits of energy efficiency and the case is pretty well unanswerable. Most people know all about the need for decent insulation and the like but how many are aware of the benefits of a smart meter? British Gas has asked me to help spread the word, and I'm happy to oblige. This short video will tell you how smart meters work and what's in it for you in having one installed.
British Gas has been rolling them out across the UK for a while now and over 400,000 homes and businesses are already seeing the advantages. They're hoping this will grow to around 1.5 million by the end of 2012 and I'm certainly hoping to be one of them. There's something very powerful about knowing precisely how much energy you're using when you put the kettle on, or when the telly's left on standby; and having a meter that sends readings automatically seems, well... smart!
For more information have a look at the British Gas smart meter site and the British Gas Facebook page.
This is a sponsored post on behalf of British Gas
British Gas has been rolling them out across the UK for a while now and over 400,000 homes and businesses are already seeing the advantages. They're hoping this will grow to around 1.5 million by the end of 2012 and I'm certainly hoping to be one of them. There's something very powerful about knowing precisely how much energy you're using when you put the kettle on, or when the telly's left on standby; and having a meter that sends readings automatically seems, well... smart!
For more information have a look at the British Gas smart meter site and the British Gas Facebook page.
This is a sponsored post on behalf of British Gas
January 12, 2012
A Dirty Movie
You like it dirty? Do you? really? Well then this ain't the post for you! This is clean and mean and probably lean. This is what to do with your carpets after the Christmas invasion. This is what to do after the relatives have been.
When I was asked to try the Vax Ultra Rapide carpet washer I confess I was a little sceptical. Not, I should point out, of its undoubted ability to suck the grime from even the grubbiest carpet. No. But at our need for such a thorough, deep pile de-dirt device.
How wrong can you be?
I can now say with complete conviction that not only does the Vax clean, not only is it child's play to use, not only does it dry incredibly quickly, but my carpets needed it. Oh, how they needed it. So now, with all the zeal of a convert, I'm about to Vax the whole house. I'll Vax yours too if you ask me. For a small fee. Maybe.
In the meantime, want to see a dirty movie?
When I was asked to try the Vax Ultra Rapide carpet washer I confess I was a little sceptical. Not, I should point out, of its undoubted ability to suck the grime from even the grubbiest carpet. No. But at our need for such a thorough, deep pile de-dirt device.
How wrong can you be?
I can now say with complete conviction that not only does the Vax clean, not only is it child's play to use, not only does it dry incredibly quickly, but my carpets needed it. Oh, how they needed it. So now, with all the zeal of a convert, I'm about to Vax the whole house. I'll Vax yours too if you ask me. For a small fee. Maybe.
In the meantime, want to see a dirty movie?
January 9, 2012
An open letter to PRs everywhere
I was supposed to be in London today, providing blogger input at a PR seminar. The invitation flattered me by talking of my 'expert input'' and asking me to help them 'refine and improve the way we communicate with media and bloggers'.
I thought about it, decided there was plenty I could say and duly made the arrangements to go. Then the warning bells started ringing. First, came an email saying they were 'keen to catch up with the rest of the team before finally confirming this'; then came a 'phone call revealing that the day hadn't been confirmed and was likely to change. Finally, I was told that the changes meant my presence was no longer required.
Now, I'm not one to sulk. (Not often.) I'm quite happy in the knowledge that some invites come my way and others don't. It doesn't bother me that some bloggers get invited to things I'm not asked to attend. What does bother me is being invited to something and accepting only to be told - having made childcare arrangements, for example - that the whole thing is off. Worse, that it's not off but that - in spite of fulsome we would love you to attend-s and please tell us what you think about PRs-s, in spite of being sent a schedule, a location and specific time and date, in spite of receiving (unsolicited) a wholly unambiguous invitation detailing the kind of blogger input they require, input I was capable and willing to provide - the event is going ahead, just not as planned. Thank you and goodnight.
At first, I thought it might be my misunderstanding. So I re-checked all the emails. Not only weren't they 'round robins' (I began to wonder if they'd done a blogger beauty parade and found me lacking) but they were specific and direct. It was me they wanted. And they wanted me for a very specific purpose. Until they didn't. No, this wasn't my misunderstanding at all. This was someone at best being cavalier with my time and schedule or at worst making up a brief 'on the hoof' and sending invites only to find it wasn't what the bosses wanted at all.
Which isn't really good enough.
So, here's what I would have said if I'd been there. Here's what I'd like to say to PRs everywhere. I like working with PRs. Most of them are really good. But clearly, some need just a little help. It is at hand.
Rule 1: Know what you want.
I know the design of a PR campaign is your area of expertise rather than mine, but I could save some of you a lot of time (not to mention money) with this simple rule. While most firms are now reasonably blogger-savvy, some still seem to think that sending of an email with press release attached is like pushing an enormous button marked 'go' on a blogger's head, sending them scurrying straight to the the lap-top. (Here's our latest press release - now blog about it.) Basically, you ought to consider why I should bother reading about your latest book/product/outreach programme or whatever. That way, when you tell me about it, I'll know (a) that you've read the blog and you know who I am, and (b) whether anyone else who reads this might be interested.
Rule 2: Know your incentive
There's nothing worse than toddling along to an event only to find vague promises of 'traffic' being pushed to our blogs being dangled as a carrot. To be honest, I don't really care how you 'incentivise' us. But please don't insult us by assuming we can bask in the reflected glory of your or your client's website. And don't use the word 'incentivise'.
Rule 3: Be specific
I like knowing where I'm going, when, and what I'm doing when I get there. I don't like being told, on arrival, that part of the day will be spent (in groups - horror!) deciding what we should be doing. It's a waste of everybody's time. I'll gladly help you decide if you'd like. I'm good at that kind of thing. But not on the day. Time is short. Things need to happen.
Rule 4: Don't assume
We blog, but it's not all we do. We have lives, diaries, commitments, meetings, schedules just like you do. We can't (well, I can't and I suspect I'm not alone) simply 'drop everything' for an event you're organising. Nor can we easily pick it all up again if you decide you don't want us. We need notice. And we need a commitment. If you want us to put ourselves out for you then make sure it's going to happen.
Rule 5: Be realistic
Although I like to think that my posts will have a global reach and I can therefore help you deliver your message to the masses, let's be realistic about it. And don't instruct me to post three times at a specific time with a prescribed number of backlinks and then tweet about it on the hour, every hour for the next three days using a ridiculous range of hashtags. Speaking as a reader, they're the posts I never bother with. Let me do what I can and let me do it my way. There'll be some quality 'engagement' (as you people like to call it) and that'll be that. Tomorrow's a whole new PR campaign.
So, there you have it. I hope the PRs our there find it useful. And if you've got any more tips of your own, please do add them in the comment box below. I'm sure they'd be happy to hear them.
I thought about it, decided there was plenty I could say and duly made the arrangements to go. Then the warning bells started ringing. First, came an email saying they were 'keen to catch up with the rest of the team before finally confirming this'; then came a 'phone call revealing that the day hadn't been confirmed and was likely to change. Finally, I was told that the changes meant my presence was no longer required.
Now, I'm not one to sulk. (Not often.) I'm quite happy in the knowledge that some invites come my way and others don't. It doesn't bother me that some bloggers get invited to things I'm not asked to attend. What does bother me is being invited to something and accepting only to be told - having made childcare arrangements, for example - that the whole thing is off. Worse, that it's not off but that - in spite of fulsome we would love you to attend-s and please tell us what you think about PRs-s, in spite of being sent a schedule, a location and specific time and date, in spite of receiving (unsolicited) a wholly unambiguous invitation detailing the kind of blogger input they require, input I was capable and willing to provide - the event is going ahead, just not as planned. Thank you and goodnight.
At first, I thought it might be my misunderstanding. So I re-checked all the emails. Not only weren't they 'round robins' (I began to wonder if they'd done a blogger beauty parade and found me lacking) but they were specific and direct. It was me they wanted. And they wanted me for a very specific purpose. Until they didn't. No, this wasn't my misunderstanding at all. This was someone at best being cavalier with my time and schedule or at worst making up a brief 'on the hoof' and sending invites only to find it wasn't what the bosses wanted at all.
Which isn't really good enough.
So, here's what I would have said if I'd been there. Here's what I'd like to say to PRs everywhere. I like working with PRs. Most of them are really good. But clearly, some need just a little help. It is at hand.
Rule 1: Know what you want.
I know the design of a PR campaign is your area of expertise rather than mine, but I could save some of you a lot of time (not to mention money) with this simple rule. While most firms are now reasonably blogger-savvy, some still seem to think that sending of an email with press release attached is like pushing an enormous button marked 'go' on a blogger's head, sending them scurrying straight to the the lap-top. (Here's our latest press release - now blog about it.) Basically, you ought to consider why I should bother reading about your latest book/product/outreach programme or whatever. That way, when you tell me about it, I'll know (a) that you've read the blog and you know who I am, and (b) whether anyone else who reads this might be interested.
Rule 2: Know your incentive
There's nothing worse than toddling along to an event only to find vague promises of 'traffic' being pushed to our blogs being dangled as a carrot. To be honest, I don't really care how you 'incentivise' us. But please don't insult us by assuming we can bask in the reflected glory of your or your client's website. And don't use the word 'incentivise'.
Rule 3: Be specific
I like knowing where I'm going, when, and what I'm doing when I get there. I don't like being told, on arrival, that part of the day will be spent (in groups - horror!) deciding what we should be doing. It's a waste of everybody's time. I'll gladly help you decide if you'd like. I'm good at that kind of thing. But not on the day. Time is short. Things need to happen.
Rule 4: Don't assume
We blog, but it's not all we do. We have lives, diaries, commitments, meetings, schedules just like you do. We can't (well, I can't and I suspect I'm not alone) simply 'drop everything' for an event you're organising. Nor can we easily pick it all up again if you decide you don't want us. We need notice. And we need a commitment. If you want us to put ourselves out for you then make sure it's going to happen.
Rule 5: Be realistic
Although I like to think that my posts will have a global reach and I can therefore help you deliver your message to the masses, let's be realistic about it. And don't instruct me to post three times at a specific time with a prescribed number of backlinks and then tweet about it on the hour, every hour for the next three days using a ridiculous range of hashtags. Speaking as a reader, they're the posts I never bother with. Let me do what I can and let me do it my way. There'll be some quality 'engagement' (as you people like to call it) and that'll be that. Tomorrow's a whole new PR campaign.
So, there you have it. I hope the PRs our there find it useful. And if you've got any more tips of your own, please do add them in the comment box below. I'm sure they'd be happy to hear them.
January 6, 2012
Dance Together Dinosaurs
'Strictly Come Dancing meets Jurassic Park.' That's how Jane Clarke's latest children's picture book has been described. It's a toe-tapping tale with a twist as a host of dinosaurs compete against each other in a dancing competition. But why do the judges keep disappearing?
You'll have to read the book to find out. But I'm delighted to say that children's author Jane Clarke is here today to provide the answers to some different questions - about her writing, her ideas and collaborating with illustrators among other things.
If, like me, you've ever admired the verve and skill of those bedtime stories that are your nightly reading then the chance to ask one of the people behind some of the most popular children's titles of recent years just what it takes was too good to resist. I voluntarily restricted myself to half-a-dozen questions, although I could've gone on all afternoon. Anyway, here's what Jane had to tell me.
What inspired you to begin writing books for children? Where have subsequent ideas for stories come from - is there a consistent source of inspiration or is each book different?
Over 10 years ago, I was working in a school library reading stories, and helping children select books. A little girl called Jasmine asked me week after week if I had a book that was about 'a princess, rabbits and shopping.' She was so persistent that in the end I made up a story for her, and that opened the floodgates for loads of other boys and girls to ask me to create stories for them to order. It was a lot of fun and eventually I started writing down stories and went on courses, learning the craft from wonderfully generous people like Pat Hutchins and Tony Bradman. Subsequent ideas have often come from family experiences and I've had great pleasure turning my sons into elephants, sharks, dinosaurs and other assorted wildlife.
Some people seem to think that writing books for children is something of an easy option. How 'easy' is it compared to other forms of writing?
I've never tried other forms of writing, but I suspect that finding the idea for a children's book is as difficult for a children's writer as for an author of adult fiction. But I have to admit, I don't need to spend that many hours sitting on my bottom actually writing it :-)
You've produced well over twenty books over the course of the last ten or so years. Do you have you a set writing 'routine' or is your approach flexible?
I'm most productive in the morning, so I try and write then and do office work later . It's great to get out on author visits to school and I always try to seize the moment if something interesting comes up. Working for myself means I can always make up for it by writing at weird hours of the night if I have a deadline.
You've also worked with a variety of illustrators in your career, including Charles Fuge and now Lee Wildish. How much influence do children's authors have over the choice of illustrator and what is the secret of a successful collaboration?
The publishers choose the illustrator, and I've been very lucky to be paired with such talented illustrators who bring the idea to life and enhance it in so many ways. I think the secret of a successful collaboration is for the author to be flexible enough to adapt their text to the illustrators work once the pictures start coming in.
Several of your books have a nautical flavour or setting (I'm thinking the 'Gilbert' titles and things like 'Eye, Eye, Captain and Sherman Swaps Shells). Is the sea important to you in some way or is this just coincidental?
Coincidental - but I do love the sea and am lucky enough to live close to it. Today it's a lot greyer and stormier than a picturebook ocean!
Finally, what advice would you give a would-be children's author? And - on a similar note - what's the single most important thing you've learned in your career?
The answer is the same to both - write with joy and enjoy the process.
Jane's latest book - with fantastic illustrations by Lee Wildish -was published yesterday by Red Fox Picture Books (ISBN-13: 978-1849410137) is available now priced £5.99 in bookshops, on Amazon and at The Book Depository.
It's a bedtime boogie!
January 4, 2012
One Born Every Minute
A little over a year ago - weeks before the birth of Eloise - we were contacted by the producers of this Channel Four series and asked if we'd like to take part. They were looking for couples with a baby due before or after Christmas and we certainly fitted the bill. The series followed couples as they prepared for the big day right up to the birth itself and made for fascinating viewing. We declined the invitation to take part ourselves, which was probably just as well as in the event things moved so quickly that I doubt even the swiftest camera crew could have got anywhere near the hospital in time. We nearly didn't make it and my wife barely got her trousers off!
There's a new series of One Born Every Minute starting this tonight and it promises to be every bit as good as the first. This year they're looking to recruit bloggers to add their personal stories and you can find details of how to get involved over on the Netmums blog.
Tonight's first episode is all about dads - a subject clearly very close to my own heart - and follows the progress of two dads-to-be as they prepare for their new arrival. Future episodes include one on pain and another on women who 'break the rules'. The series is on Wednesday nights at 9pm on Channel 4 and available to watch online at www.channel4.com/oneborn.
In the event, of course, we made it. All was well. And this was the result. A little girl in something of a hurry!
January 2, 2012
Summoned by bells
So, that's that. School tomorrow (or work) for many and the wonderful, leisurely (who am I kidding?) relaxing (you've got to be joking!) holidays yield once more to the demands of the clock, the boss, the bus and the school bell.
But not for us. I've said before I'd happily never have to undergo the imposition of industrial time again. Twenty years of being 'summoned by bells' whether they be the alarm clock or those infernal things in school corridors is enough for anyone.
I like not having a set routine. I like having the flexibility, with Charlie, to follow our instincts creatively. So he asks about the moon: we'll find out all about it. He wants to know why birds fly. I teach him the principles of aeronautics. (Well, I try.) I know we'll soon have to bend to the unyielding rhythm of the school day; his honeymoon period is already almost over and the nursery he goes to is gently preparing him for all that the classroom will require of him. But I still think it's a shame.
Ask yourself this: why do we do it this way? The answer's simple, of course. It couldn't happen if we didn't. We need an educated workforce and the factory model of teaching children is the one we've used since the start of universal education. And back in the day, when a kid left school at 12 or 14 he or she would certainly have had to be fully trained in the art of time-keeping. Woe-betide if you were late for your shift!
But I wonder, in the future, how many of the kids in Charlie's class will work a nine-to-five day like so many now do. Increasing numbers work flexibly from home (as, I suppose, I do); the Henley Centre predicts that in a few years time we'll almost all have portfolio careers - basically a succession of short-term contracts - where one of the most highly marketable of employee skills will be the proven ability to work flexibly.
And that includes, of course, being flexible with time. Routine is good, don't get me wrong. I like to enforce a decent bedtime and we don't drop everything and start eating the moment we get hungry. But a healthy dose of flexibility won't do anyone any harm now, especially when the next thirteen years of education will be so rigidly inflexible.
So good luck to all those back-to-school and work tomorrow. As it's not nursery, we'll be home as usual and I'll be trying to make sure Charlie enjoys his last few months of freedom as flexibly as possible.
But not for us. I've said before I'd happily never have to undergo the imposition of industrial time again. Twenty years of being 'summoned by bells' whether they be the alarm clock or those infernal things in school corridors is enough for anyone.
I like not having a set routine. I like having the flexibility, with Charlie, to follow our instincts creatively. So he asks about the moon: we'll find out all about it. He wants to know why birds fly. I teach him the principles of aeronautics. (Well, I try.) I know we'll soon have to bend to the unyielding rhythm of the school day; his honeymoon period is already almost over and the nursery he goes to is gently preparing him for all that the classroom will require of him. But I still think it's a shame.
Ask yourself this: why do we do it this way? The answer's simple, of course. It couldn't happen if we didn't. We need an educated workforce and the factory model of teaching children is the one we've used since the start of universal education. And back in the day, when a kid left school at 12 or 14 he or she would certainly have had to be fully trained in the art of time-keeping. Woe-betide if you were late for your shift!
But I wonder, in the future, how many of the kids in Charlie's class will work a nine-to-five day like so many now do. Increasing numbers work flexibly from home (as, I suppose, I do); the Henley Centre predicts that in a few years time we'll almost all have portfolio careers - basically a succession of short-term contracts - where one of the most highly marketable of employee skills will be the proven ability to work flexibly.
And that includes, of course, being flexible with time. Routine is good, don't get me wrong. I like to enforce a decent bedtime and we don't drop everything and start eating the moment we get hungry. But a healthy dose of flexibility won't do anyone any harm now, especially when the next thirteen years of education will be so rigidly inflexible.
So good luck to all those back-to-school and work tomorrow. As it's not nursery, we'll be home as usual and I'll be trying to make sure Charlie enjoys his last few months of freedom as flexibly as possible.
