Toby Atkin-Wright

At work I regularly feel too warm. Mind you, I spend the winter months wearing a woolly jumper to work, but I consider that an office temperature of 24° C is ridiculously high. The nation could save money, save power, save natural resources, and hence save the planet, if only offices were banned from heating themselves to over 19°. Besides, I feel more awake and can think better when I’m cooler.

If you work in an office…

[Poll #1717846]

At work I regularly feel too warm. Mind you, I spend the winter months wearing a woolly jumper to work, but I consider that an office temperature of 24° C is ridiculously high. The nation could save money, save power, save natural resources, and hence save the planet, if only offices were banned from heating themselves to over 19°. Besides, I feel more awake and can think better when I’m cooler.

If you work in an office…

[Poll #1717846]

I started working for Scotland Online as a contractor, for three days a week, back in March 2006. I’ve continued contracting since then, seeing the company’s name change to Brightsolid and become a wholly-owned subsidiary of DC Thomson. I started working five days a week back in July 2009, when my contract at the University of Dundee came to an end.

And now, at the end of what I consider to be a rather lengthy four-and-a-half-year probationary period, I have signed a contract to become an employee. Now I get pension contributions! Sick pay! Health insurance! Holiday pay! And discounted subscriptions to the The Beano and The People’s Friend!*

My work will continue without significant change; I’ll still be working from home for most of the working week, and spending much of my time developing software and database solutions to support the acquisition and management of historical data archives. The work is often a fascinating combination of history and technology.

And it’s a sunny day in Dundee.

* I'll leave it as an exercise for the reader to determine which family member reads which publication.

I started working for Scotland Online as a contractor, for three days a week, back in March 2006. I’ve continued contracting since then, seeing the company’s name change to Brightsolid and become a wholly-owned subsidiary of DC Thomson. I started working five days a week back in July 2009, when my contract at the University of Dundee came to an end.

And now, at the end of what I consider to be a rather lengthy four-and-a-half-year probationary period, I have signed a contract to become an employee. Now I get pension contributions! Sick pay! Health insurance! Holiday pay! And discounted subscriptions to the The Beano and The People’s Friend!*

My work will continue without significant change; I’ll still be working from home for most of the working week, and spending much of my time developing software and database solutions to support the acquisition and management of historical data archives. The work is often a fascinating combination of history and technology.

And it’s a sunny day in Dundee.

* I'll leave it as an exercise for the reader to determine which family member reads which publication.

After a busy day in the office, I had dinner out with colleagues at Beiderbeckes Bistro in Dundee. I had a rather pleasant dish described as stir-fried vegetables on a bed of pakoras, in a pepper sauce. The company was good too, and I drank lots of ginger beer.

I noticed in today’s Daily Politics that Andrew Neil has discovered a genuine use for a vuvuzela — interrupting politicians when they give evasive answers.

Beth had a school trip to Edinburgh today. She was very excited; they went to Butterfly World and the Museum of Childhood.

I had a root around on Spotify, and spent my driving today listening to Pete Townshend’s 1980 solo album Empty Glass. Very enjoyable. I’m quite taken by the piano in the song And I Moved.

After a busy day in the office, I had dinner out with colleagues at Beiderbeckes Bistro in Dundee. I had a rather pleasant dish described as stir-fried vegetables on a bed of pakoras, in a pepper sauce. The company was good too, and I drank lots of ginger beer.

I noticed in today’s Daily Politics that Andrew Neil has discovered a genuine use for a vuvuzela — interrupting politicians when they give evasive answers.

Beth had a school trip to Edinburgh today. She was very excited; they went to Butterfly World and the Museum of Childhood.

I had a root around on Spotify, and spent my driving today listening to Pete Townshend’s 1980 solo album Empty Glass. Very enjoyable. I’m quite taken by the piano in the song And I Moved.

Having spent the first two days of this week working from home, getting on with software and database development in peace, and communicating by email and Skype messaging, I’m going to spend the next two days working in the office in Dundee, in an environment of meetings and conversations and shared social time. It is quite a change of pace of work, and requires a very different kind of thinking and concentration.

Having spent the first two days of this week working from home, getting on with software and database development in peace, and communicating by email and Skype messaging, I’m going to spend the next two days working in the office in Dundee, in an environment of meetings and conversations and shared social time. It is quite a change of pace of work, and requires a very different kind of thinking and concentration.

Today was my first day back into work this year. Andrew drove me into Dundee as usual; the roads were okay this morning but muckier and slippier on the way home this evening. I’m glad that it looks like I’ll be working at home for the next few days. I’m very glad the snow didn’t disrupt out Christmas travel (when we got the train down to Kent before Christmas there was chaos on the roads and airports were closed — rail was definitely the way to travel), and we met my parents in Carlisle yesterday to collect Beth without bother. She is back to school tomorrow.

Beth has been enjoying playing with all her Christmas presents. Her Stylophone makes an agreeably annoying noise. Kate’s father posted a parcel to us full of the Christmas presents we couldn’t fit in our luggage for the journey home; it arrived today but we haven’t opened it yet.

I watched Newsnight this evening; it is at its best when Paxman is presenting. And I chose to go with Newsnight Scotland at 11pm, rather than switching to BBC2 England. Oh, what choices we have. Now BBC2 is showing darts, and I have become aware in the last few minutes that I really don’t know how the game works. Must be time for bed.

Beth is glad to see the snow. There wasn’t any in Kent, and not much in Nottingham. Driving might be a pain, but at least the days are getting longer.

Today was my first day back into work this year. Andrew drove me into Dundee as usual; the roads were okay this morning but muckier and slippier on the way home this evening. I’m glad that it looks like I’ll be working at home for the next few days. I’m very glad the snow didn’t disrupt out Christmas travel (when we got the train down to Kent before Christmas there was chaos on the roads and airports were closed — rail was definitely the way to travel), and we met my parents in Carlisle yesterday to collect Beth without bother. She is back to school tomorrow.

Beth has been enjoying playing with all her Christmas presents. Her Stylophone makes an agreeably annoying noise. Kate’s father posted a parcel to us full of the Christmas presents we couldn’t fit in our luggage for the journey home; it arrived today but we haven’t opened it yet.

I watched Newsnight this evening; it is at its best when Paxman is presenting. And I chose to go with Newsnight Scotland at 11pm, rather than switching to BBC2 England. Oh, what choices we have. Now BBC2 is showing darts, and I have become aware in the last few minutes that I really don’t know how the game works. Must be time for bed.

Beth is glad to see the snow. There wasn’t any in Kent, and not much in Nottingham. Driving might be a pain, but at least the days are getting longer.