Here’s a treat for you: an old cine reel of my family and I dating from about 1973. I recently obtained about 1300 ft (over 2 hours) of cine film from under my Mum and Dads bed. This is my first attempt and digitizing one of them.

It shows me (as a toddler) with my brother Mark, Mum, Dad and my Granny.

When I was about ten a television crew came to my Primary school to film us making paper for an episode of Stop, Look and Listen for ATV. The programme was aimed at schools and had Chris Tarrent doing the voiceover. Our episode was about paper, showing how it was made and how books were put together. The scenes with my class showed us making paper from recycled newspaper (we we so ahead of our time!) and hanging up linked paper chains.

I remember us sitting in the school hall watching the episode on the large TV, and I also remember seeing a repeat of it when I was off school ill one time. This was before we had video recorders and so that was the last I saw of it….up until last night!

I’ve googled before for this episode and failed miserably, but last night up popped a link to youtube and sure enough there was the episode.

The whole episode runs for just ten minutes, and the bit with my school starts at 8:08. Here are the screenshots with me on it and highlights.

8:41 A sign of the times “Union Call For All Out At Leyland”

9:18 Holding the tub of paper

9:32 Trying to pass a paper chain to Mr Camps and being ignored

9:48 Ducking under a daisy chain

The complete episode (start at 8:08 for the school bit)

I am forever indebted to the youtube user ATVcolourproduction for uploading this video and bringing back some wonderful memories - so thank-you, thank-you, thank-you.

A touching story of a family destroyed by war.

Pig farmers from across the country have swapped their wellies for microphones to record a single to raise awareness of their fight for fairer prices for their pigs. It’s a bit strange and a bit funny. I like the woman with the big teeth and the fat farmer. My favourite line is “To us they’re more than pork and ham”. Watch the video here.

I’m pleased to announce the arrival of our beautiful baby boy, born 04:29 21/2/2008 weighing 8lbs 1oz.

Todays post on xkcd was a bit too close to home:

I am unhealthily excited about this

Like Pac-Man? Remember Text Adventures? You’ll love Pac-Txt

The Royal Thai Police have released this rather unhelpful sketch of a man suspected of stealing 200,000 baht from the Ladprao branch of the Government Savings Bank (GSB) in Bangkok several weeks ago.

The sketch is based on the recollections of eyewitnesses, who say the suspect wore a motorcycle helmet at the time of the robbery.

Do let them know if you’ve seen him. [Courtesy of Pink Tentacle]

My mate James has just got a story of his published in online magazine Spacesuits and Sixguns. It’s a funny tale of corporate fascism told in a sequence of emails and letters beginning with an incorrect supermarket order. Have a read, but beware if you don’t use Windows - you won’t be able to read the punchline.