Oliver Wood Photography

It’s a lovely bright crisp morn tha’ knows but the main reason for today’s entry is simply to draw your attention to a website which I personally find to be rather interesting. It has also promoted a new section on my links page too. This is a very evocative insight into the early years of Broadcasting House the BBC’s principal building in London which is still home to the Director General and much of the corporations radio production. The website is very well presented and gives a thorough overview of operations, building design, and decor in the pioneering 1930s. BH is still a remarkable place but the site illustrates just how glamorous (and quirky) it was in the early years, a showpiece of unique contemporary design with themed studios disguised as sitting rooms. There is comprehensive technical information and lots of photos of technicians in suites. Descriptions of padauk wood furnishings with pale green carpeting very BBC and a sense of indulgent cosy hospitality which is so typical of broadcasting establishments was just as much a part of the ethos then as it is now. Have a look Broadcasting House There are many other interesting links contained within the site and the more technically minded will find the ‘Old Radio Broadcasting Equipment and Memories’ pages to be absolutely fascinating. It gives some idea of the staggering scale and complexity of the BBC’s technical infrastructure.

It’s a bit of a broad ranging entry tonight but I feel compelled to begin with my own modest acknowledgement of a new book by Tom Hodgkinson founder of the Idler biannual. ‘How to be Free’ follows on from ‘How to be Idle’ an overview of the essential ‘idler’ philosophy, or dare I say it ‘cult’. From what I can gather ‘How to Be Free’ constitutes yet another self help guide for all those of us wishing to break free from the tiresome shackles or pressures and artificial needs of modern life. I have to say that the idler concept is quite new to me having been largely introduced to this by friends and it does appear to present a more gentle approach to reform than some of my other vague allegiances.

As I understand it the ‘idling’ concept should not be confused with that ugly phenomenon of slobbish nihilism, the flip side of an ugly superficial consumerism obsessed society. But instead ‘idling’ is proffered as an antithesis and connected with a desire to recover a more contemplative existence based on the conscientious rejection of the Protestant work ethic combined with the idea of assigning more time to ones self and specifically for the pursuit of enlightening pleasures. In a way ‘idling’ has more in common with old world values, creativity, and spirituality. Some would describe the concept as a hankering for a kind of quasi aristocratic existence as opposed to the “brutalising” obsession with hard work that predominates in the mindset of the middle class. Its about living instead of careering, the moment, following ones own instincts instead of the pack, bohemian ideals, detachment and job hopping —etc. Idling also draws heavily on the notions of self determinism proffered by Nietzsche and others connected with the ideals of existentialism

Though I have not read the book as yet, snippets seen in the press would suggest that it takes the form of a series of easily digestible didactic narratives that are so glaringly obvious and yet somehow overlooked. It mitigates all of the stupid conditioning of our times in a playful but still provocative way and even dietary requirements for an idler are discussed. Idling is in fact one of a number of intellectual attacks on the way we live now. There are many others, coming from a lot of different quarters that appeal to people from many different backgrounds and political orientations from Greens, to Down-Shifters and even Neo Conservatives. But all address the need to re aquatint ourselves with higher values and thoughts and more meaningful ways of life.

There isn’t much to report from the allotment at the moment as we have now reached a steady state of weed control, though Gill did make a rather nice door for the Moomin House last weekend and it was a perfect fit. In my experience door hanging can be a very tricky business even for a standard size factory made job.

This next bit could get a bit technical I’m afraid—-you have been forewarned!

A homage to the days when electronics technology had soul, a sense of energetic life, and anyone with an ‘o’ level in physics could understand circuits by site.

Last night I indulged in one of my frequent technical web searches with the intention of finding some info on the once humble Nixie tube. Anyone of a certain undisclosed age may remember these distinctive numeric indicator devices which predated the now more familiar LED and LCD technologies. They are comprised of an intricate overlaid matrix of tin wires formed into the numerals 0 to 9 and encapsulated in a glass tube filled (usually) with neon. When the respective numerals are energised (at about 170 volts) with respect to a common anode the relevant numbers appear to glow bright orange. These tubes are now highly collectable and much sort after by electronics enthusiasts and retro technology designers. I had in mind the idea to build my own nixie clock, that is until I discovered that old but unused nixie tubes can cost as much as £150 a piece, particularly the exquisite Russian models with very elegantly formed numerals. Of course, I found plenty of designers and boffins that had already beaten me to it and built some of the most intriguing digital clocks I have seen.

Here is an example of one of the more refined designs, a Swiss guy made it but unfortunately the name escapes me.

But I like the simple and innovative version below even more. This single tube nixie clock by Time Guy continually cycles through the respective digits of the current time so 12:30 is displayed as 1,2,3,0—pause—1,2,3,0,—-pause etc and the whole thing is based on a wonderfully simple and elegant circuit design. Built, I think, around a simple 7441 driver— for those in the know.

Have a look at the Time Guy website for more info, some of his clocks have a strange antique technology feel and look like something off Sam Lowry’s mantle shelf in Terry Gilliam’s Brazil. Another interesting retro technology page for my fellow geek minded souls can be found here Mike’s Electric Stuff. Mike indulges in a certain object fascination for vintage thermionic devices (valves or tubes) and lots of other interesting stuff including nixies. It’s also a bit of a nostalgia fest for those engineers wanting to be reminded of technologies that were largely pioneered in Britain. Even if you don’t know your heil tubes from your klystrons or nuvistors from mini pups and the intricacies of RADAR and high energy microwaves leaves you cold it is still worth a visit if only to peruse a veritable lexicon of potentially useful band names.

We are finally getting to grips with the allotment, and now the task in hand no longer seems to be quite so daunting, in fact it all appears to be under control and quite manageable. We have acquired a wonderful shed come greenhouse with the plot and both the shed and greenhouse are painted in rather fetching shades of blue. We have decided to call it the ‘Moomin House’ and once we have the wood burning stove installed this moomin house should make for quite a pleasant autumnal retreat. The plot has been strimed and we have just covered about 95% of the main plot with black plastic sheet to suppress weed growth in preparation for rotivation, possibly in the winter, its all good hard work but hopefully all of this effort should pay off next year. I’m already looking forward to a bumper fruit crop!

Allotments seem to have become almost fashionable in parts of South Manchester. The waiting lists for prospective plots are huge and in many ways we were exceptionally lucky to get any kind of a plot at all, and especially one that is fairly well cultivated and complete with a shed and greenhouse. The site has something of an Old World charm, a sense of neighbourly community which is now sadly all too rare in the suburban streets beyond the gates. We have already been given enough surplus produce to make at least three substantial meals, and offered the loan of tools without even having to ask.