Author: nealpp

  • Steve Jobs 1955-2011

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    nealpp
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    What a very sad way of starting the day hearing about the loss of Steve Jobs. In the coming decades he will be remembered as being the genius who moved technology in the world further forward than anybody else. Forget so-called celebrities, Steve Jobs was a genius of a man who has really changed the…

  • Princess Royal alight!!

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    nealpp
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    Still having a bit of difficulty getting the Princess Royal going. I’ve managed to get electricity going to the drive OK but it’s not quite powering properly. The first video is the train (with outer casing off) lit up in the drive bit then suddenly flying into action. The second video is the train moving…

  • Packard Rail!!

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    nealpp
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    Earlier in the year I was given by my uncle his train set which he had when he was a boy, and Ian and me played with when we were boys. Unfortunately the track and layout was not fit but the locomotives and rolling stock was all fine. On receiving the equipment, I immediately made…

  • Guest Frog blog post

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    nealpp
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    I’ve recently written a blog post on the Frog Blog which has just been published. See here . . . http://frogtrade.wordpress.com/2011/08/22/making-sure-students-stay-safe-online-2/

  • Agatha Christie’s ‘Verdict’

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    nealpp
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    After a holiday of Agatha Christie goodness, it was very exciting to return to the now annual visit of the Agatha Christie Theatre Company to Leeds Grand Theatre. Verdict is not the typical Christie ‘whodunnit’ but more of a psychological study into the effects of a murder and the relationships between the characters. This is…

  • Batsford Arboretum

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    nealpp
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    It chucked it down today! A nice big blob of rain in the south-west of England. But that wasn’t going to stop us enjoying the last day of our holiday. We wanted to visit Batsford Arboretum (http://www.batsarb.co.uk). This is a really large collection of trees and shrubs from all over the world, well landscaped with…

  • Hidcote Manor Gardens & Bourton Model Village

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    nealpp
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    A must see in this area is apparently the Hidcote Manor Gardens (http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-hidcote.htm). This National Trust property came into their care in 1946 so has been with them a long time. They reckon it’s where the Trust learnt how to garden! It was created by American Lawrence Johnson who ended up becoming a naturalised Brit…

  • Gloucester

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    nealpp
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    By far the biggest place in this area is Gloucester. It’s only about 20 miles away from the cottage we’re staying in. We visited the cathedral (http://www.gloucestercathedral.org.uk/) which was very pleasant, wandered down to the historical docks to have lunch, and then wandered round some of the craft and antique places down there. Very relaxing!

  • Blenheim Palace

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    nealpp
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    We went over to Oxfordshire today, which wasn’t actually that far, to Blenheim Palace. This is a World Heritage Site because of it’s importance in terms of why it was built, it’s gardens and as it is the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. The money for the Palace and the Dukedom of Marlborough was given…

  • A walk in the Cotswolds

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    nealpp
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    Another relaxing day today. We donned the walking boots and had a wander out to some of the quaint Cotswold villages there are around here. The walk took us into the local village of Bourton on the Water, and then up towards the two ‘Slaughters’, Lower Slaughter and Upper Slaughter. We then dropped back down…