It could be Loopus

The last Hurrah for the FSS?

2012-01-04T15:43:00.000-08:00

There is a poison prevading through our society now against people that do jobs in the public sector as a service because they feel it is their duty to provide for others, to be replaced with a profit motive that is all encompassing.

Yesterday, two men were sentenced for a crime stretching back almost 20 years. Yes, there may have been mistakes made at the time of the investigation, granted, but the preservation of the evidence from that time - because it was our duty as a nation to provide the innocent with the opportunity of justice should technology advance in the future - may now be lost as the England and Wales will rely on private (and thus profit driven) forensic science companies from now on.

We, as a nation, were world leaders in the field of forensic science - the CODIS you hear of in the CSI dramas shares its roots (I believe) with the United Kingdom's first database DNA system from 1995.
We were still the world leaders of forensic science provision when the decision was made by the Labour administration in 2005 to turn the FSS into a government-owned company.

We, as a nation, were still world-class as forensic science providers when it was announced by the Coalition spokesman in December 2010 that the FSS was to be wound-down and cease - at the time it was it was losing money, yes, but what firm in the process of downsizing by closing 3 of its 7 sites wouldn't be? Once these sites were closed - in March 2011 - I believe the company returned to profit.

I worked there from 1998 until 2010 - and prior to 2006, there was not a finer, nor better, forensic science organisation to work for in my opinion. It was the best in the business.
The organisation was also at the forefront of research into DNA, and much was investied into improving the technology and staying ahead of competitors it wanted to remain the best.
From 2001 onwards I worked in the low copy number DNA department - the FSS were the pioneers of LCN - again, it was the best that the world could provide in terms of DNA analysis, at that time - it was the state of the art.

I own a car without fuel injection, emissions control equipment and safety equipment like driver and passenger airbags so should I be entitled to ask the manufacturer to fit such features now for free? No? So why, in 2005-6 - when the technology moved on to allow improved DNA analysis techniques, was the flagship service forced to produce results free of charge? The mind boggled at the time, as I thought there was an element of "Betamaxing".

So let's get this straight: the FSS was best at what exactly, if only in my experience of it?

Best at DNA.

Best at research into forensic science.

Best at pioneering and validating pioneering forensic science techniques.

I worked for, and have been, the best, of the best, of the best - and now I have seen the world lead our nation has had wither on the vine, and the baby being thrown out with the bathwater.
Like the TSR2.
Like the APT.
Like DNA profiling.

Can anyone else add to this list?

A nice bit of Fewston in the evening.

2011-07-10T03:50:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, Loopus and I met David in the carpark at Fewston reservoir for a walk around it. It was a glorious evening, and for a short while we walked along the banks of the River Washburn. This is usually covered by water, but the level of the reservoir was so low that, in the upper reaches, the old banks of the river that fills the ressy are exposed.

I asked David, "What's your plans for next Saturday evening? I'm in Leeds for a tutorial which finishes at 4."
"Not got anything planned", came the reply, "Curry in Leeds?"
"Do you fancy a walk rather than beer and curry? We can do that stuff when it's dark in the evening."
"Aye, sounds good."

Thus we met again on a Saturday evening, and set off around Fewston. The plan this time was to see if we could include Swinsty too, which is the lower reservoir that Fewston feeds into.

It was another stunning evening, but the rains over the week had raised the level of the ressy to hide the banks we'd walked on the weekend before. Loopus, as usual, was running around daft at the opportunity of smells and new things to see around the reservoir, he was loving it.

What I love about this is getting to go for a wee drive on quiet roads, and seeing wildlife that I wouldn't usually see. Towards the dam the footpath becomes tarmac, and covered with a light carpet of pine needles. I spotted a black slug on the path, with its tail covered in a ball of these needles:

We dropped down to (naughtily) walk down the spillway that leads to Swinsty, and happened across some graffiti! It says "THE LADS..."

The spillway hasn't seen running water for some time, the algae, moss and plants were bone dry.

You can see from the next photo just how late it was, so we made the decision not to walk around Swinsty this time, and save it for the next time.

On the way back we spotted a leopard slug,

and some more waterfowl - the Oyster catchers were having an argument across the expanse of the ressy too.

We returned to the cars, having spent the best part of 2 hours of a lovely evening in a fantastic location. Wonderful.

So I bought an engine off eBay...

2011-03-31T03:09:00.000-07:00

Back in the middle of February I was invited to a 40th birthday/emigrating (to France) do on the 19th of March, with the venue being a cottage on the West Highland Line, just off of Rannoch Moor. Brian's a good friend, so I accepted readily, and looked forward to it.

The same night I accepted the invite, I was scanning eBay for Imp stuff. I put a mad drunken bid on a 930 Talbot Sunbeam engine in Inverness, and e-mailed the vendor asking if he would hold it for me if I won the auction - if not then to cancel my bid and let the auction progress. He agreed and so the auction went on, with me fully expecting to be outbid - 930s go for over £200 usually!

I was the only bidder, and won the engine for the princely sum of £50!

So the decision was to be made about which shite-heap to take - the Imp, the Saab or the Cavalier?

The Imp - too small, too loud, no radio.
The Saab - 33 MPG at best, probably 26-30 on the run, and not as relaxed as:
The Cavalier - 8-10 MPG over the Saab, comfortable, tidier handling and less arse-draggy than either of the above.

The Cav it is then, despite this being the first BIG journey (and I mean BIG - it got warmed up enough to open the 'stat prior to the retorque before coming back off the road to start on the rear arch) since the head gasket change, and the first journey since the wheelarch and rear valance were replaced. However, it needs some more stuff doing to it - fresh oil (fully synth Unipart 5/w40, extravagant but it seems to like it!) and a new filter; dig the old tape player out of the loft and swap it over with the one that's in there as I want to have both FM radio and tape; new brake pads. Remember, this is the £95 stop-gap car bought 4 years ago...!

So at about half 11 on The Friday, the Cav and I travelled north on the A1. Over the A66, no problems, and stopped at Todhills for me to empty my bladder and fill up the car at about half 1. The next planned stop, Inverness...

I tramped on up the A74M, waiting for the hill that would slow the Cav down (remember it's but a 1300!) but it didn't come, and I did the border to the M73 in just over an hour - the next time I stopped was in traffic in the roadworks on the A80 - some prick had caused a lorry to go through the central reservation in the contraflow, blocking the northbound.

Once clear of that, then the roadworks, more tramping on, with some lovely vistas over the A9:

I reached Inverness at around 6, and picked up the engine - the vendor's a top bloke, I got the carb and manifolds chucked in too - he wanted it to go to an enthusiast. I reiterated that I couldn't believe that I'd won it; he said there were 26 watchers and just the one bidder...:-)

Out with the spare wheel and into the spare wheel well went the engine - I don't want to have to lift that out to change the tyre! A bit more blether - it was 6:50, and time to get on. Into Inverness, phone the wife while having a coffee outside a car dealership.

I'd just got off the phone to Her when Craig, the organiser of the weekend, phoned to say he'd forgotten the key to the doss - it was lying on the kitchen table in the south side of Edinburgh and it was a 5 hour round trip to pick it up... Good job I brought the tent! Then I thought, I'd better get some get some gas for the stove - will Nevisport in Fort Bill still be open? Ahhhh, Halfords do camping stuff! Gas bought, then onwards again.

Just as I was about to leave Inverness I got another phonecall from Craig - they'd managed to get into the doss.
Good. Time for food.

I stopped for a fish supper at Drumnadrochit (they're really good) but as they cook the fish to order it was too hot to eat straight away, so I thought I'd have it in Invermoriston. I didn't get that far - Urquhart Castle was lit up for the night, and the moonlight was bouncing off of Loch Ness - a fantastic photo opportunity, and I had my food!

Back on down the road - it was getting cold, but whether it was cold enough for a frost to form was worrying. I tried to take it steady, but every so often I'd get into a rhythm and have to make the conscious effort to slow down. I picked up a young hitchhiker in Spean Bridge, going to Fort William to see his girlfriend. He'd been faced with the choice of staying in watching Comic Relief with his mum or trying to thumb a lift. I can't believe the youth of today - If I'd had that choice - Comic Relief or the chance of a bit of houghmagandy, I'd have walked the 9 miles!

Into Fort Bill at about 10 past 9, and Morrison's was shut - arse! Still, the petrol station was open and the car needed fuel - 37 MPG, which isn't bad considering the amount of WOT I'd been using. Then on through Glencoe to the doss at Achallader. I'd just sorted my stuff out when another car rolled up - the occupant (from Knaresborough!) was heading off in a different direction towards one of the MBA's bothies.

Up the hill and into the doss with the lights of engineering train showing me where the bridge across the track was - then beer! Ahhhh, at last, I can stop moving...

The next morning dawned nice and bright. While others made plans to go walking and that, I got the books out and did some studying - such fun. I did go to Brodies for some supplies, and walked into the Green Wellie shop to laugh at the prices - £9.99 for a box set of 3 beers! It's good to know that tourists are being fleeced.
Here's a view from the bridge:

And a shot of the doss:

Another night of beer and laughs followed, including a weird vehicle on the tracks.

Sunday dawned cloudy and dull - and so was the weather. Another weird vehicle on the tracks:

And off down the road towards home. At the Dumbarton by-pass (Thank you whoever decided to by-pass this shithole) there was an amazing sight - A Sherpa camper! I got some shots, the first one at Dumbuck garage, the second half a mile later. I bet it rolls in a roundabout!
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At the services on the M74, there was this wee thing, any idea what it is?

Finally, home. I just need a spare pair of hands to get this engine out of the boot...

February Blues

2011-02-02T16:30:00.000-08:00

I'm a bit down at the moment: for some reason February does this to me. Perhaps it's the fact that there's fuck all to look forward to in the rest of the year, like my birthday. That was just at the end of the start of January, or the start of the middle. Everyone's realised just how little money they have to get to the end of the month, and they're partied out from the festive period anyway, so no-one can afford to help you celebrate/can be bothered. Birthdays in early-mid January are awful.

Then there's the job situation: made redundant in June, job hunting since November, not even a single offer of an interview. I hate not being able to suss out the HR bullshit.

So I've upped the Open Uni work, just in case I can't get a job for a wee while. The problem is, one of the courses I've chosen, although austensibly a technlogy/engineering course, it is being studied by way more non-engineers than engineers! Managers studying for degrees in mind control, sorry, management; Business and Marketing and other such onanists with non-jobs. They've already carved up the course fora with their "aren't we the chosen ones" bullshit to the extent that a clique has formed already - the official start of the course isn't until Saturday!!!

Also, I'm trying to sell a car: and old one, one that has a high mileage, a little rust, but a good 'un none-the-less. The last MOT went without difficulty; the engine doesn't smoke nor lose oil; the electrics, bar a rear window (because there's no switch) and a headlight wiper(it's Swedish: you don't realise just how good headlight wipers are until you travel in heavy snow like we had in early December) all work; the tyres are all good and have plenty of tread; but the interior headlining has been removed because it had fallen down.

I've had a couple of enquiries from chancers who want buy it for less than it's worth as scrap - F right off.
What is it about February that sucks?

Wildlife photography... The Camera

2010-06-19T14:48:00.000-07:00

Why do I bother? Last year I splashed out on a compact digital camera (henceforth known as "The Camera") with a 12 times optical zoom - one that would fit neatly into a pocket - so as not to have to take the BIG camera out whilst out walking the dog - because I was fed up coming back from a walk, digging the phone out, and explaining to my wife that the tiny blob on the screen that you could just make out was, indeed, a deer, or such other distant piece of wildlife.

So this year, whenever I've not taken The Camera out with me I've seen some cracking wildlife. In the snow of January, a fox in the middle of a field. March, a red kite overhead. May, it was either a red kite being mobbed by a buzzard or the other way around.

We'e also got a pair of Oyster Catchers nesting on one of the drainage ponds for the A1M, but that's not why I'm writing.

It's the pair of whaups. The glorious curlew has decided to nest in this vicinity.

So of an evening when I go out and walk Loopus, I hear the most fabulous birdsong that I know - the curlew's call, and see them flying through the air.

However, they know, like all wildlife, just when I will be carrying The Camera. They stay away. All last week, I didn;t take The Camera out, and all last week, in the evenings, there they were, flying overhead, warbling that wonderful song.

This week, new memory card, thus new incentive, took the camera out - they didn't appear. Not even a whisper. Not once.

Then tonight, I didn't bother with The Camera, I took a bottle of beer instead. I'd got 100 yards into the walk when:-

"Whau-whau-whau....!" The pair of them, overhead!

Here's some lovely video from someone else.

2010-02-26T15:12:00.001-08:00

Yet another bloody night where I have to take the dug in the car to gie him a walk!!! The underpass is 2 foot deep FFS! This is not on.

By the Light of the Silvery Moon

2010-01-31T12:48:00.000-08:00

Friday night was a wee bit special as far as the sky at night was concerned. Firstly, and most importantly, there were no clouds. A clear sky is vital to see astronomical events. Secondly, the moon was full, and Mars was in attendance - perhaps not as bright as in 2003, but good enough - so that you could photograph them together.

So I went out walking Loopus up the local cycle path, our usual route.

It was stunning, no need for a torch for the first time since the snow disappeared. The wind was strong, but it didn't feel too cold until I realised that the ground was starting to freeze. Birds called, chirped, and whooped, and a solitory fox yapped in the distance. It was wonderful. There and then a wee plan hatched...

Saturday night saw David and I meet at Gargrave at around half 8.
"Your car or mine?" he asked.
"Mine, Ah've got the dug!"
"WOOFWOOFWOOFWOOF!!!!" "Wheesht, Loopus, it's only David!!!"

By 9 o'clock we were at the Ribbleshead Viaduct, walking towards Whernside by the light of the silvery moon. Loopus, kept in the car for the last 90 or so minutes, was running around madly with that look of disbelieving pleasure on his face. Whernside looked magnificent with a decent amount of snow still on its flanks and peak.

We wandered up the path with Loopus always a short distance ahead of us. We said good evening to the Permanent Way, out working on the Settle-Carlisle line.

Further on, we crossed a stream, Loopus plowtering on ahead across the ice to find that the water was 6 inches below it! He came along the opposite bank to face us; we'd just seen the bridge that we would use, but he looked as if he was going to come back across to us. I didn't want this to happen, as I couldn't see what was below the ice. So I called to him to "SIT, WAIT!" and to my astonishment, he bloody did, too! Even when we'd got across! I called him to me, and he was given a big reward.

So we continued up, setting a rough time to turn back, and stopped for photos occasionally. Loopus wouldn't sit still long enough to get a shot of him in the moonlight, there were too many smells to explore, too much ground to cover. He was loving it.

We turned back not long after this, realising that if we'd got our act together and been out there an hour earlier we'd have been able to reach the summit. As we came back down, we could see the reflection of the P-Way's lights in the Blea Moor tunnel , and the houses in the valley. The Station Inn's lights were blazing, the fruit machine doing its rhythmic thing through the frosted glass window. It looked inviting, but we needed to get back; we could have a drink another time.

As we parted at Gargrave, we said that we'd have to do this again. It was bloody wonderful to get out on the hill, even if we didn't make the top. Oddly enough, the last Saturday of February should have a full moon too - let's hope the weather and the moon are feeling co-operative...

Midnight walks with the dog.

2010-01-24T17:09:00.000-08:00

So here I am, still awake at the back of 1am, not long after taking the dog for a walk.

Don't get me wrong; I've already been to bed. I had those couple of minutes of sleep and then woke up. Tried to get get back to sleep and it didn't work. So I got up, and took the dog out for the walk that I should have taken him for at about half 8.

The dog is called Loopus, and the reason for the blog's name. I expect the blog to include all sorts of stuff including walking the dog, old cars, cars, walking, family, friends, and quite possibly jobs.

At the moment, I've been told that my department closes by the 31st March. Supposedly, we have 6 months notice of termination of employment, but that seems to be in limbo too. Hence I'm stressed to Falkirk and hence why I'm taking the dog out for a walk at midnight.

I've been here before, with the stress thing. 15 years ago when I worked in the Hotel, I was stressed. Part of the walking at odd hours was the shifts, but a lot of it was the shit you have to deal with when futures are uncertain and your recent plans for the future are in tatters.

At the time, I was not long out of University, admittedly with a shit degree, but as a scientist it should have held more than a shit job in a hotel kitchen as a promise. FFS, even the worst uni course in the worst university should prepare someone for not having to fill that role! This is not snobbery - it's socialism, and a failure of the education system: just how can a person leave a 500 year old University with a degree, but end up working in a hotel as kitchen staff for 4 and a half years? FFS, there were jobs I coulda done! More importantly, there were people who weren't as lucky educationally as me who needed my job! They were on the dole!

So now I'm experienceing these sorts of things again. The not being able to sleep, etc.. Still, at least I understand it a bit more now.

Back to the walk. The underpass is still flooded, so we wentout towards the children's play area.
He does go mental when I go on the kids deathslide thing!