BS I was thinking in terms of how working here had impacted the course you
were doing. Did you see the course in a different light. ((Long pause)) Did
what they were teaching at the course, did that fit in with what you were
doing here?
DB No, before - when I was in school I was sort of about 3 weeks
into my A-Level course and in order to get to university to do the course
I wanted to, in those days you know you had to get 3 A's, or 3 B's or something
like that, "whack" ((laughter)) So, I think I was, I was due for something
like a C or a D in my in maths and, that was a big problem for me getting
in, getting in to university. After discussion with the maths teacher (Miss
Eadie) was fantastic, really good. One of those, you know, it should be on
radio 4 "One of those teachers that changed my life". She suggested or wondered
whether or not, either a more practically based course but, but a course certainly
that included maths but, I went to ( )tech and did a B-Tech. Did very, very
well at it because it was relatively easy but, with the results that I had
there flew into university which was, quite a surprise for the people running
the B-Tech because people didn't tend to go from that course to university
anyway. So it was a bit of a gamble. But it was quite good for me because
it meant really the whole, course in the engineering course I had at B-Tech,
they, concentrated on the -sort of things and topics that we did and structures
that we did in the first year of the course in university so in the first
year of the course in university didn't really do very much, at all. Because
it was everything I had spent 2 years doing and had to catch up a bit in second
year and then third year, did alright. Managed to get things like the best
project prize both years, second and third year in the, in, in, engineering
department. So, good at projects, like projects, not very good at exams, not
very interested in the exams to be honest. Probably not very good at retention
[BS: laughing]. Quite good at, quite good at consistently working and getting
things done. So, yeah, that was kind of, kind of it, which, so if anything
university, I probably learned more from- more from the kind of theatre group
and, and, I, I did the, the events the sort of event department, which lugging
boxes basically, but you get paid for doing that as well so it was a good
wheeze so through doing that and the sound, the sound I used to do for the
you know. I can produce a band I can set up a PA systems and carry a Jools
Holland piano all that sort of stuff.
So, that sort of experience was good for me, from a, organisation of the
people because you used to have to organised the venues in order to get the
bands in. That sort of thing so that was good. The actual, very little in
the actual course, I mean the course was very good, but, did learn a lot about
technology but I don't know how it. I think I'm good at my job because I understand
- the practical side of the engineering, and how we can use the engineering
in order to present the exhibit. And, so if you've got your, your, I hate
this, I hate saying an exhibit has got a distinct message cause it's got multiple
messages and it's all about an experience but, having, having the skills to
be able to take the idea and create this thing, and just being able to - draw
on the experience in different areas and the electro-mechanical, drew upon
computers, electronics, mechanical stuff, pneumatics, hydraulics the whole,
kind of range of things that we use every day when we do the workshop. So
if anything, when we didn't have the workshop at all, one of the things I'll
try to get across actually was the diversity of, of the range of skills that
we have. We have effectively a, a group of 16 people who have skills in a
very broad range of areas. Sometimes that's a problem because we don't have
people that are skilled enough, in certain areas. But then, keeping the workshop
relatively small we try and accumulate those skills as we go. It is a real
careful balance because we're still a charity. And it can be difficult to
try and think about Techniquest growing to take on a million pounds of worth
of work next year - is a very, very, very big challenge for us. So that's
quite ºscaryº, but, not scary challenge, challenge!
