The event “Hack To The Future” was born out of a deep passion for proper computing. The brainchild of Alan O’Donohue, and with the support of many teachers and a fledgling movement called “Coding for Kids” this inaugural event on 11 Feb 2012 fired the imagination of all who took part.

Video 5mins02
The next step is to promote more proper coding, and proper computer science in schools. If this is something you’re interested in follow BBC North as details will soon emerge about the next event on 5 Mar 2012. And it …

Last night on the London evening news we learnt that the Hammersmith flyover which closed on 23 Dec 2011 will stay closed for a lot longer than was first thought.
It may be reopened to light vehicles using one lane in each direction, for the duration of the Olympics, and then be closed again while structural repairs are made.
OK, here’s the puzzle. If the flyover is that badly damaged, why don’t we just knock it down and rebuild it to modern standards? At least that way the plan is definitive, the …

The sky’s the limit, but that doesn’t mean that the sky is where you should be!
In some societies there is a preoccupation with achieving fame and fortune.
In others, there is a desire to achieve your station in life. And that makes me think that there are 3 possibilities

you have already achieved your station in life
your station in life is somewhere below your current position
your station in life is somewhere above your current position

Now, clearly, if you’ve already achieved your station in life, you don’t need to read this article, and …

On Wednesday evening 12 October 2011 I was at the head office of The Guardian for the inaugural meeting of a new movement called Coding for Kids and the atmosphere was alive with anticipation!
Around 45 people had gathered to explore what we can do to promote the idea of “computer programming” (to use old fashioned 1970s terminology) or “coding” as we call it nowadays (that is to say writing lines of computer code). A handful of software developers were there, a handful of teachers, and ex-teachers, a few kids, some …

I was fascinated to see this report on the BBC web site earlier today!

What amazes me is the apparent level of disconnect between MPs and ordinary people! As I said in a tweet at breakfast time today (12 Oct 2011):
“They should try running a business and dealing with
HMRC and VAT and Companies House!”
I imagine that the amount of record keeping and protocol that owners of small businesses have to follow, makes the MPs rules on expenses seem rather modest. And I say that as an accountant and as a business …