Back from Newcastle, where I have spent the last two day working through some code and specifications for a project I am about to start. Not alot of sightseeing, though I did drive into Gateshead town centre, got lost, found myself crossing the Tyne into Newcastle, and somehow magically being drawn towards Byker. Luckily managed to turn around and find my way back to Gateshead. Was told later, that Byker is not the place to go if you wanted to keep your wheels on.
Category Archives: work
Back to work
Christmas has been and gone. Mainly quite a cold week, with snow in some areas, but again no snow around where we live. Our main Christmas meal was on Boxing Day, when Selina and Graham visited for lunch.
Not a good Christmas, I took to bed shortly after Boxing day with a bout of flu.
Now fully recovered, I have had a quick two-day trip to Edinburgh where I met up with Ed for a couple of pints and some smoked Salmon for supper.
Saudi Arabia
After the pleasant long weekend at Cambridge, reality struck home. Rosemary dropped me off at Heathrow in the evening to catch the 8.45 to Jeddah.
Bit of a shock when I was told about the redundancies at Cedar. Old colleagues of mine, John Curd, Peter Willson, Anne Walsh, Stuart Charlton and Yura Usvyat had been let go on Friday. Spent the waiting time on the plane phoning John, Peter and Anne.
Managed a few hours sleep on the plane, finally arrived to the most awful heat and humidity. Well not so warm (29) but everything was dripping with wet. My hotel windows, I cannot see out of because of the condensation on the outside.
Ian Rosethorne lost his luggage in transit. Probably because we booked in so late, booking in late was a strategy recommended by the ticket sales to get an upgrade to business class.
Gateshead
Spent the whole of the week in Gatehead working on a portal project for the Brazilian airline Varig. Turned out a little harder to implement. Ended up with more questions than answers.
Stayed in the Tulip hotel, now has a free wireless LAN. It worked the first day but failed in all the subsequent days.
Tuesday night went to Edinburgh, very hot in Edinburgh. Train getting there was delayed by an hour. Although Gateshead was cloudless, and Edinburgh was cloudless a section of line in between was drenched with a thunder storm knocking out the power, signals and phones. The driver had to use his mobile phone at each red signal to ask for permission to go forward.
Return trip was not a problem. Lovely quick trip back.
I was sad, used my portable plugged into the mains supply on the train to finish some Saudia documents I had been working on.
Wednesday and Thursday I had the company of Tessa in the Tulip. She was up from Aylesbury learning some e5 stuff.
Home again
As I thought, I did not get upgraded to business class. The two big wigs did, but we three oily rags were consigned to cattle class. At least we had 5 seats between the 3 of us. Missed eating the supper, was rather too full from ostrich.
Arrived at Heathrow on time at 6.35 AM. Had a reasonable amount of sleep on the plane, I do love night flights, no wasted time in your life. Heathrow immigration area was mobbed with all the early morning flights coming in. It even took us European Union entrants 30 minutes to get through passport control. Then the wait for the luggage and then the bus.
In all it took 80 minutes from the plane landing to me getting to my car. Not really a good travel experience.
Back home to dump the luggage and then into work.
Saudi – return home
Another set of meetings today. Seemed to go well, but does require us to do lots of work when we get home.
Had supper at the hotel, it was an all you can eat meat place. Ate 10 different meats in all, beef, lamp, chicken, ostrich, quail. The only missing meat was the pork.
Chaos on the roads getting to the terminal, we did set out early in the hope of securing upgrades and also to make sure we were not bumped of the flight. Don’t think we have the upgrades though. The security is very painstakinging. Ended up having to take my belt off. Then my hand luggage was searched, had to power on my PC and sign on. Getting worried they might want me to open up my emails or something.
Still a wait before take off, flight leaves at 1.55 am. No airport restictions here.
Talking about security, very noticeable how concrete blocks are in the road around sensitive areas and hotels.
End of the Sunday in Saudi
Saudi Arrival
Had an ordinary flight to Jeddah, arriving at 4.00 am in the morning. Booked into the hotel for a couple of hours sleep. Already nice and warm outside.
Hotel right on the beach, don’t though expect to be getting much swimming this time.
PSD all hands day in Brighton at the Old Ship
Travelled down to Brighton on Thursday for the PSD all hands day where we were staying in The Old Ship on the sea front. Rosemary came with me and was sneaked into the hotel. No sea view from our room!
In the evening, while Rosemary went out for a curry (the hotel refused to serve her supper), the rest of us were wined, dined and entertained. Actually the hotel food was not really very good, but the wine and beer flowed.
Oracle course
Driving down to Reading for the next 3 days attending an Oracle Application Server and Oracle 10g database course. First course Cedar has sent me on.
Getting down here early to miss the traffic.