Wishbone Ash Live & other things

So what have I been up to since last posting.

Actually seem to have spent a lot of time in the UK! What with the start of term back in Bristol at the start of October and a new grad student and a new research associate due to start, I thought being around maybe be useful. Whether my student thought that is another matter. Everytime he popped his head into the office I seemed to be on the phone for hours on end - which is closer to the truth I would like to admit! Unfortunately the start of the RA was delayed due to time taken to issue a visa at the UK embassy in Moscow. The work permit had been issued weeks & weeks ago. He eventually arrived in Bristol this week.

So 2 weeks after the Barcelona meeting it was software week. This time it was part of the review process we've put in place to ensure things are OK for the start of a major Monte Carlo simulation production starting in early 2006. This is in preparation for a "physics book" for LHCb and provide input to a major data challenge in Spring'06 to check our computing model prior to data taking.

The week after software week I was back in the UK for the start of term, as I said, but a whistle stop trip back to CERN on the Friday in order to attend & give a presentation to the LHCC review meeting on the computing TDR, which was submitted in June. A 2 hour session had been pencilled in the morning.

On Friday evening we were meant to be going to "Center Parcs" in the wilds of Wiltshire; this was a long standing engagement to meet up with a couple of other families. The wives had all done their nurse training together. The more observant amongst you may have spotted the "meant to" in the opening sentence. Yep having been using EasyJet to Bristol without a hitch all year this particular Friday they cancel the flight. Arggghhh. The first flight back to Bristol they can get me on isn't until Sunday !!! - the Saturday flight was full. Judy was overjoyed when I phoned her & let her know the good news, especially seeing this weekend was arranged for my convenience as everyone wanted to go in September but I was too busy (collaboration week, s/w week, ...) Fortunately I got a place on the early Saturday morning flight into London Gatwick & got a train & met up with everyone Saturday lunchtime - so not a complete disaster.

A few comments on "Center Parcs" - "Glorified Butlins"; "Great outdoors for those who don't really want to be outdoors"; "One in a thousand - of people staying there that is" Anyhow the company was good though the bank balance may have taken a hit. For those wishing to avoid the experience feel free to browse the experience on the website - http://www.centerparcs.co.uk/home.jsp. Please remember the photos bear no resemblance to reality. Kick backs for this product placement will be gently refused. Miserable git aren't I - "bah humbug!"

A 2nd week in Bristol followed, including a trip to sunny Swindon for a meeting of the PPARC LHCb Oversight committee. Followed on Friday with keeping my hand in with the ZEUS experiment by being on an editorial board of a draft paper. Each paper produced by the collaboration has to going through this procedure - each paper is thoroughly reviewed by this independent board before being released to the rest of the collaboration. Only after the rest of the collaboration is happy with the paper is it sent off to an academic journal for publication. Of course the journal then appoints a referee to peer review the paper. If all goes well a paper can be through the editorial board in a month or two, if things are a bit screwy things can go on for a year! This was the 2nd meeting the first being before the holiday season at the beginning of August. One is always aware when peer reviewing a paper, from a large collaboration, for a journal the internal review procedure was probably more rigorous than anything you could do. But saying that often a fresh view on the subject can be revealing.

The following weekend had the Thewlis family (see earlier blog entry) visiting the Brook family - 2 good traditional Yorkshire names there. As you remember (or not) I've know Andrew since we were 5 or 6 years old. To break with tradition of a big meal and (usually) too much wine, we went off to a concert in glorious depths of Somerset in Frome (Cheese & Grain - great venue. Free tickets for the Budgie concert 10th December gratefully accepted) Anyhow this weekend it was off to see Wishbone Ash (yes they are still going & for those who are don't know they are a rock band from the 70's) A new guitarist and a new set - not the best gig I've seen them do (Shoot the sound technician, guys) but still a good evening. (I'd be interested to read a Thewlis blog on the evening) Best track of the evening was "Leaf & Stream" from their 1972 Argus album - spot on.

Been back at CERN a week now and back into the swing of things and a lack of social life again. Anyhow I should update you with things in the last week but later perhaps ....

Comments

[Dave Mann]

Nick - Hi, I wasn't sure where else to write you. I'm an American student and I already received my Bachelor's degree in Physics here. I lived in the UK on a student work visa after graduating a couple of years ago, and I'm strongly considering doing graduate studies in Physics in the UK. Do you have advice on this?