Sunny Spells

This week has begun in much the same way as last week did - full of April showers! I have so far managed to dodge them successfully but it's only a matter of time before I am soaked on a dog walk or a dash to the shops. At the moment though, the sun is streaming through the small windows and making me wish I could at least see more of the great outdoors!

The multimedia explorers are, still, very nearly done. We seem to have entered a frustrating period of having them 99.9% ready, but not being able to complete the final o.01% for one reason or another. We remain, however, on target to test them during the next few weeks and are very much looking forward to doing that.

In the meantime, I am striving to prepare the content for the web-site. I reassured myself recently by listing the material already in my possession but have now to complete the slow process of editing everything so that it is suitable for our lovely web-designer to put on the site. It will be great to see the web-site launched, I'm really excited about that, but of course without the content it's not going to be quite so impressive! Content work is therefore my main concern this week.

I have also been putting more effort into organising training for some guided walk leaders this summer and have started to formulate ideas for a parish information board, which I am hoping to have put up in the centre of the village. Further ideas keep springing to mind constantly and this is causing the notion of continuing the project further than 2008 to solidify and take shape, so I'm now investigating the possibility of funding a second phase of work. I have learnt such an incredible amount in the short time I have been here and can see so much potential for the future - I just wish I had the time and money to make it reality. Wishing won't get me very far though, the only way forward is to find further funding, so that's another thing that will need doing over the next few weeks. It is, as always, a very busy time!

The most exciting recent development been an introduction to the Braunton Archaeology Project - an initiative that will hopefully receive funding by September and start to engage with schools and the local community at large, to encourage interest in archaeology in an intriguing new way. I'll be adding more about this soon.

Did anyone catch the interview, or Video Diary, of Marsh Inspector Rowland Dibble on Countryfile the week before last? Rowland did a wonderful piece about his role on the marshes, although we were quietly pleased that our interview of Rowland came out much better than the BBCs! It'll be added to the web-site in the coming weeks and so viewable this summer, along with more great film clips and interviews with other important local people.

Time is flying as usual, so I had better get on. My thanks to the Braunton Countryside Centre trustees for the positive meeting we had last week and also Chris for his advice and support. See you soon!

April Showers

Phew, I'm really glad I'm tucked up safely in the office today, the weather is grim!

I must open with the results of David's wonderful effort in the London Marathon and a huge thank you to everyone who sponsored and supported him. He raised just over £700 for Cancer Research UK. He managed to finish, which was amazing in itself after his recent ankle injury and completed it way ahead of his previous finish time in 4 hours, 15 minutes (and 11 seconds!). He ran the Marathon in 2006 in 4 hours, 39 minutes, so it was a great improvement. He was a little disappointed not to beat the 4 hour mark but all things considered (his ankle, complaining knees, the inhospitable weather and lack of rest!) I think he did very well. For those who might be interested, his finishing position overall was 15378 but, within his age and gender group, he was placed 1,685 - not bad out of the 30,000 runners. He's already submitted his application to run in next year's marathon (which proves conclusively that he is mad) and this time is aiming for sub 3 hours, 30 minutes!!!

His enthusiasm has made me think that perhaps I ought to make more of an effort and, despite the fact that I haven't run since school, I have entered this summer's Race for Life in Barnstaple. It is a lowly 5k (3.1 miles) which I think is achievable and I have already embarked on my training so we'll see how I feel nearer the time!

So anyway, although it's raining outside the Explore Braunton project continues to have a very sunny prospect. The multimedia content is now finished (hooray!) and we are waiting on our suppliers to finish off the graphics (such as menus and screensavers) before they upload the entire content onto the system. We will have several devices for testing during May and are still on target to launch at the end of May. My time is now devoted to preparing all the content for the web-site and making sure the web-designer has everything he needs to make a stunning site. I'm also catching up with the myriad of other things that need doing and replying to people who have so patiently been waiting for replies to their emails, etc.

If anyone has anything they think would be useful for the web-site please do let me know. Until next time!

Katie

Marathon

Hello again - I am sitting here in front of my computer and the screen is lighting the dark room, outside there's a downpour of hailstones beating against the window - brrr! It's been so changeable here this morning, one minute it's dark and menacing and the next sunny and bright. I hope it holds up on Sunday, as the London Marathon is finally here and, although a light fall of rain is often welcome we'd all rather it didn't pour!

Anyway, the last couple of weeks have been wonderful as we have had the opportunity to meet more fascinating local people. Last week we met Rowland Dibble, who was such an authority on the Marshes and Braunton's war-time history that would could have more than filled the Exporers, web-site and more with his anecdoates and expertise. He very kindly showed us the sluice gates that so accurately control water levels on the Marshes and rather intrepidly guided us through certain water courses with camera equipment, microphones, lamps and all - it was such fun. I learnt so much and was lucky enough to visit places that people don't generally have access to, so I was very grateful to Rowland for all his help and hope that you will enjoy seeing the fruits of our labour.

Work on the Explorers is very very nearly complete. We've been adding finishing touches like sound effects and re-doing one or two items to ensure they are as high quality as possible. We've deliberated over which cows moo is more appropriate, what sort of screensaver we prefer and various other choices that have sprung up in these closing stages. It's so exciting to see everything stitched together and working as a whole, I just can't wait to see it all on an actual Explorer device and to be able to go out into Braunton and see the thing come to life.

Well, I can't bide here chatting all day - I've got packing to do. No doubt those of you who know David will be looking out for him on Sunday - he's really very grateful for all the support he's received and hopes he'll do everyone proud, despite not being too confident about his ankle and now his left calf too - all rather worrying. Anyway, will be in touch again when I return from the big smoke. In the meantime if anyone has anything that they would like me to include on the Explore Braunton web-site, please get in touch. I will be focusing all my attention on gathering content for that for the next three weeks. Adios!

British Summer Time

Well, since my last post things appear to have become more subdued but... that is merely an illusion as the work continues apace behind the scenes with the multimedia explorers. Content is coming together very nicely now and, without sounding too confident, is comfortably on target to be completed in the very near future. The last few pieces of filming are being fitted into the tours and things like title graphics, menus, sound effects and credits are about to be added as the finishing touches. It's an exciting time and one that has been anticipated since the project was first dreamed up almost two years ago. There are several excellent surprises for those who wish to hire the multimedia devices this summer and I hope you will all be delighted with the end result - I am already and I haven't seen the finished article yet!

Among the last few jobs has been a recreation of a farming scene from days gone by. It was difficult to find a picture of the scene we had in mind and impossible to do without, so we recreated the situation with the help of some farming friends and a willing young volunteer (thanks Kyle!) who donned his farmer's outfit and did a stirling act. It was all captured on film and has been added to the wonderful mixture of old and new video clips on the Braunton Explorer. See if you can spot him, he could well be in Hollywood by this time next year!

Another highly enjoyable outing recently was the walk and talk given by Richard T Bass, Historian and Battlefield Guide, about the use of Braunton Burrows for training during World War II. Richard was accompanied by some authentic 'soldiers', who lent credance to the awe-inspiring story of the men who trained there in preparation for the D-Day landings - many of whom never lived to tell the tale themselves. The walk was very well attended and viewed as a great success by everyone I spoke to. Furthermore, on Friday evening there was a celebration at Barnstaple Museum to mark the culmination of the Explore North Devon project. The project isn't finishing for good but the first phase is now complete and it was a good opportunity to gather all those who have been involved and enjoy a glass of wine together!

I was completely thrown by the lack of an hour at the weekend and, although I very much welcome British summer time I am finding it hard to adjust and to resist the temptation to spend the evening pulling up weeds in the garden at a cost to all the other essential jobs! My sincere thanks to those of you who have supported David with his London Marathon sponsorship, he really was astounded by the generous spirit with which so many people donated. He had a heart-breaking week last week when his ankle was strained and it looked as though his training, and marathon bid, were over but he has recovered remarkably well and has cautiously resumed his training in an effort to catch up. He is absolutely determined to run the marathon and so I wait with baited breath to see how he gets on - it's going to be a nerve-wracking day. I'll report after the 13th with the news.

I hope you didn't suffer too much on April Fools Day - I mercifully managed to survive without anything more foolish than usual happening to me!