Ertblog

BBC: time to repeat Fair Game!

Back in 1994, the BBC screened a drama called Fair Game. It was the story of a young couple's trip across northern England against the backdrop of 1970's football world cup and British general election.

It was broadcast on the eve of 1994's world cup. I recorded it on my video and enjoyed it several times before making the mistake of lending the tape to a colleague. She taped over it!

I'd love to see Fair Game again. It included a wonderful performance by Prunella Scales and an evocative soundtrack of 1970 music. Please, BBC, show it again!

Why I chose a wifi only iPad

One of my Twitter followers, John Taylor, asked me why I chose the wifi only version of the iPad. This post - the first I've written 'on request' - answers John's question.

It wasn't an instant decision. But the more I thought about how I'd use my new toy, the more I realised the 3G version would be an unnecessary indulgence. (A description some would apply to all versions of Apple's tablet!) For me, the iPad is a sofa companion, not a road warrior. It means I can do my browsing, check emails and keep up to date with Twitter and Facebook from the living room. I don't carry it with me on my travels except on holiday - such as our current fortnight at Greenwood Grange near Dorchester in Dorset - where it's proving a wonderful way of viewing holiday photos.

If Britain had a better 3G network I'd probably have opted for the 3G version. But, as the BBC's technology reporter Rory Cellan-Jones blogged today, the mobile phone networks have failed to fulfil the dream of a fast mobile internet. If I'd spent an extra £100 on the 3G iPad, I'd have found it useless at Greenwood Grange, as there's virtually no mobile internet coverage in our cottage. (And had Greenwood Grange's wifi service, provided by @clubwifi, actually worked, 3G would have been unnecessary.)

The other reason why I didn't splash out on the top iPad model is that I'm already paying for mobile internet through my iPhone. I didn't want to pay another monthly payment for data on the go - or to pay more every time I went online. (I love the iPhone's 'as much as you can eat' pricing for the mobile internet.) So far, I've got no regrets about my iPad choice. I don't miss the 3G connection. I'm sure in time that all mobile computers will come with the latest super-fast cellular connections. But for now, wifi is a good option.

In praise of Cumbria

Like everyone in Britain, I was appalled by the news of yesterday's gun massacre in Cumbria. Such a tragedy would have been hard to take anywhere. But Cumbria? This peaceful, largely rural county is the last place on earth you'd imagine as the scene of a massacre. But life isn't as logical as that. Britain's most notorious massacres - Hungerford, Dunblane and now West Cumbria - have all taken place in largely tranquil spots.

My old university friend, Dr Nigel Calvert of NHS Cumbria, was widely quoted in the media. As Nigel said, Cumbria has had a traumatic seven months. Yesterday's massacre came after last week's awful school coach crash and November's devastating floods. 

I got to know Cumbria in 2002 when I cycled through the county on my Land's End to John O'Groats bike ride. I fell in love with this beautiful part of the country. It's a tough place to cycle - all those hills! - but the people and the scenery provide an ample reward for all that effort. I entered the county after a breathtaking (in every sense) ride from Dent in Yorkshire to Kirkby Stephen via Garsdale Head and Aisgill. We camped just outside Kirkby Stephen and enjoyed a very special dinner at the pub in Nateby, walking back in the gently fading light of a June evening. The next day, the landlord of a pub just outside Carlisle made a very generous donation to the charity I was cycling in aid of - even though it was based in Wales. I left Cumbria with a very warm feeling towards this wonderful county - a feeling that grew when I returned the following year for a cycling weekend in Alstonn. (Cycling up Hartside was a tough challenge, but worth it for the glorious swoop back down to Alston!) 

I'll be thinking of Cumbria in the coming days.