A New Year

The New Year has started well for us, I hope for everyone else too. As predicted the break went by far too quickly, but I did manage to achieve at least one thing before the old year departed, literally on New Year's eve.

Between Christmas and New Year, working on TW and the PhD, I mentioned to Mike about a conference I knew about regarding past papers, the Museum and the Web 2007 conference - http://www.archimuse.com/mw2008/index.html. Mike suggested the possibility of submitting a paper for this year's event and enquired if we were too late, with the response that we had until the 31st December 07. Ooh eeks! So, amidst the New Year gathering of Paul's friends in Woolacombe, I worked on the 500 word proposal requred for the demo. and managed with Mike's help, to get it in by lunchtime of the 31st. Phew!

It was worth it though, as of yesterday we are now part of the conference with a demo and a paper (this needs to be submitted by the 31st Jan). Montréal here we come.

I have also finally managed to get the micro project application submitted, fingers are heavily crossed that there is a positive outcome to all this work. This was posted on Friday, so early days yet. It has taken a long time and a lot of work, with a huge amount of help from Bernard Brooks at Business Link, thankyou Bernard. I would recommend that if anyone wants to apply for this type of funding that you really do need the help of someone who knows the processes and deals with funding applications on a regular basis. Please don't think you can achieve it on your own, it may be possible depending on your background and experience, but each funding body has particular ways in how this is written and presented, if you do not follow these, then you are quite likely to be unsuccessful, however much time and effort you put into it.

I hope it will be good news again as Beaulieu are still very interested in The Talking Walls for the Abbey and are keen for it to start. So it could be quite an amazing year for us, certainly one of change I think.

As from Monday, I am in York for three days. This is for the residential start of the Flying Start for Women programme. The aim is to help you get your product to market and encourage you to focus on areas that you may be weak on and how to overcome them. It will be interesting to see how this progesses.

I would just like to add congratulations to our friends, Chris and Mandy who will be getting married later this year, after Chris popped the question on Christmas Day! And to my brother Benjamin who also popped the question to his now wife to be, Berengere. Excellent news to start the year with, congratulations to you both.

Quite a year so far, let's hope it all continues and good luck to everyone else embarking on their own or have plans to change what they do this year.