Von Blythen, flower liqueurs, syrups and condiments to the UK

From German delegates at the IFE

An unusual lifestyle addition to foods, Edible flowers and flower products by Martina Kabitzsch’s company Von Blythen (old German for from flowers) visited London and the IFE.

“Say it with flowers” takes on a whole new meaning when, in addition to appreciating their visual beauty and scent, you can also taste their delicate and often unusual flavours.

Ever since Martina Kabitzsch stumbled across an old recipe book that showed her how to produce a flower based liqueur, she has researched and expanded the use of flowers in food as part of an enriched lifestyle.

From founding Von Blythen in 2004, she has researched and developed flower based recipes, from liqueurs, syrups to preserves and condiments. Martina also runs courses and is an author in her own right, as a recognised expert in this area.

Von Blythen visited the UK and the International Food and Drink Exhibition (IFE) 2011 at Excel in March and I accompanied Martina to the first two meetings to provide language support if needed.

We did not have to worry as once Martina was in flow, she was able to get her message across with a smile. Our second meeting, at the German Pavillion in the IFE, was a revelation as I also had a chance to taste some of the different samples that she had brought along.

Quite often the flavours were delicate and not immediately apparent, then a subtle lingering taste would emerge, prolonging the flavour sensation of the particular food.

Mark Dodsworth took over the accompaniment for Von Blythen as I concentrated on our other company, Der Pommeraner, and I believe that Martina returned to Germany with a number of interested leads and ideas how to come back in the future.

Martina did leave me a signed copy of her book “Blütenmenüs”(“Flower menus”, currently still in German, but look out for an English edition in the near future).

Being a natural experimenter, I could not resist trying out some of the ideas with some of the edible Spring flowers emerging. Do note that not all flowers are edible, daffodils for example are not! Here are two useful links – edible flowers, flowers and plants to avoid.

Sugaring the small spring violets from the Garden did not really work – then again, I could not detect any scent on them. The big success was from the Magnolia tree in a neighbour’s garden.

Having gained permission to ravish the Magnolia tree of three or four flowers, I followed Martina’s instructions to detach and lightly paint the individual petals with eggwhite and then coat in caster sugar. The petals were left in a warm kitchen to dry for two days. About two thirds of the petals did go sugar crystal hard. Biting into the crisp petal released a perfumed flavour in the mouth.

Eating a single petal was a pleasant and repeatedly surprising experience, two at one go was too much. So over the next day, the stock of crystalised petals diminished one by one.

When our apple tree began to bloom, I thought I would try t make some apple flower syrup. This turned out a delicate shade of clear green and has a very subtle flavour, not of apple, indescribable, but definitely an improvement on a simple sugar syrup on its own.

For more information about flower derived products, Martina Kabitzsch and Von Blythen, visit http://www.manufaktur-von-blythen.de/blythen/index/

Related Articles:
Der Pommeraner
Two German Companies visit the IFE


Part of the VHP Lebensmittelwirtschaft 2010
Supported by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology
Project Management by Europartnerships Ltd
in cooperation with Milton Contact Ltd (UK)
And Come Across (DE)

Continuing evolution of QR code design

In a previous article I described the first steps in learning about QR codes and starting to test their technical limits (Making QR codes more Human). The Japanese obviously have a head start on further creative applications, but it is still great to play.

Technically, the way to create a flexible QR code design is to ensure that there is sufficient contrast between the dark parts of the code and the light areas, and to leave a sufficient light border around it.

I have added a further three designs to the collection.

• Design for a car magnet for Martin's Wine Club. Since this was a large item, I could include Martin's signature glass from the logo in the three large squares of the logo. You can see them if you go to the Martin's Wine Club Car Magnet image and enlarge the design.
• Richard Wishart of Delivery Management has been a great proponent of QR Codes ever since I introduced him to Mirko Kisser of Celloon last year. Richard has been collecting examples of QR codes and I felt that his code could be enhanced by adding the eagle from his logo. My first attempt worked on screen but not in print. I was able to redress this by lightening the eagle's blue to ensure that there was sufficient contrast even on printed material.
• New HBN Banner.  When we at HBN discussed having new banners, there was almost unanimous consensus that one of the banners at least should include an HBN QR code! Whilst pondering about the design, I also wanted to reflect the cooperative nature of HBN. Incorporating individual company QR codes into the larger HBN QR code seemed an appropriate solution.  It took some trial and error to ensure that the contrast within each small code was sufficient to be recognised and that yet when viewed from a distance, these individual codes were dark enough to fit into the large code and let it function.  The final banner design with the QR codes within the QR code was a resounding success at the Wood Green Business Fair. It aroused curiosity and comment.

My friends and colleagues at HBN have taken to the QR code technology like ducks to water. In particular, Richard Wishart of Delivery Management has been promoting their use for logistics and tracking.

I will add any further novel designs of QR codes that I make over time.

A transforming Bedfordshire manufacturing SME

British manufacturing can thrive when it provides specialist quality products like those of Bedfordshire company Siga Electronics. Its products can be found in equipment under the sea, in the air and even in space.

Gennaro Coppolaro of Polar Communications had invited me to do the on site photography as part of developing Siga's new website. With a broader interest in successful businesses, I was of course also curious about their products.

Siga specialises in producing coils in general and toroidal transformers in particular. Transformers are integral to almost all electrical equipment. Their function is to change one voltage to another, that can be higher or lower. Toroidal transformers, where the components involve wire coils around a doughnut shaped core, are beneficial as they avoid the creation of disruptive electrical fields during their operation.

Siga's strength lies in producing such transformers in sizes ranging from smaller than a matchstick head to tens of centimeters in diameter. They can be wrapped, varnished and waterproofed as well as fulfilling the client's functional specifications.

Whilst I ploughed through the diverse collection of Siga coils and transformers, I was continually surprised to find out where this one or that was going to be used.

The range could vary between hi-tech and lo-tech, such as the juxtaposition of the apparently simple carboard covered coil that was actually destined for a hospital X-ray machine; to the beatiful bowl with a faint circumferential winding that would end up in one of the many foghorns used around oil- and other platforms in distant seas.

Their final destination could also be either at the bottom of one of our oceans in an underwater ROV (remotely operated vehicle), flying through the air in a Chinook Helicopter, or in a probe traversing the immense reaches of interplanetary space.

British manufacturing SMEs like Siga Electronics are successful, even in the current harsh economic climate and, as my patient minder Peter reminded me at the end of the photographic day, provide products used in the depths of the oceans to the expanses of space.

Sunlight, daylight and finding the right lightbulb

This article looks at the available sunlight and different types of artificial light, and how they differ. The aim is to give you an overiew to make a better choice for whatever light you need. Read it in conjunction with the slides above.

Sunlight and daylight on a sunny day. these provide that optimum light for most of us, whether to prevent SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), grow plants or for photography. Living in the UK (cloudy for two thirds of the time) or at night, we have a wide range of artificial lights that attempt to provide an acceptable alternative. And most of the time our light-bulbs, fluorescent tubes and even LED's are adequate. However, in certain situations, the type of light is critical. For me it is with photography, for others it may be whether they suffer depression in the dark winter months and want to try light therapy.

The way to understand the quality of the light we see, we can describe it in terms of colour, through the rainbow sequence of violet, blue, green, yellow, orange to red; If a light produces all colours in equal proportion, we see it as white. We can describe different white lights in terms of is a light more bluish or yellowish. To measure the colour of light more accurately, we can look at the amount of light produced over the full range of colours, in what is called the spectrum of light. Scientists measure the colour in wavelengths; visible light extends from violet at about 400nm (1/000 000 04 metres!) to red at 800nm. However, you can get a visual impression of how light spectra differ in the charts above.

Sunlight
Our ideal is to try and match sunlight. The sun produces an almost even spread of light from violet to red, with a tendency to produce more light towards the blue end of its spectrum. In fact, the spectrum of sunlight is similar to that of a black body heated to 5250 deg C - that fits, the sun is hot!

Incandescent Light Bulb
Until recently, the most familiar lightbulb was the incandescent light bulb. In it, a tungsten filament is heated until it glows. They typically reach temperatures of 2000 deg C to 3000 deg C (below the melting point of tungsten at 3422 deg C) The light has less blue and increasing amounts of yellow and red. Taking a photo without correction under such light gives a yellow cast to the picture. This can be corrected physically by using a blue or daylight filter, that cuts out some of the red and yellow light. For continuous lighting (in contrast to flash, see below), this is actually a very good solution with one proviso, that you can deal with the heat generated by the bulbs. More than 90% of the energy is used to produce heat!

Halogen Light
The smaller Halogen bulbs are a bit more efficient and the light is less yellow. However they work on the same principle (heating a tungsten wire) but in a halogen gas atmosphere. This means that they can be run hotter to give a whiter light. Most of the energy still goes to producing heat!

Compact Fluorescent
The main household replacement to the incandenscent light bulb is the compact fluorescent or energy saver bulb. They are much more energy efficient for the ss vapourto ame brightness, using only a third of the energy required by an incandescent bulb. They work by using electricity to make a gas glow. The glow is mainly in the ultraviolet, dangerous and invisible. So the inner parts of the tubes are coated with a phosphor. When the phosphor is lit by the UV light, it absorbs it and then emits the trapped energy as visible and safe light.

There is a benefit - and a snag with this process. The benefit is that by choosing a suitable phosphor, you can get a white light with your preferred tint (warmer yellow or daylight). The snag is that the light emitted is not in a continuous spectrum, but in a range of peaks. However, you can obtain daylight bulbs that work sufficiently well for photography and the eye. The reason is that the colour detection by the camera and that of the eye are based on observing Red Green and Blue light peaks (hence the use of the term RGB in photo-editing programs).

Special fluorescent tubes provide light at wavelengths that are optimal for plant growth, either in the Greenhouse or in the aquarium.

Light Emitting Diodes
A future growth area is the use of white LEDs (Light emitting diodes). These are actually blue LEDs that shine on a phosphor coat which then re-emits light at different colours. Most white LEDs emit light in two peaks, one at the blue end of the spectrum and the other wide peak around the yellow end of the spectrum. Again, for photography and a better match for our eyes, you need to establish that the white LED chosen actually gives sufficient peaks of red, green and blue light.
Sometimes this information is not easy to find!

Xenon Camera Flash
The last light source that is easily accessible, to photographers at least, is the Xenon flashlight. The light is created in a sudden discharge over a fraction of a second. It emits a continuous spectrum that mimics that of sunlight very well!

So what lights do I use as a photographer?
If I do not have any control, I still prefer sunlight as my light source. Next is light from incandescent bulbs, because the white balance setting in my camera can most effectively compensate for this. Fluorescent lighting is a nightmare as it can have colour tinges that the automatic colour settings on my camera do not correct for.

Where I can control lighting I use two different sources.

1. For continuous light, I use daylight compact fluorescent bulbs for photography. They do not generate as much heat as the old incandescent halogen bulbs.
2. Otherwise, I use Xenon flashlights as you can get cheap but reliable ones for manual operation , as slave flashes in addition to a branded one for your camera.

If you do not take light sources seriously, this can seriously impact on your photography, plant growing, aquariums or combating SAD!

This article gives you an introduction into different light types and their spectra, so that you can make more informed choices when looking for a suitable light, when daylight is not available!

What lights are you using? What lights do you need? Go and find out

Supporting the NRW Mission to London 2011, Green Building Services

Last week was the culmination of considerable planning and logistics, when four green building services companies from Germany came to the UK for the NRW Mission to London, 2011. The trip included one to one business meetings through the European Enterprise Network, seminars, attendance at Ecobuild 2011, site visits and evening networking.

But how is a mission trip like this put together?

Miriam and Marie share a joke

The lynch-pin in this case was the Handelskammer (Trade Association) Duesseldorf, in the form of the highly engaged Marie-Theres Luetje. She was enabling a project by NRW International, who co-ordinate support for export from North Rhine-Westphalia, with the support of Ministry for Economic Affairs, Energy, Building, Housing and Transport of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

The tender for delivery was won by Europartnerships Ltd in the UK, whose director, Mark Dodsworth, has decades of experience with similar projects throughout Europe. He brought in a team of people to facilitate the various stages.

Miriam Palaschinski assisted Marie at the German end, to interest relevant companies in the program. Researchers such as Nick Thomas and Petra Riemenschneider conducted the research and found UK contacts. An administrative team including Nora Aguirre, helped Mark put the final plans in place.

I've worked with Mark as a partner on other projects, this time I was there to be on the ground in the UK as facilitator and interpreter between the German companies and the UK organisations we would meet.

In the Victoria Pub, Bayswater

The one factor that I particularly enjoy, even if it does make for much longer days, is the social networking that is integral to any Europartnerships program. When you visit a foreign country on business, it is easy to only see the insides of hotels and exhibitions. Mark makes sure that the evenings are spent in a relaxed atmosphere, such as the Victoria Pub in Bayswater included, with UK guests.
The success of such a mission would not be possible without the over two centuries or more of accumulated experience by all involved in assisting such missions!

Find out more about the mission by following the links below

1. NRW Green Building Services Companies on a Mission to London & Ecobuild 2011
2. The People Leading the NRW Green Building Services Companies
3. Personal Impressions: EcoBuild
4. Retrofitting Existing Homes in the UK
5. Supporting the NRW Mission to London 2011, Green Building Services

NRW Mission Brochure at http://goo.gl/XbOOF

A project of NRW International.
Supported by the Ministry for Economic Affairs, Energy, Building, Housing and Transport of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Organised by Marie-Theres Luetje, Handwerkskammer Duesseldorf.
Realised by Mark Dodsworth & team, Europartnerships Ltd.

Retrofitting Existing Homes in the UK

As facilitator with the NRW Mission to London, for green building service companies, we had the privilege of visiting two retrofit sites in London. These demonstrated the commitment to find out how existing old build could be made more energy efficient.

Retrofit in Peckham

The first site was a house in Peckham that was part of a local housing association's stock. We arrived to find the site in mid completion by experienced partners Greenstructures. Solar heating panels had been fitted and we could still see how th excess heat could be stored for later retrieval in halide heat sinks in the attic. Another heat store was buried under the now concreted over floor, with its underfloor heating. Polyurethane based insulation was being either applied internally (where the external facade had to be maintained) or internally.

This site was part of an increasing knowledge base on how to speed up effective retrofitting in the future. With 25 million properties in the UK needing to be adapted, This would be no mean feat to meet the government's own targets.

Low Carbon Zone, Southwark Council

The second site was the Southwark Council Low Carbon Zone, working with their architect partners from The-Facility. Here we learnt that often the challenge in more deprived areas is not just physical, but social too. Sceptical and suspicious residents have to be won over in a process that ultimately gives them empowerment and improvement of their environment. The target was to reduce carbon emissions by 20.12% by 2012 within the zone.

With 80% of the UKs properties being existing build, not tackling retrofitting now would make it impossible for the UK to meet its energy saving targets.

By tackling some of the oldest and most difficult stock and a variety of areas within the UK, the knowledge gained would speed up retrofitting existing stock in the future.

Find out more about the mission by following the links below

1. NRW Green Building Services Companies on a Mission to London & Ecobuild 2011
2. The People Leading the NRW Green Building Services Companies
3. Personal Impressions: EcoBuild
4. Retrofitting Existing Homes in the UK
5. Supporting the NRW Mission to London 2011, Green Building Services

NRW Mission Brochure at http://goo.gl/XbOOF

A project of NRW International.
Supported by the Ministry for Economic Affairs, Energy, Building, Housing and Transport of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Organised by Marie-Theres Luetje, Handwerkskammer Duesseldorf.
Realised by Mark Dodsworth & team, Europartnerships Ltd.

Personal Impressions: Ecobuild

North Balcony, outside EEN meetings

Ecobuild 2011, with its move from Earls Court to Excel this year reminds me of a quote from the "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy":" Space is Big, really Big". That is certainly how Ecobuild 2011 felt, really big, with its East and West entrances served by separate stations on the Docklands Light Railway. However, I was there with some focus, accompanying two of the four green building services companies who were part of the German NRW Mission to London and Ecobuild.

With an excess of 1300 exhibitors, the North and South halls were packed with stands from the large multinationals to the small few square metre start-ups. There was not only variety but also duplication, as you might expect. As one architect commented to me, there were also over 100 thermal/solar panel providers as companies jumped into this market. Numerous meetings and seminars were held in the galleries located on the floor above the long sides of the halls.

Meetings at stands

Wandering through, from one location to another, the impression was of new technologies and materials whilst there were also demonstrations of using natural materials from straw, wood to compressed chalk as building matter. I was taken on the one hand by the natural stone available in multiple shades from quarries throughout the UK; and on the other by a demonstration of harvesting the energy of people's footfall.

Keywords that emerged were the "Passivhaus" standard and "Retrofit".
My pocket pedometer clocked up over 8000 steps (6km) on the day I was accompanying two German companies to their specific meetings. The saving grace was access to the VIP lounge upstairs for a seat and drink at various points during the day.

It is practically impossible to gather a full insight of everything at Ecobuild during your visit. So if you are thinking of coming to the next exhibition, I recommend searching through the exhibitors online and selecting highlights to visit in advance.

One thing I can say about the visit - It's worth it!

Find out more about the mission by following the links below

1. NRW Green Building Services Companies on a Mission to London & Ecobuild 2011
2. The People Leading the NRW Green Building Services Companies
3. Personal Impressions: EcoBuild
4. Retrofitting Existing Homes in the UK
5. Supporting the NRW Mission to London 2011, Green Building Services

NRW Mission Brochure at http://goo.gl/XbOOF

A project of NRW International.
Supported by the Ministry for Economic Affairs, Energy, Building, Housing and Transport of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Organised by Marie-Theres Luetje, Handwerkskammer Duesseldorf.
Realised by Mark Dodsworth & team, Europartnerships Ltd.

The People Leading the NRW Green Building Services Companies

The best way to get to know a business is - through the people representing it! Here are my personal portraits of four green building services companies that I accompanied to Ecobuild and on site visits. I was working for Europartnerships, helping with the NRW Mission to London 2011.

Martin Boehm, Boehm Elektrobau

Martin is the third generation director of Boehm Elektrobau. The company specialises in all aspects of electrical and communication technologies. Modestly describing himself as "an Electrician", his strength is in smart control technologies. These are essential in both newbuild and old buildings that are retrofitted for low or zero energy consumption. Reference projects in Germany include Porsche and the Igus factory in Cologne.





Eberhard Juengst, JOS Cleaning North

Company owner Eberhard was the most ebullient of the group. He enthusiastically described the company's patented low pressure vortex cleaning system, for building and other surfaces, at every opportunity. The process has been used on Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey in the UK, because it cleans thoroughly without abrading surfaces. With 80% of UK properties requiring energy efficient retrofits, there will be a lot of external surface restoration to be done too. He claimed poor English but wasn't afraid to use it - and showed that he was a better speaker than he thought



Franz Noll, Fugunternehmen Noll

Franz frequently works in close partnership with Eberhard. Specialising in mortar and joint repairs, his company is also qualified to work in more hazardous areas such as gas and electric power stations. Quiet at first, the glint in his eye revealed an active sense of humour. We were both proud of the way the phrase "My company specialises in the restoration and renovation of historic buildings" tripped off his tongue during introductions. On site visits, his keen eye spotted the thermal and water bridges that were giving the retrofitter's grief.



Andreas Zawierucha, Natural Interior Decoration

Andreas' expertise is in the skin of buildings, both internal and external. Whilst insulation and energy efficiency are obvious factors, I was interested in learning about another environmentally friendly part of his portfolio. He provides interior coatings based on natural plant and mineral products. They provide a greener living environment with great aesthetics, also allowing the walls to breathe. Andreas exudes an air of calm competence that underlines his years of experience culminating to his present status as a certified expert for ecological paintwork.

Find out more about the mission by following the links below

1. NRW Green Building Services Companies on a Mission to London & Ecobuild 2011
2. The People Leading the NRW Green Building Services Companies
3. Personal Impressions: EcoBuild
4. Retrofitting Existing Homes in the UK
5. Supporting the NRW Mission to London 2011, Green Building Services

NRW Mission Brochure at http://goo.gl/XbOOF

A project of NRW International.
Supported by the Ministry for Economic Affairs, Energy, Building, Housing and Transport of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Organised by Marie-Theres Luetje, Handwerkskammer Duesseldorf.
Realised by Mark Dodsworth & team, Europartnerships Ltd.

NRW Green Building Services Companies on a Mission to London and Ecobuild 2011

Four German companies came to London for several packed days of visits, meetings, seminars and fact-finding - about the tremendous opportunities in the green building sector.

If there is one overriding lesson that I took away from these hectic days, accompanying these companies, it was that whilst newbuild might be the obvious market for energy efficiency, it is the need to retrofit the 80% of old housing stock that will be the mainstay of this sector. The other thing I learnt was that the word "Retrofit" had entered the English vocabulary and was here to stay!

The four companies covered smart control technology for housing; renovation and restoration and the aesthetic, green interiors. you can find out more about the visitors here.
The program was in five parts:

1. Seminars and talks by experts resident in the UK, giving an overview of the sector.
2. One to one meetings with other European companies through the European Enterprise Network.
3. Visiting EcoBuild 2011 in general and talking to selected companies in particular.
4. Site visits to retrofit sites within London.
5. Networking meetings with European and UK delegates over evening meals.

It was a packed program of 18h days that provided participants with an overview of the green construction sector - and with useful contacts.

Want to know what they learnt and how it was achieved? Well I'm afraid you should have been part of the mission! However, the articles and their links below will give some insight.

Find out more about the mission by following the links below

1. NRW Green Building Services Companies on a Mission to London & Ecobuild 2011
2. The People Leading the NRW Green Building Services Companies
3. Personal Impressions: EcoBuild
4. Retrofitting Existing Homes in the UK
5. Supporting the NRW Mission to London 2011, Green Building Services

NRW Mission Brochure at http://goo.gl/XbOOF

A project of NRW International.
Supported by the Ministry for Economic Affairs, Energy, Building, Housing and Transport of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Organised by Marie-Theres Luetje, Handwerkskammer Duesseldorf.
Realised by Mark Dodsworth & team, Europartnerships Ltd.

Help Catch a Covent Garden Bagsnatcher

An enjoyable last evening for our visitors to London before returning to Duesseldorf was ruined at a stroke when a bagsnatcher stole Miriam's bag. It contained cards, identity papers, mobile and other personal belongings. You can help!

Even just passing this message on could help find a link back to the thieves and remove one more piece of scum from our capital's streets. En masse, visitors to our shores spend £30bn here per year. However, I'm asking on Miriam's behalf, because we know how upset we would be in her situation.

We had a late lunch and chatted as a group of nine in Henry's Cafe Bar in Henrietta Street on Thursday 3rd March 2011. The group then moved on to a nearby pub, The Nag's head in Covent Garden. Miriam's bag was probably snatched in the evening when the pub was busy. If you are offered or find cards or German identity papers, personal items or anything else with the name Miriam P**********i, please, please send me the information at chris@miltoncontact.com.

One thief can affect hundreds of visitors directly and besmirch our reputation as news gets around. Doing nothing lets them get away with it!

Please contact me, at chris@miltoncontact.com, if you can help catch the scum who stole Miriam P**********i's bag and personal possessions.

Snowdrops - not just a pretty flower - Five facts

The end of the barren winter months is heralded now by the arrival of Spring bulbs. Last weekend, the sunshine brought out the crowds to a fantastic display of over 240 Snowdrop varieties at Anglesey Abbey, part of the National Trust.

Here are my five Snowdrop facts:

1. Snowdrop species (Latin name Galanthus) are widespread throughout Europe and Asia. They most probably entered the British Isles in the 16th  century and have become naturalised in many locations. The trade in wild snowdrop bulbs and plants is now restricted under the CITES convention, however, many different varieties are produced sustainably in the UK.
2. Snowdrop bulbs are poisonous if eaten. One of the active ingredients is galantamine, which is used in the treatment of early Alzheimer's and vascular dementia. It acts as an 'acetylcholinesterase inhibitor'. As these are thought to be important in brain function, galantamine is also used as a “brain enhancer” in brain damaged patients. A more unusual application, is its use to get “Lucid Dreams”  or to help with “Out of Body Experiences”. I do not recommend trying it for either as the most likely experience will be your last dinner having a violent out of body experience back through your mouth!
3. Plants are brilliant chemical weapons specialists in their constant battle to avoid being eaten. Snowdrops produce Snowdrop lectin (also known as GNA = Galanthus nivalis agglutinin) which acts as an anti-feedant on insect pests. There is current research on introducing GNA into other plants in the hope that they will be more resistant to insects.
4. Snowdrops can come in varieties with a single flower and with double flowers. This does not mean two flowers, but twice the amount of petals (or more) in a single flower. This is best seen when you photograph the hanging flower from below (see slideshow). Usually Snowdrops have 3 large petals with three smaller petals in-between - these are the ones with the green marking. Inside the flower, you then have a circle of stamens (the male parts) and at the centre, the ovary (female part). In double flowers, the parts that would normally be stamens are present as smaller petals instead. Check it out in the photos; single flowers have stamens, double flowers do not!
5. We delight in seeing these early flowers. For them, it is a lifestyle to their advantage. By storing nutrients in a bulb the previous year, they can shoot up leaves and flower well before grasses swamp them or before the leaves of the trees above them cut out the vital sunshine. There is also less competition in attracting insects that are vital for pollination. Kew Gardens have monitored the first appearance of Snowdrops over many years. In the 1950s, they used to emerge at the end of February, since the 1990s, they have appeared in January, another indication of the UK's changing climate.

The Snowdrop; adaptable, medically important, a chemical weapons master and an early indicator of climate change. Not just a pretty flower then!

Green Light for Amber in Model Photoshoot

I've just returned from a very enjoyable photoshoot at The Works studio in St Ives, Hunts.

Fashion Model Amber Tutton took centre stage on the infinity curve as the Milton Photographic Club descended for a session organised by Martyn Rayner of The Works.

If you want to practice photographing people, using a model is a great way to learn and well worth the fee. Why? Because they are not embarrassed by being in front of a camera and are willing to give you different poses, outfits and expressions within their specialty.

I certainly had great fun - trying different perspectives and asking for Surprise, Horror, Freezing and occasionally getting an unexpected laugh!

Vanilla Orange Chocolate Biscuits

From Cakes

I've recently become addicted to home made biscuits. Especially mixed vanilla-orange and chocolate biscuits. They are quite easy to prepare, the difficulty lies in making them last!

Rub together (or use a blender) to create fine crumbs from:

• 250g plain flour
• 125g sugar
• 125g hard vegetable fat spread/butter
• 1/2 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1 level teaspoon cream of tartar
• (alternative to soda and tartar - use 1.5 level teaspoons baking powder)

add

• an egg
• freshly grated orange rind
• a few drops of vanilla essence

Knead into a dough, it may be a bit soft at this stage.
Split the dough into two equal parts.
To one part add

• 20g Cocoa powder
• 15g sugar
• teaspoon of milk

Knead until well combined.
If the dough is still sticky, chill for a couple of hours.

The two doughs can then be rolled out independently to create separate white and dark biscuits, by rolling out to about 5mm thickness on a floured surface and cutting out shapes.

Alternatively, combine blocks of the two together to create a multicoloured roll and slice off discs of about 5mm.

Place the cut out shapes or discs on a greased tray and bake for 7 to 10 minutes  at 170 deg C, in a preheated oven.

The biscuits should have risen and become golden brown.

Take off the tray and allow to cool on a grid.

Then store the crisp biscuits in a tin.

Whenever you open the tin, the delicious scent of oranges and chocolate will tempt you to have a biscuit or two!

Ancient Egyptian alphabet game tiles using Open Source design software

Louise hates word games but loves Ancient Egypt. So it seemed perfectly natural to invent a more interesting version of letters for word games using Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs!

This also allowed me to try out two Open Source design software programs, Inkscape and Scribus.

We decided to design word tiles that could be printed off and then used in a variety of word games and crosswords.

Louise provided the Egyptology expertise. There are single consonant hieroglyphs that approximate a large number of our consonants. Vowels were an issue as no one really knew how the Ancient Egyptians actually spoke. We had a, e and o possibles. There was no i or u. The consonants l, q, v and x were also missing. However, we could include SH, TH and CH as individual letters.

By making rules for substitutions or workarounds for the missing letters, we came up with a practical solution.

The actual hieroglyph tiles were then designed in the vector graphic software Inkscape. I became very familiar with the generation of shapes, the importance of nodes and vertices and how to manipulate them to create the necessary shapes.

The designs were then exported individually both as scalable vector graphics and png files.

The basic instructions with printable tiles in PDF form were then put together using the desktop publishing software Scribus.

We cut printed and cut out the tiles for our very first word game and had great fun with the challenge of adapting the available letters to our english words.

Join in the fun by downloading the PDF from
http://issuu.com/miltoncontact/docs/egyptian-crossword-tiles
and trying out these tiles in a game of your own!

Chris Thomas, design and implementation
Louise Thomas, Egyptology consultant and games tester

Designing the new Milton Village View Logo

So how do you represent a village in 3 letters, in a small space of 207 x 80 pixels? That was the challenge of submitting a new logo for “Milton Village View” magazine. The old one that I had designed a couple of years ago was fine for print but did not reproduce well in a smaller web format.

It all started with pencil and paper. I prepared a couple of A4 sheets with lots of small boxes, in the ratio of 207 x 80. I roughly divided the sides into thirds (like a noughts and crosses grid) to give a structure to work with.

I had been asked to include the letters MVV, so now I started doodling. The angular letters gradually changed to curves in successive boxes. The letters M and both Vs seemed to work if at different sizes,  as did making the M asymmetric. The underlying grid served as a guide.

Trying to add additional detail or images behind the letters proved a dead end. However, circles in the valleys of the letters did give the impression of three figures with their arms in the air.

The next step was to go to a design software.  I chose to make a vector graphic – which could be scaled to any size.  Normally I would use CorelDraw. This time I tried Inkscape, an open source (free) program.

The recreated crisp logo shapes could now be coloured digitally. Milton has a surprising number of bridges – in the country park, by the river and over the A14. The curves of the M hinted at them.

Blue below one arc could represent lakes and rivers; green under the other suggested the park and village green spaces. The final use of orange behind a circle reflected sunrise.

The end result was unforeseen. It had evolved through the design process. It only remained to create bitmap and PDF versions of the logo for the magazine editors.

Milton Village View appears several times a year with news round and about Milton and will soon be on the web at http://mvv.org.uk

I hope you like the design. What other Milton features do YOU see in the logo?

On integrating e-mail, blogs and websites

I've just replied to a question to a facebook friend. They were asking about using separate e-mail addresses for business and linking these to their website. Rereading my reply, I realised that the information was of wider use to others just starting out! So here is the information I sent:

"Dear ........

Apologies for the late reply.

Your questions split into three parts which I will try to answer in the order of relevance (top down so to speak):

1. Website/webhosting

Domain name
It is worth having your own dedicated domain name. This become a unifying identifier for you and your business on the web. You can buy them from a variety of companies. I use 123-reg.co.uk for example. Cost for a .co.uk name is typically about £3 per year, for a .com about £10 a year. (you often have to pay for a minimum of 2 years).

This already allows you to specify your-emeail@yourdomain - with e-mails being forwarded directly on to your existing e-mail, often for free (because these are forwarding e-mails not true e-mail postboxes)

Hosting
To make your domainname effective, you need to have content that can be associated with it. This requires webspace. Hosting is when you pay the company from whom you purchased your domain name to give you space on the web where you can host material. Typically your website.

By choosing a good provider, you often get a set of free e-mail accounts that you can then use, so you can set up address e-mail-01@yourdomain, e-mail-02@yourdomain etc . . Each is accessed through a separate name and password and are often accessible as webmail too.

Cost can start as low as £2.50 per month for 20GB of hosting space (again I have used 123-reg.co.uk, but do shop around)


2. Linking your blog(s) to your domain
The main problem with websites is continually maintaining and updating their content. This is where your blog can actually be very useful.

You can use a blog as your website. Rather than allowing the free provider to host your blog with their identifier in the name, you specify that the blog should be stored on your hosting under your domain name (see point 1 above). This can be done in the blog settings.

I have several blogs going under Google's blogger, so, depending who you have set up your blog with, you should be able to do the same if need be. Effectively you would be creating a separate website for each core activity. These should all be hostable under your domain if you purchase domain and hosting as in 1. above. Alternatively you could have three separate hostings under different domain names,


3. Separate E-Mails for different activites
I have answered your original first question re different e-mail accounts briefly in points 1 & 2 above.

Yes you can set up different e-mail accounts :-)  If you did not want to go down the route of purchasing hosting space, you could buy just the individual e-mail accounts, each at about £1 per month with a domain name included.

Your idea of having separate e-mails for each activity is actually very good. This way you can identify where most of your communication comes from and monitor the activities separately.

What is important - ability to measure effectiveness
Whatever route you go down, it is important to have a measure of how effective your different routes to communication and income are. Webhosting companies provide accessible stats. Alternatively you can link blogs and websites to either google analytics or yahoo analytics for recording such information.

Summary

• I think it is a good idea to have your own domain name or names and to have space provided by a host for your web information under your domain name(s).
• Your blog(s) could be used as live websites, hosted under your domain name.
• Having separate e-mails for different activities is a good practice (even if I do not currently  follow it myself :-) )
• Make sure that whatever you do, you can measure it. The web is great for this.

Again apologies for not replying sooner! I hope that this helps.

If it still seems a bit confusing, feel free to contact me for a meeting in the new year over a cup of tea/coffee.

Best wishes and a Happy New Year!

Chris"

Snow business: facts and opportunities

From Snow in Milton 2

There is going to be an incredible blame game once the snow has cleared, with an economic impact of £28bn for 2010. So I'm not going to join in. Instead here are some suggestions on how you can make the best of the snow disruption.

Can you or your staff not get to work? Perhaps the work can still get to you. Forget snow clouds and think internet cloud. Individuals and small businesses can use Dropbox to share folders securely at different locations. Larger companies can set up their own cloud based systems.

Consider making it easier for people to get to you. This starts with clearing snow and ice from the access and path to your premises. Snow shovels are available for under £20 (see e-bay here http://shop.ebay.co.uk/i.html?_nkw=snow+shovel). Cleared paths actually thaw and dry out quicker. To keep the path safe, consider gritting. Salt grit will work down to ground temperatures of about -9 degrees Celsius at around £5 per 20kg bag. An environmentally friendly alternative is to use sand/grit. For those with a large business and big pockets - splash out on a winter service vehicle!

Customers still unwilling to come to you? Can you provide a special "bad-weather service delivery" to them? Even in towns and cities, there are the elderly or others who have been housebound due to the snow for up to a fortnight this year. Often cars or vans can still gain access. Even if it seems like a loss leader at the time, view it as a promotional exercise. People WILL remember those who made an effort and it could even generate positive publicity for you. 

Increase your vehicle mobility in snow in one of three different ways;

• using snow chains on tyres; 
• using winter tyres;  
• or by using snow socks on the drive wheels. 

Snow chains work by acting as giant treads on the tyres. Winter tyres have softer rubber at lower temperature and a larger tread, giving better traction on snow and ice. The recently introduced snow socks rely on the fact that snow sticks to certain fabrics ensuring grip.
Keep yourself and your staff safer and mobile on snow and ice with special footwear. Methods include studs, grit-like soles or special treads. The stud  solution also comes as units that you can fix to existing shoes or boots (see here for all options http://www.non-slip-ice-grips.co.uk/).

A simple short term stopgap is to wearg old socks over shoes to avoid slipping on snow. This has been demonstrated to work by the University of Otago, New Zealand!

So here's an idea for a future entrepreneur. Disposable non-slip overshoes. I remember from science clean room work that we had elasticated disposable paper overshoes. These could, for example, be made from the same fabric used for the tyre socks mentioned above, or with a similar gripping material.

Interesting facts and figures on snow for your customers

Inform and cheer up your customers with the following miscellany. Feel free to copy, format and brand under your own company letterhead or logo and distribute in print or digitally. My only request is that you
a. Share this information free
b. Include a credit at the bottom - "collated by www.miltoncontact.co.uk"

 
Four books featuring snow:

1. Peter Hoeg "Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow"
2. "Wintersmith" by Terry Pratchett
3. "The Box of Delights" by John Masefield
4. "Ice Station Zebra" Alistair Maclean

On Road Salt

Road grit contains mined rock salt (sea salt is too fine). More than half of all mined salt goes to treat road surfaces worldwide. Highly concentrated salt solutions can withstand freezing down to -27 degrees Centrigrade  but spreading salt only melts snow and ice at temperatures above -9 degrees Celsius. From" The Idiots' Guide to Highways Maintenance"
http://www.highwaysmaintenance.com/salt.htm
And "Why do they use salt to melt ice on the road in the winter?"
http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/salt-lowers-freezing-point-of-water.html


Get a Grip

Your vehicle's grip in snow can be improved by using one of the below:

• Snow chains: http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4895427_do-snow-chains-work_.html
• Winter tyres: http://www.racerchicks.com/qa/auto_tires.html
• Tyre socks: http://www.autosock.co.uk/

Footwear with additional grip in snow and ice
http://www.non-slip-ice-grips.co.uk/

Winter Service Vehicles

Originally, winter snow was compacted to provide a smooth surface for sleds over bumpy ground in winter! The earliest patents for snowplows date back to 1840, but there are no records of their actual use until 1862, when the city of Milwaukee began operating horse-drawn carts fitted with snowplows. Modern Winter Service Vehicles include the gritter, snow blower, snow groomer snow melter, snowplow, snow sweeper and surface friction tester.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_service_vehicle

The Science and Beauty of Snow

The largest recorded snowflake was 15" (38cm) across and found on Jan 28th 1887 Fort Keough, Montana
(http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_big_was_the_biggest_snowflake_in_the_world)

Snow crystals are mostly six sided, though three sided and twelve sided forms can exist

Wilson "Snowflake" Bentley (1865 - 1931) photographed more than 5000 idividual snow crystals during his lifetime (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilson_Bentley). The tradition lives on in "Snowflakes", by scientist Kenneth Libbrecht. (http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/jan/07/snow-flakes-science)

Different types of snow crystal form depending on temperature and humidity.
"We see that thin plates and stars grow around -2 C (28 F), while columns and slender needles appear near -5 C (23 F).  Plates and stars again form near -15 C (5 F), and a combination of plates and columns are made around -30 C (-22 F)."
http://www.its.caltech.edu/~atomic/snowcrystals/primer/primer.htm

The Japanese scientist Ukichiro Nakaya was the first to grow snow crystals in the laboratory when he accidently discovered that they grew best at the end of a rabbit hair!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukichiro_Nakaya.

Electric tweet shows power of social marketing

From Wordle-images

How an electric tweet showed me the power of social networks!

I needed to my laptop and projector PAT tested for  a presentation. The venue, a school, made this a requirement for the use of any equipment. I had only till the end of the week to get this done and was wondering how to proceed.

My first action was to send out a tweet:
"I need my Projector to be PAT tested in /nr Cambridge before next weekend. Any suggestions plse e-mail chris@miltoncontact.com #in Thanks!"

Within one minute, yes one minute, I had an e-mail from Kelly Anstee, recommending Liam Clift, Cambridge PAT Testing.

I visited Liam, who was actually having a day off, who expertly and quickly conducted thorough PAT tests on my equipment and issued the necessary labels.

Naturally we also had a chat and found other interests in common. For example, the presentation was going to be at the Cambridge Open Studios EGM. Liam, turns out to be an art collector with his own collection and gallery exhibiting contemporary art from around the world. He had some vibrant pieces from brazil on display.

My eye drifted to his book collection, to find we had a very similar taste in the quality Science Fiction authors, from Arthur C Clarke to Peter Hamilton.

I left Liam with not only my equipment but with another book to read and another insight to the multifacetted nature of businesses in our area.

If you need electrical testing done in the Cambridge UK area, you can contact Liam Clift on 07709432805, liam.clift@hotmail.co.uk.
Kelly Anstee is a helpful accountant at http://www.tyrrellandcompany.co.uk/

Hair raising book to leaf through online

I blame my wife! She came home with the comment " Someone sent a digital document to us today at work that you could leaf through like a book on screen. I though it might be an idea for you". Not just for me - HBN members might like to give it a try!

Open publication - Free publishing - More photograph

Cue detailed internet search, which finally hit gold when I found http://www.issuu.com. It is the equivalent of You Tube, but for publishers of books, magazines and catalogues.

• You design your document in Word or as a PDF
• Upload the document to Issuu
• They convert it and store the document online
• You can make the document public or privat
• Embed the document to your site, blog and Facebook
• You can e-mail a link to contacts
• Specify whether visitors can download a PDF or not.

I prepared the photobook above that evening to test out the system and was impressed!
Below is a book version of the brochure I made for the German delegation mentioned in an earlier blog article.

Open publication - Free publishing - More nrw

If you have or are preparing a new brochure, book or catalogue - consider creating a Issuu version. Registration for the basic service is free - check it out at http://www.issuu.com.

Using the LCD screen of your monitor or laptop for photography with polarised light

I was stunned. Duncan flipped open his netbook, placed a plastic set square on it and held a polarisation filter in between screen and eye and voila! Technicolour against a black background!

The Milton Photographic Club had a ball for the rest of the evening with plastic cutlery, cups and petri dishes.

It is so obvious an effect that photographers have rediscovered the fact that LCD provide polarised light and used it for the fantastic colour effects over the past years. Here's one good reference.

This doesn't take away the delight at having a go as you can see from the slideshow above. Here's the challenge though, try finding other subjects than set squares.


The method is simple:

• Open a blank document on your laptop to get a white screen.
• Place a polarising filter on your camera (I taped a square of polarising plastic to the front of mine)
• Hold a plastic object in front of the white screen and observe the colour effects

Rotating the filter on the camera changes the appearance of brightness of the screen, from white through to black, depending on orientation.

Note: we had laptops where the screen could be folded almost horizontal, so you lay subjects on the screen. TAKE CARE if you do this! I will not accept responsibility for broken screens.

If you want a coloured background

• find a sheet of thin plastic, like cling film or large transparent plastic bags.
• place over the LCD screen - its worth playing with layers at slightly different angles
• Check the colours through a polarising filter
• Rotate the orientation of the plastic and/or the filter to get a desired coloured background.
• Then place your subject on top of that and try photographing

Where do I get a cheap polarising filter from?

• Your camera supplier will certainly offer one for your camera lens for midrange and SLR cameras that can take screw or clip on filters
• Or look for polarising sheets, 5cm x 5cm are standard sizes, available for £5 to £10 and affix temporarily with blutack or tape
• Extract a lens from polarising sunglasses and use
• Use one of the lenses from your Real3D glasses from your last 3D cinema visit. 

NOTE: with the Real3D lenses, it matters which face faces the screen. Try looking through at an LCD screen whilst rotating the lens. If the LCD screen turns black, OK. If not, flip the lens and look from through the other side, it should now turn the screen black when rotated.

Go and play! I promise you, the colours can be gorgeous.

Hereford Town Hall, a photographic tour

Slightly at the edge of the historic centre of the City of Hereford stands the New Town Hall, completed in 1906. Civic pride and necessity had led to its design and it was built within a remarkably short 6 years.

I was attracted by the imposing façade. On impulse I went in to ask whether I could come in and photograph the Assembly Room and Council Chamber.

The warm and open yes by Cathy, the receptionist on duty (“It's a public building, though you would have to come when the rooms are not in use”) actually caught me off guard.

The Council Chamber was empty that afternoon, so I came back with camera and tripod. Climbing the curved main stairs, with the warm late Victorian tiling and the semicircular stained glass light above, I found the chamber located right at the top.

I was planning where to set the camera when a surprise visitor came in. The Right Worshipful The Mayor of Hereford, Councillor Anna Toon had dropped by. When asked about the correct form of address, she laughed and said “It's Madam Mayor”. She then took the time to tell me more about the history adorning the Council Chamber.

Whilst the Mayor was not in her ceremonial robes, she was wearing her badge of office on the mayoral chain. The individual links all depict some aspect or connection with the city – have a look at how many you can identify in the photo. Amongst others you can find agricultural and military links.

Back on my own with the room, I spent a couple of hours taking pictures.

Having just accompanied a delegation of Restoration specialists, it was the detail found in different parts of the room that spoke of the pride and attention to quality. From the fine wood carving, via the precisely moulded stucco to the stained glass.

The next day I returned to photograph the Assembly Room. Here the space and the architecture itself were the main features. The Virtues in Stained Glass were obvious subjects but it took my wife to notice the subtler details in the designs below. Look at the three small roses in the different panes.

Three hats and robes discarded on a table added a human touch to the room.

If Stained glass keeps cropping up in this article, it is because there is a resonance with earlier articles about eight of the stained glass windows of Hereford Cathedral. Some of the key ones were installed at the same time as the glass in the Town Hall.

Of course there is more history to the building and the Mayorality of Hereford. You can find it all in the leaflets at the reception in Hereford Town Hall.

Whilst you are there, you might as well have a look around the building for your self.

Can German Craftsmen give UK's Heritage a facelift?

When the London hotel your delegation is going to stay at suffers a fire a couple of days before a trip, it's unfortunate. When their arrival coincides with a 24h tube strike, you might think fate was conspiring against you! Instead we had an unflappable group of heritage and conservation experts, who took changes in their stride and actually arrived early for their event.

I was the facilitator for the group of 14 artisans from North Rhine Westphalia and beyond in Germany. The trip had been organised by Marie-Theres Luetje of the Handwerkskammer in Duesseldorf and was supported by NRW International. My colleague Mark Dodsworth of Europartnerships Ltd had coordinated the planning of talks, trips and meetings in the UK. Our London base were the meeting rooms and library of the hospitable Canning House of No2, Belgrave Square.

The companies were here for an intensive two day program, to learn how conservation and restoration work was done in the UK. They also wanted to know how craftsman were chosen for projects and whether there were opportunities for them in the UK. (Companies taking part and the program of events here).


The delegates had come with the impression that there was a tremendous latitude for poor workmanship in an unregulated market in the UK. In contrast to Germany, where there is a formal structure of apprentices, journeymen and Masters in the crafts. Did reality match the preconceptions? Here are some of my impressions

Britain's heritage is regulated, for example by the listing of buildings or parts of buildings. We learnt how one architects firm proceeded with documentation and restoration on the prestigious Regent's Street; from facades to recovering Art Deco interiors.

We had the privelege of a guided tour of Wimpole Hall with the House's resident expert and East of Englands key National Trust officers. There was loving attention to detail, with a balance between using traditional materials and techniques where possible and appropriate modern substitutes where necessary.


A visit to an end-of-terrace Victorian interior renovation clearly showed three things.

1. Determined architects could find the best of British craftsmanship and 
2. Modern features could be sympathetically introduced to the highest standard whilst retaining the Victorian character of the property.
3. The lady of the house could have a floor to ceiling designer shoe cupboard

As the delegates lost their reserve and expert questions crept in, the buzz of conversation rose during the two days. At times the interest was so intense that keeping to the tight schedule was like herding cats.

Three lessons emerged from the visit

1. A high standard of craftsmanship was demanded and could be delivered in the UK
2. There was a definite interest in and need for the skills of the visiting German craftsmen
3. Architects and trusts looked for companies that could deliver the standards required.

Time and again, it emerged that, in the absence of a regulated training framework, it took a lot of effort to find trusted quality craftsmen. Once such companies are identified they become preferred providers. We met German craftsmen and architects who had successfully transferred to the UK

So what is the way forward for the German companies?

1. The craftsmen need a detailed portfolio demonstrating their skills. Existing UK experience helps!
2. The texts must be in English
3. The craftsmen need to be proactive in making key organisations aware of their skills

As those who know my belief in the benefit of companies collaborating for mutual benefit will guess, there are two further personal recommendations:

1. Either find an existing craftsman or company in the UK in an area complementary to yours and see if you can work together, and/or
2. Team up with other German craftsmen with different skills to be a stronger, larger group seeking to enter the UK market, with a range of services.

Quekex 2010 - at the National History Museum

After the long tunnel from South Kensington tube station, you emerge into the light to see the glory of the Natural History Museum (NHM) - and the queues to the entrance! So we continued along Exhibition Rd to use the Geological Museum Entrance and walked straight in.

The minerals and rocks. The glittering jewels in the displays. The moon rock embedded in its transparent glass pyramid. These set the tone for what struck me at the Quekex; the Annual Exhibition of the Quekett Microscopical Club.

To get there we emerged fom the fossils of the Geological museum into a part of the NHMs bird display. Past the glittering feathers of hummingbirds, and the haughty gaze of the Dodo. We then turned right into the Quekex.

The Quekett horn was sounded. It pre-dates the glorious Victorian NHM, with its Dinosaur hall overlooked by the bearded Darwin. Milling around, bumping into old friends, here was also a chance to peer down microscopes and even take pictures.

Primed by the Geological Museum, I was attracted to the Allende Meteorite sample in Dennis Fullwood's display. The occasional glowing crystal in crossed polars as iridescent as opal.

The apparently grey ash from the Eyjafjallajoekull volcano was a contrasting sample brought by Pam Hamer. Under crossed polars it revealed a scattering of glowing crystals amongst the remaining debris. It all looked so harmless now. Yet its abrasive nature to planes travelling at high speed had grounded flights in Europe at the peak of the volcano's activity.

Maurice Moss was showing slimemoulds, of which I have fond memories as a student. We had to keep one alive in a Petri dish. Unfortunately mine died when I overfed it on a cornflake. During their reproductive phase they produce fruiting bodies. Those of Physarum virescens reminded me of the Globular aggregates of mordenite, seen earlier in a basalt cavity.

What was particularly good about Maurice's exhibit was showing his copy of the book by Arthur Lister. It had the stunning illustrations of exactly the same slime mould fruiting bodies. These were drawn by his daughter and co-author, Guilema Lister, at the beginning of the 20th Century.

At the end of the day it was out through the grand front door of the NHM, under the watchful eye of a carved Pterodactyl gazing down from one of the window bays.

The Gypsy and Country Craft Fair in Milton Country Park

Good news about Gypsies and Romanies gathering on private land in Milton! In Black and White (and colour too) on the Cambridge Evening News website. That was the satisfying outcome of last weekend's event at Milton Country Park. Because this was Candy Sheriden's second big event, the Gypsy and Country Crafts Fair.

I took my camera along on Sunday under a glorious blue sky and amongst the autumnal trees of Milton Country Park.

There was a small group of women chatting near Phoebe's cake stand but I couldn't quite build up the courage to start snapping away. Till one turned around and said, "Come on then, take a picture!" She held up a cake and mimed eating it to general laughter. The ice was broken as we tried different poses and even dragged in unsuspecting passers-by.

Walking on, there were stalls and people that I remembered from last June's event. People were generally friendly and positive. I recognised some of the glorious 70s chrome caravans and the flying silver lady on the bonnet of the old Bedford van. Childrens clothes in intricate needlework and incredible miniature tweed suits. The story teller in fancy dress and an impressive beard. The one sad omission was Bill Goodyear and his caravan. He had passed away since the June fair

As I ate my Gloucester Old Spot hot dog (fantastic taste!), I noticed something else. There were a lot of conversations going on. Men with a glass in their hand. Women exchanging news.

Meeting up with Candy, she explained why. This was the last gathering before the winter for families across the UK. A last chance to meet with friends and family, to catch up with what had gone on in the weeks before. The next meeting would not be till May next year.

I'm also looking forward to a similar event next year. Hopefully in the warmer summer months, rather than the biting October wind!

As a photographer and local person, I'd like to see:
Building on the high upmarket and traditional standard set by the June event. With the attractive caravans, vehicles,crafts and horses at the centre again. The open, friendly atmosphere.

What I'd hope to be absent:
Red and white plastic tape fencing off areas (good rope would look better). Plastic netting around stalls. These ruin any chance of a good wide-angle photograph! They distract from the quality goods on sale.

To have one successful event can be a matter of luck. To have two, shows vision and competence by the organisers and Milton Country Park. I'm curious what the next event will be like!

Teeth"R"Us at the BDTA Dental Showcase and photos along the Thames.

Women shrouded on chairs with a rictus grin, exposing their blue lined teeth. Cabinets filled with gleaming sharp instruments and pliers. Was this the torture chamber of the London Dungeon? No, I was walking past stands at the BDTA Dental Showcase 2010 in the ExCel, London!

I had made my way there to meet up with Ulrich Heker of Teeth"R"Us. Ulrich is an expert in precision dental attachments and was showing his expertise at D21a. It was good to come and see him, not only as a former participant with a German delegation to Glasgow in 2009, but as a friend through working together.

Ulrich had seen a need to train UK dentists in the art of German high quality precision dental work. We worked together and wrote articles for The Technologist and other dental magazines. You can find the electronic versions here.

His stand was already very busy. Both Ulrich and Christian Eis, a dentist partner, were talking to interested visitors. So I picked up some leaflets and wandered around the show to find other possible partners for Ulrich and Christian.

The BDTA was a fascinating show. You could find everything, from a new type of toothbrush to the complete dental laboratory. The ladies in shrouds were willing volunteers for tooth whitening. Hydrogen peroxide is the agent used to bleach the teeth and can be applied  in a variety of ways. At the other end of the hall was a glass dental laboratory where new methods were being shown. The audience could look in from three sides, with a screen giving added information.

One of the ironies of the show was the ubiquitous use of sweets and chocolates to entice visitors to the stands. Either that, or it was a clever ploy to increase business in the longer term. The definite disappointment was the overpriced ciabatta with its limp salad at the cafe in the arena.

After making some successful new contacts and finding the stand still in full swing, I took a walk out of the show.

The bridge across the crane-lined Royal Victoria dock was in the fligh path of London City airport. This was a good site for photos of the jets and turbo-jet planes flying overhead. I then made  my way to Barrier Park by the river, to catch a full view of the spectacular Thames Barrier. It was officially opened in 1984 to protect London from exceptional high tides and weather conditions that could threaten to flood London. In the 1980s it was closed four times, and in the 1990s, 35 times. Perhaps it is an sign of global warming that in the first decade of this century, it has been closed 75 times already.

The Docklands Light Railway swept in a futuristic curve overhead. So I took the lift up at Pontoon Dock station to catch a train to the next stop. My hope was to get a clear picture of the 02 Arena, which I remembered from the Millenium show. I found the East India Dock nature reserve after a further walk and took my photos from there. Slightly stained by age, the dome was still a spectacular sight.

The city high rise buildings glinted quite close in the West but my time and the light were running out. So it was back to meet up with Ulrich and party. They had had a steady stream of visitors and also identified more interest by dental magazines, plus possible opportunities with training institutions.

Now, at the end of a long day, it was top marks to Ulrich for finding a good food pub (The Fox) a short walk from the West entrance of Excel! Having been generously treated to a meal, I sadly had to leave. Catching the late train back to Cambridge, I arrived home at last, shortly before midnight.

This was a positive day out, for business and photography.

Have you visited any great exhibitions and locations recently?

Mandarin capped, stuffed roast apple halves

From Cakes

Here is a quick solution if you want to avoid singing your sultana stuffing in roast apple halves. Cap them with mandarin or similar small orange shells!

With our small apple tree still full of cookers, there was an opportunity to quickly roast some apple halves for dessert. I halved the apple and cored it. The sultanas to be used as stuffing were a bit dry.  So I cut a mandarin in half and squeezed the juice of each half into the sultana filling. This was followed with a drizzling of golden syrup over the top of the apples. On a whim, I then placed the squeezed mandarin shells as caps on top. Finally I added a drop of water to the dish in which the apples were standing.

Forty minutes at 220 degC later, the boggle apple-eyed face had cooked to perfection. Underneath the mandarin caps (which were not for eating), the sultanas had plumped up and softened. Even better, they had not charred on top as they often do.

Served with custard, these roasted apples made a great end to a Sunday dinner.