A Chance Meeting on the Filmset of Elizabeth

A Podcast with Graham Fordham

I believe our podcast is one of the best I have done. Please take the time to listen in, and do let me know what you think. I hope you find it inspiring.

Listen to the Podcast here….

And so it came to be.

In 1998 I ran into a someone who was going to end up a great friend. Through thick and thin and lasting now over 20 years, Graham Fordham is a film industry veteran who has worked on some of the biggest movie productions during that time.

He also happens to be dyslexic. A big impact on anybodies life, and I now know that Graham has struggled to deal with it over the years. We met for the first time at Shepperton Studios on the set of Elizabeth.

Or at least in the bar.

The film adaption of Elizabeth produced in 1998, starring Cate Blanchett

Charitable Intent

Graham is confident, a great talker (as you will now know!) and someone who has achieved a lot in his time. He is now going to set up a charity that supports and highlights the good (& bad) about Dyslexia. Adopting and promoting technology aids that are developing fast, as we are all aware. The aim will also focus on helping out young and old to understand, adapt, improvise and improve life’s quality along the way.

Graham Fordham on the far left. Me in the baseball cap.. Funny old day!

People that  lived with Dyslexia include Einstein & Churchill. Part of the reason that I started this post was watching a BBC documentary on Jackie Stewart

Jackie Stewart can drive and shoot like a champion.

He just cant read a book.

Two nights ago I watched a TV show that paid homage to the career of the Formula 1 driver, Jackie Stewart Interviewed by TV Chef James Martin, it soon became clear that both of them are dyslexic. Something I was previously unaware of.

What was really interesting was the fact that both had some what obviously struggled at school, before finding other outlets for their undoubted underlying raw talent.

This video is part of the program.. (As a note it is blank for the first minute.. starts around 1m 13 secs)

Watching this reminded my about Graham and his cause. I hope that you find this as interesting as I have and we will keep you in touch with our progress moving forward..

Some further research revealed to me there is an overlap between Dyslexia and other developmental problems such as dyspraxia.

Dyspraxia and Dyslexia overlap and often co-exist in the same person. Dyspraxia is an impairment of the organisation of movement that is often accompanied by problems with language, perception and thought. Dyslexia is primarily a difficulty with learning to read, write and spell and is often accompanied by other other problems such as poor organisational skills.

Will keep you in touch!

Have a great week all!

Technorati Tags: Apple techonolgy, automated dictaction, Biznetworkguy, cate blanchett, Charity, Dragon dictation, Dyslexia, dyspraxia, Graham Fordham, podcast, Technology

How to protect a high security event with a big Metal Fence

For a number of years I have been looking into metal fences used for secure perimeters. The main reason for this was to look at permanent installations for big corporations, or governments to use in the protection of Critical National Infrastructure. (CNI)

At the top end, this equipment will stop a 7.5 tonne truck at at 50mph. As you might imagine, the fences we are talking about can be extremely robust and when seen in action are highly impressive. It used to be the case that these systems (by virtue of what they needed to do!) were made of steel and concrete.

HRSF Example set up

Consequently for a temporary applications, they were considered too heavy and logistically challenging to make much sense. Certainly not the sort of thing that you might use at your average  event. That is ofcourse unless you are talking about an olympics, or G8 level of budget. In the UK we have a publicly owned secure fencing system known as the National Barrier Asset. Managed and operated by Sussex Police, it is bought out for the big occasions.

Recently I have come across a really interesting innovation known as HRSF. A light weight solution that may be a game changer for secure event fencing at the higher end. The system is accredited to PAS 68: 2010 and is a CNI required installation for certain sensitive utility sites in the UK. The capability is the same as the high end permanent solutions, but the the difference is the HRSF system is completely flat-packable and is extremely light weight by comparison. Once on site it is a very quick install and literally uses builders sandbags to secure and stabilise the system.

No additional pinning or support are needed for this free standing secure system and as the video shows you can install HRSF to stop a Truck if needed. The front edge of the fence has a very narrow gauge mesh that makes it virtually impossible to get a grip. Indeed, if the assailants do find away to get some traction the HRSF system is designed to bend and flex making it impossibly difficult to get past.

HRSF has been developed with the sole purpose to establish the optimum level of security needed to keep people on the desired side of any perimeter. At up to 3.6 metre’s high and about as secure as it gets, HRSF is also extremely quick to deploy. It can be transported in large quantities in flat pack form, to then be build on site. Ballast is generally sourced close to the point of deployment.

Quick install system

A 3 man team with one fork lift comfortably deployed an 8 metre section in less than 10 minutes, when I visited a demonstration recently. I also understand that there is work ongoing to develop a mechanical deployment system that will enable super fast deployment over long distances.

The bigger version of the system (Concertina used by defence forces can deploy hundreds of metre’s in a matter of seconds.. Check out below If you wish to know some more about HRSF, please do drop us a line at Temporary Flooring Solutions dot com, or drop me a line on john@temporaryflooringsolutions.com

Technorati Tags: Festival fenciing, High security Fence, Hostile vehicle mitigation, Quick deployment fence, Security

Temporary Infrastructure for International sporting events

A different way of thinking

Background:

Large scale events by their very nature are complex projects to fulfil. Vast numbers of commodities and services, that all need to come together to make it happen.

The scale of construction, operations and logistics lend toward detailed process maps for organisers to follow. This can take place over a number of years in order to meet the deadline of an opening ceremony, or event start date.

For some of the biggest sporting events this can be biannual, or every four years.  The timeline from the announcement of a winning bid, to opening event, can be as much as seven years in the making.

The point of engagement for external temporary venue infrastructure comes some way down the time-line and has arguably  come too late to be effective.  Restrictive practices in procurement procedures can negatively impact the quality and cost effectiveness of systems delivery.

The end result can be higher levels of spend to remedy poorly advised, or rushed late decisions to plaster over the cracks.

So lets look back at recent experience we went through in the UK, during a recent global sporting event.

The sporting event was around 6 weeks away from the opening night. It  had a core sporting centre supported by a number of external venues for different events. The main construction of permanent facilities had been completed in good time. This left the temporary overlay infrastructure required, to make the external very temporary venues fit for purpose.

The procurement process was painfully slow, for an event that was clearly going to need massive support from private sector suppliers to make it work.

The very first public engagement made by the organising body some 5 previously, had shown a strong willingness from the event sector  to take up the challenge. The heartfelt request from industry was to allow sufficient time in the process, for the supply companies to make “capex decisions” , that would in turn allow for the supply of the desired infrastructure.

In real terms this did not happen and decisions were made came late in the process. Very late.

To an outsider it will appear that weight was given to the commercially cheapest options. Also, that some of these decisions were taken by personnel who did not fully understand the system restrictions and capabilities. This could be construed s a simplistic view and you could guess that other pressures were at play. The fact remains that some fairly strange decisions got made, and the nearer we got to the event, the stranger some of those decisions got!

The end result in our particular case meant that we were charged to find a vast amount of equipment some six weeks out from the event start date. To give an idea, the quantity of vehicle accessible road needed was in the region of 55,000m2. An almost impossible task for a normal year, but the scale of this singular event made the task extremely challenging.

In the end our team was able to locate around 35,000m2. In conjunction with the prime contractor, we were able to create a workable delivery schedule for 6 different UK venues, over a 7 week period.

Albeit the operation was a complete success, we believe that the cost of the exercise was considerably greater than needed. Previously awarded contracts for under performing equipment (on the face of it cheaper options) had to be renegotiated. And the clock did not stop ticking!

Venues I had visited 5 years earlier, with plans that had not changed in that time, were being finalised within days of requirement for delivery. (and weeks away from the opening events)

So what’s to be done then?

You can look at this sort of thing and be put off by the scale of the whole. It is easy to take on the mind-set that you cant make make a dent in it. You may take a view that it has always been this way, and no one will ever make a decision for positive change.

Alternately you can raise your head above the parapet and at have a go. At Temporary flooring Solutions we believe that the status quo is there to be challenged. Both Martin and I made a difference in 2012 and will do our best to advise those that wish to listen to what we have to say.

We believe in challenging existing norms and finding the route  to solve the problem, rather than deflect it for later

Welcome to Temporary flooring solutions dot com! We look forward to working with you

Publication date will be announced on this site shortly!

If you wish to contact Jeff please drop an email on john@biznetworkguy.com or via comments section on this page.

About the Author

Brigadier J (Jeff) Little OBE MBA CGIA FICPEM

Jeff Little OBE

Jeff Little joined the British Army in 1974 and served for 33 years following a wide and diverse first career seeing service in Hong Kong, Germany, the Middle East, USA, Gibraltar and throughout the UK.

During his service as a military logistician and planner, he was involved in OPERATION FRESCO – the fire fighters strike, the UK’s foot and mouth disease outbreak, the Gulf War of 1989/90 (OPERATION GRANBY), the Balkans War in 1995 including the siege of Sarajevo and the ensuing hostage situation, the massacre at Srebrenica, Kosovo in 2000 and the planning for armed services involvement in a wide range of emergencies both at home and abroad.

On leaving the Army, Jeff went to work for Universal Engineering, a UK defence supplier, and is currently working in the the field of Security auditing. Jeff enjoys life and writes for the pure enjoyment of it.

“These are my Credentials” is Jeff’s first published book and will run as a series of short “Military tales of the unexpected”

You can get in touch with Jeff by visiting the IFS Media web site

Preface

These are My Credentials

Conspiracy theories abound whenever secrecy prevails.  Did man really land on the moon in 1969?  Did an alien spaceship really crash land at Roswell, New Mexico in 1974?  Do the Illuminati really want to impose a New World Order to rule over mankind?  The answer to these and many other questions will probably never be satisfactorily answered in some minds.

This series of quick-fire short stories will take the reader on a journey from the green heartlands of Hampshire where tranquillity is suddenly shattered by tribal jealousies, resulting in attempted murder on a bedroom door.  We will visit the blistering heat of the Arabian Desert where perhaps one of the most amazing and complex cover ups of recent times was sold to an unsuspecting group of British soldiers.

They will range in time and space from the grey skies of Belfast to the lush jungles of the Far East.  We will take your imagination back to battles of the Second World War and into the infernal fire-grounds of blazing oil wells which represent one of the most insane acts of vindictiveness in the history of the World.

Whether all of these tales represent the truth, are purely fiction or are simply an embellishment of the basic facts is for you to decide.  But what if vehicle technology was responsible for bringing down a jet-liner near London?  What if the most up to date systems of maritime protection failed miserably just when they were needed?  What if the Second World War was almost extended by years because of a hangover?

Who knows what dark and deadly secrets lie behind the facade of a government’s spin?

HERE WE GO THEN!

Tetra Congress

It is a pleasure to report that Geostrut will be exhibiting at the TetraWorld Congress in Dubai. The congress takes place on 15-17 May 2012 and will be represented by Tony Burton and John Davy.

Tony is the Geostrut representative in Dubai and the UAE as a whole. Tony has decades of experience on telco installations in the UK and the Middle East. On the stand Tony will be joined by keri Burton and John Davy MD of Geostrut UK (International Facilities and Sourcing Ltd.)

John Davy

The TETRA World Congress, a meeting place of the international crisis communications community. TETRA is a standard solution for groups that use private or professional mobile radio or public access mobile radio technology. It is important in the areas of law enforcement and public safety, where fast and accurate field communications to and from a central office or dispatcher are often critical.

Geostrut is well placed to be of use to users of Tetra systems and we are pleased to be able to launch the Geostrut range at this well subscribed and visited show.

If you are going to the show, please drop us a line. It would be great to talk.

John Davy

Want to know what’s going on? This!

It has been and interesting / busy time of year for the International Facilities and sourcing (IFS) team. By team, I on the whole mean John Davy! I am the main driver of the business, with some great support from co-owner Ian Turner and our friends in Saudi Arabia, Jo Otayek and Khaled Fawaz.

Since the beginning of the year a number of important developments have occurred. Firstly, in the beginning of January we relocated from Sussex to Norfolk. It might not sound like a lot, but it meant that we were truly independently for the first time in three years, having had a couple of interesting years in the company of TSG

The early year activity for IFS came in the Middle East. A trip was organised to take in several cities in the region, including Dubai Jeddah Riyadh & Cairo. This trip was fascinating, and involved getting face to face with a number of leading companies in the region. By way of example Arabtec, Saudi Bin Laden Group, Mansour Group and Sky Group in Cairo

As a direct result of this visit, some three weeks later, IFS and sister company MEFAS (Middle East Facilities and Sourcing) were invited by the Mansour Group of companies to attend the SSS conference in Al Khobar. On this occasion we were able to introduce a new supply company into the mix, Hesco Bastion.  This has been a great development that would appear to have an great deal of potential.

The results of these combined regional visits are starting to show through, with enquiries and opportunities to bid on projects in the region. In addition we have two potential sub dealers for Geostrut in Burton Trading and Sky Group

And so onto Geostrut

Active operations with Geostrut started in earnest in January 2012, having made an agreement with Geostrut USA to operate on their behalf in the UK, Middle East and other areas. The interest in this brand new carbon fibre technology has been nothing short of remarkable.

Geostrut Mast technology

The Geostrut UK  blog came on line this month. It will be updated with product developments and progress reports. It is not often that I have worked with a product that has been so well received as Geostrut has. If 10% of the interest we are getting converts to orders this year, then we will have a fine start to proceedings.

Meetings with companies including Optilan and E-tricity have bought to our attention sizable projects in both the UK, and Africa. Keith Bryce at Optilan has been particularly helpful in pointing me in the right direction to speak with other interested parties. One of these was Tony Burton who is resident in Dubai. Tony has a world of experience in telecommunications and has been very enthusiastic in his approach.  We look forward to making progress in the region with Tony’s company in the coming months and will be attending the Tetra Telecom world conference in May to further this aim

BizNetworkGuy

The third area of development for IFS, is building our online presence. This works on a number of levels. You are clearly reading this update on the IFS blog. We also have a previously mentioned new site for GeoStrut. I also have the online vehicle that is BizNetworkGuy.

BizNetworkGuy is a content driven blog. In reality, it is the model for how I live my life, and certainly my method of working. I grow my business by operating practices of networking and what can be described as a consultative sales approach. The main aim is to build and maintain relationships. I adhere to the idea that people buy from people, and that relationships are the critical factor to making this work.

Meeting Chris Borgan at Social Media world Forum (London)

In previous times I have worked in industries that operate in a different way, such as automotive and financial services. On occasions, they use selling techniques that back people into a corner they can’t get out of. In my view this generally leaves your customer with a bad taste in the mouth.

There is a massive difference between someone buying into an idea rather than being sold the same idea. It is all a matter of satisfaction and then the likelihood to repeat. If they buy, the chances of return and repeat are far greater.

BizNetworkGuy gives help and advice on how to be a better networker. The blog has articles that are hopefully entertaining and that have a point. We are working on Podcasts and other multimedia content. We review “tools and apps” that can help you out in day to day business.

My stated aim is to have 10,000 subscribers to BizNetworkGuy. I will be looking into opportunities for public speaking engagements on networking, and also have enquires to do blog development work for other business.

In the last year I have gained great experience with regard to understanding the connection between human networking and business operating on the digital platforms. The theories of the thank you economy and rise of social media can be ignored at your peril. Our aim is to help people understand and adopt the systems that will help them keep up, and make the best of this fast developing world.

Please come and take a look at the Biznetworkguy blog. If you enjoy it you can sign up to a weekly update mail.

Thanks for reading  JD

Since I last posted I have been to the Middle East and back and as of tomorrow night the 1st March I am once again heading out to the GCC region to take part in SSS Arabia, a security industry trade show being held in Al Khobar.  This show has a number of high profile exhibitors and includes representatives of a number of Government security and defence organisations.

The best part of this new visit is that it is as a direct result of invitation from one of the companies we visited on the last trip to Riyadh.

Also during the trip we were lucky enough to have Jeff Burke from ES Global and Phil Woodman from Modular and Volumetric join us at different points on the journey. All were received well with Jeff meeting up with Arabtec, Saudi Bin Laden and Sela Sport. Feedback has been great and two live jobs are now under consideration.

Saudi Bin Laden Projects include the huge development at Makkah

Phil came to Cairo meeting up with Deyar Construction for two days of site visits and useful discussion. The sheer scale of Cairo is difficult to take in and our visit came at a time of distinct unrest. However we were once again very well received and extremely well looked after for the duration of the visit.

One of the great places to visit in the worlld - Pyramids @ Giza

Egypt has a stated aim to construct 700,000 units of accommodation each year. Currently and in part due to the political and social situation they are falling well short. The ethos and objectives of M & V will fit well and should really be a great part of the solution in days to come

Also in the last few weeks Geostrut has taken some great strides both in the UK and the Middle East. Craig Barker CEO of Geostrut USA joined me in Egypt to meet up with a couple of Local prospective dealers. In the event we found some great people to work with at SkyGoup, Cairo and we look forward to moving ahead shortly.

Back in the UK I have hooked up with an old acquaintance in Simon Gillett. Simon is probably best known for his time as owner of Donnington Park Raceway with a contract to stage the F 1 race for the next 15 years. Ultimately it was not to be and Simon has moved on to other business interests.

We have found some common ground on a number of projects that Simon is working on and International Facilities and sourcing will be working to support some of the upcoming projects. One of these a Street lighting contract in Ghana is of possible benefit to GeoStrut to create the lamp posts. Solar powered arrays will charge on board batteries providing street lighting for all whilst not impacting on the countries National Grid. Great project, hope it takes off.

International Facilities and Sourcing is about to hit the
road on a trip that will take in Dubai (UAE), the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and
Egypt. The purpose of the trip is to develop further the network of companies
that are aware of the service and product deliverables IFS has to offer.
Working in conjunction with our sister company MEFAS we will be visiting
companies such as Arabtec and Saudi Bin Laden Group in the coming days.

The exciting programme has been developed by John Davy,
Khaled Fawaz and Jo Otayek over the last 6 weeks. During the visit we will be
accompanied by UK and US support companies providing specialist services and
solutions to enhance various projects in the MENA Region.

From the UK we will be joined by Jeff Burke of ES Global who
will be demonstrating the versatility of temporary structures in a range of
applications. ESG are supported by TSG decks and modular structure systems The interest
in ES Global’s capacities is born out of the massive expansion of airport
facilities in Saudi Arabia. The need to keep high quality facilities in place
during the new build and development phase gives a real boost to construction
companies in the region also gives them an edge as the airport operations go on
whilst construction progresses.

Phil Woodman of Modular and Volumetric brings an exciting
solution to quick build housing. The system can be used for anything form low
cost housing through to high value property for wealthy clients. Offices or tower
apartments can also fit the remit. M & V use offsite build techniques to
supply to site Modular construction units that can be quickly assembled in situ
on site. M & V is a serious option for the massive building programme that
is being put in place in both Saudi and Egypt in the coming years. Amazingly
for a very low investment M & V can off site construct up to 3 houses in a
day. Scale up the investment and you can increase the supply rate massively.

Craig Barker is flying in from the USA to represent ACTR
Geostrut in a number of meetings set up to promote and introduce GeoStrut masts
into the MENA Region. This ground breaking technology reduces the mast weight
of against competitors by up to 90%. The carbon fibre lattice element of a 30 m
monopole weighs less than 300kgs

With Three foreign representatives on the visit and many
other partner companies in our portfolio. MEFAS and International Facilities
and Sourcing are excited and honoured to be able to stage this supportive visit
in Q1 of 2012. Please come back for updates during the visit which will be
regularly posted.

• International Sourcing Center-Taiwantrade – Business Information. Links: Autoparts & Accessories Industry · Bicycle Industry ·
• Laura Elrick and Rodrigo Toscano – kenning editions – Dating from the late sixties, Hannah Weiner’s Code Poems are widely recognized as among the earliest attempts to explore poetry as code and code as poetry (an interest she shared with Jackson MacLow, though apparently neither was aware of the other’s experiments at the time). Weiner’s book uses the International Code of Signals for the Use of All Nations (a visual system for communication between ships at sea), which consists of strings of letters that signify longer phrases that would be commonly used in communications between naval vessels at sea. In November 2007, Laura Elrick, Rodrigo Toscano and Kaplan Harris performed a version of Weiner’s Romeo and Juliet (originally published in Code Poems ) at St.

International Facilities and Sourcing Ltd are pleased to be
associated with ACTR (the manufacturers of Geostrut) in the UK, Europe and
Middle East. Working closely in conjunction with ACTR and our partner company
Entire Network solutions PTY in Australia we are excited at the prospect of
launching this new and exciting technology in 2012.

Geostrut

Geostrut towers present some interesting facts when comparing
with traditionally built steel or concrete monopoles. Taking the steel option as a direct comparison, the fact is they are costly to manufacture and somewhat arduous to construct. Steel installation needs significant transport, plant and heavy lift capacity.This directly increases the labour needed in the construction phase.

Geostrut is manufactured out of carbon fibre in a lattice design.  Immediately this gives Geostrut a 50% reduction in wind load when compared with solid surface mono poles.
Consequently the foundations required to install Geostrut can be as little as
40% of that required for the steel or concrete option. At the same time a
Geostrut pole has greater tensile strength and can carry a heavier antenna
loading.

Environmental impact

Geostrut Carbon fibre raw material is readily available and
does not bring with it any negative impact on the environment around it.

Geostrut eliminates the need for hot dip Galvanising.

In the installation phase the much reduced logistical footprint
and transport requirement adds to the environmental benefit that Geostrut
provides.

Temperature Extremes

Geostrut sits comfortably in just about any extreme of
temperature. Weather conditions and temperature have no impact on the tensile
strength of Geostrut. It should not go unnoticed that the NASA space programme
uses carbon fibre in space craft for this reason as have the development of F1
sports cars and the F35 Stealth Fighter  

Rigidity and Design opportunities

Geostrut is minimally elastic when compared with stainless steel,
mild steel, aluminium, fibre glass or wood. To get the same density in steel it
would require 5 x as much raw material to achieve the same levels.

The light weight attributes of carbon fibre means that new
designs are constantly being considered and developed for new applications. ACTR
are leaders of this drive forward and will continue to release new systems are
we progress forward

Current design applications include wind turbines, utility
poles for telephone or street lighting, frames for buildings, platform
supports, motorway barrier systems, fence posts and flag poles.

With all the above applications Geostrut creates a combination
of lower density with higher tensile strength. Consequently you can apply a higher
loading on a support system that is reduced by 90% in overall weight.

Wind Turbine Comparison

30 Metre Wind Turbine – Article by Mike Kipp, Erich Wilson PhD and Leslie Derrig.

Take a 30 metre tower made of steel with a 90cm diameter
that is subjected to a 100mph wind. The lattice design for Geostrut immediately
means you have 50% less drag and therefore a 50% reduction in wind loading on
the tower. Foundations once again will be smaller, albeit driven by the
specific design and local conditions.

The steel version for this application is estimated to be
around the 2500kg mark. The Geostrut components would be weighing in at 500Kg
to meet the same criteria. Once you include the steel baseplates and connection
joiners the entire structure would be less than 1000kg. Add to that the single
truck required compared to about 16 for steel and an estimated 26 trucks for
concrete; then we can see where some economies
are coming through

To get a 30m pole up you need only the lightest weight
crane.  Once again with the steel or concrete option you could be looking at up to 200T crane capacity along with the associated need for access Trakway etc.Ground works are less, labour and  plant requirements are reduced. Geostrut adds up to a great option in just about all areas

So how far can we go?

Designs are in place for guyed towers up to 90m in height
and 3-4 leg towers that can be as high as 120 metres. Geostrut is now available
in the UK, Europe and the Middle East. We would be really pleased to hear from
anyone who might have an interest and will communicate further developments as
they occur. If you wish to get in touch please drop me a line on john.davy@mefas.co.uk or call my mobile number on +44 7798 567041

John Davy

PO Box 126, Monmouth, NP25 9BB

www.mefas.co.uk

www.internationalfacilitiesandsourcing.com

• International Facilities and Sourcing Ltd – Dec 15, 2011 … International Facilities and Sourcing Ltd (IFS) is a company dedicated to the
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