The Editors View

Frussssssstration!

noreply@blogger.com (Nomad Lyme Regis) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 15:34:00 +0000

Thats the state of things at the moment, pure frustration. We now have a backlog of about 14 hours of film tape waiting to be edited and uploaded. Included in the backlog is all the footage from ArtsFest, including our own Lyme Live ArtsFest Special, featuring among others local author Lucy Daniel Raby. There is the recent Three Cups Public Meeting at Woodmead Halls, and our own Lyme Live Woodmead Special with Mayor Michaela Ellis and Pip Evans. We have the annual Save the Children Concert from the Baptist Church Hall, the new organ at St. Michaels, a lot I can't remember there is so much, including a couple of Council Meetings. The sad thing is that some footage will be outdated by the time we can resume, or even, if we can resume., and will probably go straight onto CD and into our vast programme archive.

The hard part is that there is absolutely nothing we can do about it and we have ceased filming now because all our spare tape is locked up in the backlog. It's ironic that we now have four or five active camcorders, and have the capability of filming anything and everything that happens. We have a DVD copier that can churn out 10 Cd's or DVD's at once, which is great because out 'Postcard from Lyme' DVD is selling fairly well in town. It won't earn enough however to purchase a new laptop.

That is, in a nutshell the real problem. The only machine we have that is capable of editing video, groans and complains bitterly with real feeling every time I connect it to a camcorder. Editing video can be quite a long process, first the movie has to be uploaded into the computer in real time, That's one hour per tape. Then, besides the time it takes to edit and caption a full hour, it has to be 'saved'. That takes about another hour. After that, it takes another hour to upload to the TV Channel. A new laptop wouldn't change this, it will still take as long to edit and upload programmes, but at present, it takes the infernal machine more than an hour to save 10 minutes of video! Don't ask if we've done this or that to the computer, we have, we've defragged, cleared files, reformatted, updated, upgraded, disk cleaned up, and even hoovered the keyboard, but nothing doing. The hard drive has simply packed its bags and gone.

The thing we need, and have to have if we're to continue is a laptop with at minimum 100Gig hard drive, and about 4Gig ram memory. We could 'get by' with less, but these machines tend to be expensive, and without miracles, I don't think we will see much change out of £500. It's not all hopeless however, we beleive, in fact have been told, that forces are active in the town to get us back on the road again, and as soon as we are, I think we should have a celebration party with the headline, 'Disaster Narrowly Avoided' which I'm sure Pip Evans will describe as the worst headline he has seen since the one about small earthquakes in Chile!

Technical Difficulties

noreply@blogger.com (Nomad Lyme Regis) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 21:25:00 +0000

Lyme Regis Community Media Association

The current position is this: The only computer we have that is capable of editing video is about to become defunct. This means that we are unable to edit video, and therefore unable to upload video to the website. We already have a backlog of around 8 hours of film, and obviously, there is little point in recording further events if we can't edit what we have already. So until further notice, no further programmes will be recorded.

To add to this, our only professional camcorder (CanonXL1) is in need of serious and expensive repair, and we simply can't afford the expense of this.

The Community Media Association came into being in October last year as a natural progression from LymeRegisRadio and has always been organised by enthusiasts and volunteers. In just the last few months, we've recorded events and produced DVD's for B Sharp, filmed Carnival Week, produced our own 3 hour DVD now selling in local shops, produced and released an album by local singer/songwriter Simon 'The Beard' Leach, and launched LymeRegisTV.We record an average of 3 items every week, including events, meetings, interviews, and festivals plus our own promotions and presentations.

We still have CD copies of every thing we ever recorded,, which adds up to a phenomenal 1,000 plus CD's. I don't think anyone in town has avoided our microphone or the eye of our camera over the last 6 years, and if we've done nothing else, we've made a deep and detailed record of the life of Lyme Regis during this period. (2004-2009) At present, these CD's have little value, and perhaps time will be served best if I package them up and leave them in the loft for someone to find in about 50 years or so! In a few years time, everyone we filmed will be desirous of seeing how they were then, and overall, should see how Lyme was then.....

We know that Lyme loves our project, we know this from the many emails we receive, we know it from the daily thousand people who log in and view our programmes, we know it from comments from locals on the street, we know it from the visitors who recognise us and tell us they regularly tune in, we know it from our performance in Google and other search engines. It's a shame that we've failed to convince local 'bureaucracies' of the value of this work. Bill McCallum and myself have gone through hoops over the past year trying to find funding, but it seems that whatever we demonstrate, we are assumed to be just another website, which neglects the fact of our involvement in every group and organisation in the community. Beyond this, I don't know what else to say.

To continue, without expanding the project, we need at least the following:
Laptop Computer (60G hard drive, minimum 2G memory)
Canon XL1 repair.
Internet and Hosting fees for next year.

We are doing our best to resolve difficulties and hope to be continuing broadcasting soon.
Thankyou.

noreply@blogger.com (Nomad Lyme Regis) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 23:33:00 +0000

To Friends/Members/Crew/Contributors/ArtsFest. THANKYOU! I would like to offer my own personal thanks to everyone who took part in creating this very special event. To Christine Allison and her team who organised it all so brilliantly. To cope with a total of 60 artists, all with different needs, plus all the myriad other events surrounding ArtsFest, is a garantuan task. For local artists, £50 all in to have pictures on display in the Baptist Church Hall, the Town Mill ,town shops, and have publicity in a glossy brochure, is fantastic value, so it isn't surprising that more artisits take part every year. Add to that Open Studios and workshops, and it's easy to see how this event drew the imagination of the whole Lyme community. I also apologise profoundly to the hanging team at the Town Mill for the wet red paint on my contribution, and I promise that next year my pictures will all be completely dry.

My own event, 'Thought...for a moment' at the Town Mill, might have said 'Nomad' above the door, but it was very much a collective effort from the ComMA group, and I couldn't have done it without the special input of these friends. In no particular order, thanks to Emily Blech, local young talented musician/singer/songwriter/actor who gave us some great film footage, sang and spoke on the 'Rave' track, and (completely unrehearsed!) did the Rooftop scene with me. Simon 'The Beard' Leach who played 12 string guitar, Mary Ball who sang with me, Jon Hallet and his drum skills, and Bill McCallum who provided film inspiration and handled the Camcorder on the night. This was really an experimental trial run and I expected the techie stuff to fall to bits all the way through, but in the end, it held together, and with a great audience, we got through it. An edit of it will shortly be appearing on the MusicTV Channel of LymeRegisTV. Having had the experience, we are already considering doing something similar next year, in a larger venue, with audience particiation, and a lot of coloured light.

The real ComMA event was Friday Night Live at the Town Mill, which did indeed turn out to be an ArtsFest Special. Sally Holman dropped by and chatted about the early days of ArtsFest and its development, desperately trying to keep yours truly strictly on the subject of ArtsFest, but I always have so much to talk about with Sally, and don't see her often enough! Lucy Daniel Raby, local auther and writer of Nicholai of the North talked also about ArtsFest, writing workshops, and her forthcoming Christmas production at the Marine Theatre. We did those interviews early because Lucy and Sally had other commitments, but we'd just put Julian Shaw, singer songwriter and a regular favourite on Friday Night Live on the stage, when suddenly the room filled with people, including Jill Raines, one of the Bermuda artisis in town this week. So with the assistance of some Lancashire lads and lasses, a good time was had by all. Seems also a good time to let you know that Lyme Live returns on 12th October, in its new guise as Monday Night Live at the Woodmead Halls, and thereafter, every second Monday in the month, with a Quiz Night in December. Thanks also for all the welcome feedback on my Dream paintings at the Baptist Church Hall, and at the Town Mill.
Best Wishes,
Nomad

State of Flux

noreply@blogger.com (Nomad Lyme Regis) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 02:17:00 +0000

It’s how I was originally going to start this piece, by saying we are at present in a State of Flux. Then I remembered that we’ve been in a state of flux ever since we started this project back in 2004. It’s fair to say however, that over the last 12 months, since our small project grew into an association, the changes have been coming faster than ever. Which prompts me to say thank you, to all our viewers and listeners for the many messages wishing us well during our big changeover. This really has been a full on year, and placed in the context of house moves and personal developments, we haven’t stopped since January.
Making the transition from Audio to Video has been a difficult, and expensive process, and as you know, it’s been a ‘trial project’ for the last two years, until we finally took the plunge in June this year by launching LymeRegisTV. We’ve been astounded by its success too. There is no doubt now that the change was well worth the effort. Can’t deny though, that film is a lot more problematic than Audio. Takes a lot longer to edit, therefore the Editor (me), has a continual backlog.. Takes a lot longer to upload too, which means one entire laptop is now busy full time uploading to the TV Channels.
Looking at our Viewer Stats, it’s easy to see that our most popular programming is the LymeLive Channel, our own local TV Show, which would be weekly, if we could find a venue. Very difficult to find a venue in Lyme where we can do a weekly live show. Eventually, we’ll have to bite the bullet, and do it monthly, but if anyone out there can suggest somewhere, call us now! The CarnivalTV Channel is also proving to be immensely popular, in its first week online at the end of August, it collected plus of 2,000 ‘Viewer Minutes’, whats that in hours?
Highlight of the year, aside of course from our own Big Launch event, has to be the Red Arrows, find the footage of it, a fabulous video with a lot of close-ups on the planes, defiant seagulls insisting on flying through the roar of the engines, cheering watchers, for the moment, find it on the CarnivalTV Channel.
Had a great time at the Relay for Life, and I guarantee on the video that LymeRegisTV will definitely be putting a team in next year, maybe I might get one of those camcorders that straps to your head. Our team will be in training soon with Moonlight Walks on the Undercliff, and midnite nude bathing on the back beach? All said and done was a great event, for a worthy cause, and the organizers deserve tons of praise for creating a non stop walking party, the enthusiasm at times was overwhelming. Find it on our EventsTV Channel Click ‘On Demand’ to view particular programmes. While you’re there, check out the interview with .Tracey Emin and Mark Hix………
We now have enough camcorders to loan one out. If you’re group or organization is having a special event and you could film it for us, or if you’re an individual with a life interesting enough to create a Video-Diary……call us…..

BIG Launch Report

noreply@blogger.com (Nomad Lyme Regis) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:17:00 +0000

120 invited guests turned up for the event, which commenced at 7.30pm with food and wine, accompanied by The Beards CD album, ‘Beggars Belief’, playing in the main hall.

Lyme Regis Community Media Association was launched at 8pm with an introduction by Nomad and some film clips to demonstrate the range of work we are covering in the community. These included the film made by our youth camera team of B Sharp during Evolution Rocks at the Marine, which announced our forthcoming sessions at Insparation. Lyme Regis Community Media Association is designed to act as a catalyst for the whole community, to establish and develop community based communications media for empowerment, cultural expression, information, local economic development and entertainment. We want our work to build on the reputation of Lyme Regis as a cohesive community with diverse interests and CoMA will be a platform for cultural programmes, supporting new and existing businesses, entertaining the community and visitors and providing information that is of interest to all.

LymeRegisTV was launched with a short clip from our movie of ‘Candles on the Cobb’, which attracted so much attention on YouTube last year. The platform we have chosen is a number of stand alone channels, each channel will stream film all the time, but visitors can click on the ‘On Demand’ button to choose from the list of programmes available on each channel. Channels at present, including content, are as follows:
Evolution Rocks: An example of how we can create a TV Channel for s specific event. Currently running is the Opening Night, UNESCO Youth Summit, Around the Marquees, a clip from Herbie Treehead, and B Sharp at the Marine, with still more to come.
Events Channel: Look here to find the May Day Fete, the Bermuda 400 Celebrations with film from both Whitchurch Canonicorum and Lyme Regis, and Food Rocks!, including interview with Mark Hix.
Civic Channel, presently featuring this years Mayor-Making, and the first Full Council Meeting with Mayor Michaela Ellis in the Chair.
News Channel: Big feature at present is the complete 2 hour meeting about the Three Cups at Woodmead Halls, which is already attracting significant numbers of viewers! You could also see the Gig Club AGM, and the story of Bills Hat!
More Channels will be set up in the next few days:
Lyme Live Weekly: and the first public interview with Michaela Ellis, plus a special edition from the BIG Launch.
MusicLyme Channel: first uploading will be a live set in Lyme from Adam Watson.
HolisticTV: with your host Sue Darling, opening with next weekends Psychic Fayre at the Orchard Hotel, Rousden.
B Sharp Channel: Will soon feature all the bands who performed at the Summers Day of Music last year, the fabulous session at the Marine, and the Music Session from Woodroffe School last week. (interrupted by false alarm fire engines!)

‘Beggars Belief’ by The Beard CD Album was launched next with a video of The Beard performing ‘The Tramp’ from the album in a very Chaplinesque setting! A.K.A. Simon Leach, The Beard is a true ‘born and bred’ local who has been singing his excellent songs around the area for many years.
This album also marks the first release from Lost Region Records, which will act as a catalyst for local musical talent, creating CD’s and DVD’s to promote our musical culture. Further releases will be announced in October this year.

‘A Postcard From Lyme Regis’ was the highlight of the evening, featuring a 10 minute trailer of this epic movie with over 3 hours of Lyme on video. After the trailer, Mary Ball presented Mary Godwin with a copy for the museum archives.

After a short break, festivities continued with a special edition of Lyme Live Weekly, the new title for Friday Night Live, a light-hearted magazine programme featuring local interviews and local talent, ,hosted by Alan Vian who interviewed Sue Outhwaite, organiser of this weekends Psychic Fayre, followed by Nomad and Bill McCallum, with music from talented 16 year old singer and keyboard player Emily Blech performing her own song, and 2 songs from the excellent sound of Mark Foxhall, who performed a thrilling version of ‘Halleluya’.

Breathless? For sure! But no time to rest because local young brothers rock outfit, Wise Intentions, fresh from their triumph at the Nettle Eating Championships, hit the stage and provided a storming end to the evening!

In conclusion? we want to work with you “The Community”, we need you to keep us informed about what’s important to you, to get you involved in making programmes. CoMA is open to members from across all interests within the community. Our key issue is now to raise the funds that we need to add to our equipment to enable us to produce top quality films for both the community and as saleable products.

Next? ‘A postcard from Lyme Regis’, and ‘Beggars Belief’ will be on sale locally and online in the next few days, at only £5 each. Buy both and get £1 off each!

We ended the evening by driving down to the Three Cups at midnight to take sausage rolls and sandwiches down to the vigilantes, Rikey Austin, Jo Farmer and Peter Wiles They had already collected around 750 signatures! Note to WDDC: The Three Cups is an important piece of Lyme’s heritage, it MUST be compulsorily purchased and re-opened as a hotel!

Painter of Dreams

noreply@blogger.com (Nomad Lyme Regis) — Wed, 20 May 2009 00:31:00 +0000

Very pleased to be finally taking part in ArtsFest. Until a couple of years ago, we had a little shop in Lyme from which I sold my work, and having been totally involved in the internet and LymeRegisRadio since then, I really need to get back to some real work.

Anyway, here are a few advance pictures. The rest you can see in September...

Population Control

noreply@blogger.com (Nomad Lyme Regis) — Tue, 19 May 2009 00:19:00 +0000

Last time I checked out the current population of Lyme Regis, it weighed in at about 3,800, which is why I'd like to know how it is that every time I go out or attend a meeting, I run into the same 10 people. Ok, I admit this might be a slight exaggeration, but it does sometimes seem that all the events in this amazing town are managed and organised by just a few spirited people. Funny though, even as I write this, I recognise it as the 'cynical' view, and that the entire population of Lyme turns out to just about everything, and every citizen is involved in one town group or another. It's what I love about this place, there really is never a dull moment. Truth is that any pedestrian journey takes twice as long because I'm continually running into friends/neighbours/visitors who want a chat, and today was no exception to the rule.
I could say that the day began at around 10am with a call from Ken Whetlor (esteemed Councillor and former Mayor) asking me my plans for the day, but the truth is that it began at 7.30am with Baby (a.k.a Bubble), our parrot, burrowing under the duvet with me, and pecking me on the nose to tell me it's rising time just after Mary left for work. I spent the morning doing paper work, though as I do most of it on the net these days, it would be better described as paper free work, and I still have apologies to make for the sundry emails I haven't yet replied to.
It was after lunch before I launched myself into society, heading first for LRDT where I chatted with Laurence Madill about Evolution Rocks. Laurence (a.k.a Ed?) is making us a 100metre router cable which we hope will connect us to the internet and allow us to live broadcast the Opening of the FossFest. This cable will lead all the way from the Theatre office into the theatre bar, where our camera will be plugged into a laptop. We also discussed broadcasting from the Alex Hotel, who are hosting the UNESCO Youth Summit, another live broadcast on Friday this week. After reporting back to Richard Doney, and a short chat with Diana Dixon and Dr. Anja, I strolled down to the Marine and had a look at the lie of the land, pondering on how to route our cable from A) the theatre office, to B) the theatre.
I set off for home then, coming across Guy Ottewell on his bike along the riverwalk. Guy updated me on the new monthly newspaper his partner Tilly is producing, and we chatted for a few minutes, mostly about media matters. After arriving home, and updating Ken on the days activities, I knocked off and relaxed with Mary for a couple of hours, Mary had been doing a spot of weeding in our miniscule garden area, and we were both mutually admiring the spectacular yellow roses that have appeared in the past few weeks. We've only been here since the beginning of Feb, and are really settled in, parrot especially having a little more flapping area!
At 6.30 I set off for Woodmead for the AGM, the indomitable Stan Williams in the Chair, nattered with Derek Hallet, letting him know that I couldn't stay till the end because histalkative son Jon was arriving at home for a rehearsal/recording session on The Beards CD album, which we're working on night and day in order to get it complete in time for our BIG LAUNCH event at Woodmead on the 20th June.
So there you go, a day in the life of Nomad, and if I counted correctly, thats 11 people, not including the parrot!

British Telecom & Alices Restaurant

noreply@blogger.com (Nomad Lyme Regis) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 01:44:00 +0000

First, I must apologise for being absent from my blog for so long. For the past several months, we’ve been occupied with house moving, and though I can’t say it was tough, I can’t say it’s easy to move after 12 years in the same central Lyme flat. Now we’ve moved and settled in, the dust is clearing, both from our possessions and our minds, and we are now ready to face another great year in Lyme Regis. We spent most of January clearing up our lives, and moved at the beginning of February. Only dark spot in the whole thing was British Telecom, who failed to read our instructions and left us disconnected from the world until almost the end of the month. As you can understand, this has meant a delay both in creating programmes and uploading them to the site, I got so mad during it, I wrote this diatribe to BT, which I already circulated pretty widely by email, so you might as well enjoy the benefit also…

British Telecom(A Parody by Nomad, with apologies to Arlo Guthrie and ‘Alices Restaurant’)
This song is called Mary’s New Home, and it's about Mary, and her new home, but Mary’s New Home is not the name of Mary’s new home, it's the name of the song, and that's why I called this song Mary’s New Home.

You can get anything you want at British Telecom.

Phone ‘em up they’re in Bangalore,

Twenty thousand miles from your new front door.

You can get anything you want at British Telecom.

Now it all started two months ago it's on two months ago at Christmas when my friend Mary got the news that she could move into her new home, which happens to be just around the corner from the place she lives in now with her partner Nomad and a highly trained vicious Ninja killer parrot known as Bubble. After visiting the new place, she decided that the move would happen at the end of January. Being as she was leaving the old place, and seeing as it was close by, she decided to take her phone number with her and phoned BT who said on their website, ring this number and have your phone put in at your new address, including Broadband connection. Just phone 0800 800 150, and one call does it all. Took us awhile to get through, and we had a lot of fun getting the right Press One, or Press Two, Three, and even Four, until finally getting a text message saying your phone will be connected on your moving day. Afer having an Indian Dinner that couldn’t be beat, we went to bed tired but happy and didn’t get up until the following morning. Well moving day came round, and using a pick up truck, two estate cars and a saloon car, we loaded 127 cardboard boxes, furniture, clothes, computers and a washing machine, and each vehicle making 3 trips, we set off making the whole move by 3.30pm in the afternoon. Was a nice day, the sun shone, and we opened a bottle of wine and toasted the weather after everything was moved. After having an Indian Dinner that couldn’t be beat, we went to bed tired but happy and didn’t get up until the following morning

But that’s not what I came to tell you about. I came to talk about BT…… We picked up the phone and sure enough there was a dialling tone, so we waited for BT to connect the Broadband, and for the phone to ring. Mary noticed, (remember Mary? It’s a song about Mary), that no one was phoning her, which isn’t usual, Mary being a very popular person, having a job and all and a lot of friends. I picked up the phone, dialed 0800 800 150, and fixing on the nature of my enquiry, pressed 2. After pressing two, I had to press 1, 2, 3 or 4. I pressed 2, and then had to tap in the full phone number, which I did when a nice lady with a Scots voice said, “I am sorry, I can’t find any information about this number”, and hung up. I was hung up about this, and dialled again, pressing two for the nature of my enquiry, and this time pressing 3. A nice man with an Indian accent asked how he could help me. After getting all the details down, the guy, in Indian guy, speaking in a French accent to an English person, said…..”Are you satisfied sir with my service to you, the way I’ve dealt with your query?”....and I proceeded to tell him the story of the 127 cardboard boxes, the furniture, clothes, computers and washing machine, adding the pick up truck, two estate cars and a saloon, and reminded him that Mary still didn’t have a phone connection, or internet, but that he had been very polite and very helpful. He smiled all the way from India and told me, with triumph in his voices that the phone would be on in 3 working days. I reminded him that that’s exactly what the last operator said, and he said no worries this time, this is all in hand and now in progress. I accepted his reply, and feeling hung up, I hung up.

3 working days later, and still not having the phone connected, I called Mary’s number and a nice English lady informed me that I had dialled incorrectly and should try again. Understanding immediately that the phone was still not connected I phoned BT again at 0800 800 150. The nice Scottish lady answered the phone and said, depending on your enquiry, press one or two, and when that is done, depending on the nature of your enquiry, press 1, 2, 3, or 4. I pressed Three and waited for a while until a man with a nice Indian accent called Akit asked how he could help me. I proceeded to tell him the story of the 127 cardboard boxes, the furniture, clothes, computers and washing machine, including the pick up truck, two estate cars and a saloon, each making 3 trips in all, and he said, very good sir but how can I help you. I proceeded to tell him the story of my 7 previous calls to BT, the buttons I pressed, and how long it took and that Mary’s phone was still not connected, and he said, “Sir, your phone IS connected”. I told him it wasn’t, and I tried to phone it and it didn’t ring, and he said “Sir! Stop it right there!”, and said “Sir, we have given you a new number!”……I proceeded to tell him the story about how Mary was only moving round the corner, and reminded him that the number, don’t forget the number, it’s coming round again, 0800 800 150 would move the phone number and Broadband all in one go, and seeing as it was just around the corner, a new number wasn’t necessary. He told me that wheels were already in motion, and in 5 working days, Marys phone would be active with her original phone number.

I reminded him that I was told that 3 days ago, and the 3 days before that, and time seemed to be increasing instead of decreasing, and I couldn’t help it, I began to raise my voice a little, telling him that he didn’t seem to be listening to my problem, he told me then that I was not listening to his helpful advice, and that the answer was always 3 to 5 working days. I asked him to repeat back to me what my phone number was and what new address it should be connected to…and I realized I was listening to a stock question, asked at the end of each enquiry, in order to convince the caller that their problem was being dealt with, and that the answer to any question is always 3 working days. So, next time you call BT at 0800 800 150, see if YOU can find which button to press if all you want to hear is that the answer is always 3 working days. 3 days later and Mary still not connected, and the realization dawning that I was gonna have to go through the entire process again, I figured I needed some therapy, and called my psychiatrist. I was hungdown brungdown hungup and all kinds o' mean nasty ugly things, realizing I was never gonna get a phone or broadband, and I was stuck in the desperate cycle of phoning every 3 working days. And I walked in and sat down and said, “ Shrink, I wanna kill! I wanna I wanna kill.Kill. I wanna I wanna rip out telephone wires, I wanna tear BT phone operatives apart. I mean kill, kill,KILL,KILL." and I started jumpin’ up and down yelling KILL KILL, and he started jumpin up and down with me and we was both jumping up and down yelling "KILL KILL",

When I went home, sat down and dialled 0800 800 150, I was good and ready and fired up. And I pressed 1’s 2’s and 3’,s until finally I was ear to ear with another BT operative somewhere very far away. Putting on my meanest most sinister voice I uttered quietly, “I’m recording this call for therapy purposes”, and then laid out the entire story of Mary’s New House, with three part harmony, full orchestration and feeling. Now friends, there was only one or two things the BT operative could’ve said and the first was he could have given us a medal for being so brave and honest on the telephone, which wasn't very likely, and we didn't expect it , and the other thing was he could have said Mary’s phone would be connected in 3 to 5 working days, which is what we expected, but there was a third possibility that we hadn't even counted upon, “Sir, you have the wrong department, I am transferring you now”, I shouted out in pain and frustration, “I wanna make a complaint, and suddenly, everything went quiet in India, until Mozart came on the line, followed by what appeared to be the BT psychiatrist, saying, “How can I help you Sir”. In tears of despair, I told him the entire story, and he said, “Don’t worry Sir, I am writing down everything you say, I will put it in writing and send it to the Complaints Dept, you will receive a copy by email. “I HAVE NO PHONE OR BROADBAND SO HOW WILL I SEE WHAT YOU SEND ME!! “No problem Sir, Mary’s phone will be connected for certain in 3 to 5 working days”.
And that’s how it stands at present. Mary, (remember Mary? It’s a song about Mary) is still not connected. and the only reason I'm singing you this song now is cause you may knowsomebody in a similar situation, or, you may be in a similar situation, and if you’re in a situation like that there's only one thing you can do and that's call BT wherever you are on 0800 800 150 and say, “You can get anything you want, at British Telecom, and hang up. You know, if one person, just one person does it, it might ring bells. And three people , three people, can you imagine, three people calling 0800 800 150, singing a bar of British Telecom, and asking if Mary’s phone is connected yet, they might think it’s an organization and start getting their act together. And can you imagine fifty people a day, I said fifty people a day calling 0800 800 150, singing a bar of British Telecom, and asking if Mary’s phone is online yet, friends they may thinks it's a movement. And that's what it is, the British Telecom Mary’s Phone Movement, and all you got to do to join is sing it the next time it comes around on the guitar. With feeling. So we'll wait for it to come around on the guitar, here and sing it when it does. Here it comes.
You can get anything you want, at British Telecom.
(excepting phone calls)
You can get anything you want, at British Telecom.
Phone ‘em up, they’re in Bangalore,
Twenty thousand miles from your new front door
You can get anything you want, at British Telecom,
(excepting broadband)
at British Telecom………..

I can now tell you that we are finally online and rolling towards a great year on LymeRegisRadio, with many changes to tell you about........

Tesco in Lyme Regis?

noreply@blogger.com (Nomad Lyme Regis) — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 01:17:00 +0000

Tesco in Lyme?
Expressing any opinion about this in Lyme right now is tantamount to suicide. Feelings on the question of the impending arrival of the retail giant are running very high. I don’t think that even the two years upheaval of our seafront caused this much controversy, to the point where it’s the only talking point wherever you go.
But opinions vary, depending on which cross section of Lyme society you’re talking to. When we made our video last week, we interviewed local traders, mostly shops close to the epicentre, but we’ve already been asked if we might ‘redress the balance’ by pointing the camera at shoppers.
At the Lyme Traders Association meeting tonight, you could have cut the air with a Tesco plastic bag. The accent of the discussion was about what happens when a giant like Tesco drops onto a small town. Local Traders suggest that Tesco will kill all the shops, invite other ‘big name’ competitors into Lyme, change the face of Lyme forever, etc, etc. Colin Willis chaired the meeting as best he could amongst a plethora of actions and ideas, almost begging them to calm down and look seriously at the options available, announcing the alternative consequences of a large retail area being empty, like the Three Cups. Meanwhile, propositions of campaigns being announced, sticking up posters, canvassing the town, hate Tesco till they go away, organising meetings, canvassing the populace, demonstrating outside the store, boycotting, with the main theme of Stop Tesco Coming to Lyme, and personally I think its all rhetoric.

No doubt at all that it’s a thorny subject. We all feel for those who might lose their jobs, or lose their livelihood, but these are changing times, and as Marcus Dixon so subtly put it, the way people shop is changing, more shopping is done on the internet, the real question arises within the community, and it’s uncertain as yet that the community of Lyme Regis don’t want Tesco. There is also the view that the biggest loss to the town is Woolworths, or that Woolworths merely decimates a different area of local business than Tesco. In the main, Tesco hits the food shops. Pip Evans commented that having visited a nearby Tesco Express, he found no fresh fish on sale, a remark directed, not too subtly, at Simon Bennett, local wet fish man, who with Franny Owen, is the loudest and most outspoken. In fact, the meeting wasn’t well supported by traders, might seem clear that those shops whose trade is unlikely to suffer, didn’t attend. I can hear already the cry of the few that Tesco will damage everyone, damage the town permanently, destroy Lyme’s retail individuality, but, is that really true? It represents a flawed belief that visitors only come here for the shops. It isn’t true! None of us, visitors or residents, are here because the shops are great. In fact, most of us are complaining that we can’t get our staple foods in Lyme. In the Summer the tourists empty the Co-op while residents are at work, and other food shops are either too expensive, or too specialist for daily needs. From that point of view, if Tesco is going to fill that need, I’m all for it. Also, I don’t have a motor car, and I can avoid a twice weekly trip to either Axminster or Bridport. A lot of elderly residents are in a similar situation, having to make a 14 mile round trek to do a little shopping.

The reason people come here, (and including via ancestry, those born here), visit this place, open businesses here, live here, paint pictures, make movies and write books here......, has a lot to do with that big blue thing that borders the southern edge of the town.

Plastic Bags, lazy journalism, and Turn Lyme Green

noreply@blogger.com (Nomad Lyme Regis) — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 13:01:00 +0000

Had an email this morning asking if i had any 'follow up' on my blog entry on the subject of TurnLymeGreen. In some ways I kind of regret writing it in the first place, though I stand by almost everything I said in it. I've had quite a few comments, some via email, and several verbal comments from townsfolk, mostly in agreement with my comments. There were also some comments on a TurnLymeGreen circular, but they were in the main so negative that I didn't want to add fuel to a non existent fire by reporting them here. I didn't regard the accusation of 'lazy journalism' or 'if LymeRegisRadio is to have any credibility I would suggest keeping objectivity to the forefront and personal soapboxes to the rear' from one TurnLymeGreen member as fair comment or worth repeating. Firstly, I'm not a journalist, I'm a citizen of Lyme Regis presenting my own personal view. My comments were not specifially about TurnLymeGreen, they were about Plastic Bag campaigns, which I really do think muddy the water. I'm not the only one who thinks so, not even in Lyme Regis. Aside from putting my own view about Carbon Emissions and Global Warming, the peice was pretty much tongue in cheek, at worst sardonic.

Though I do have a small apology to make in regard to three comments on the aforesaid TLG circular. 'Plastic bags are a start and thats all we have ever said', added to, 'in fact, carbon emissions are very serious, Although TLG is not currently doing anything about this', and 'would be great if some people took on a campaign to reduce carbon emissions'. I apologise for suggesting that TLG had anything in its brief concerning Carbon Emissions or Global Warming, and I note the admission that it isn't doing anything in this direction. It wasn't my intention to 'slam or ridicule' public initiative, and I deny that I'm guilty of that. Simply putting a point of view which deserves to be heard is all. I also believe that 'all involved are doing what we can and are genuine'. I accept that TLG is doing a good job within its chosen framework, its aim of making Lyme a greener place to live or visit, and if Carbon Emissions are not part of its brief I'll make no further comment.

The other communications I've had ask if LymeRegisRadio is still recording TLG events. Answer is we would if we could! We seem to have been dropped from their Mailing List and we don't even receive Press Releases. I think this is a shame and I can't understand why. In personal terms I'm a practicing environmentalist. I don't own a motor car, encourage others to lessen their addiction to the beasts, and I've been reusing and recycling like a madman for more than 30 years. That part is personal, I don't need to be a member of TLG or any other organisation to hold that view. In terms of LymeRegisRadio, I don't know what to say. We reported faithfully, with very few edits, on three TLG events, and interviewed the key people on our Friday Night Live programme. Those sessions are still being listened to by many people in Lyme and around the world. The most popular is the talk by Mukti Mitchell about living a Low Carbon Lifestyle. I loved Mukti's positive view, and was personally inspired by his talk. A man after my own heart who understands the bliss of living a Low Carbon life.

So if any apology is necessary, I'll offer it in this way: We now have a Canon XL Broadcast/DVD quality Digital Camcorder, and if TLG would like to make use of it to make a beautiful positive film about how Lyme could benefit from lessening its dependence on fossil fuels, please call me.

Lyme Regis and the Art of Being......

noreply@blogger.com (Nomad Lyme Regis) — Wed, 28 May 2008 02:30:00 +0000

Thanks to all who participated for Dorset Art Week, Lyme ArtsFest, and all the other myriad lifesavers that occur like magic in Lyme Regis all the year round. We're always on the lookout for colourful events and colourful people who sound good in my favourite media: audio! I know its easy to get the impression that we're moving on to TV and Video, but don't be fooled, I'm a Radio man to the core, and we are forever radio.

There are some events however that work on both an audio and a visual level, and Hugh Dunford Woods Sculpture Garden was just such an occasion. I so enjoyed drifting around the garden with my little Camcorder finding sparkling little surprises of feeling everywhere I looked. Even without the sculpture, this is a garden with deep feelings, and the wood, on its own account, is quite magical. I was particularly drawn to the arrangement of work surrounding the pond, the little boy peering into the water, the shell overlooking, but then going into the wood, I find a man with a dog on his head, and I'm stunned! I was struck, almost literally, by the face, accepting of the dog, and kind of recognising its right to be there, on his head. I understood a lot more after I heard Mary talking to the artist when I edited the recording. Reminds me very much of my relationship with our parrot, she can get very stroppy and in fighting mode when denied the RIGHT of a shoulder.

But all that was before I was chatting with Lucy Campbell, and Adrian Gray turned up and said he was just about to do a spot of Stone Balancing (This was after a conversation with Lucy about our mealy mouthed council wasting its own time by debating whether they can claim another measly hundred quid out of an artist that is a genuine asset to this town, I'll say no more, fearing that people will think I'm occupying Matt Puddy's ground). What I saw Adrian Gray do was nothing short of miraculous. How does he do that? I watched him intently, video camera running, and it seemed as if he was almost thinking the stone into place. I could almost hear him talking to it, ear pressed against the stone, listening to it. Even his posture seems to emulate the stone he is balancing. Then, after the tension, and the watching and waiting, suddenly its complete, the stone is free to fall, and it doesn't.........

We've been trying to get an interview with Adrian, but apparently he is allergic to electricity. Being a person myself with allergies to motor cars, and living in a world full of them, and not being able to escape the demons they create, I know how he feels. So we are experimenting with doing some programmes via Thought Waves.

But it wasn't just the big sculptures, or the spectacular events that captured the eye, there were these very erotic naked women in small bowls, so realistic it was easy to imagine you were viewing from a distance, through a monochrome scale, like sexuality itself....so visible and yet, so well hidden........

Hugh's little publicity stunt nearly got us all going too. There he was, on our live Sunday View programme, telling us all about how those grass circles just appeared overnight. Very good Hugh, you almost had Pip Evans believing you! But we got the truth, and its revealed on our video.......

I really do hope that Hugh is going to continue these wonderful little events at Little Place. Mary and me were saying how nice it would be to sing some country music in your lovely garden this summer........

Hear and see the whole story at this location: http://www.lymeregisradio.com/sound/sculpturegarden25may08.html

Sing it with Flowers, St. Michael's, Lyme Regis

noreply@blogger.com (Nomad Lyme Regis) — Tue, 13 May 2008 00:34:00 +0000

After the mad chaos of the last couple of weeks, walking into the church on Sunday afternoon was like experiencing the antidote. A sudden and welcome slow down as the light and colour of the Flower Festival melted into the vision.
Since the first Live Broadcast SUNDAY VIEW on the 4th May, our feet don't seem to have touched the ground, and because there is a lot of ground breaking activity, its a total experience, never quite knowing if the technology will hold up requires full attention on the job in hand.
And yes, ok, I freely admit we didn't get everything right first time, and the first SUNDAY VIEW was a bit of a disaster, but if you were one of the few who checked in to the LIVE Broadcast, you got the programme as advertised, though in the studio, chaos reigned as Nomad aattempted vainly to wrest control of the various knobs, sliders and switches that link Pip and guests to the Live online Studio.
After this session, we cleared up the studio, headed straight across the road, and spent the afternoon shooting video at the May Day Fete in Anning Road Playing Field. More than 30 stalls representing local groups and organisations, great entertainment from the Majorettes and Junior Band, stunning Tai Kwon Du demonstration, couldn't be beat. almost the whole town was out and about at this annual event purely with locals in mind. Congrats to the hard working Carnival & Regatta Committee, mucho applause please! See the video on This Weeks Video page,here: http://www.lymeregisradio.com/videopages.html
We followed that up on Tuesday evening with a magical night at the Ropemakers Arms in Bridport. The Live Cam worked perfectly throughout and we broadcast some excellent music to the people of the internet. You can hear our recording for yourself at this location: http://www.lymeregisradio.com/sound/folkatherope6may08.html and guaranteed, it's well worth listening to. We called it 'Folk at the Rope', and though Mary Land and the RollOvers contributed folk songs by the Jefferson Airplane and Rolling Stones, most of the evening, all the way to Mitch Normans own brand of sophisticated 'folk funk', was fairly authentic. Thanks to the 'chance listener' from the USA who emailed us asking if we were in Oregon, because the only Bridport he could find was in Vermont! Tune in LIVE to next months session by clicking to the LIVE CHANNEL, details on Front Page soon.
We might have had an hour two break then, but on Wednesday morning, the phone was hot with news of the Landslip, and we were out on the beach the moment the tide began to roll out, getting there to find that a lot of others were there already. It was fortunate enough that our good friends Dr. Sandy Burnfield and George Hoffman were eye witnesses to the event the night before when hundreds of tons of cliff began crashing into the sea. We have an exclusive inteview in video and audio, plus spectacular rockfall footage, you can find it all here: http://www.lymeregisradio.com/sound/landslipbig7may08.html
Things might have quietened down a notch then, except in the evening of the same day, we were recording the Policy Meeting of Lyme Regis Town Council, which unusually was full of excitement and vehemence. (see last blog entry). Hear the meeting complete and unedited, including Cllr. Ellis's phone ringing half way through the proceedings, at this location: http://www.lymeregisradio.com/sound/councilmeetingpolicy7may08.html
After an all night editing session, Mary and I had a shot at a Live Broadcast on our own on Thursday night, for which, many apologies, we've now worked out how to play video's one at a time, and in the sequence we choose. When we do 'A Week in Lyme Regis' video clips this week, on Thursday at 8pm, we hope to get it right, or at least a little more right than last week.
Friday night as most people know by now, is our regular night out at the Royal Lion, and now that the Friday Night Live interviews hve been incorporated into the Sunday Live show, its brilliant, having a real night off, drinking convivial Guiness with friends while wearing our new LymeRegisRadio T-Shirts from Jiving Jellyfish!
We had to stop on Saturday and catch up on a morass of editing and updating, being swamped with new stuff and desperate to get it online and heard, followed by late night prep for the Sunday show, which is where we were at 11am Sunday morning. Hauling studio gear into the Green Room in the View From office. We went Live at Midday with some good music chosen by Pip Evans, and speaking for myself alone, I hope he will include a little something by Nat King Cole in the next few weeks. If you have your own requests and dedications, please send them in, to either us at lymeregisradio@hotmail.com, or Pip personally, philip@pemedia.co.uk. Surprisingly enough, we pulled it off with very few problems, our guest this week, Rikey Austin spoke eloquently and with deep feeling about why she is organising the Cancer Research Relay in August, Rob Thom headed imaginary footballs across the studio while discussing the year at Davey Fort with Pip, Jenny Finch from www.whatsoninlyme.co.uk informed us about events in Lyme in the week ahead, and amidst Frank Sinatra, Michael Buble, Steve Black and Ella, fossil walker Brandon Lennon ended the show by updating us on the landslip. You can hear the recording of it here: http://www.lymeregisradio.com/sound/sundayview11may08.html
Thinking that before racing home and commencing editing we would do one last video at 'Sing it With Flowers' in St. Michaels. We stepped into the church and as we walked into the Flower Festival, we just.....simply,......stopped.

Council Policy Meeting:

noreply@blogger.com (Nomad Lyme Regis) — Thu, 08 May 2008 16:25:00 +0000

Last night at the Policy Meeting (7th May 08), Cllr David Cozens launched an astonishng tirade against our much valued local Community Policeman, Richard Winward. Richard is a local man in every way, and has been based in Lyme for many years, he doesn't deserve to be attacked publicly in such a vicious and unprincipled way. Though I'm in absolute agreement with the rule of no skateboarding on Marine Parade, this is no way to deal with a caring local policeman who has much more important work to do besides sorting out a few adolescents on the seafront. When asked about skateboarding at the Town Meeting, Richard owned up to the fact that on occasions he had given permission for a few kids to use the shelters. Obviously, in the absence of anywhere else he could direct them, he puts them in the nearest off street spot where he can keep an eye on them, offering as his reason they would only be boarding somewhere else, probably further up the Parade. Its not a situation either in which he has any legal power. What if the youngsters challenge his rule, can he arrest them? Caution them? Give them an on the spot fine? Even if a Bye -Law is in force, he still has very little power to do anything, and it's a great message to send out to visitors and holidymakers, that their children will be in trouble with the police for involving themselves in an 'illegal' activity if they visit Lyme. It seems to put skateboarders in the same category as criminals. If we need a skateboard park at all, it needs to be on or near the Parade, the gardens, or the seafront. Its where the action is, especially in the Summer. Holidaymakers don't want to traipse their kids half way to Charmouth to take part in what is essentially a street activity. If Lyme has failed to provide a safe central area, its the fault of the council, not Richard Winward, who is unfortunate enough to be caught between two opposing camps, and is doing his best while the council dithers about in indecision.
This council rambles on about squeezing a few extra quid out of a stone balancer, or how much juice can be squeezed out of a solar powered squeezer, and occupies half its meeting time in trivia instead of making real decisions. Then when it comes to grief, it blames its workers, helpers and support organisations. I'm not unhappy about Lyme looking forward, but what about Lyme NOW?
What is needed, and was made clear at the Town Meeting is that the Police need proper guidance from the Council on this matter. Telling him to "Go out there and enforce this" is stupid, pointless and futile.
I don't agree either that we need to pander to every whim of young people either. In every town in every city in the country, there are young people in a constant complaint that there is 'nothing to do around here'. It happens everywhere, its a youth thing. Skateboarding is a transitory thing that young people do for a while, then, if they're sensible, move on to something better.
So here is a man who owned up to his 'mistake', and admitted his 'fault', there should be no more to be said. Here is a man condemned by his own honesty, who could have avoided saying anything at all if he chose, but he told the truth. Richard has proved himself to be honest and reliable, and to be castigated for it in such a vicious way is beyond the pale.
Richard Winward has the trust and respect of Lyme Regis, and has earned that respect by being a good man, and an exceptionally good policeman.
I consider Cllr Cozens to be out of order on this matter. Not just out of order, but uncharitable and unforgiving, and though he claims to have experience of working with young people for 50 years, he doesn't appear to haave learned learned anything from the experience. We should be grateful that our brilliant team of local coppers aren't of the 'old school' represented by Cllr Cozens bully and bash method of upholding the law.
A complete recording of the meeting can be found here......
http://www.lymeregisradio.com/sound/councilmeetingpolicy7may08.html

Skateboards, Dogmess and Traffic: The Town Meeting

noreply@blogger.com (Nomad Lyme Regis) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 02:33:00 +0000

There's nowhere like Lyme Regis for Meetings. There's meetings about something or the other thing almost every day of every week. Lyme is a very vocal town, and everyone has a different opinion. The Town Meeting is the principle civic meeting of the year. More than just a council report, its an opportunity for citizens to make their voice heard in an open forum. And given this sparkling opportunity, what do the citizens of Lyme ask about? Skateboards, Dogmess and Traffic. There's a brief nod to the youth club, but overall, its the same old subjects. I can't imagine many places on this planet where the most difficult and long running problems revolve around skateboards, dogmess and traffic.

It started with a litlle controversy when one of the town's elector's objected to the meeting being 'recorded'. The objection was relayed to Mayor Sally Holman, who relayed it to me. My perception is that it's a public meeting, and its open to recording by anyone. No part of it was designated as secret prior to commencement, nothing was confidential, the press were there to report on it, and in fact, anyone who made notes is effectively recording, and if you discuss the meeting afterwards with one who wasn't present, you're reporting. It was Adrienne Maslen, the reporter from Lyme News who, at the request of Sally Holman, explained the concept of 'qualified privilege' to the assembled multitude. Thankyou Adrienne!

You could say that everyone in town wants the young people to have a skateboard park, but not within my earshot, not on my patch is the general response. The word we used to use was 'NIMBY': Not In My Back Yard! Or 'ABH', Anywhere But Here. And the problem persists because everyone is half right, and no one is half wrong. One stretch of the argument states that skateboards are dangerous in public places. This isn't the view of only the older population, it's the voice of experience. Common sense tells you that on a crowded street or open boulevard, skateboards create serious problems. A skateboard on the loose from its rider is effectively a motivated vehicle without a pilot. Its low level, heavy, and directionless. Falling from Marine Parade onto the Cart Road, at speed, could potentially cause serious injury. I'm not in disfavour of anyone skateboarding, but in the right place. I don't see why skatebording can't be a school activity. Youngsters don't play football on Marine Parade, or in Broad St, they do it in school. If, as PC Winward suggests, skateboarding is a legal sporting activity, then it should be taught in the proper way, via schools and clubs, with teams or open competitions. I agree with Cllr Owen Lovell, skateboarding should not be allowed on Marine Parade. There is no set up for a Skateboard Club in Lyme, if there was a recognised club, rather than representtion by a few enthusiasts and social workers, they would no doubt press for action, and a premises. I wonder if anyone has ever counted the number of young people there are in the skateboard fraternity, or how transitory their association.......?
I'm of the same view regarding dog's on the beach, dog's should not be on the main beach, at any time, all the year round. It isn't as if there aren't other beaches within walking distance,but the main beach is, for tourism, one of Lyme's prize assets. I'm not dog owner, but even if I was, I would see the sense of this responsibility to the town. Our lifeblood here is tourism, we need a pristine beach.

Hear the full meeting, and make up your own mind, at this location: http://www.lymeregisradio.com/sound/townmeeting5Apr08.html

noreply@blogger.com (Nomad Lyme Regis) — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 02:26:00 +0000

Continuing from yesterday, and considering Launching things. We've already had three Launches this year, aand several more coming shortly.
The first was at the end of January, when in association with Pip Evans nd the 'View from', we presented an 'Any Questions' session at the Woodmead Halls. An excellent evening, good questions, brilliant panel, just like the real thing, except all the questions were about life in Lyme Regis. The results are still online, worthwhile listening, if you hven't heard it yet, here is a link: http://http://www.lymeregisradio.com/sound/anyquestions03mar08.html .
The second was on the 2nd March when we relaunched LymeRegisRadio with a face lift. We ran a little competition at the same time, and maybe this is a good moment to tell our winners that we haven't forgotten them, we hope they will come down to the Royal Lion in couple of weeks and collect signed copies of their prizes, one of which is a signed copy of Pip's book. The face-lift is still ongoing, we are still in the process of reorganising, loading new pages, and adding new features. For this,Mary deserves your unburdened applause, she had to change more than thousand separate templates, and is still hard at it.
Pp's book brings me to our third launch, 'Lyme Matter's' by the inestimable Philip Evans, a tome in which we don't merely get regular mentions, but which occasioned the Launch of our first CD, a selection of Friday Night interviews from the Royal Lion, and gave me the most difficult editing job I've had to do in years. Imagine taking more than 30 separate interviews, most 20 or 30 minutes long, some like Richard Austin's, much longer, and reducing them down to 18, with an average length of 3 minutes, without cutting out the best of the most interesting bits. I had to start again twice when I inadvertently deleted the wrong bits, but I made it within Pip's deadline. (Pip is a hard taskmaster, but I live with Mary, so I can take it, I've got used to it)). We didn't do any audio on launch night, but we video'd Pips speech, and in amidst a lot of other nice vids, you can find it here: http://www.lymeregisradio.com/TVandradiolivebroadcastchannels.html . While we are still test running the new live channel, you can view a selection of video's after dark, and in the daytime, check out our Lyme WebCam.
We've already completed our first live broadcast, live from Cliff House in Charmouth, find it here: http://www.lymeregisradio.com/sound/livebroadcastfirst19mar08.html , live interviews,music from Mary and the Rollovers (!), and contributions from the chatroom.
The live Radio/TV channel will be launched on the 4th May with a new series titled the Sunday View.....
More launches to follow. The reason I get confused between Lunches and Launches is that I'm working on an ancient clapped out IBM laptop on which several keys have to be bashed to make them work nd the 'A' key is missing entirely, worse than my old Olivetti really..........

No Such Thing as a Free Launch?

noreply@blogger.com (Nomad Lyme Regis) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 03:14:00 +0000

We seem to have been launching things for months, and in amidst, and before, we've been in preparation for launches, and still we haven't finished launching. Which is why I haven't been so busy on my Blog in the last few months, and I have to admit, not having the Blogs linked to the site durng the 'make-over', (still ongoing), has been an excuse for a break. But here we are again, and I'm quite surprised at how many Bloggers we already have on the site, and of course, the door is open to anyone else who has a Lyme Regis Blog. Call us and we will add your wordinesses to our list.
The site make-over is still not complete, as you can see from the Front Page, we're heading straight for our next launch, live radio with scheduled programmes, and live real time Television. For which we thank the skills and talents of web developer, internet visionary, movie maker, talent spotter, and general all round good guy, Matthew Dale. We re hoping that Matt is going to do a weekly live TV show, possibly called 'Internet Visions', and with a little persuasion, you might even see some of Matts Movies
Our first scheduled live show (you can already access the recording of our first trial run) is on Sunday 4th May, its projected as a weekly colour supplement, its called the Sunday View, hosted by the best newsman I ever met (though if Ian Connerty is reading this, I take it all back!!), none other than Pip Evans, live from the 'View from' offices in St. Michaels Business Centre. Peruse the Sunday paper's with Pip and guests, enjoy some excellent music, hear Beach and Weather Report from local expert Colin Dawes, find out what's happening in Lyme in the week ahead. The phone line direct to the internet will be open, and I'm sure the chatroom will also be busy.....

The Ladies Who Lunch..........

noreply@blogger.com (Nomad Lyme Regis) — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 20:10:00 +0000

"It has become fashionable amongst the ladies who lunch to have durable carrier bags with real green credentials".
A comment in the 'Glass Box', the PM Radio 4 message board last Thursday, in which the current discussion on Plastic Bags played a large part. The above comment was read out live the following night, when Plastic Bags again played an informative role in the agenda. So, two radio discussions on Plastic Bags and TurnLymeGreen didn't add the comments to their website? Why not? Easy answer is that it not only opposed their view, it flatly denied that banning Plastic Bags will make any difference whatsoever,not just in terms of Carbon Emissions and Global Warming, but including the marine environment. The place where fish live, and seabirds find food. Pointless in what terms? Pointless in terms of every aeroplane dropping hundreds of tons of pollution into the oceans. Pointless in terms of the tons of poison, pollution and sewage we drop into our own coastal waters every day. The word is pointless.
Putting the Co-op, or any other supermarket in the frame as 'good guys' is particularly misleading and I stand by my point. If you really want to support a cause against the use of plastic, of which plastic bags are only a minor part in any case, stop buying over packaged goods, leave the plastic on the floor of the Co-op, but whatever, please cease holding the Co-op up to us as any kind of paragon of virtue. Because they're not.
I've had quite a few emails in response to my last piece on this subject, and buoyed up by the hidden and unpublicised public view, I stand by my words.
TurnLymeGreen might have laudable values and intentions, but unless it begins to tackle REAL issues, its not an environmental campaign. And what is the next issue it proposes to address? Energy Saving Light Bulbs!? Again, on the surface, quite laudable, but on the real question of Carbon Emissions, its pointless.
Isn't it time that Lyme looked at the serious question of traffic pollution in our town, and the increasing numbers of motor cars?
During the 'Rising Seas' Fossil Festival last year, I was fortunate enough to have an interview with Sir Hugh Torrens, a leading world expert in this subject. Its in one of our Friday Night Live interviews at the Royal Lion, 4th May 07, and its worth hearing. Also worth hearing is the talk by the Skipper of the Callista at Rising Seas, its in our Jurassic & Heritage category.
If you can imagine that one aeroplane journey is equivalent to 10,000 plastic bags, then you've already cancelled out any good you might have done.
One of the emails I received asked what my personal credentials were to be so 'obstructive'. I'm a long term campaigner against private motoring, and I don't own a motor car.

Plastic Bags, Carbon Footprints and Turn Lyme Green

noreply@blogger.com (Nomad Lyme Regis) — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 15:35:00 +0000

While I am completely in agreement with the aims of the TurnLymeGreen campaign to make Lyme Regis bag free, there are other questions that need to be answered. Yes, it is true that plastic in the oceans creates terrible problems for the world wide marine environment, and its true that plastic bags do not decompose in landfill, its also true that plastic bags are made from petro-chemicals, but if the genuine aim is to 'save the world' and reduce global warming then we have to look at these questions from an entirely different viewpoint.
The whole world political and science communities are now agreed that the greatest danger to our future, and the future of our children is caused by carbon emissions, most of which come from the human addiction to private motoring and aeroplanes. That is to say, even if the whole world became plastic bag free, it would make hardly any percentage difference to our 'carbon footprint'.
I've always beleived that environmental change begins at home, as with plastic bags, its collective public pressure that creates the legislation that rids us of them. Its the personal choice of individuals that persuades supermarkets and companies not to offer them as a 'free' persuasive gift to encourage us to consume more. The desire for oil, or the addiction to motor cars, creates war aswell as global warming, and if we really want to make a difference we would consider using motor cars a lot less, and flying a lot less. Our greed and materialism in these matters is also a vast and awful misuse of our wealth which creates terrible poverty in other places, so while we're all feeling sorry for the albatrosses in Hawaii, lets add a measure of compassion for the tens of thousands that die in Africa, much of it caused by the rampant consumerism of the Western world.
So, while I'm happy to see Lyme 'thinking globally and acting locally' (a phrase I first came across in the early Seventies), its all beginning to look like a cynical campaign to put Lyme Regis on the tourist map, rather than a real effort towards cleaning up our town, where, incidentally, the carbon monoxide fumes in Broad Street are almost unbearable on some days durng the Summer months!
I was at the TurnLymeGreen Traders Meeting at Woodmead last week, was very interested to hear about Sir Ghillean Prances many world travels in the past year, and the rep from Global Packaging listing how many countries he visited in the past few months. It seems likely that the total global footprint of those involved in TurnLymeGreen far outweighs that of the people they're trying to influence. Which is why I would like all involved to answer these questions:
1. How many cars do you each own, how big is the total carbon emission from your motoring, and how many miles do you travel in an average week?
2. How many air flights have you made in the past year, and whats the total mileage?
3. How often do any of you use public transport?
We all know that finding new methods of getting a free plastic bag (or several) every time you go shopping is NOT the answer. The answer is to acquire long lasting shoppng containers, and use them time and time agan for a period of years. Its not about global packaging. The involvement of the Co-op in this is laughable, ("Oh, we're so lucky to have a Co-op in Lyme!") if you walk around the Co-op, you'll see that every shelf is full of plastic packing, that nearly all goods are over packaged, its clear that plastic bags isn't even an Nth of its plastic output, and we're consulting them? And, just to add to the argument a little, whatever was said at the meeting, when I was in the Co-op last week, I purchased 3 items, and as I was pickng them up, I was offered a plastic bag!
I've just received the new mail-out from TurnLymeGreen today, which only adds to the confusion. They now say that its ok to use paper bags, implying that paper is a renewable resource and less damaging than plastic. Answer is that it isn't. This type of farming creates soil depletion (another serious environmental danger), takes land away from food production, and doesn't include the carbon cost of transporting it around the world. So you pays your money and you takes your choice. Six of one is no worse than half a dozen of the other.
I hope I'm not making too much of this, my intention isn't to offend, hurt anyones feelings, or pour floodwater on the efforts of others, I'll still continue to give support to any intentons, including TurnLymeGreen, that seek to make our town, and the world, a better place to live, but a campaign that isn't going to produce genuine heartfelt change is not the answer. Everyone is now aware that global warming is increasing far more quickly than predictions even 5 years ago. Events that were predicted to be happening in 20 years time are happening now. Not in the future. Now. Sea levels are now rising so fast as to make our own lovely new sea defences valueless in 20 years time, you want evidence, you only have to look at recent flooding on our own doorstep, and local environmentalists talking about the Somerset Levels beng underwater withn your lifetime. If you truly want to put Lyme on the map, act now, but it will take a lot more personal sacrifice than making Lyme bag free.

Make Fun, not Profit?

noreply@blogger.com (Nomad Lyme Regis) — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 01:27:00 +0000

Well, I'm not saying you can't do both, as the laudable work of several of our town's major fund-raising citizens would attest to, though it does sometimes seem that Lyme is now so 'organised' for 'business, 'progress', and 'profit', that we're all n danger of forgetting just what it is we LOVE about living in Lyme Regis. Doesn't anyone just have fun any more? Does there always have to be a means to an end? All power to Phil Streets elbow, along with the same to his sidekick Mike Higgs, and I get the power of the message, and I don't at all disagree with ther aim of raisng £30,000 to have a statue of Sir George Somers erected in the gardens, but, you now, a bunch of motivated students from Woodroffe could present us with a statue for a lot less outlay, and they'd probably have fun doing it, and the result would be more original. Or why not give the £30,000 to the new Youth Club, and call it the George Somers Youth Centre? A bit more dosh involved, and an increased purchasing power might present the youth of this town with a place where they could really have some fun, in the centre of the town, instead of outside it, at the back of the Health Centre, where the youngsters are hdden from view, and not just kept of the sreets but stored outside the town, like outlaws!
So I'm back to my original question, is it ever possible in Lyme to have some fun without attaching an economic value to everything? Answer is YES, thats our function, down here at LymeRegisRadio, we're doing it for fun, no underlying motives, no affiliations, we record the myriad activities and events of this wonderful town because we love recording people, we're natural eavesdroppers, we love meeting people, developng new friendships, associating with the ideas of others. We're doing it to make fun, not profit. Thats the aim we began with, and thats the way we'll continue. Start as you mean to go on is what we say.
Which is a long way round to say we've had a FANTASTIC year, all the way from being nominated as Community Champions, to the fun with Pip on Friday Nights at the Royal Lion, to newish and controversial ventures like recording Council meetings. I guess Mary might say that the best fun she's had this year have been the beachwalks with the highly informative and good natured Dr. Colin Dawes. Series One of these sessions will shortly be available on a CD, and we're already busy on Series Two which focusses on the bird life of Lyme. After that, there are the fields surrounding Lyme, and Colin's amazing metal detecting machine. I wonder sometimes if we shouldn't have a new museum dedicated to the historical and fossil finds of Colin Dawes, who is, incidentally, a person who really enjoys his work, and has a lot of fun doing it.
So if anyone has a bright idea for an audio series, we want to know. We have a few ideas of our own in the pipeline, and we'll be letting you know about these over the next week or two. What we can tell you is that we're definitely doing Open Audio this year, hopefully commencing this year in March, and with a similar format as we had the year before last, that is, live performances, in a live venue, because thats what creates the most fun.
In the meantime, the next event is a joint promoton with View from Lyme, its an 'Any Questions' style programme titled The Lyme Agenda, the panel includes Development Trust Manager Marcus Dixon, Councillor Lucy Campbell, TurnLymeGreen motivator Candida Blaker, our Community Policeman Richard Winward, and A.N. Other, undecided as yet, perhaps its you? In the Chair, with the Dimbleby role is Pip Evans. Informaton will be avalable in View from Lyme, and posters will be on the street. Please send in your questions!!
And while we're being serious, lets have some fun........

Turn Lyme Green: The Launch

noreply@blogger.com (Nomad Lyme Regis) — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 14:00:00 +0000

You only have to look at our Front Page to see how successful this campaign has been. High profile and very visible, capturing the imagination and interest of the whole town. Candida and Company are very persuasive people, and have worked incredibly hard to bring this issue to public attention. I was never much of a plastic bag user, but as a result of the last few weeks, I'm sworn off them altogether now, and I hope that plastic bags are never seen again within the area of Lyme Regis. I'd also suggest that this first campaign isn't over until the last plastic bag leaves town.

If you want to keep up with developments, here is a good place to start: http://www.turnlymegreen.com/

The discussion at the Launch event was quite spirited, ranging from empty milk containers, where do they go? Why does milk come in a plastic bottle anyway? Phil Street asked about seagulls, and though I don't personally feed the gulls, not since one of them wilfully stole Mary's ice cream, I can't help the sneaky feeling that its maybe its us that are the problem, not the gulls! Black bin bags, someone reminds us that we are talking about doing away with plastic, rather than finding new ways to dispose of it. Plastic is a petro-chemical product we're reminded, Its time we followed the example of Ireland and ban plastic bags entirely, and why not I say! And after plastic bags, what next? Light bulbs! ?
Its a personal question. Change only occurs when individuals make personal decisions. Its no use asking this or that Council or Authority to do your thinking and acting for you. Voting was always something thats done with the feet. You add your vote by ceasing to accept plastic bags.

I can't even remember how long ago it is that it became acceptable to carry ones goods around in a plastic bag. I do remember that when I was a child, my Mother carried a great thick leather shopping bag up and down to the shops every day. The bag must have been heavier than the shopping. And there was no question of packaging, the grocer just weighed the spuds, and poured 'em straight into the bag. She didn't drive to the supermarket either, there were no supermarkets and a lot less cars way back then. (ok,I know I'm showing my age here) I suppose I must have been schoolteaching in late seventies London when I first became aware of picking up plastic at the supermarket. At that time, it was to some a welcome idea, after all, the environmental theme then, (now long since forgotten) was saving trees! So suddenly plastic was 'sold' to us as better and more convenient than the paper bags we had previously, the ones with the string handles that cut your fingers.

Plastic is only the tip of the environmental time bomb. Some would say that unless we start tackling the real issues surrounding Global Warming, we don't have time. The real problem, according to Prof. Hugh Torrens (Royal Lion interview with Nomad during Fossil Festival 4th May 07) is over-population. Too many people. There are now so many people on earth that we are creating a mass extinction of everything else.

Those of us who have been long term, or even lifetime campaigners for environmental change should feel very heartened to see this surge of public interest, but I wonder how much is about 'fashionable' causes, whether its a lasting continuous interest, or even if its attacking the right issues. If people cease using plastic bags, and put in their low-energy light bulbs, its no help if they then feel they've done enough, and continue increasing use of motor cars and aeroplanes. I wonder sometimes if we're not all going off to sleep in some kind of carbon monoxide haze........

The real issues? Comments?

Rt. Hon Oliver Letwin MP: Affordable Housing

noreply@blogger.com (Nomad Lyme Regis) — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 00:54:00 +0000

You only have to look down the Front Page to see how busy we've been, and during the next few days, equally as busy,if not even more so.A lot of high points, and if I'm to single anything out, I would start with the talk to the LRDT on the subject of Affordable Housing by our esteemed local MP, the Rt.Hon Oliver Letwin. Was a good speech, lucid, humorous, Oliver is a natural crowd pleaser, and based his talk on the 'good news', and the 'bad news'. The good news being that its possible to create social housing in Dorset, the bad news is that none of the current legislation can be applied to Lyme Regis. Oliver suggests the real cause is that "you live in a very lovely place". This part is very true, and probably explains why he spends so much time here himself. (He is back in town on Saturday to dedicate the new Polish War Memorial in Anning Road, an event we'll be recording with Ken Whetlor). Being such a lovely place creates a multiple problem. Not just the lack of 'Affordable' housing, or a lack of housing for people who work in the town, but house prices pushed up mercilessly by the second homers who don't live here, and an increasing lack of hotel accomodation for holidaymakers. All of this is bad for the local economy. So its a let down and a disappointment that what works for Buckland Newton, (Mr. Letwin's prime example) population 600, doesn't help Lyme Regis, population closer to 3,800.I'm not sure, as far as ordinary working people are concerned, if any house in the UK is 'affordable' any more. If the national average for obtaining a mortgage is around 7 times the Annual Income, then home owning is impossible for most people. I'm not sure how many barstaff/shop/care or hotel and seasonal workers earn 35 grand a year, but thats what most work in Lyme is about! (unless you manage to land a plum job with Pip Evans?). In short, Lyme these days is much more a place to live than a place to work, and if hotels continue closing, it won't even be a place to visit.Oliver is in a difficult postion really, he represents the party that decided in the 80's to sell off all the social housing in the country, on the basis that everyone should aspire to own their own house, and everyone can afford to. The result of that legislation is that we are faced with an overwhelming shortage of housing, worse than at any point in UK history. I don't entirely blame the Tories, some of the problem is caused by immigration, much of which is caused by bombing people out of their own countries. Worth saying at this point that Oliver was a strong supporter of sending British Troops to Iraq. Last question Oliver was asked at the LRDT meeting, was whether with the benefit of hindsight, would he still support his parties policy on Social Housing in the 80's. Apparently he does. (No one asked him if he still supported the war in Iraq). The question I would like to ask is about the growing public feeling towards taking Green Belt land to build houses on (featured I think on You and Yours BBC Radio 4 this week?). Whats his policy on this?With all that said, I'd just like to add that Oliver Letwin works very hard for his constituency, we seem to come across him everywhere these days, and I quite enjoyed his talk.
In terms of politics and parties however, I recommend Guy Fawkes.

Disaster Strikes!!

noreply@blogger.com (Nomad Lyme Regis) — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 20:18:00 +0000

If you're wondering why LymeRegisRadio has no programme updates this week, its because we've been struck by computer disaster. Our main computer, the one Webmaster Mary uses to upload the programmes blew up over the weekend, and until we can either replace or repair, we're stuck. We're doing our best to resume our usual service, but its quite a complex little business. If we acquire a new machine, its going to take a few days to load up all Mary's geeky programmes, and in the meantime, we're trying to fix a repair to our desktop, so rest assured, we're doing our best and will be bringing you last Friday's session with Sarah Stacey at the Royal Lion, along with Richard Winward and the Police Monthly, the first in the new series of Colin Dawes Lyme Adventures, and Sunday's Festival of Remembrance at the Marine Theatre.
Doing our best, won't be long, and at worst, it gives Listeners a real opportunity to hear some of the programmes you missed. I had a brief chat with Steve Black in Axminster today, so I recommend you either hear his performance at the George Chideock, or give a long listen to his play, 'The Problem with Being Suzy'. And after that, enjoy browsing........

"At the going down of the sun............."

noreply@blogger.com (Nomad Lyme Regis) — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 03:13:00 +0000

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning. We will remember them.
These wonderful words have been ringing in my ears since I left the Marine Theatre some hours ago. Words designed to make you look at your heart, and look back on your life, feel for those you've loved and lost and give thanks for those who still survive. When Ken Whetlor first asked us to record this event, I agreed immediately. Its a passionate programme with a message that needs to be addressed by us all. Pip Evans said, "I know its not your sort of event Nomad", but I have to say it is.
I had no claims to being there, in among this community of friends who shared experiences so deeply, they can never forget. Listening to Dave Manners excellent commentary, in which by the aid of projected images he took us on a journey of wars, starting with WW1, (the war to end all wars?) and progressing to the present day, with injuries and death to serving men in Afghanistan and Iraq. I looked back at my own life, and understood how much all these wars had affected my family, almost from the dawn of the Twentieth Century. As a child, I remember in my Grandmother's house in SE London, a circular brass plaque on the sideboard, and being told the stories of men I'd never seen and never met, and never would. I had an Uncle who was rescued at Dunkirk. I heard the stories about my family being bombed out of their home in Forest Hill, London, and subsequently being bombed again in Peckham. My Father was a Leading Aircraftman in the RAF. My Mother served in the WAAF. I grew up with my Mothers unsorted bagful of wartime photographs, each of which told a story, theres my Dad next to a Spitfire, just leaning on it like he owns it, and there's Rommel, goggles pushed up on his forehead, smiling into the desert wind in his armoured car. Who could have taken that picture? How did it come to be. Then there are lines of tents in a desert, followed by lines of cemetary crosses, in endless lines. How did that happen. How did that come to be. How did I come to be.
My birthday is the 25th May 1946, won't take you much Maths to figure out when I was conceived, I'm not a War Baby, I'm one of those confounded baby boomers, and I'm one of the first of them. I'm 61 years old. In all my life, I've never had a war on the land in which I live. I've never been forced by circumstance to go to war. I've never done any military service, and I'm sure that there are a few men here who might suggest a spell of it might STILL do me a bit of good. I have to admit, they're probably right...........
Its a high price to pay, a terrible price that in the end damages all of us. My family, my ancestor's, your family, everyones family, paid dearly for the peace and freedom we experience now.
And the sad thing is that war's still occur, all over this beautiful world we live in. Most of the world isn't able to live in the same wealth as any of us in Britain. When I heard David Manners say, in reference to the Battle of Paschendale, 3,000 lives lost for every yard gained, my heart almost turned over. Its impossible to imagine what those men went through, even how you can survive mentally after being in such a place. And looking back now, most of us would wonder what they were fighting for.
We must mourn the dead, its both our right and our duty to do so. We must celebrate the living too, and if there's any fighting in the future, I wish it was a fight to end war. Forever. But then I'm a known idealist, I've grown up in a free idealistic society. My parents, like others of their generation, just wanted to live in peace after the constant suffering of two world wars. They wanted me to have all that they never had, and you can't help looking back, wondering if my father had he lived, would have thought about my life, if he would approve of my life in this free society that he fought so hard to acheive.
Most people only know those central lines of this poem by Robert Binyon who died in 1943, so if you don't know it, here is the whole poem........'For the Fallen'...........

With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.Solemn the drums thrill:
Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres.
There is music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.
They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
They mingle not with laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England's foam.
But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;
As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain,
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.

The Matrix

noreply@blogger.com (Nomad Lyme Regis) — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 00:03:00 +0000

While we've been reconstructing the site, I've had the opportunity to sort out all the programmes we've made, and tonight, I was looking through the Friday Night Live sessions with some wonderment when I looked at the number of people we've chatted to over the past year. Not just the number, but the diversity, representing all aspects of Lyme life. Most of the interviews are presented by our esteemed newshound, Pip Evans, and when combined with Pip's weekly rundown and discussion of local news, gives a detailed picture of the past year in our town. Easiest thing is to give you a list, so here it is, with most recent first : Larry Gibbons, Marcus Dixon, Richard Doney, BT Walkers Club, Andy Cable, Sally Holman, Elaine Thompson, Maddy Anholt, Chris Hoskins, Miriam Hillyard, Jo & Ken Whetlor, Phil Street & Mike Higgs, Gilly Warr, John Fry, Ellen Rook, Think Floyd, Belly Dancers, Alan Vian, Helen Christian, Amy Street, Richard Austin, Susan Brown, Prof. Hugh Torrens, Wendy Knee, Marcus Dixon, Matt Puddy, Zeta Bowley, Peter Moyles, Simon Emmett, Jenny & Richard Finch, Colin Willis, Ken Whetlor, Hugh Dunford-Wood, Juan Geyer, Matthew Dale, Leslie Stone, Derek Town, Dr. Colin Dawes. If you don't know all these names, there'sonly one way to find out, go and listen to the programmes which you can access via the Front Page. But this isn't just an illustrious peice of name-dropping, its every walk of Lyme life, and crosses all borders. Be interesting to do a diagram on all these names and see where they match or cross through each other, maybe its possible through this extensive list, to find the person in Lyme who knows more people than anyone else! Life in the Lyme Matrix!!
It is true that The Matrix is among my favourite movies. Unlike Mary, I'm not much of a movie-buff. Most movies I can watch once and I've seen it all, but the Matrix and its series of follow-ups, is up there in my Top Ten movies of all time. (along with Woodstock, My Dinner With Andre, Help, and the Constant Gardener). I sometimes wonder what would happen if the Matrix was remade in Lyme with Lyme citizens in the lead roles. I would have to cast myself as Neo, if only because Mary has to be Trinity. Only Pip Evans could play Morpheus, but casting the Oracle demands a little thought. Sally Holman, you think? I'm sure there has to be a part in there for Matt Puddy, but he is the self casting type, and would have to suggest his own part. The really big question is who would be playing the part of the evil Mr. Smith, the programme that multiplies to many Mr. Smith's and by Matrix III has almost destroyed the system. Personally, I think theres only one person in Lyme who could play this part to the full, and I'll write the name down on a peice of paper, seal it in an envelope, and open it at 10pm this coming Friday in the Royal Lion. If you have the same answer as me, I'll buy you a drink. Answers in your own sealed envelope please. If you think its you, I'll buy you a drink if you turn out to be right.
And Now.....back to the Matrix......(cue doomy music)

RadioSouthRadioWestRadioRadio

noreply@blogger.com (Nomad Lyme Regis) — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 03:38:00 +0000

Well, its now official, we already know we won't have SouthWestRadio online by our deadline of 5th November. And thats the bad news, the good news is that we'll get there eventually. We're about ready to roll, and its a daunting task, so we're very pleased to have our original co-founder Matthew Dale back on board the wagon, I don't understand most of what he is talking about, but whatever it is, its invaluable. The problem at present hinges on a new computer, an expense we didn't expect, hoping that one of our present machines would fill the bill. Unfortunately not so, we need a laptop, with at least a 1GB memory, it has to be wi-fi, and it also has to be dedicated to the Live Stream. Difference being that with Streaming Media, we are sending (via streaming) the audio direct to the net rather than having it permanently there. In the ultimate, we need an office or studio to run it from, a central location where we can do live continuity announcements between programme, or run live shows with guests. Streaming Media is REAL radio, internet style, with scheduled programmes and live shows, we can route the stream to anyone who has the right software, os if there are any budding DJ'sout there who can run and organise their own weekly show from their own home computer, please call us. All you need is a headphone/mic combination, a computer with around 512MB, and a little bit of software that we'll give you, and you're on the radio and week by week building your own following.
So anyway, here is a pic of what the front page of SouthWestRadio might look like, and below that, theres a pic of the new LymeRegisRadio front page too, changes already in process...........