My name is Giles Booth. I’m Education Content Manager for the Micro:bit Educational Foundation. I’m a Raspberry Pi-certified Educator and I used to teach Computer Science and ICT in primary and secondary schools in London.
Before training as a teacher on the School Direct scheme I worked for BBC Radio for many years – World Service, Radio 4, 5Live – recording, mixing and editing programmes, making podcasts, updating programme web pages, helping design and build the last radio news studio in Bush House, setting up outside broadcasts all over the world, from the Central Lobby of the Houses of Parliament, all over the US, Beijing, and the first ever live broadcast from a monastery on the male-only archipelago of Mt Athos in Greece. I also worked as London producer for NPR.
If you’re looking for some quick, easy inspiration for food, check out my recipe blog Suppertime!
In the late 1990s I created Mr Blint’s Attic, a website devoted to Peter Cook and Godley and Creme’s bloated 1977 triple album masterpiece / folly Consequences. I appeared on the 10cc / Consequences podcast to talk about it.
I also appeared on the Kidslab podcast talking about my day job at the Micro:bit Educational Foundation.
I used to make a (very occasional) podcast about beer called Last Orders which you can hear on iTunes, Soundcloud or find out more about the imaginary book pub here.
You can hear me talking about the BBC’s iconic building Bush House in this lovely film (my words taken from a World Service documentary). And here’s something fun I did with film and literacy when I re-trained to be a teacher in 2013:
WIttertainment is my favourite radio programme and I have made a few contributions to Witterpedia.
On the anniversary of D-Day, I taught a combined history / maths / computing / PSHE lesson that I’m really proud of. In Year 5 I also got the children making their own musical instruments to trigger GarageBand with a MakeyMakey.
Bristol-born, I now live in London. I have a degree in English, I love reading, writing stories (I have more ideas than time or application), cooking, blogging about cooking and making gadgets with the Raspberry Pi, MakeyMakey and Arduino, like radios, things with thermal printers, and things with BBC micro:bits.
Why ‘Blog My Wiki’?
This started out as a blog called ‘The Weblog and OtherMachines’ and I had the intention of just writing about good and bad technology. Of course the temptation to write any old rubbish that came into my head was too strong to resist.
The name ‘Blog my Wiki!’ came about because I found myself sarcastically saying ‘well, blog my wiki!’ several times a day at work every time someone did something a bit dull and unoriginal but either put in on a blog / podcast / wiki and then had money, promotion and praise heaped on them from certain parts of the large corporation for which I worked. I was really already blogging back in the 1990s, only it wasn’t called blogging then and we didn’t have lovely tools like WordPress to help us.
Oh, and hello to Jason Isaacs.
Giles-
Hope you’re well. I am from Charleston, SC, and am working on a project about the old ways of Charleston (well, old for me) and came across your picture of Woolworth’s from 1997. By chance do you have a high-rez copy of this picture, and if so, may I have you permission to use it? Please e-mail me when you have a moment at AndrewRTew@gmail.com.
Thanks so much.
Andrew
I have read your blog with keen interest, as I understand you have completed School Direct teacher training recently.
To continue to recruit high quality teachers and lead the future success of schools, our research suggests that applicants want to hear directly from teachers. We would like to share your success story and any advice you can offer future applicants.
Would you be able to write a blog entry for our website explaining School direct, the structure and the support etc.
Hi there!
We’ve been reading your blog here at Kano and we were wondering if you would like to come attend our Raspberry Jam in our HQ next weekend!
It would be great if you could bring some of your cool projects as well. There will be between 300-500 attending and it is going to be a family event. We are hoping to showcase how people can create technology and not just consume it.
Here is a page for the event: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/raspberry-pi-london-jam-tickets-13310980501
Let us know if you’d like to come and whether you’d like to bring along any of your cool projects!
Looking forward to your reply.
All the best,
Angelie
Hey Giles.
I don’t even know if you will pick this up but it’s Matt Thorn from the BBC and I could do with your help! I’m trying to do a few things with Raspberry Pi’s and really struggling and wondered if you might help? If you think you could assist then please give me a shout at matthew_thorn@hotmail,com, cheers Matt
Hi Giles,
I too am a member of the church of Wittertainment and wonder if you will be kind enough to share your electronics expertise with me.
I am working on a project and have bought a Pimoroni mini thermal printer but I was surprised when it arrived to see that it didn’t come with a plug & play USB as I had assumed.
I’m am planning to connect the printer to an Android touch screen device but need to work out how to convert the input to USB, do you think that an Xbee Explorer serial adapter would work for this?
Many thanks in advance & tinkerty tonk old fruit!
Simon
Hi Simon,
How do you connect a serial thermal printer to an Android device? You just…
Ahem. Well.
I’m afraid this is well beyond my experience or knowledge – I’ve only ever used them as pure serial with Raspberry Pi and BBC micro:bit, and I have no experience at all with Android devices beyond a brief play with my child’s old phone. Have you tried the Pimoroni forums? I’ve found them very helpful in the past.
Sorry not to be of more help!
Tinkety-tonk indeed, and hello to Jason Isaacs.
Giles
Hi Giles,
Many thanks for taking the time to reply.
I’ve spoken with the support guys at Pimoroni and they think that a Arduino will do the trick for me, so I have one on order and will let you know how I get on, failing that I’m visiting a Raspberry Pi event on Saturday so will see if those smart guys can point me in the right direction.
All the best & down with the Nazis
Simon
Dear Giles,
I worked for the Russian service between 1998 and 2009, mostly in Moscow, and for 5 Live Breakfast in early 2005. Maybe our paths crossed. I shall be trying to unlock my old Dave2000 archive with the help of CoolEdit. Thanks for the links!
Best wishes,
Konstantin
Hi Konstantin – yes I am sure our paths did cross! Best wishes Giles
I have recently lost access to BBC Radio stations (except the two World Service stations), including BBC Radio 4 LW, the link for which I got here. I have a discontinued Philips Streamium internet radio (currently in the US) which allowed me to add the LW station online, but all my favourite BBC stations won’t play from there now. I also listened online via radio.net which also no longer plays my BBC stations – I think a few days before I lost them on the Philips. Do you know what’s going on? Is there a new workaround?
Hi Frank – I’m afraid I have no idea, have you contacted the BBC or Philips?
It looks like Godley and Creme’s Consequences is finally being re-released
https://burningshed.com/godley-and-creme_consequences_boxset
A 5CD box set edition of Consequences, the remarkable triple vinyl debut release from ex 10cc members Godley & Creme.
This 2019 version – mastered by Andy Pearce and overseen by Godley and Crème – contains the original album as well as Musical Excerpts From Consequences and for the first time on CD the promotional edit album.
Housed in a clamshell box with expanded artwork and sleeve notes by Mojo’s Daryl Easlea based on conversations with G&C about the making and production of the album.