The Rob Gourdie Blog

Red Cross and the Earthquake: My story

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Fri, 06 May 2011 10:09:00 +0000

In March I spoke as a Red Cross volunteer at the brand relaunch for Purex. Purex recently became the sponsor of the NZ Red Cross Annual Appeal and I was proud to have the opportunity to speak. I thought I would put an abridged version here to share with you.

I think it is fair to say that Purex has joined with the NZ Red Cross during the busiest period in its peacetime history.
Having started my involvement in the Red Cross, as a volunteer in the early nineties. I am now privileged to be part of a very dynamic, very professional volunteer organisation, which is very much in demand.
“Business is booming” you might say, and the relevance of what the Red Cross has done for the last 148 years internationally and the last 80 years in NZ, is now no longer just a reality on our televisions.

For 70,000 homes in Christchurch recently, it was standing on their front doorstep;

It was meeting evacuees off military aircraft… not in Pakistan, but in Wellington;

It was Water & Sanitation engineers providing fresh drinking water… not in Sudan, but in the suburbs of Bromley, Wainoni and New Brighton;

It was reuniting families separated by events… not in Rwanda, but in Cashel St, Colombo St and Hagley Park;

It was providing shelter and safety… not in Somalia, but at Burnside High School, Cowles Stadium and Lyttelton Community Centre.

Volunteers, Delegates and Staff can also attest to the fact that the last 6 months alone has seen some of them deploy: first to the September Earthquake; then the Pike River Tragedy; then the Queensland Floods; then the North Queensland Hurricane; and then the Feb 22nd earthquake… and I don’t feel game to say that’s the end of the list at this stage.
And all the while, the Red Cross continues to support our community with a number of different programmes such as: First Aid courses; Meals on Wheels; Breakfasts in schools; and the International Federation of the Red Cross’ Delegate Programme in the Pacific and more far-flung corners of the world.
I’d like to touch on the Red Cross operations in response to the recent earthquake in Christchurch, to illustrate how the Red Cross and its volunteers responded to, and were affected by events. And how valuable our community partners are, and how our principles are at the heart of everything we do.
By day I am a Programme Manager for Telecom. On Tuesday the 22nd of February, it was as I returned to my desk that a work colleague informed me of the earthquake. When he mentioned that the Cathedral had reportedly come down; the gravity of the situation hit me. I immediately walked across Wellington to the Red Cross National Office.
Whilst we waited for the picture from Christchurch to develop, we set up the National Emergency Operations Centre and started to warn out the 250 Response Team trained personnel based around NZ. Most South Island teams were immediately dispatched; their red overalls donned, personal protective equipment and backpack ready to go. Often very little said at that point - generally it’s a knowing glance to your boss, husband, wife or children and an “I’ll call you when I can”.
Meanwhile back in Wellington, doing the midnight til 7 shift. One of the staff called in from the Wellington Emergency Management meeting at 6:15am.

“Rob. There are 850 foreign nationals being evacuated by the RNZAF to Wellington… they all need to be
registered when they arrive…and the first flight lands in 30 minutes”.

Along with people from Civil Defence, Ministry of Social Development and the Salvation Army, we registered over 1,100 evacuees that day.
As the people stepped off the Hercules aircraft, they looked exhausted. It was the first time in 12hours they had stood on ground that was not subject to aftershocks and the first time they had stepped foot in buildings whose structural integrity they did not have to question. Some tourists’ clothes were splattered with mud. One was covered in coffee stains, spilt at the moment the quake struck. One woman wore a bathrobe over her clothes for warmth. One tourist wore a St John’s jacket and a stethoscope, his medical skills pressed into service. As the adrenaline subsided, the fatigue hit and many emotional scenes unfolded around us.
One of the lessons we had learnt in September was that for many people from countries without a welfare state; they did not naturally look to Govt agencies for assistance. It is the Universal and Independent status of the Red Cross globally that they identify as an organisation they can trust. Hence it was agreed that as everyone stepped off the aircraft, the first person they would see would be a Red Cross person. No one else could fill that role.
Little did we know that at one point the US Ambassador himself was staffing the US Consular stand next to us in the airport, as Red Cross volunteers dealt with people often 4 to 5 deep. So it was a very proud moment later on in Christchurch when I was able to inform the Response Team members that the US Embassy had made a six figure donation to the Red Cross Appeal, based on the work they had seen them do at the Airport.

I received four hours notice that I was to deploy to Christchurch as one of the Red Cross Operations Managers on the ground. By now we had 130 Response Team personnel deployed and were starting to stand-down the Christchurch team members to allow them to look after their families and take stock of their home town.
We had a team deployed on USAR tasks, searching buildings in the CBD. The hours were long and the work very dusty and dirty.
We had 50-60 personnel assigned to OPERATION SUBURB. This was a door-to-door visit of the 70,000 homes in the worst affected suburbs. The Red Cross Welfare Officers checked on the people and their living conditions, whilst engineers assessed the state of the buildings. For many they were lucky to have friends, family and neighbours to help them, but for a lot of people the Red Cross were the first people they had spoken to. The first to discover elderly and other ‘high needs’ members of the community without working power, water or sewage. The last time I personally visited people in that same situation was only last Thursday. These people are very vulnerable and very emotionally fragile.
We also provided something we call ‘Targeted Outreach’ where people with urgent welfare needs were referred to us and we would dispatch our people in pairs to call on them. This was a mammoth task, as it presented many different scenarios. We weren’t able to brief our teams on how to handle each situation. – and this is the bit I love most about the Red Cross – we provided them some training, a few basic facts, and A SET OF PRINCIPLES to guide them. The teams came across the elderly and infirm without basic amenities or transport, who needed to be evacuated to friends or a local welfare centre. There were also people without access to critical medication and so, so many who just needed support, reassurance and human contact.
Another role we had was providing a 24/7 presence at the Welfare Centres. Once again we were part of the multi-agency response along with various government agencies and other charities. Our key role here was the registration of 44,981 people displaced from their homes.
This also supported the process we refer to as ‘Restoring family Links’ (RfL). A vital service that the Red Cross has provided in many disaster and war zones, reuniting people with loved ones. We fielded 1148 missing person enquiries from both within New Zealand and abroad, via our call centre and had resolved 832 RfL cases as of 17 March.

We also had to look after our own people.

Operational stress was a very real problem for us. It presented in many forms.
People having very intense dealings with traumatised victims, often directing despair, helplessness, tears or anger at us
Operational Fatigue – less experienced personnel expecting to operate 20 hours a day, when these kinds of environments can drain all the energy from your body in a 6-8 hour shift. This becomes a key issue to manage as we can not expect full operational efficiency in such psychologically adverse environments
Another issue is what we call ‘being in the Now’. For the victims it meant being trapped at 12:51 on 22 February. For staff like myself it meant being trapped in tomorrow as we continually planned future operations. When your head is in the midnight to 8am shift tomorrow, you often don’t realise that its actually lunchtime today – and you end up missing meals and rest periods which eventually catch up on you and make you ineffective. It’s important to know your limits and to be 'in the Now'.
And there were the little things that catch you off guard. One silly image that trips me up was the Mexican Search and Rescue team and their overalls emblazoned with their symbol and underneath was their ‘Role of Honour’: Chile, Haiti, Indonesia etc and a space, where ‘Christchurch’ will now appear. I think it was a realization for me that Christchurch, such a proud city and my hometown, was now a victim.
For one of our volunteers, an English woman who is not a big rugby fan, it was hearing that Christchurch had lost the Rugby World Cup games that saw her burst into tears.
We flew in professional psycho-social counsellors from the Australian Red Cross so we were able to debrief our teams;
One of the other things we said to our teams was to accept an offer of help occasionally. This is because for people that are always virtuously giving to others, it’s important for them to be in touch with their vulnerability at the same time. Rest assured the Red Cross will continue to ensure that its’ people involved in Christchurch will get the support they need in the weeks and months to come.

Welfare Centres eventually closed down and for the first time, we mobilised Red Cross International Federation Delegates in NZ; water and sanitation engineers tasked to provide clean drinking water to the public, as well as providing public health advice to the Christchurch City Council. We distributed over 2,000 water containers and more than quarter of a million litres of clean drinking water.
Of course, we immediately launched an appeal, moments before the Red Cross Annual Appeal got underway, for which you are our main supporter. The generosity of both public and corporate NZ was breath-taking.
I received a call from those Red Cross people we had providing Welfare Assistance at the airport to tell me that in just a few hours they has received over $2,000 in spontaneous donations. We didn’t even rattle a tin.
With over $32M raised so far, the level of giving was unprecedented, but unfortunately so was the need. Over $17.5M has been given out in Emergency Hardship Grants to 19,500 applicants, with that number expected to possibly hit 30,000 applicants, which could consume the current funds. This does not start to address the longer terms requirements of the people of Christchurch. In situations such as these, with people’s needs varying greatly, the distribution of hardship grants is the best way we are able to cater for the widest range of needs in the shortest time possible. The application process has been open to all affected by this event and does not discriminate against nationality or residence. Red Cross national societies around the world joined in the fundraising process, especially those countries that had citizens caught up in the earthquake.
All applications are treated equally and impartially, based purely on need. And of course 100% of all funds raised will go to the people it was intended for. We have been fortunate to have a strong group of civic and community leaders as the Earthquake Commission.
In the meantime our work in other areas goes on and we are also receiving donations for the Japanese earthquake and tsunami.

Sadly Business is booming.

Civil Defence opened up Recovery Assistance Centres in 10 locations around Christchurch. The Red Cross provided a presence here as well, assisting members of the public to apply for the Emergency Hardship Grant.
It was at this point last week we transitioned the operation from our Response Team personnel, across to local volunteers and Branch members. You know, those people you often see swinging a bucket for the Red Cross during the Annual Appeal – well they’re currently in the frontline, continuing to provide support and comfort to people coming into those Recovery Centres. We also stand ready to support Christchurch and its people through the long rebuilding phase that lies ahead.

This was another defining moment for me.

I must admit that when I first volunteered for the Red Cross 20 years ago; I struggled to see the connection between: the Red Cross Federation Delegates in places like Africa, those of us in Red Cross overalls in New Zealand, and the members of local Red Cross branches – and what we actually all had in common.
In the last four weeks I have seen all three groups working shoulder to shoulder in Christchurch and so I have seen what we have in common…

Principles.

In fact we are a seamless organisation from top to bottom and between any two locations in the world, because of those principles. We may give the impression of an organisation that does many, many things, but the list we keep is not endless, it has simply the seven fundamental principles of the Red Cross on it.
People are often so quick to praise those who volunteer and give their time for others. What we gain by way of both personal and professional enrichment from being part of the NZ Red Cross, in my opinion far outweighs the sacrifice of our own time and hence why it is so willingly made. As a volunteer who gives my time freely – I consider myself very well paid.

On the subject of Corporate values…
Like Purex we at Telecom have adopted a set of principles, or values, to guide how we do things. One of them being simply: “One Telecom”. This is a statement that reflects the fact that whilst the enforced Operational Separation has split us into Retail, Wholesale, Gen-i and Chorus, we are still the one Telecom family (for now). So when the 1,600 employees in Christchurch suffered through the Earthquake, there was no need for a massive series of briefings. I would argue that half the actions people took in response, did not come down from Management. It was just people being true to those two words: “One Telecom”, meaning we were all in the same situation. And this is the point where I stop trying to clearly identify where volunteering and being an active member of the community stops and being an employee and a professional starts.

There is no line anymore.

I think my work-colleagues and myself bring as much to the business we work in from our active involvement in the community, expressing ourselves through a set of values and principles, as the business gives us by allowing us to participate.

Strong values transcend boundaries.

When you want to motivate your team at work, it helps if you’ve had to focus a team of 130 volunteers who are tired and emotional after a long day in a disaster zone. You learn some very good people skills when you’ve tried to put a smile on the face of a scared tourist, stuck in a strange place, with only the clothes they are wearing. When I held the hand of a mother who lost her son in the earthquake, it couldn’t help but rub off on how I deal with people in my job.
So often we sit in meeting rooms full of suits and steer at computer screens all day – so I am grateful that the Red Cross gives me the chance to deal with members of the public and work alongside mechanics, retirees, kindy teachers, stay-at-home mothers, the unemployed and students. I get to see what a rich tapestry of people make this world go round and what they all have to contribute.

And I love it how we all get paid the same amount.

20 Minute Neighbourhoods

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 09:33:00 +0000

What a sensible idea and something the UK actually did quite well before the advent of Clone Town Britain.

Is wood burning a hole in your carbon footprint?

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 09:02:00 +0000

Here's a great blog asking the question I've been asking myself recently about these "biomass fuels" (fancy name for things that first you grow, before you burn them).

http://www.seacoastnrg.org/2007/01/30/is-burning-wood-really-carbon-neutral/

The basic jist is that its not as simple as 'carbon in = carbon out' equals carbon neutrality. Its about the rate of carbon release (through burning) versus the rate of carbon absorption (throughout the life of the tree). If a tree takes 50 - 100 years to grow and 1 week to burn on a fire, then just because you plant a tree for everyone you chop down - doesn't mean you're saving the planet today.

If you look at the rate of carbon release throughout the world today, versus the rate of carbon absorption by the biosphere (forests etc) in the world today...

Should we be planting more trees? Defintely.

Should we be chopping down any trees? Probably not.

Should we be looking at passive energy systems as a workable alternative (wind, wave, solar, mini-hydro) I think so...

Podcast on Cradle to Cradle sustainability in design

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 15:47:00 +0000

Here is a link to an excellent podcast recently recorded between Radio NZ's Kim Hill and Michael Braungart. Michael Braungart and William McDonough wrote the challenging book "Cradle to Cradle" (featured on the Recommended Reading list here on the right).

http://podcast.radi

onz.co.nz/sat/sat-

20080830-0905-

Michael_Braungart_design_beyond_sustainability-048.mp3

Cradle to Cradle is about environmentally intelligent design that doesn't just seek to minimise our negative impact - it aims to maximise our beneficial impact on the environment. As Prof Braungart says "it is not enough to say 'I am beating my child less than I used to', we must stop what is bad and do what is good". He goes on to highlight the example of the Ant. Collectively, the bio-footprint of Ants on the Earth far outstrips the footprint of Human Beings. Yet Ants have a significantly positive impact on the Earth compared to Human civilisation.

He also highlighted that countries who have been less efficient in minimising their impact on the environment, have actually come out infront of those pseudo-progressive countries that have created loads of legislation on behalf of the planet. Kyoto reductions are therefore not seen as a good solution to Braungart. He cites Volkswagen who have attempted to protect the environment by removing asbestos from brake pads; except they have replaced asbestos with antimony, a carcinogenic far more deadly than asbestos. These misplaced actions become more difficult to undo than the less efficient efforts of others.

"The perverseness of Eco-efficiency - you make the wrong things perfect and then they are perfectly wrong" says Braungart.

Keeping the Technosphere and Biosphere apart

What was most interesting was his take on "Technical Nutrients" - the fact that the book he co-authored was printed on plastic polymer instead of paper. Braungart argues that there is better recycling within the "Technical Metabolism" of polymers, than there is in the recycling process for paper. Currently we downgrade the paper product each time it goes through a re-cycle, losing many of the natural nutrients along the way, with inks that are incompatible with the recycling process for example.

Realising that the offcuts from the production of airline seating were toxic waste; McDonough and Braungart designed new seats for the latest Airbus where the materials were replaced by edible ones - the offcuts now being able to be used in gardening.

My personal favourite is the concept of ice cream packaging that is solid when the contents (ice cream) are frozen, but slowly turns to liquid at room temperature, disippating in hours. This accommodates people's seeming 'need' to litter and when the packaging is impregnated with rare plant seeds you actually harness littering and make it a beneficial process.

C2C Certification

Cradle to Cradle Certification is now available to companies, institutions and governments, with an increasing number dedicating resources to ensure C2C is embedded into product design. From US Postal Service packaging products to Eagle Corporation Allied Concrete products, an ever-expanding list of C2C certified products are now appearing and setting the benchmark for Corporate Citizenship.

I am not a number! I'm an MCSE!! (and so is he...)

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Recently I found myself giving some impromptu careers advice to a handful of Servicemen who were about to leave HM Armed Forces as a result of injury, some sustained on Active Service in Afghanistan. They were looking at "getting into IT", a less physically-demanding job with sound long term propsects.

"Is an MCSE a good thing for getting a job?" was the typical question. My
take was 'yes' and 'no'.

Yes - if this is your first foray into IT training and certification, then getting an MCSE would be a good introduction into basic IT principles and understanding the role certifications play and their shelf-life in the IT industry.

No - if you think it's enough to bag just this one qualification and then sit back and let your career take off. I didn't have the statistics at hand but my point to them was there are 2.3 million Microsoft Certified Professionals in the world today. 878,000 of them are MCSE's. No need to feel lonely then...

If you want a strategy for your career then you need to realise two basic truths:
1. Certifications are like fish - they are best when they are fresh and definitely go off after a while.
2. Certifications are like fish - if you want to catch a worthwhile one then you need to go fishing where other people aren't.

Analyse the latest certification statistics from the likes of Microsoft and Cisco and see where the there is currently a glut and a famine of talent.

A few statistics standout from Microsoft:

There are just under 1.4 million MSCE's & MCSA's in the world today.
But there are only 2 people with Microsoft Certified Master: Microsoft SQL Server 2008; and
"Microsoft Virtual Earth 6.0: Developing Applications" is a club with only 39 members
In fact there are 11 Microsoft certifications with less 100 qualified people in the world.

As for Cisco and their hallowed "CCIE" qualification:

18,674 CCIE's worldwide, yet;
Only 140 are Storage Networking CCIE's

But when you look at the regional dispersion of those 18 thousand people, you find a few other interesting facts:

Like there is only 1 CCIE in the whole country of:

Barbados
Guadeloupe
Cayman Islands
Ecuador
Uruguay
Guatemala
Albania
Andorra
Belarus
Moldova
Angola
Botswana
Chad
Ethiopia
Ghana
Lesotho
Mauritius
Yemen
New Caledonia
Kirbati
East Timor
Georgia
Laos; and finally...
good ole Uzbekistan

The point to all this is that there are a raft of niche applications and solutions out there that have their market cornered and need competent, certified people to work with them.
My parting advice to these young guys was to:

Understand that certifications were going to be a constant requirement through any hands-on career in IT; so
Look for something to get you started and then look to manoeuvre yourself into developing areas of technology where niches exist, but, as always, keep mobile.

Permaculture: The art of being clever...

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 15:33:00 +0000

My father’s generation tinkered in their gardens and remarked on how “clever” nature was. But it took two Australian’s in the 1970’s, Bill Mollison and David Holmgren, to record the systematic and harmonious way nature co-exists with itself and call the concept “Permaculture”. They were concerned the way modern farming methods required increasing levels of chemicals and machinery in order to produce food; the net effect being unsustainable for the planet. So they went to nature to find a better answer.

But what is it? “Permanent Agriculture” is a design science that develops solutions that are more harmonious, less wasteful, and both sustainable and resilient against external pressures. These principles are often applied in agriculture settings, but are increasingly being adopted by other modern systems.

So how do you apply Permaculture? The first step in applying Permaculture is to Observe. For example, observing the interaction of plants and animals in your garden through the cycles of Inputs and Outputs each one requires and produces.

Take a simplified example of Chickens and Apple Trees:

Chickens need fresh air, a place to scratch and food (Inputs). In return Chickens eat bugs, produce manure, eggs and meat (Outputs).
Apple Trees need fertiliser and pest control (Inputs). In return Apple Trees produce... Apples! (Outputs)

Enter Permaculture...

Chickens need bugs to eat (Output) and Apple trees need pest control (Input).
Apples trees need fertiliser (Input) and Chickens produce manure (Output).
By letting Chickens roam in an orchard, we get eggs, meat, apples and avoid the need to apply chemical fertilisers and pesticides.
Less wasteful; Harmonious; Sustainable; and Resilient.

Now take a large Datacentre full of computers bringing you the Internet. They require electrical power (Input) and produce web pages and large amounts of heat (Output). Steam turbines require heat (Input) and produce electrical power (Output). Voila! IT companies are now partnering with electricity providers to attach mini-steam turbines to Datacentres to capture the waste heat and turn it into electricity, reducing their overall requirement for the fossil-fuelled variety.

But I know what you’re saying “I live in Fiveways and don’t own a Datacentre, Chickens or an Orchard! So what’s the point?”

Some call it “no dig” gardening: putting the effort into planning your garden, so you benefit from the need for less backbreaking effort once it grows. Companion planting is one way of achieving this: Slugs love Lettuce, but they love Marigolds even more, so using Marigolds as a border around your bed of Lettuces can save you from that sinking feeling, when your Lettuces ‘disappear’ overnight.

Or apply Permaculture to this: We produce compost, more than we can use (Output). Our neighbours bring home bags of compost from the garden centre (Input). They grow great tomatoes (Output). The result? People sharing locally grown produce, saving on car journeys and building stronger links in our neighbourhood. Sustainable, harmonious and resilient, both for Local and Global communities.

Whilst the world is rapidly trying to simplify life, Permaculture thrives on the complexity generated by the numerous inputs and outputs of different eco-systems, social groups and processes. The more the merrier! The more joined-up a community is; the richer and more resilient it will become.

Tell me more! There are both weekend “Introduction to Permaculture” and two week “Permaculture Design” courses run locally, as well as Permaculture principles being discussed and applied in the local Brighton Transition Town movement. So get thinking, get involved, get clever.

http://www.brightonpermaculture.co.uk/

[The article, by Rob Gourdie, first appeared in the Fiveways Directory in February 2009]

Fiveways Francs? Brighton Bucks? Local currency in a green world

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 15:13:00 +0000

Imagine popping down to our local Newsagents for a paper and paying for it with a “Fiveways Franc”?

That’s exactly the way things have been working in the town of Totnes, Devon since 2006 with the introduction of the “Totnes Pound”. Totnes was the first community to become a Transition Town ; a community committed to finding ways of reducing their future dependence on oil and minimising their carbon footprint. However recently and more close to home, Lewes issued 10,000 "Lewes Pounds" as part of its Transition Town "Energy Decent Action Plan" in September. These wonderful Lewes £1 notes have been a real hit, albeit in an unexpected way with most being snapped up in the first 3 days and currently going for about £35 on eBay! Plans are already underway to issue another 30,000 Lewes Pounds so they can continue to circulate around the Lewes economy.

So how does a "Local Currency" work?

Alternative currencies are valued and treated in exactly the same way as standard Pounds Sterling. The only difference is that it is legal tender only in the local shops and businesses that accept them. Think of it as a loyalty scheme that is tied to a geographical area (eg. Totnes/Lewes/Brighton/Fiveways) rather than a particular shop. In Victorian England, Mill owners sometimes used to pay their staff with tokens that could only be redeemed in local shops owned by the Mill owner. Whilst their motives were more unscrupulous than those of the Transition Movement, the result was the same – a thriving, resilient local economy.

To understand the benefit of a local currency; imagine you need to buy some food and instead of heading (in the car or bus) to the local supermarket to buy Brussel Sprouts from Argentina and Asparagus from Israel, all the while making a large corporation richer; you walk down to your local shops and by farm-assured Sussex bacon from Barfields and Kent Strawberries from Danny at the Green Grocers. Locally accepted currency pushes you to shop locally, reducing your need to drive to the shops and to fly produce thousands of miles to stock supermarket shelves. It also supports local businesses, enriching your local community and making Fiveways a nicer place to live. Because the people who own businesses in Fiveways are locals too, they spend the local

currency for their own needs and of course hand it out in change to other local shoppers, keeping the “shop local” phenomenon going. It can be used to purchase anything local - like paying for babysitting or purchasing vegetables from the local allotment or farmers market.

So I can just print my own money?

Not at all. The easiest way to implement an alternative currency is to have an Issuing Authority. This is normally a Community Trust, which is responsible for printing the currency and making it available for people to 'purchase' into circulation; where people exchange Pounds Sterling for local money. Often this can be done at a discount to foster the uptake of the new currency.

Here's an example: George goes to a shop issuing Fiveways Franc's (FF's) and hands across £9.50 for FF10. George can then use his 10FF's just like £10 in the local Fiveways shops that accept them. If George wanted to cash out his 10FF at any time, he would get back his £9.50, but clearly its better for George to spend his 10FF and keep the local currency circulating. The Community Trust holds George's £9.50 in trust, just the same way the Bank of England used to keep an amount of Gold equivalent to the amount of money in circulation. Once in circulation, the value of the local currency is the same for whoever’s hands it passes through, so there’s no chance of someone being left with worthless money.

Although not a new concept, the success of the Totnes experiment has been very encouraging, with Transition Towns all over the world issuing local currency. To learn more about Local Currency and the Transition Movement visit: http://thelewespound.org , http://transitiontowns.org/ or http://www.transitionbrightonandhove.org.uk/

[The article, by Rob Gourdie, first appeared in the Fiveways Directory July 2008]

Funky things you find on the internet #34

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 20:59:00 +0000

You can solve the world's problems with a garden

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 15:03:00 +0000

No not Graham Garden... a real live garden. Take a look at what was achieved through permaculture design in the most inhospitable place imaginable - growing crops on the salty, barren shores of the Dead Sea. This is so clever and so amazing

This is "Greening the Desert"

Mill Workers support fellow workers in the spirit of community

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 11:54:00 +0000

This is an amazingly heartwarming story about the fate of the mill workers in the small New Zealand town of Putaruru. The timber mill, being the lifeblood of the town, closes as Christmas approaches.
The nearby town of Tokoroa, also a mill town, jumps in.
The mill workers in Tokora agree to work less hours and take a $200 pay cut in order to create enough jobs to employ the redundant workers from Putaruru. All 109 workers from Putaruru have found themselves new jobs and by pulling together the local community is stronger than ever.

Wow...

Loving this...

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 16:47:00 +0000

Beyond the primary message, I like how this really makes you appreciate the change of circumstances sweeping the world since the original advert was made.

10 ways to make having an Au Pair work for you

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 15:34:00 +0000

Not wanting to offer myself up as an authority on making a success of having an Au Pair; all the same I have been shocked to hear of recent Au Pair disaster stories, which contrast so vividly against our own experience with two Au Pairs so far. With that in mind, I thought I would share a few of the critical success factors that myself and Lisa, our German Au Pair, have come up with.
Deciding to have an Au Pair come and live in your home and, more importantly, plant themselves right in the middle of family dynamics, is no easy decision. Of course you have a number of benefits you want to realise from having an Au Pair, probably on everyone's list is having someone to take the stressful edge off parenting and allow you to reclaim adult time with your partner. Likewise, your Au Pair will have hopes and dreams that go with the idea of moving to a foreign country, away from those authority figures in their life and doing those generally fluffy, soft focus things, like taking children to the park and playing games, whilst maintaining a high level of Independence.

Right, now for reality...

In fact, to be fair, you can have all those things, but you have to work at it. Clearly one of the first things you should do is:

1. Set expectations upfront - for both of you. Often Au Pairs don't realise that a family wants to get an Au Pair in so they can find the extra time to take their children to the park and play games. Why go to the effort to pay and accommodate someone else to play with your own children? But it is critical to realise that your Au Pair doesn't have some slave fetish that means they want to be a modern day Cinderella either. Striking a good balance is important, but it is equally important to communicate expectations up front. I'd expect that you would at least have a telephone conversation or trade emails prior to them turning up on your door step. You should use this opportunity to map out what a typical day might be, or perhaps what the best and worst kind of day might be for your Au Pair. You also need to fit into these descriptions when the Au Pair will have time off, when they'll be free to go out, what they can do in their own time etc. If it's all about cooking, cleaning and babysitting, then you need to recalibrate your expectations - maybe you need a cleaner or to pay more for a full time nanny.
The legal definition of an Au Pairs duties are different for each country, but in the UK and generally accepted elsewhere is that an Au Pair works 25 hours per week, performing childcare and "light" housework duties. They also must get 2 full days off each week. Nannies on the other hand are paid more and are expected to undertake more household duties focused on the children or as a 'Housekeeper/Nanny'. Make sure you're getting the right kind of person for what you need.
So once you've avoided the pitfalls of mismatched expectations, you can get down to the business of having an Au Pair. Here's the rest of my list of top tips to ensure that both the Au Pair's and your own lives are enriched by having an Au Pair come to live with you.

2. Clearly define Working & Free-time. Get this right and 90% of possible problems seem to disappear. The working arrangements for an Au Pair loosely translate to 5 hours per day, Monday to Friday, with a couple of nights babysitting if needed. We find using a calendar on the wall for all to see, with the Au Pairs hours for the week written up clearly, is a very effective way to go. So normally each Sunday night we write in the hours for the week, take stock of any evening commitments we might have and include the babysitting as well. This is great for the Au Pair, as they know when they can afford to: sleep in; arrange to go out during the day or in the evening; as well as build any English classes around the timetable.
Whilst this is one of the best things you can do for your Au Pair (and I've asked a few Au Pairs to verify), it also helps you get your head around asking someone to do things for you. For many people this doesn't sit comfortably with them. If there is a 5 hour window each day where they are there to perform light housework duties, then it can be much easier to ask them to do things. What often helps is establishing a routine or writing a list of jobs you'd like them to work though. That allows the Au Pair to get on with things and also frees you up so you don't have to be constantly supervising them. If it seems a little awkward at first writing things on a calendar, it will become just a normal part of the routine in no time and something you both will come to really appreciate.

3. Respect their space. It's important that you provide a sanctuary in the Au Pairs home for them to get away from it all. That's normally their bedroom and you should always stress to your children that they respect the Au Pair's privacy and never go into the Au Pairs bedroom unless invited. Its common decency really, but you need to remember that the children are yours, and not the Au Pair's. Its normal to fit out the room with a decent single bed, a desk for English study and a TV. It needs to be warm and of course you only need to ask yourself "would I be happy to live in here?".

4. Set out what's acceptable behaviour for the children. Be sure to make time in the first week or so to make clear to the Au Pair what's acceptable behaviour from the children and what's not. If they see you let the children watch TV, then they will let the children watch TV. If its a case of "no TV on school nights" or "only one programme", then you need to make that clear. Every home and every parent has a different idea of whats acceptable, all an Au pair can do is copy what they see the parents doing. Equally you need to have a grace period in the first week or two to provide the "on the job training" you'd expect to get with any new job you started. You are the Au Pair's manager and that takes preparation and effort on your part. We've all had bad managers before, don't be another one.

5. Present a united front in front of the children. If the Au Pair is laying down the laws you prescribed, then children of a certain age will always go to other authority figures until they get the answer they're looking for. Be sure to back up the Au Pair and don't give in. Au Pairs aren't there to play "Good Cop, Bad Cop" for your benefit. Their ability to wield authority over your children (for then own sake and safety) only comes from you. If you are seen to undermine the Au Pairs authority, then you've taken their authority away from them in the mind of your children.
If you need to have stern words with your Au Pair, then never do it in front of the children.

6. Make rules for both of you and stick to them. This is true for anyone managing people. If you set expectations up front and communicate them clearly, then when boundaries are overstepped you have to follow through. This might be easy to think of in relation to the Au Pair breaking the rules (your 4yr old comes home "puffing" on a make believe cigarette because that's what your non-smoking Au Pair does every time she takes them to the Park!), but needs to be equally applied to yourself. If the 5 hours per day starts to stretch or babysitting becomes 5 nights a week - you need to revisit arrangements to make sure that these remain isolated exceptions to the rules, or you agree to pay for extra time or give time off in lieu.

7. Pay them on time. Hands up who doesn't mind being paid late? No one likes it. Au Pairs are generally given a nominal amount of pocket money each week to give them the freedom to pay for English classes, go sightseeing or generally get out of the house and enjoy themselves. In the UK around £55 per week is the minimum for 25hrs work and a couple of nights babysitting. As a rule, pay them on time, be prepared to advance money if they are planning something worthwhile, but not if its because they had a big weekend and are living beyond their means.

8. Everyone is different - thank goodness! Don't gloss over the fact that you have someone from a different culture living in your house. Where two cultures meet is generally a great opportunity for wonderful interaction and learning. Be sensitive to the differences and expect the same from your Au Pair. Bread rolls and cheese with holes in it for breakfast can make an European Au Pair's day. Getting them to cook meals from their own country is an added bonus. Put up with idiosyncrasies in good humour, they always make good stories at the end of an Au Pair's time with you.

9. "So how was your day?" Remember that Au Pairs have bad days too. Their lives might look like simplicity personified, but the cultural issues and being away from family and friends, can all take their toll. Always ask after them, because if you don't, no one else is likely to. Its the small things such as this that make them feel part of your family. Asking them what they did in their spare time might help answer some puzzling questions they have or help you understand what they like doing. Its also a good chance to intervene if you find that they spent the 12th straight day in their room on the internet.
and finally

10. Talk, talk and talk some more. Meals are family time. Making time to sit down as a family, including the Au Pair helps everyone. Its a chance to talk through what has happened or whats planned for tomorrow. It also helps your children see you interact with the Au Pair and understand where their standing is in the family as another responsible adult.
Overall, the time you invest in communicating with your Au Pair, will pay back tenfold. There's never any guarantees in life: you and your Au Pair might be a mismatch from the start. If so, then communicating that clearly will help too. On the positive side, Au Pairs are a great way to win back some time for your children and yourself, as well as creating life long friendships for your family with people all over the world.

"The Skateboarder's a person in your neighbourhood..."

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:02:00 +0000

I just had to include this video of our neighbour Oli Chapman, a 14 year old competitive skateboarder, filmed at the skateboard park near our local housing estate. You can't imitate the natural way the redhead kid speaks - quality!
***WARNING: Contains Strong Language***

Alas I am undone...

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 12:51:00 +0000

The Fiat Multipla aka "the Ugly Bug car" aka "the TARDIS" has blown a head gasket. Our plans of days out during the half term break have been undone by the unforseen nature of Italian engineering. And oh the irony, the dashboard lit up like a christmas tree just by the turn off to the car sales where we bought it, and then they gave us a Ford Focus (our old car) as a replacement.
Ho hum, they think we will be back being stared at on the roads within the week - I hope so!

Cake mmmmm..... c a k e........

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 08:26:00 +0000

Ok so I've finally mastered uploading videos to YouTube. My wife George said that in years to come Jemima will look at the outfit she is wearing and go "what were my parents thinking!". It was the fashion baby, it was the fashion...

Why are they waving at us Mummy?

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 14:28:00 +0000

Yes, its the Marmite of the car world. We have bought ourselves a Bug! A Fiat Multipla 2003 1.9 JTD ELX to be precise.
Actually Jeremy Clarkson raves about these cars, as they are like a TARDIS, huge on the inside with 6 full size adult seats, all with 3 point harnesses, permanently set up with admirable bootspace still available.

And yes, Multipla owners do wave to oneanother when they pass on the roads!
So we are lining up a few roadtrips to put it through its paces and see if we can get close to 50mpg out of the diesel engine... and a few strange looks. What will the neighbours think??
La dolce Multipla!!

Lights, camera, YouTube!!

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 13:23:00 +0000

For the benefit of friends and family, here is a quick video of Jemima, Beatrice and Angus on the day of Jemima's 6th birthday party.

Having finally managed to upload a video to YouTube, I anticipate that you will see in living colour a bit more of what we get up to.
Enjoy

"It's a small world..." MAKE IT STOP!!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 10:41:00 +0000

I am sure that somewhere back in my military service there was a well documented interrorgation technique that sought to deprive the detainee of sleep by constantly blasting them with music 24hours a day.

Roll on Disneyland Paris...

For four days, it never stopped. Every tree or shrub had been Disney'fied with a speaker blasting out swirling Disney theme music, over and over and over and over. But apart from that it was great fun. Jemima and Beatrice loved it and met loads of Disney characters and went on tonnes of rides. Beatrice's favourite was "Casey Jnr", a train rollercoaster for 3 year olds. Jemima's was a toss up between "Crush's Coaster" and "Big Thunder Mesa", both great rollercoasters and has her squealing with laughter. Thanks to Fastpasses and Babyswitch (nothing illegal, just meant that parents could both ride it with only one having to queue), we managed to get a lot done.

Before we hit Disney, I actually met George and the children in Paris in time for my birthday. We headed into the middle of Paris and took a ferriswheel ride in the Tuliary Gardens for a memorable day. From there it was onto Munich for, our old Au Pair, Mandy's wedding. This was a fantastic time, even though it was all in German!

On the way back to the UK - overall it was a 2,200 mile odyssey by car with three well behaved children in the back - we stopped into Giverny once again. This is Monet's home and garden where he painted some of his most famous impressionist paintings.

So now we are back in wet and miserable England. Our new Au Pair, Lisa, has arrived and seems great. She will come into her own from Friday when I have my operation on my ankle and spend the next three months on crutches.

Goings on in the bottom of the garden

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 12:07:00 +0000

Well an update is long over due.
The purchase of the Permaculture magazine was like a dealer handing out free heroin. Which is slightly worrying when you consider that my wife then bought me a magazine subscription for Father's Day [I suppose she thinks I can't come to any harm tripping out reading a magazine].

So the garden was planted and here's the update:

Tomatoes - first ones were eaten this weekend having had to fight for sunlight with some beligerant Brassicas.
Cucumber - still thinking about fruiting. A trip to the Riverford farm in Devon where our organic vegie box comes from taught me about growing them up a frame and keeping the fruit off the ground.
Courgette - not really sure what these taste like - I will have to ask the slugs... b@rstards!!!
Sweetcorn - lasted about 30 seconds before the slugs hoovered that up too. Despite putting down some garlic granules as organic 'pesticide', probably only gave the slugs indigestionSunflowers
Brussel Sprouts - these have had to be thinned out to just two plants due to my over-crowding of the vegie patch. These were also starting to bend under the weight of the hundreds of caterpillars, which the slugs had obviously invited to a three week rave in our garden, as there was far too many plants for the slugs to eat alone.
Brocolli - these were looking great. So we picked some with smug grins on our faces. We steamed them in anticipation of a pius portion of greens on our dinner plate. We were really clever until Jemima sitting at the dinner table said "Mummy there's a caterpillar on your brocolli!" Which was correct, but it would have been more appropriate to say "Mummy there's Brocolli in amongst that infestation of caterpillars!" In the end we had to ditch the plants (preferring not to think about the ones we'd already eaten) as, try as we might, we couldn't get all the caterpillars off the Brocolli to enable ourselves to eat it.
Rocket - this was a success!! Let's leave it at that shall we?
Red Onions - these amounted to spring onions with a red tinge. Not helped by the landgrab made by the Brocolli and Brussel Sprouts. But the season isn't over yet and they may take off now there is more room in the garden.
Blueberries - poor fellow seemed to be doing better in his pot than he is in the garden. These guys like acidic soil and unless you like your blueberry muffins one small blueberry at a time, I think I will need to shift him.
Raspberries - these were another success and seem to have thrived. Hoping we can prick out the stems into a bigger area next year. Jemima liked being able to pick them off the bush in the garden. Of course as soon as Beatrice learnt that this was fruit - she would have nothing to do with it (unless I planted a sausage tree).

Since then we have also managed to: grow a large sunflower; force some rhubarb nice and tall; build a cold frame next to the outlet for the gas boiler so the hot moist air can be put to some use and not just dissipate into the atmosphere; and plant a herb planter of parlsey, corriander, sage and chives. We also have a capsicum plant in the cold frame with dreams of roasted peppers preserved in olive oil through out the winter (yummy).

Alas still no Chickens...

The Diary of Tom & Barbara...

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 19:02:00 +0000

So Rob, what's happened since you last posted? Nothing for months and then a piece on solar power and soon to be ramblings about your vege garden. Have the Lewis Gourdie's of Brighton, swapped places with the Good's of Surbiton???

Well kind of...
I've had a long fascination with being inventive, making things and self-sufficiency. I blame too many Saturdays, pottering around in the garage with my Dad; watching him turn other people's scrap and junk into (amongst other things) an circular saw bench and a hotwater radiator system for the garage.
Then I went and found a magazine in our local organic shop that embraced this 'awareness' of the value in things around you - they called it "Permaculture", but I'm sure my Dad wouldn't have used such a fancy term.

I did find this quote the other day that made a lot of sense:
"Creation is a better means of self-expression than possession;
it is through creating, not possessing, that life is revealed."
Vida D Scudder

So, on the weekend I planted:

Tomatoes

Cucumber

Courgette

Sweetcorn

Sunflowers

Brussel Sprouts

Brocolli

Rocket

Red Onions

Blue berries

Raspberries

With more things to follow in the next week or so. Apart from that I now have an unhealthy fascination in the state of my compost. Its almost the overwhelming first reason I have for getting out of bed in the morning - to check on the state of decomposition. Another great find, was to discover that one of our local shops has reinvented itself as a garden shop, staffed by a really knowledgeable and nice bloke.

Here's looking forward to the fruit (and vegetables) of my labours later this summer.

PV Solar Carport/Out Building

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:52:00 +0000

So where does one park their new electric or hybrid car?
Check this out:

Welcome to the world Angus LEWIS GOURDIE

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 23:35:00 +0000

Weighing in at a whopping 10lb 3 oz, Angus James Bentley LEWIS GOURDIE was born at home on Saturday 08 December.

George and Angus are well. Jemima and Beatrice are chuffed to bits to have a baby in the house and think having a brother is pretty cool too. Dad has been off on paternity leave and has been getting to grips to the role of Domestic Unit Manager – a tiring task further complicated by a left ankle that is feeling the cold.

As a family, we went out on the Friday to our first ever Pantomime; ‘Cinderella’ at the Theatre Royal in Brighton. We all loved it, especially the girls, and although George was uncomfortable throughout the performance, we figured that it would have been the case no matter where we were. Afterwards we went to dinner at a local restaurant, although George was slightly less keen than the rest of us. Luckily it was a gourmet burger joint, because when George returned from the washroom and said “I think my waters have just gone”, we said “can we get that to takeaway?!”.

In the end we caught a bus home, because we had come in that way and it was faster than getting a taxi. The girls ate their dinner on the bus and were quickly put through the bath and into bed. George was pretty mellow and was happy to spend the evening pottering around ‘tidying up’ etc. At 8:30pm I exercised my right to call Sue Rose, our independent midwife. We agreed that, rather than call her too late, she should come over when she was ready and she could stay in our spare room.

George was in the bath when Sue arrived after 9:30pm. Things were progressing slowly and steadily and I was told to “go away” when I stuck my head in the door (George likes to labour in private). We all went to bed by 11pm, leaving George to move around. Her noisy entry into the bedroom at 2am was a signal for me to wake up and get Sue up. Sue eventually came downstairs at around 2:45am and this seemed to give George ‘permission’ to crack on.

[Photo: George & Rob being checked out by wee Angus. Rob is topless, not because he was dancing around the fire in some hippy ritual, but because skin on skin contact is the best way to warm and regulate a baby's body temperature - sorry to disappoint on the hippy dancing thing...]

And then at 3:25am, little Angus launched himself into this world. Born in the (new) kitchen, we made our way through to the Sitting Room, resplendent with Christmas tree, Tirkish Rug on the floor (for winter) and the flames dancing over the coals of our gas fire. At 7am Jemima appeared on the stairs and cautiously came in to find her new brother. She then darted upstairs and dragged Beatrice downstairs with news of the much anticipated arrival.

Give Thanks....

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 20:50:00 +0000

Today our American cousins celebrate Thanksgiving Day. Being the naturally skeptical person that I am, I would normally be the first in line to poke the ritual with a stick.
However, on more than one occasion since moving to the UK, I have found myself in the company of friends. A group of self-made ex-pats with much to give thanks about. There was a time in a flat in London when we were all in a kitchen quaffing champagne - and we toasted the moment; let us celebrate the fact that we are all here drinking champagne and how lucky we are. Realise that 'but for the grace of God go I' and there is not as much difference between the person in the high-rise office and the homeless person on the street, as you might think.
This kicked off a tradition amongst some of us and the next year we went to the Mayflower pub on the banks of the Thames, at the place where the famous shipped tied up in London before heading to Plymouth and onto the New World - once again that year, we had much to give thanks for.
And then there was hosting an American work colleague and his visiting sister and brother-in-law for Thanksgiving. It didn't help that we started drinking at lunchtime, but we ended up having a hilarious Thanksgiving curry and enjoyed the Bon Hommie, ending up semi naked in our front room at 3am teaching an American how to do the Haka!

One thing I really enjoy doing is pouring water on those boastful conversations. The other day someone was recounting to a group of us stories about their boat (we're talking a 'big' boat) and how the couple on the neighboring berth owned some big company blah blah blah. When a break in the conversation came I jumped in "we were talking the other day about the time when you were the most down on your luck, when you were close to the bone financially - what are people's stories?" Even the big rich guy had a story of his university days, thrashing around in the bottom of a clapped out Robin Reliant looking for loose change to go into the supermarket to buy food. I found these conversations far more meaningful than the "guess where we're going for our holidays next year" emphatic communion people usually indulge in. It made people appreciate what they had and to be thankful for those things and not vulgar.

So to anyone anywhere with a drink in their hand, raise it high and give thanks.

The biggest threat to Project Management?

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 20:36:00 +0000

Despite the best efforts of Project Management guru's and the developers of Project Management systems to deliver truly global, streamlined and accurate means of managing increasingly complex projects, it would seem legislation throughout Europe it set to keep us in the dark ages.

I'm talking about the various forms of the Data Protection Act (DPA) throughout the states of Europe.

First of all let's look at a couple of the basic requirements we have in order to manage any project:
(1) the ability to communicate with team members and stakeholders; and
(2) the ability to track effort expended against effort budgeted;

(1) Project communication under DPA
So I discovered the other day from an appointed DPA officer. Most big companies run some kind of corporate address book typically in their email application. When you want to contact someone, you look them up and you probably at least an email address and a telephone number that you can use.
Did you know? That in the UK you are at liberty to ask your company to remove your entry from any such database? Therefore any such collection of project contact information should be approved by an appointed DPA officer and subject of a DPA audit? In other EU countries you are at liberty to "opt in" for your information to be held electronically, that is, the default position is that a company can not keep this information on you.
(2) Tracking effort expended on a project under DPA rules
All companies I have worked for have had some form of Time Entry System by which you record you breakdown of hours worked each week. This is typically where project cost codes are used to capture how much effort has been expended against your project and what labour charges will hit your project budget.
Did you know? Any member of your project team in the EU is at liberty to opt out of using this time recording system, thereby rendering your ability to accurately record the effort expended useless. This flies in the face of trying to accurately portray a projects position through tools, such as Earned Value, that are being touted by various PM methodologies.

So imagine the scenario...
You're the PM for a high value government project...
Your project team decide to opt out of (1) & (2) rendering your powerless to communicate across your team and unable to simply and accurately record, in a timely fashion, what work has been completed for what cost, on this huge government project.
How long would it take before the project went completely pear-shaped and some corporate officer was hauled in front of (in the UK) a Commons Select Committee to explain why this project was performing so badly?
And how well would it wash when the limitations of the DPA were brought home to roost?

Forget project insurance for Terrorism and acts of God, you can't insure against workers exercising ridiculous rights that would scupper the best efforts of the Project management fraternity overnight. Some would argue that the DPA has been around for a while and it hasn't caused the catastrophe you warn about - well thats true but find me a competent PM that gets away with evaluating risk by saying 'it hasn't happened yet'. Equally, in todays environment we are truly starting to require a global project management model, whereas previously we had only managed to achieve an aggregation of individual country projects. This move to develop and define systems that can operate across legislative boundaries as well as timezones needs to be able to remove the barriers to true global project management, if it is to succeed. Where today we are off-shoring and near-shoring more and more niche skills, we will find that in order to staff up multi-disciplinary project teams in the future, we will need to operate a global project management model that can easily communicate and collaborate using the latest tools.

Don't do this at home...

noreply@blogger.com (Rob) — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 14:48:00 +0000

Well not your own home... especially if you have grown accustomed to luxuries like an indoor toilet, a clean kitchen and general basic living conditions. Although I wouldn't suggest you do it at anyone else's home either, especially if they are a good friend or a relative, actually doing it to a relative could be quite satisfying....

So... this little project soon became a big project, which was mainly because we didn't really know what we wanted up front and our tastes were always likely to evolve as the work progressed.

It was all managed from a large piece of kiddies drawing paper attached to the Kitchen wall (until we knocked the wall down). It roadmapped the dependancies we had between the various tasks, as well as a calendar of what was happening when. Co-ordinating the various tradesmen required was a fine art, expecially when they are in short supply in Brighton (forget IT become a plumber in Brighton instead!)

The before shots of kitchen....

#1: View from our hallway into our dark faux oak panelled galley kitchen

#2: Mandy, our Au Pair, burning something...

#3: Jemima and Beatrice in the Dining room adjacent to the Kitchen

Stage One - make a big mess

First we knocked out the wall between the Kitchen and Dining Room - which was god send in itself as it let so much light into a previously dark, narrow space.
Then we eBayed our kitchen... yep! Faced with a £250 charge for dumping our old kitchen (labour and skip), we sold it to a guy who needed a temporary kitchen in a cottage he was moving into (whilst planning permission for a kitchen extension was processed). He paid us £100 and came and took the whole lot away with a plan to re-use it. Result!!

Stage Two - Be indecisive!

After a lot of 'thinking' we finally got down to business and went ahead and ordered our Howdens kitchen. The installation seems to have gone well so far (nothing's fallen off the wall or come off in our hand!)

Stage Three - start doing the Bathroom BEFORE you've finished the Kitchen!

Apparently this was my fault but I believe it had something to do with "a Tradesmen in your house is worth ten in the yellow pages". Since we had our plasterer mate there we rolled into the bathroom. Nevermind that autumn was knocking on the door and we have had to use an outdoor loo for the last two months! Fingers crossed it all gets sorted tomorrow... Here's where we're currently at:

So we are rapidly approaching a deadline for getting everything completed, nothing like a pregnant woman to focus the mind! A bit of paint, a few light fittings, a plumbed in toliet and we're pretty much there. Hmmm think we could tackle the hallway next...

Anyway time for me to get back up a ladder