To Swindon for a Software Update Seminar from Capita, our supplier. First contact as a member of our working group, so naturally there was some confusion as to how a lowly Admissions guy would have any knowledge of XML schema! The presentation was mixed - I was very relieved to see that the Admissions stuff seemed to be ready for Co-ordination in 2005. Likewise, I was much encouraged by the move to XML data transfer between schools and us - with more sensible rules for dealing with addresses and other information which differs between the two records.
Other parts of the presentation were lacklustre, over-detailed or just plain unnecessary. Since we are paying, wondered if this was good value, but then decided it was by virtue of the fact I'm reassured about the Admissions software!
Both my taxi drivers from the station to the far-flung hotel where the seminars were held wanted to tell me about Swindon. That was actually kind of fun - the first one was particularly well informed and gave a good historical account of the social effect of the railway arriving here. Our route seemed to consist of endless, very similar looking roundabouts, so I applaud the drivers skill in knowing which traffic island he had circumnavigated at any particular juncture!
Lost::MikeGTN
I've had a home on the web for more years than I care to remember, and a few kind souls persuade me it's worth persisting with keeping it updated. This current incarnation of the site is centred around the blog posts which began back in 1999 as 'the daylog' and continued through my travels and tribulations during the following years.
I don't get out and about nearly as much these days, but I do try to record significant events and trips for posterity. You may also have arrived here by following the trail to my former music blog Songs Heard On Fast Trains. That content is preserved here too.
