Christmas and Tunnel Lighting

It has finally warmed up a bit, and it has been nice to have a few milder days. Some folks like it cold, some like it hot. I guess it is down to you. One thing I do appreciate is a cool railway tunnel on a blistering hot sunny day. My last photograph of the year is the linear lighting inside a railway tunnel in the Peak District. The combination of coolness, water dripping from the roof and the amazing engineering of building this tunnel with it's brick lining. Incidently, I started off in civil engineering and my first job was working in a long sea outfall tunnel - 1.6 miles under the English Tunnel.  The lighting was simple fluorescent, but quietly effective as I hope you can see from the photograph.

A few blogs ago, I mentioned November 5th  night and how we enjoy the fireworks and forget that a certain Guy Fawkes wanted us to lose our parliament and what it stood for. I think we sometimes forget that Christmas is more than just a commercial opportunity for the shops and people getting stressed about presents and the like. I love giving and receiving gifts, but Christmas for me is about the most special gift ever given. So when you see the words CHRISTmas, the clue is in the first six letters!


Last week has been a busy one, with the last Executive Board meetingof 2012. I am pleased that we have appointed Elizabeth Thomas as Vice President Highways and Infrastructure and  I am sure that she will do an excellent job. This my last blog of 2012 as I am having a Christmas Holiday in Italy, and probably won't have an internet connection. I wish you a joyful Christmas and a happy new year.
Pete

Time Out!

It is only when you don't have something or it does not do what you expect that you notice it! I have already mentioned this in relating to lighting  - when it goes out that it is noticed and the users kick off!. While this week , the computer network at my work has been playing up. I have a fast machine, because I do computer aided design(CAD) and things got slower and slower. The IT team are trying to figure it out. I say all this because even emails are getting difficult. I hit the reply button and then wait a minute (yes 60 seconds)  before I can reply. I get a lot of emails, and the ILP hotline is pretty busy at the moment. There are lots of things that the Executive Board (EB) are working with at the moment. Next week is the last EB  meeting of this year, and as ususal a lot of business and items to work through.

As members, your EB does a huge amount of back office work, you don't always see it, but like the computer system, it has to work. So emails are one of our vital comminication devices and slow emails are a little frustrating!!

Sometimes though, it is good to not always just react. Sometimes just stopping and thinking about an issue can be the best way. So if you have a busy day and you have just taken a couple of minutes to stop  then here is a picture for you. Just stop and take in the view!
 I did when I took this picture -  I can still remember the warm sun, the smells and the view.

I love walking in the peak district when I have time. Next week I will be showing you some tunnel lighting pics along the one of the old railway lines. Have a good week.
Pete

Buzz Lightyear!

In the past I mentioned on this blog that I live in the country. This is relatively recent, as we moved in March 2012. One of the things that I did not fully appreciate, is that the country back roads and lanes are not grtted. So I am driving on roads, with no salt and areas where sheets of ice have formed from the water still flowing off the saturated fields. An interesting mix. I have a front wheel drive car, so not too bad, just allow more time and drive slower. My wife Trix, drives a skittish rear wheel drive mazda and she is having some interesting moments as the back end flicks out. We both are learning the rythms of country living. Glorious sunsets in the summer and  walks down leafy lanes, but in the winter, cold and dark. I miss the the street lights. I guess we all have to come to terms with where and how we live. Many of us take street lighting for granted, but we don't always appreciate how amazing it is to have something, until we don't have it. I am glad I am able to still be in a position to provide lighting were it is needed.

One of my nicknames at work is Buzz. This came about because there were two Pete's in the office and as I was always buzzing about, I got called Buzz. We are talking 25 years ago. So when I got involved with lighting and Buzz Lightyear came along, it seemed quite appropriate. I say all this because when I was diving in a quarry near Leicester - called Stoney Cove, I came across this. These lighting guys get everywhere!!

It has been a busy week. The ILP hosted a technical discussion forum between Industry Partners and lighting professionals on S/P ratios. Those of you that went to the Brighton summit can read Steve Fotios paper on this subject. Steve was at the forum and we had a most intersting time. We need to do the science to confirm why we do what we do, but translating that into practical ways of designing, and the additional information that the manufacturers would have to provide is not quite so straight forward. You will be able to read about the forum in the lighting journal, when our new editor Jill Entwhistle, has written it up as an article.

I also met with all the other other Institution President's and CEO's at an event hosted by the Engineering Council. We are all keen to encourage "engineers" to go for professional registration. We need to encourage registration at all levels. I think the ILP is working hard on this and our Membership VP - Mark Cooper and his team are  providing the infrastructure to help our members to go for professional registration.

Next week is a little quieter, before Executive Board meeting in two weeks time.

Take care in your travels

Pete