Bird.i is a start up company enabling end users to access up-to-date mapping imagery. Basically, like what google maps does but that features satellite images that are current.
How can this data be used? Why would you want to access this data?
Bird.i held an event at The Lighthouse inviting creative thinkers to come along and brainstorm in order to generate ideas that answer these questions. It was a great night spent brainstorming, discussing and presenting ideas; from finding people to finding potholes! From finding out about events in the area to mapping out your travels.
It’s great attending events like this to re-engage with primary idea generation methods, as well as meeting up with people of similar interests.
Bird.i sounds like it has a great future, current imagery is so important following our reliance on mapping softwares. After all, there is nothing worse than looking up your destination and when you get there it looks completely different and is therefore hard to find, or you find out that it does not exist anymore!
Want a lovely new cafe to visit? Eat delicious food? And somewhere to go back again and again?
Well, I found the answer to all these questions in a small yurt in Buckinghamshire.
It’s lovely, unique and just has the best food. The Wild Strawberry Cafe is very unexpected – the yurt itself looks small from the outside but from the inside it really has a wow factor.
Lunch in a Yurt
Inside the Wild Strawberry Cafe
The first visit was for lunch. Salads, breads, soups…the normal stuff, but all healthy, fresh ingredients, homemade and full of flavours that you couldn’t get enough of.
It’s lunch time
Following the deliciousness of lunch, we returned for breakfast the next day. And this was even better! The homemade granola with chia seeds, greek yoghurt and a rhubarb compote was incredible. The blueberry pancakes with maple syrup and bacon weren’t too bad themselves. Writing this post and looking back at the photos makes me wish i lived within drivable distance of this yurt.
Inspire. That’s what this blog has been created to do.
Being a female engineer was never really something that I thought of as unusual in anyway. Maybe this is because of the way I was brought up – hands on, problem-solving solutions, trying out anything that I had an interest for. Looking back now, I suppose gender wasn’t something that drove me to do any activities, or away from anything that was apparently for boys. I was never driven towards or away from activities based on my gender. I immersed myself in things that interested me, regardless of who they were ‘supposed’ to be for. Kind of like Billy Elliot who tried out and loved ballet despite it typically being for girls.
I would play football during the day, then netball at night. Cross-stitch before school followed by quad biking when school was out. Bake cupcakes on a Saturday and lay concrete on a Sunday. To me, anybody could do any activity, regardless of your gender. I think that’s why I found it so surprising when someone would reply with “You’re an engineer!?!” with the same disbelief than that the last person. This is a response I had on numerous occasions, equally from both men and women.
Try anything, do everything!
Now that I think about it, it’s no surprise that people are shocked about what I do. In the past, it really was only men that were engineers but things are changing, slowly. More and more women enrol on Engineering courses – my course at university was surprisingly split fifty-fifty between genders. However, comparing this to straight Mechanical Engineering, the class seen about four girls in comparison to 100+ boys.
When someone says “You’re a mechanical engineer?” I feel delight that I baffle them. To me, its natural, its something that I love and its a quality that I am proud off. Being an engineer is hard work, demanding but ultimately, rewarding. Things are always changing and improving. Who wouldn’t want to be involved in the forefront of that?
TV shows also tend to suggest certain jobs that are ‘cool’ for girls. Girls grow up watching programmes such as 90210, How I meet your Mother and Pretty Little Liars. The girls in these shows want to be journalists, models, actresses and psychiatrists. What about physicists, architects, mathematicians and engineers?
“I want to be an Engineer, but nobody in TV shows want to be an Engineer!?! Maybe I actually want to be a journalist because they seem ‘cool’. Yes, thats right! … But I’m not passionate about that. I’m passionate about design for the future!”
These ideas would haunt my teenage years. Conflicting me for who I truly wanted to be. The Big Bang Theory has been great for opening other potential career options. However, this focuses on guys. Even in this show, ‘normal’, non-geeky Penny wants to be an actress. Typical.
Inspire. I want girls to read this blog and think, actually, its ‘cool’ to be an engineer. You don’t need to be a certain type of person to be one – geeky and non-geeky. You just need a passion for innovation, eye for designing the future and drive to make things a reality. Does that not sound ‘cool’ enough?
Night time on the island of Majorca is lovely. The atmosphere completely changes into a chilled but lively place. We found a great tapas restaurant with seafood and chorizo galore.
I always make an effort to walk along the beach when the sun is setting as it is always so magical. Its a completely different scene to that when the sun is up and the sunbathers are out. Its quiet, peaceful and calming. The scent and sound of the ocean become magnified and it reveals the true island – its undisturbed magic.
After a long, wet British summer, a couple of friends and I decided to fly off to a sun-soaked destination. Our requirements? Intense heat, crystal clear waters, golden sands, palm trees and amazing food!
Clear blue skies of Majorca
Of course, relaxation was in order. A week of sun, sea, sand, sangria and culture made so many memories. Some we will chat and laugh about for years to come, and some will be soaked up in the sun, only recalled by the pictures that we remembered to take.
Sun and Sangria
Whilst out wandering, we came across a ceramics shop that sold everything you could imagine. Most of which was tacky but none-the-less it made for a great explosion of colour inside and out. Majorca is a placed well known for its ceramics, pearls, olive wood and watermills.
Everything in Ceramic
One of my favourite things to do whilst visiting new places is to find the cutest little cafe in the most out-of-the-way places. We found this great little cafe that, when you walked inside, looked like someone’s house. Out the back was a lovely little haven of island culture, of which served the most delicious food.
Our getaway required a boat trip, like all breaks away to the Balearics! It was truly beautiful. People-watching couples sailing the sun-drenched sea, divers exploring the coves and rock faces and fishermen catching the freshest that the sea can offer.
Our trip included a visit to the Caves of Drach, close to Porto Cristo. The caves were fascinating and contain one of the world’s largest subterranean lakes. AND they put on classical concerts on the lake which was an amazing experience!
Our visit to Palma deserves its own post, so check it out! But I’ll leave you with a little Sangria cheers!
Venice is an incredible place. The tiny streets or ‘calle’ that link together in a maze, the sense of having no idea where you are and the aroma of the laguna that hits you as you step onto the floating city. I’ve never been anywhere quite like it.
Gondolas in the lagoon
One of the unique things about Venice is its use of boats and gondolas. Around every corner is a waterway, another bridge, two more gondoliers. There are gondolas everywhere, and you don’t even have to be near them to hear “Gondola, Gondola” being shouted as each person walks past. We didn’t actually travel by gondola as passengers are repeatedly photographed as they pass every bridge – not as romantic as you might think. Despite this, we opted for a boat trip down the Grand Canal, twice in fact – during the day and after the sun had set. This was a highlight to our time spent in Venice. We got to use the mode of transport that Venice is synonymous for and it passed by the majority of the main sights, which we could take in from the water. The architecture is incredible with entrances right on the water, colourful facades, gold-lined buildings and the sense of disbelief that this place actually exists.
The Colourful Canal
My boyfriend was shortlisted as a finalist in the Digital and Virtual Arts category in the Arte Laguna Prize 2015. We travelled to Venice to setup his installation in the Telecom Italia Future Centre where this section of the Prize was being shown. It was a great opportunity for him to showcase his work, and a great opportunity to knock another place off my bucket list!
The Grand Canal
Every guide book you read and every person you speak to will say that the one thing you must do when you go to Venice is to get lost wandering the streets. And it’s true. Walking the streets without looking at a map and finding a lovely new area of Venice, or a quaint little restaurant is the perfect way to find out about the city. It was through wandering the streets that we found this incredible restaurant that had the best ravoli I have ever tasted, and fish that was impeccable. We walked until the light began to fall and watched the sun set over mainland Italy.
Sunset over mainland Italy
We took a boat to the island of Murano, the home of Murano glass. It was fascinating to watch it being made and the final designs were beautiful. The vivid colours, simple patterns and clean lines attracted me to everything. Despite Murano being a great destination, if you want to pick up a unique item of glass, Venice itself has a huge amount to offer.
San Marco Plaza is a must stop destination when you visit. A large open square, it is full of people feeding pigeons, al fresco dining and tourists capturing and immersing themselves in the magic of Venice. The Plaza is encompassed by numerous museums with the amazing Basilica de San Marco proudly overlooking the square in all its glory.
Sunset on the Basilica
Venice has captured a part of my heart. It is a city that I cannot wait to explore more and discover even more of its magic. I hope that I will be able to return to this beautiful city soon, and maybe next time I’ll actually go on a gondola!
For any artist, displaying their work in Venice is an amazing opportunity. Rory was in disbelief that he had been chosen as a finalist in the Digital & Virtual Art category in the Arte Laguna Prize 2015.
As soon as word came about his selection, we actioned a plan to get the logistics into place to transport and install his entire Freefall Horizon piece to Italy. This piece of work involves laying a new floor, hanging prints, setting up a number of media sources and connecting everything up into a visually captivating and immersive environment.
