London... without hesitation, repetition or deviation

Lately I've been thinking that it'd be a good idea to cut down on my intake of news. I admit that there are lots of good reasons to be aware of what's going on but several recent news stories have been the sort to continue on for days at a time, drip feeding details to the waiting media. So this past week I decided to cut down. Both at the home and the office I'm choosing not to tune in and its been a pleasant change. The one hiccup in the week was Tuesday...

We rearranged our week and took the opportunity to travel into London from Oxford. The bus was pleasant and and speedy and costs a lot less than the train off-peak day return cost of £44 each on Chilterns Trains (!). Our target was New Broadcasting House, home of the BBC in London where we had managed to secure tickets to see Just a Minute being recorded. After a queue of perhaps thirty minutes we reached the front of the queue and passed through security to the light airy corridor beyond. I don't know what I was expecting but I had not expected to be face to face with a mocked-up Dalek or Dr Who phone box. Neither had I expected there to be a very large and lovely cafe. To the left stood someone presenting the weather and spread out below was the BBC Newsroom. Behind the glass a camera occasionally rolled along its track waiting for the cue to begin the establishing shot for the headlines on the hour and half hour.

(c) Andy Hebden

Recording of Just a Minute was running behind schedule and so we spent perhaps an hour being bombarded by all the news taking place around the world - quite a contrast to what I had intended.

Eventually we were able to make our way through to the Radio Theatre where two programmes of Just a Minute were recorded. The rules are simple: speak on a subject for one minute without hesitation, repetition or deviation. It was really good fun and well worth an afternoon away from the office. As a day out it was up there with my school trip to see Blind Date being recorded back in the last millennium...

One year of university completed ... in little over eight months.

On Tuesday I finished my university course (bar any need to retake my exam or coursework) and with it comes a lifting of the pressure that builds throughout the semester. It feels quite different from when I completed the first semester, perhaps because this time I know that I don't have to do it all again.


Undertaking the course has been an interesting experience. I've enjoyed the opportunity to get to know a group of people outside of a church setting. I'm going to miss catching up with them for one afternoon each week.

It's been an interesting contrast with my undergraduate degree. Back then I was studying international politics and I found it hard to pull out the salient points from the books and articles. This time before starting the course I sought to correct this and so I picked up some tips on how to summarise and synthesise. I've also found the subject matter more accessible. Rather than trying to understand an author's opinion I'm instead trying to understand models of practice and as a visual learner that more easily sticks with me.

I've been given wonderful support this year, both from the office where I've only been required to work part time, and from my wife who's invaluable in her support at those times when I'm exhausted and emotionally drained.

 My third support has been a kitchen timer. This little chap has corrected, rebuked and trained me in righteous working and encouraged me. He doesn't shout and he's happy to be paused but he's held me accountable. What a friend.

What next from all of this? Well, we're due to go back to Kenya and I'll be working in a personnel role full time. I'm not sure how much of my particular training from the course will be of direct use - may we never need to instigate a disciplinary procedure or get brought to an employment tribunal. For the past few years in Kenya I have been meeting up on Saturday mornings for breakfast with a friend who helps run a small NGO called Spur Afrika. They are really interested in the need for mentoring young men in Kibera, one of Nairobi's slums. I completely agree with their thinking - to get out of poverty one is expected to become a self-employed man or woman of business - getting a bank account, a loan, navigating government regulations, avoiding risk and illness, and if that wasn't enough, finding the right product for the right niche. That's a tough first job. Maybe I'll have something to plug into their training course.

But before all this we need to arrange the steps that will get us back to Kenya... more blog posts to follow...