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Oxford Prospect is a current affairs, lifestyle, art, culture, fashion, sport, entertainment, technology, geopolitics, policy and business news magazine based in Oxford.The Oxford region is famous for its universities, research, advanced technology and history.
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A Premium Bond is a lottery bond issued by the United Kingdom government's National Savings and Investments scheme. The government promises to buy back the bond, on request ...
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Browse Oxford business directory and Oxford classifieds to find everything you need. From jobs to pets, apartments to cars, With local businesses in and around the Oxford area, we offer our business
directory ensures you will find what you are looking for.
Oxford-Business-Directory.html
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A look at the latest theatre, drama, art, music,travel, interviews, exhibitions in and around Oxford.
Oxford-Today.html
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AFTER years spent striving to get his voice heard, now Juan Zelada has finally struck that elusive record deal the last thing on his mind is popping champagne corks or putting his feet up and savouring the achievement – for now.
As anyone who knows Juan would expect, after years spent relentlessly traipsing his keyboard around the acoustic circuit - playing piano in restaurants, bars, weddings, cruise ships,... anywhere and everywhere - the hard-working singer/songwriter is focussed on taking his music and his band to the next level in 2012 with the imminent release of his debut album High Ceilings & Collar Bones on Decca Records.
JUAN-ZELADA-ANNOUNCES-SHOWS-IN-NOTTINGHAM.-MANCHESTER-AND-OXFORD-THIS-APRIL.html
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DHP business unit, DHP Concerts, brings together all its existing activity in booking and promoting live shows across its own venues and external shows and festivals all over the UK. To date DHP has worked with some of the world’s leading performers and promoted various events all over the country, from Nottingham’s Universities and Arena to the Shepherds Bush Empire.
In May 1998 the company put on a free outdoor event, entitled What A Weekend, attracting some 50,000 people in Nottingham’s Wollaton Park. This pre-empted a series of outdoor commercial festivals at premises over the following years.
The subsequent City in The Park festivals attracted over 100,000 ticket holders since 1999 and established Nottingham as a fixture for both indoor and outdoor events for the biggest international performers.
At its own events DHP has booked some of the industry’s biggest name such as The Corrs, Green Day, Bryan Adams, Ronan Keating, All Saints, James and Gabrielle.
DHP has also promoted major tours throughout the UK with established artists such as Babyshambles, Gary Numan, The Fratellis and The Rakes, which was part of the “Club NME on Tour†that covered 11 cities around the country. DHP is also promoting up and coming acts such as Son Of Dave and Scarling.
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The North Wall Arts Centre are teaming up with Barefoot Books in Summertown to create extra-special experiences for little-ones and their families, including the launch of ‘Grandparents Day’ on Thursday 5th April.
Young people can watch beautiful shows at The North Wall Arts Centre and then take part in imagination stretching themed activities and fun café promotions at Barefoot Books.
North-Wall-Oxford-Kids-Theatre.html
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AN OLYMPIC SWIMMING GRAN, A SMART GIANT AND A HIP HOP DANCING HERO OFFERS A THRILLING SEASON OF THEATRE FOR CHILDREN
Birmingham Repertory Theatre's Spring season of theatre for younger children features shows about an Olympic swimming gran, a smart giant, a bird that won't hatch and a hip hop dancing hero. Taking place on the first Saturday of the month, The REP's First Stages series offers entertaining and educational plays created especially for children from as young as two.
The REP's First Stages Spring season lands at the Library Theatre on Saturday 4 February with Watch The Birdy - a delightful play about Birdy the egg and his small forest friends who help him to hatch and prevent him from becoming an eggy breakfast!
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New Theatre (formerly known as Apollo Theatre), Oxford listings and tickets. What's on listings, news, reviews and information plus ticket options.
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Are you new to business
or new to networking?
Do you enjoy meeting other businesses in an informal non-threatening environment?
The Late Breakfast events are friendly, relaxed, informal networking groups. There is no forced selling, no 'one minute' presentations, just a group of people making good connections.
Meetings are a mix of:
excellent presentations
fun interactive workshops
networking in small groups
1 to 1 Speed networking
Guests also get the opportunity to promote local events of interest, plus there's always the time to network before and after the meetings.
Event dates are on their respective venue pages
The-Late-Breakfast.html
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E U R O P E A N S T U D I E S C E N T R E
S t A n t o n y ’s C o l l e g e ▪ U n i v e r s i t y o f O x f o r d
S T A N T O N Y ’ S C O L L E G E ▪ O X F O R D ▪ O X 2 6 J F T E L E P H O N E + 4 4 ( 0 ) 1 8 6 5 2 7 4 4 7 0 ▪ F A X + 4 4 ( 0 ) 1 8 6 5 2 7 4 4 7 8
EMAIL e u r o p e a n . s t u d i e s @ s a n t . o x . a c . u k
PROGRAMME FOR HILARY TERM 2012
Unless otherwise indicated, all events will take place in the Seminar Room, European Studies Centre, 70 Woodstock Road.
Week 1
Monday 16th January 5pm
SEESOX Debate
Politicians and Technocrats, and the Political Implications of the Greek Crisis
With brief introductions by:
Othon Anastasakis (St Antony’s), Pavlos Eleftheriadis (Mansfield), Elias Dinas (Nuffield), and Kalypso Nicolaidis (St Antony’s)
Convenor: Othon Anastasakis
International Histor
the World:
Internationalism in the Age of Nationalism Glenda Sluga (University of Sydney)
Convenors: Jane Caplan, Patricia Clavin, Anne Deighton Co-sponsored by:
Dept. of History & Dept. of Politics and International Relations
th
Thursday 19 January 5pm
y & Politics Seminar: Twentieth-Century Europe and Integration and Disintegration
SEESOX Seminar Series
Greek Foreign Policy: Challenges in the Shadow of the Crisis Maria Eleni Koppa (MEP for PASOK)
George Koumoutsakos (MEP for New Democracy Party) Convenor: Othon Anastasakis
International History & Politics Seminar:
the World: Integration and Disintegration
America’s Necessary Wars of Choice Marilyn Young (New York University)
Convenors: Jane Caplan, Patricia Clavin, Anne Deighton Co-sponsored by: Rothermere American Institute;
Dept. of History & Dept. of Politics and International Relations
Week 2
Monday 23rd January 5pm
th
Thursday 26 January 5pm
Twentieth-Century Europe and
Week 3
Monday 30th January 5pm
SEESOX Seminar Series
Through the Guardians' Lenses: An Analysis of the Role of the Turkish Military in the Protection of Secularism
Ricardo Borges de Castro (European Commission) Discussant: Karabekir Akkoyunlu (St Antony’s)
Convenor: Othon Anastasakis
Wednesday 1st February 12pm – 2 pm
Visiting Fellows’ Workshop
Education and Territorial Restructuring in Western Europe Claire Dupuy (ESC)
De-industrialization in Western Europe 1970 to 2000: Changes in Class and Gender Relations
Lutz Raphael (ESC)
International History & Politics Semi
the World: Integration and Disintegration
nd
Thursday 2 5pm
February
nar: Twentieth-Century Europe and
European Integration’s Great Leap Forward?: 1974-1989
Mark Gilbert (Johns Hopkins University, Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies)
Convenors: Jane Caplan, Patricia Clavin, Anne Deighton Co-sponsored by:
Dept. of History & Dept. of Politics and International Relations
SEESOX Seminar Series
Living and Writing the Second World War in Yugoslavia: A Transnational Approach
Vesna Drapac (University of Adelaide) Convenor: Othon Anastasakis
International History & Politics Seminar:
the World: Integration and Disintegration
The European Community and Eastern Europe in the Long 1970s Angela Romano (London School of Economics)
Convenors: Jane Caplan, Patricia Clavin, Anne Deighton Co-sponsored by:
Dept. of History & Dept. of Politics and International Relations
Week 4
Monday 6th February 5pm
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Thursday 9 February 5pm
Twentieth-Century Europe and
Seminar
Václav Havel: Playwright, Dissid
Timothy Garton Ash (St. Antony’s), Adam Roberts (Balliol), Michael Zantovsky (Ambassador Czech Republic)
Chair: Alex Pravda
8:15pm
Nissan Lecture Theatre.
ent, Velvet Revolutionary and President.
In association with:
the Project on Civil Resistance and Power Politics and the Russian and Eurasian Studies Centre
MDCEE Workshop
Media, Democracy and the Rule of Law in Central Eastern Europe Convenors: Jan Zielonka and Martin Krygier
Please contact charles.harper@politics.ox.ac.uk if you are interested in attending.
SEESOX: Lecture and film
The Mysterious Other Side: Growing up in Divided Cyprus Nicoletta Demetriou (St Antony’s)
Discussant: Kerem Oktem (St Antony’s) Convenor: Othon Anastasakis
th
Friday 10 February and Saturday 11 February
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Week 5
Monday 13th February 5pm
Wednesday 15th February 12pm – 2pm
Visiting Fellows’ Workshop
EU-China Economic Relations in a Difficult Decade: Partnership, Rivalry or Indifference?
John Farnell (ESC)
Economic Liberalization and Small Open Economies: The Case of Western Balkan Countries
Fikret Causevic (SEESOX)
International History & Politics Seminar:
the World: Integration and Disintegration
Sweden and Europe in the Cold War
Aryo Makko (University of Stockholm and Oxford) Convenors: Jane Caplan, Patricia Clavin, Anne Deighton
Co-sponsored by:
Dept. of History & Dept. of Politics and International Relations
th
Thursday 16 February 5pm
Twentieth-Century Europe and
SEESOX Seminar Series
From Aleph t
Laurent Mignon (St Antony’s)
Discussant: Celia Kerslake (St Antony’s College, Oxford) Convenor: Othon Anastasakis
Book Launch
The Future of
Panellists
General of the Legal Service of the Council Secretariat),
Panellists to also include: Pavlos Eleftheriadis (Mansfield) and Stephen Weatherill (Somerville).
Chair: Kalypso Nicolaïdis
Co-sponsored by: CIS, DPIR
Week 6
Monday 20 February 5pm
th
o Elif: The Birth-pangs of Judeo-Turkish Literature
Wednesday 22nd February 5pm TBC
Christ Church College
Europe: Towards a Two-Speed EU?
to include: Jean-Claude Piris (author and former Director
International History & Politics Seminar:
the World: Integration and Disintegration
Romania and Europe, West and East 1967-1981
Dragos Petrescu (University of Bucharest; Chairman, National Council for the Study of the Securitate Archives)
Convenors: Jane Caplan, Patricia Clavin, Anne Deighton Co-sponsored by:
Dept. of History & Dept. of Politics and International Relations
rd
Thursday 23 5pm
February
Twentieth-Century Europe and
SEESOX Seminar Series
Is the Task Force for Greece a New Concept of EU Policy
Jens Bastian (European Commission Task Force for Greece)
Discussant: Kalypso Nicolaidis (St Antony’s College, Oxford) Convenor: Othon Anastasakis
Week 7
Monday 27 February 5pm
th
-making?
Wednesday 29th February 12pm – 2pm
Visiting Fellows’ Workshop
Plural Diplomacies: Changing Practices, Institutions and Discourses Noe Cornago (ESC)
Self Healing in Action:
The Political Activism of Terror Victims Organisations in Spain and the UK Diego Muro (ESC)
International History & Politics Seminar:
the World: Integration and Disintegration
‘I Predict a Riot’: Monitoring Violence in Sub-Saharan Africa During the
st
Thursday 1 March 5pm
Twentieth-Century Europe and
'Lost Decade’
Teresa Tomas Rangil (University of Oxford) Convenors: Jane Caplan, Patricia Clavin, Anne Deighton
Co-sponsored by:
Dept. of History & Dept. of Politics and International Relations
SEESOX Seminar Series
The Hour of Europe: Western Powers and the Break
Josip Glaurdic (Clare College, Cambridge) Discussant: Richard Caplan (DPIR)
Convenor: Othon Anastasakis
Book launch
Immigrants and Intellectuals: May '68 and the France (Merlin Press 2012)
Daniel A. Gordon (Edge Hill University) Convenor: Jane Caplan
International History & Politics Seminar:
the World: Integration and Disintegration
The Political Economy of Banking:
Financial Stability and Collapse in the 20th Century Alessandro Roselli (Cass Business School, City University)
Convenors: Jane Caplan, Patricia Clavin, Anne Deighton Co-sponsored by:
Dept. of History & Dept. of Politics and International Relations
Week 8
Monday 5th March 5pm
-up of Yugoslavia
th
Tuesday 6 March 5pm
Rise of Anti-Racism in
th
Thursday 8 March 5pm
Twentieth-Century Europe and
Stifterverband Workshop
Poverty and Welfare in Modern German History New Perspectives from Current Research
Convenors: Lutz Raphael and Jane Caplan
For further details please contact anne-laure.guillermain@sant.ox.ac.uk
Week 9
Friday 16 March and Saturday 17 March
th
th
.
European-Studies-Centre-Oxford.html
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Oxford Castaways by Sylvia Vetta
Come and meet some of the castaways. The Kennington castaways, Professor James
Leonard, Air Commodore Bob Martin and Charles Swaisland will be joined by
illustrator Korky Paul, artist Weimin He, author MG Harris, Sister Frances
Domenica-the founder of Helen and Douglas House and Ray Foulk who lured Bob
Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Joan Baez and The Who to a real island.
Booking essential. Get your tickets today
The-Public-Launch-of-Oxford-Castaways.html
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Craig Ogden guitar
Friday 27 April 2012, 7.30pm
Sheldonian Theatre, Broad Street, Oxford, OX1 3AZ
Music by Albeniz, Gary Ryan, Miroslav Tadic, 18th century Catalan composer Fernando Sor and composers Francisco Tarrega, Jay Ungar, Roland Dyens and William Lovelady from Craig’s Classic FM discs
Craig Ogden is one of the world’s finest guitarists. His laid back, effortless, natural brilliance means an evening of superlative guitar playing is guaranteed. Massive CD sales, work in film music and crossover have not distracted him from his serious commitment to exploring every aspect of the classical guitar repertoire.
Tickets £42 £28 £18 £10
Box Office 01865 244806
Online www.musicatoxford.com
In Person at The Oxford Playhouse
Music-at-Oxford.html
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AYCKBOURN’S CRITICALLY-ACCLAIMED
75TH PLAY, NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH
COMES TO OXFORD PLAYHOUSE
Monday 12 to Saturday 17 March
Alan Ayckbourn returns to Oxford Playhouse with his 75th play, Neighbourhood Watch. A hilarious cautionary tale of taking the law into your own hands; it plays from Monday 12 to Saturday 17 March.
When Martin and his sister Hilda move to The Bluebell Hill Development they find themselves the victims of a recent crime wave that has hit the small suburbia they now call home. They decide to take action, after all, who wouldn’t? But soon enough their friendly neighbourhood watch scheme is not so friendly after all.
Alan says, “Neighbourhood Watch is a cautionary play. It addresses modern hang-ups such as law and order, health and safety. It’s in my dark farce mode. I’ve always been interested in how, out of tiny things, wars are often fought. Whenever history is examined, you always say: is that really what started it? Helen of Troy was responsible for an awful lot!”
Neighbourhood Watch premiered at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in autumn 2010 to great critical acclaim.
The production has an all-star cast, which includes Matthew Cottle, whose extensive credits include TV series Game On and National Theatre’s Habit of Art.
Tickets for Neighbourhood Watch at Oxford Playhouse are available from the Ticket Office on 01865 305305 or book online at www.oxfordplayhouse.com
– ENDS –
NOTES TO EDITORS
Dates: Monday 12 to Saturday 17 March
Times: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thurs and Sat eves: 7:30om Fri: 8pm, Thu & Sat mats: 2:30pm
Tickets: £9.50 - £24.50 Booking fee may apply
Post show talk: Thu 15 Mar (mat)
For further information, interviews or images please contact:
Madeleine Woolgar, Press & Marketing Officer
T: 01865 305388 | E: madeleine.woolgar@oxfordplayhouse.com
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Norwich based private air charter operator SaxonAir has announced an order for a new Hawker 900XP. Delivery of the new aircraft is expected in Spring 2012. It is part of SaxonAir’s ongoing fleet expansion and will provide SaxonAir with their first mid-size jet offering a greater payload and range than the other aircraft in its fleet.
SaxonAir-Announces-Order-for-New-Hawker-900XP.html
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4709... work begins!
With pledges of more than £50,000 already received for the Great Western Society’s project to build a
new example of Churchward’s magnifcent 47XX mixed traffc 2-8-0, physical work has now started.
The frst major job has been the careful dismantling of prairie tank 4115, one of the ‘Barry Ten’ which will
now be the major donor locomotive for 4709. This has been carried out at the Llangollen Railway where
a large number of common GWR parts have been retrieved not only for 4709, but also for other future
projects. Wherever possible parts have been unbolted, and where rivets are involved these have been
carefully torched through the centres to minimise damage. The tanks, cab and bunker have set aside
for further use, while the boiler – which did not form part of the items donated to the GWS – has been
despatched to L&NWR at Crewe.
4709.-work-begins!.html
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HS2-THE-BATTLE-BEGINS.html
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Gurteen Knowledge-Letter: Issue 139 - January 2012
Contents
1 Introduction to the January 2012 Knowledge Letter
2 Is Knowledge Management Losing Sight of the Bigger Picture?
3 Challenging Minds with Knowledge Cafes at the ING Bank Academy
4 Knowledge Menu a la Carte in Turin
5 Henley KM Forum Conference and Positive Deviance
6 Announcing a Virtual Knowledge Cafe on Social Artistry
7 Visionary knowledge management: Trends and Strategies
8 The role of Creative Commons Licences in a KM environment
9 Gurteen Knowledge Tweets: January 2012
10 Upcoming Knowledge Events: January 2012
11 Subscribing and Unsubscribing
12 The Gurteen Knowledge Letter
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In a swift u-turn the government has doubled financial incentives for installing solar panels following a successful court case by Friends of the Earth.
Energy experts are advising to install panels now, as there will never be a better time.
The government slashed the financial incentives they offer for solar power installations in December last year. However, following a successful court action against them by Friends of the Earth, they have restored the rate to its original level for just two months.
Peter Bladen, managing director of solar panel installer BSOLAR said: “My advice is to install solar panels now, there will never be a better opportunity. The government has more than doubled the financial incentives if you install before the third of March. This is an opportunity not to be missed.”
Friends of the Earth took the government to court over incentives for installing solar panels in December, after the government slashed the “Feed in tariffs” they offer by half.
"Feed-in tariffs" were introduced to motivate people to invest in solar panels by paying people for the electricity they generate. Before December the government was offering 43p per kilowatt-hour but the tariff was reduced to 21p.
The decision however was done without adequate consultation with the industry and Friends of the Earth successfully challenged the government in the High Court. As a result the government has started a new consultation period and restored the rate to 43.3p per Kwh, for any panels installed before the 3 March this year. After this the rate will drop back to 21p.
Peter said: “Install before March and you are looking at an investment which could give a 20% return year on year. This is guaranteed for 25 years. An average system costs around £8,500 to install and will generate up to £1,750 a year in income, paying for itself in around six to eight years and providing profit after that. Simply put these panels are one of the best investments you can make and I’d urge homeowners to act now before the third of March deadline.”
Government-u-turn-incentives-double-for-solar-panels.html
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The Society of Chief Librarians is the local government organisation working to develop public libraries and promote their value and contribution.
SCL is not a campaigning group, but it is a peer support AMAZON ADVERT organisation. SCL supports chief librarians and the public library service by providing regional networks for heads of libraries to share best practices for the benefit of the public library service locally and nationally. SCL works to try and make sure that every community has a modern public library service that meets and exceeds customers’ needs.
Society-of-Chief-Librarians-Supports-National-Libraries-Day.html
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London Gateway, UK:- DP World London Gateway has won European Transport Deal of the Year at Project Finance International’s annual awards ceremony in London.
The DP World finance and London Gateway teams, along with its advisors, worked with several international banks to achieve project finance closure in Q4 2011. By securing significant bank funding in a ‘risk averse’ environment, London Gateway has shown it has the credentials to become a world class trading hub when it opens next year.
Simon Brooks, European Investment Bank Vice President for the UK said: “This prestigious award recognises both the hard work of all involved in completing the London Gateway deal and acknowledges the challenge of finalising funding at a time of considerable financial uncertainty for what will be one of the United Kingdom’s most important private sector transport projects.”
European-Transport-Deal-of-the-Year-Goes-to-London-Gateway-2.html
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Braemar (incorporating The Salvage Association) is delighted to announce the appointment of Richard Gayton to the key role of Regional Director, Americas. He will take responsibility for strengthening and growing Braemar’s surveyor presence in this important region and for engaging more directly with the local New York market, focusing on its traditional hull & machinery business and also on the marine consultancy services provided to P&I clubs and marine lawyers.
BRAEMAR-ANNOUNCES-NEW-REGIONAL-DIRECTOR-FOR-KEY-MARKET.html
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Celebrate Valentine’s Day in Shakespeare Country and combine with a short break during half term (11 - 19 February). Romance your loved one by booking into a luxury country house hotel, enjoy champagne teas, sonnets and love scenes and romantic haunted pub walks or simply relax over a romantic candle-lit dinner in one of the areas many beautiful and historic buildings. As this is a Leap Year, Ladies can propose marriage at one of many romantic locations on 29 February.
Romance-&-half-term-fun-in-Shakespeare-Country!.html
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Food-waste-trial-for-businesses-rolled-out-across-Oxford.html
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London, 03 February 2012 - London Energy Brokers’ AssociationAMAZON ADVERT (“LEBA”), the industry association representing the FSA regulated wholesale market brokers in the OTC and exchange traded UK and liberalised European energy markets, today publishes the regular monthly volume report and additional accompanying analysis covering the main European gas, power, coal and emissions markets.
LONDON-ENERGY-BROKERS'-ASSOCIATION-JANUARY-2012-VOLUMES-IN-GAS-POWER-EMISSIONS-AND-COAL.html
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The Chequers is one of the trinity of pubs tucked away amid the Cotswold stone of Headington Quarry, and for nearly a year now, it has housed the “Royal India” restaurant. Together with Nick Newman and Julia Gasper, I paid a return visit there on Sunday evening , and was impressed.
If you know the Chequers in Horspath Village, you will feel at home with this “curry on the village green” format: the yeoman virtues of a standard English boozer, giving way (through a door on the left) to a plush Indian restaurant with tear-drop shaped wall-lighting and a warm décor. And those round tables may look large, but they prove to be not quite large enough once the food arrives.
A-meal-out-at-The-Chequers.html
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Of course people painted mountains and hills, trees and lakes, clouds and horizons for centuries before Claude Gellée (1604-1682) but they painted them as the background to other, more important things: usually religious or mythological subjects. In the paintings of Claude, the religious or mythological stories are still there, but the emphasis has changed. The landscape is what matters, and the figures often seem dwarfed by their surroundings, secondary details in a vast, open expanse of ideal landscape inspired by his study of the countryside around Rome. His name has become synonymous with delicate sunset effects, and romantic ruins.
This exhibition brings together thirteen of his major paintings from collections all over the world, as well as from the National Gallery in London and the Ashmolean itself, so that we can compare and appreciate them more keenly.
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This concert given by the impressive young pianist Alessandro Taverna and the Royal String Quartet had a Polish theme and without a doubt the performances were all polished to perfection.
Taverna, who has won a string of international prizes, played three works by Chopin, the first and last being familiar. His performance of the familiar Waltz in C Sharp minor op. 64 no. 2 was mature and full of insight. There is no doubt that he possesses that special something that enables one to play Chopin. His speed was unhurried and he offered interesting detail such as the highlighting of the right hand thumb notes in bars 49-60 and on the last page, creating just the kind of hidden melody that Chopin loved. He followed this with the Introduction and Rondo in E flat major Op.16, a piece frankly written for virtuoso display. Taverna played with superb virtuosity, poise and distinction, not forgetting a touch of wit here and there. This sparkled like vintage champagne.
An-Evening-of-Polish-Music.html
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Those who know Paul Lewis from his Proms appearances or even by reputation were expecting something special at the Sheldonian last night when he gave an all-Schubert recital. They were not disappointed.
Lewis's playing was exciting, powerful and polished to a diamond sparkle. It held the audience enthralled throughout. I have rarely heard a more authoritative interpretation of Schubert than this. Lewis, who studied under Alfred Brendel, performed with a classical poise and with a certain degree of restraint.
There was warmth, poignancy and feeling wherever needed, but this was not an excessively honeyed interpretation. It did not wallow. The rubato was not excessive, except perhaps in the last of the four Impromptus D.935, where Lewis highlighted the angularity and percussive nature of this piece.
Lewis's performance of D.935 was designed to show how right Schumann was to regard this opus as a Sonata incognito rather than a bunch of haphazard pieces. The first Impromptu with its impressive opening and two well-contrasted themes is more or less in sonata form, albeit with an excessively lengthy development section.
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C.S. Lewis Concert at Holy Trinity Church, Headington Quarry.
Yesterday the Friends of Holy Trinity church hosted a world premiere in Headington Quarry, the first ever performance of Roger Teichmann’s setting of four songs from the Narnia books by C.S.Lewis.
It was part of a concert of choral music themed around the life and works of this much beloved local celebrity, who is still remembered personally by some of the older members of the congregation and choir. Lewis lived in Risinghurst, taught at Magdalen College, Oxford and attended Holy Trinity Church where there is a beautiful Narnia window in memory of him. Readings and reminiscences about Lewis were interspersed between the items of music.
The concert opened with Yeats’ song “Down by the Sally Gardens,” arranged by Teichmann. This was chosen because Lewis was born in Ireland and loved Yeats’ poetry. The church choir then performed three typical anthems from a collegiate choral evensong, without any organ accompaniment as curiously enough Lewis did not like the organ. We then had a rare treat as the soloists Lucy Matheson and Sally Mears, performed settings of Elizabethan poetry to the accompaniment of the Apollo consort of viols. This acknowledged Lewis’s solid achievements as a professor of Renaissance literature. The soloists’ unaccompanied performance of duets by Thomas Morley was exquisite and was one of the highlights of the evening,
The Pilgrim’s Chorus from Wagner’s Tannhauser was included to reflect Lewis’s love of Wagner. He and J.R.R.Tolkien would often travel up to London by train to hear the operas at Covent Garden. In this piece, it might have been better to omit the string accompaniment, which in truth only detracted from the noble sound of the male voice choir.
Roger Teichmann is a local boy as, like Lewis, he is a lecturer at Oxford University. He has written prize-winning operas and cantatas. His Narnia songs are set for a chorus of women’s voices accompanied by a string quartet, two recorders, trumpet, cymbals and bells. This imaginative scoring and texture made up for any lack of obvious melody. The ending with the sound of bells resonating sweetly was truly beautiful.
The concert concluded with Elgar’s little-known four-part-song My Love Dwelt in a Northern Land, performed by the whole choir with sensitive and beautiful phrasing. It was a terrific end to a very varied and stimulating concert.
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There are so many treasures in Oxford that we tend to take them for granted and, as residents, rarely bother to visit them. Instead of complaining about the tourists, perhaps we should follow their example more frequently.
Christ Church Picture Gallery is one of these neglected gems and the present exhibition of drawings by old masters is a way to attract and stimulate more people to take an interest in it. The local Oxford artist, Jeff Clarke, RE, is currently showing a selection of his own paintings there and many of them feature the back streets of East Oxford, where he lives. It takes courage to display your own work alongside that of Holbien, Tintoretto, Correggio and Joshua Reynolds. However, there is one advantage Jeff has over them - his works are for sale and if you fancy one, you can buy it and hang it in your sitting-room!
Jeff-Clarke-An-Artist-Looks-at-Old-Masters.html
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Top Girls
By Caryl Churchill Directed by Max Stafford-Clark
One of the seminal plays of the twentieth century, Top Girls flashes with razor-sharp wit and ingenious theatricality.
1980, England. Go-getting businesswoman Marlene is hosting a dinner party to celebrate her promotion to MD of the Top Girls Employment Agency. Her guests, all powerful women from myth and history, make for an extraordinary gathering.
Max Stafford-Clark directed the premiere of Top Girls in 1982 and this brand new production received rave reviews in the West End in 2011. As relevant today as at its inception, Caryl Churchill's witty and daring landmark play is a moving study of success and reveals the chilling reality of those left behind.
OPINION Out of Joint, led by Max Stafford-Clark, has been at the forefront of championing new plays for years and Top Girls is one of the best. This remarkable play deserves its place in the literary canon and speaks as strongly to the audience now, as when it was first staged.
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I was delighted to see the new Theatre open at the Old Fire Station on Tuesday evening. The old one, shabby though it was, had seen many a fascinating and rewarding dramatic production. The building now has been refurbished as a result of the government’s Places of Change Programme and houses the Crisis Skylight Centre as well as the new theatre. Everything is bright, colourful and cheerful, and with the Christmas trees and decorations sparkling, it gave us a warm welcome.
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There is nothing like a good musical to brighten up a cold and damp Oxford December evening, which is what you get from attending South Pacific at Oxford’s New Theatre. Certainly, this Lincoln Centre production of South Pacific set on the island of Guadalcanal, put a smile on the face and a spring in the step of the audience, as they left (7 December 2011) at the end of this exciting performance.
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If you are looking for good old-fashioned family Christmas fun, then going to see Mother Goose at the Oxford Playhouse certainly fits the bill. Both kids and adults will enjoy this story, full of humour, political comment and fun. Even the song and dance routines were enjoyable. It was great to see and hear the audience laughing, clapping and singing along to the songs that ranged from The Monkey’s ‘I m a believer’ to the Mikado’s ‘Three little maids from school’.
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As with all Gilbert and Sullivan productions, this Opera della Luna performance delivers what is best in good entertaining social comment and satire on the class barriers that lovers face, even today.
The production was originally set in the Victorian period. Jeff Clarke the director of this performance has updated it to the 'flower power' era. However, I felt many of the observations made could have equally been applied today in this class and celebrity obsessed world we live in, where much of the ruling political, entertainment and business elites, is still dominated by Oxbridge graduates from wealthy families.
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Last night’s, Oxford’s Theatre Guild’s performance of Macbeth was full of percussive bashing of swords and Shakespeare’s magical language that made this two and a half hour performance simply come alive!
Macbeth, who was played with passion by Peter Malin, is the man who would be King of Scotland, who struggles with ambition, doubt and his conscience as he takes the treacherous path to kill King Duncan and many of his family and supporters.
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This production of Aeschylus’s tragedy, The Libation Bearers, here re-titled Clytemnestra, is the Oxford Greek Play - a triennial event in which students perform a classical drama in the original language. Although most of the audience had to follow the text in translation on a screen, the performance was still rivetting and the story largely told itself in mime and through a daring and original musical score composed and directed by Alexander Reut-Hobbs.
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Location, location, location, It can make a production and it can also do its best to kill it. Creation Theatre’s new production of Antony and Cleopatra is splendid in many respects, and the lead actors, Tom Peters as Mark Antony and Lizzie Hopley as Cleopatra, both give memorable and distinguished performances of their complex, demanding roles. Antony, unkempt and louche but tough under it all, is aware that his obsession with Cleopatra is sapping his effectiveness as a soldier and a ruler. He chain-smokes his way through the tense confrontation with Octavius, and thoroughly enjoys carousing on Pompey’s ship when a timely truce is made with the enemies of Rome.
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If you saw last year’s production of The Tempest by the Oxford Shakespeare Company, or their hilarious and memorable Twelfth Night the year before that, you will have high expectations of their new show, The Comedy of Errors. And you will not be disappointed. From the very first moment when the show bursts into life with a dance, it is full of energy, vitality and verve. There is not a hint of reverence anywhere for this early comedy by Shakespeare - the lines are there, yes, but transformed into a rip-roaring entertainment with clowns, puppetry, absurd sound-effects, and cheeky visual jokes.
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You won’t be able to go and see Conor Lovett’s one-man performance of First Love because it was on for only one night. The morose, gloomy, ribald black humour, the emphasis on death and animal existence, even scatology, was too much for two women in the audience who walked out half-way through, unable to stand it when the protagonist recalled inscribing his beloved’s name on a cow-pat, which he calls a “heifer-pat”. Perhaps they had hoped to see a play based on Turgenev’s story “First Love”, and if so they would have been very disappointed. A tramp meets a tart on a bench near a canal, moves in with her to get a roof over his head and then leaves when she gives birth to a child as he can’t stand the noise. That’s all there is to it. It’s not great passion. “Either you love or you don’t,” it concludes abruptly.
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Mark’s performance, last night (13 September 2011) at the Oxford Playhouse was what you expect from an accomplished and professional performer. It is clear he really loves his work. He certainly has a passion for film. It is not surprising this film critic is a popular guest for BBC Five Live and the Culture Show. Mark certainly provides value for money.
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Mike Bartlett’s play “Love, Love, Love”, currently on at the Playhouse,
is not one I can honestly recommend. For a start, it is not a good evening’s entertainment. The dialogue is bland, the action is static and none of the actors are outstanding. The two females in the cast, Lisa Jackson and Rosie Wyatt, both have harsh unattractive voices and they shout throughout as if they were addressing a deaf person. Jackson over-acts in a somewhat unsubtle way. The story is meant to cover a period of forty years, yet by the end the central characters have not put on a pound in weight or got one grey hair between them. What’s their secret?
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"Bronte", Polly Teale's play about the Bronte family, is being performed at the Oxford Playhouse by the Shared Experiencecompany which is now the theatre's resident theatrical company. http://www.sharedexperience.org.uk/
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This production by Creation Theatre Company of Marlowe’s tragedy Dr Faustus takes place in the unusual venue of the Norrington Room at Blackwell’s Bookshop in Broad Street. The underground place, stuffed with thousands of books, is appropriate for many reasons.
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This highly original, prize-winning play about the legendary soprano Maria Callas uses the idea of a master class to recreate her powerful personality and tell her life story in retrospect.Towards the end of her life, when she could no longer perform, Maria Callas gave a few master classes at the Juilliard School of Music in New York. For the students in the play, this is a privilege that can turn out to be an ordeal.
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The Seagull is a classic and this production is unmissable. Chekhov is one of the absolute greats and there are people who buy houses in Oxford for the chance to see this sort of production of a truly wonderful play.
Set in an isolated country house in the Russian provinces, hundreds of miles from Moscow, the story concerns the aspirations and rivalries of various artists and writers who gather as the guests of the elderly Sorin. His sister, Madame Irina Arkadina, is a celebrated actress and a rather awful person. A successful woman with a liberated lifestyle, she is also vain, selfish, affected, and insensitive to the needs of younger people.
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If there has to be a last season of the Garsington Opera, Benjamin Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is the ideal work to celebrate everything unique and wonderful about this much-loved Oxford festival. This was quintessential Garsington.
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Reviews of professional, student and amateur productions in Oxford and the surrounding area.
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Whatever else you are doing between now and next Saturday, drop it and ring Ox. 305305 immediately to book for TRAVESTIES at the Simkins Lee Theatre at Lady Margaret Hall. This hilarious show is unmissable and the funniest thing you will see all Christmas season.
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At a time of winter chills and general insecurity, what could be more reassuring than taking the children to a bright, cheery and thoroughly traditional pantomime?
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Anybody who saw the Creation Theatre Company’s Christmas entertainment given at the Cowley Mini-plant in the Mirror Tent last year will be keenly looking forward to this one. And they will not be disappointed.
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When will directors learn that there is something unsatisfactory about a whole production in which the actors speak in assumed accents? No matter how good they are -or how much coaching they have had - the effect will rarely be wholly convincing and when the accent is Southern states of America, it may be a tiny bit comic too. In this student production the accents are not wholly convincing and the result is unfortunate.
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Richard Bean’s new play, The Big Fellah, is about IRA activists in America in the 1970s and 1980s. It follows the story of a youngish Irishman called Michael Doyle who decides to get involved with the IRA in New York. He shelters an IRA fugitive called Rory who appeals to an American court to give him status as a freedom fighter rather than as a mere violent criminal.
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The SILVER TASSIE,
a play by Seán O’Casey, at the Oxford Playhouse.
The visits to Oxford of the Druid theatre company are something anticipated with excitement by Playhouse fans. This time they have taken on the considerable challenge of Sean O’Casey’s 1929 play The Silver Tassie, set in the First World War. It is a strange play, lengthy, involved and wide-ranging, with a first act in naturalistic style and others in what can perhaps be called expressionistic mode, as the play struggles to present on stage the full hellishness of the battlefield and the lunacy of the war experience. The impact this has is considerable, and bearing in mind that this country in 2010 has been at war now for nearly nine years, I think that this play, sombre though it is, deserves to be seen. In fact, every young man who is thinking of joining the army and going off to Afghanistan, ought to go and see it.
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“It’s seventy years ago! Ancient history! Can’t we just move on?” exclaims Sasha, the youngest member of the Jewish Roth family half way through this play, when the subject of the Holocaust threatens to take over an already tense and fraught family gathering. Just because they are Jewish, do they have to remain perpetually obsessed with persecutions that happened, in some cases, thousands of years ago?
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This production of Shakespeare’s last major play is fast, bold, full of action and only slightly marred by eccentricities that will not stop the majority of people from enjoying it. It uses experimental music and sound to meet to create the strange, magical atmosphere demanded by the play, combining this with a certain amount of light-hearted fun. Both the story and the comedy have survived the somewhat drastic cuts of director Mick Gordon, although it must be admitted that the masque of the three goddesses has been ditched in favour of a quick song, and Prospero’s stern speech to Ferdinand, his prospective son-in-law, about the perils of pre-marital sex, has been fearlessly axed.
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This production of Peter Schaffer’s classic play about the Spanish conquest of Peru is an exciting event with much to offer - spectacle, music, highly creative sets and costumes, symbolism and dance. It is a very ambitious undertaking for this student company and is in many ways a triumph.
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If there has to be a last season of the Garsington Opera, Benjamin Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is the ideal work to celebrate everything unique and wonderful about this much-loved Oxford festival. This was quintessential Garsington.
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‘Cool it’, the movie examines the voracity of some of the arguments and proposed solutions, trendy eco-warriors such as Al-Gore has publicised in his movie ‘An Inconvenient Truth’. ‘Cool it’, is a film adaptation of the book with the same name by noted Danish climate expert and scientist Bjorn Lomborg.
The film accepts the general thesis of global warming, but questions the economic and social solutions that are put forward to solve this problem.
Cool-it-Bjorn-Lomborg.html
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Chuck is what you would expect from James Bond if he had a sense of humour and could keep an on-going relationship. Chuck is certainly full of high jinks and parody of many of the spy films, we currently see including Mission Impossible and The Bourne Supremacy. There is everything in it from a hideout similar to the bat cave to super gadgets that appear from the most unlikely of places.
However, the magic for Chuck's fans is the clever plots and relationships that our hero Chuck has with his bride to be and other supporting characters in the series. Unlike a lot of American TV, Chuck is not for the brain dead. It is equal in many ways to The Big Bang Theory.
Chuck,-Series-Four.html
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If you are looking for a pocket sized book to guide you around Singapore on your lay over between Australia and Europe, there is much to recommend this new edition of Lonely Planet’s paperback guide to Singapore.
This book is aimed at the independent traveller, looking to add Singapore to his itinerary. The visitor will find useful suggestions as to where tourists should shop, eat out, stay and socialise. It feels like a small telephone directory, that is packed full of useful background briefings and tips about the best sites to visit and enjoy. For those who want to have a real feel for the city the guided walks described in the guide, will certainly prove rewarding.
Singapore-City-Guide.html
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Vitali Vitaliev’s latest book ‘Life as a Literary Device’ can be best described as an unconventional, sometimes nostalgic description of his life, adventures and experiences from the closing stages of the former Soviet Empire to the present day. His career has included being a successful professional travel writer, author and international journalist.
Life-as-a-Literary-Device.html
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Today, there is much discussion about the relative merits of social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Linkedin and Twitter, yet little practical advice on how to avoid the hazards that face a professional journalist. Such social networking sites are proving, for some journalists, a useful new source of story ideas and leads. Indeed, such virtual sites are being used by some reporters as the equivalent of overhearing a story on a bus or in a pub.
A-Journalists-Guide-to-Facebook.html
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The problem
Disaster is a regular topic in the news, whether man-made or natural, in recent years there have been earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and floods. It would appear many disaster prone countries have failed to implement adequate pre-disaster risk assessment programs to mitigate the impact of such disasters.
What is this book about?
The authors of ‘The Asian Tsunami: Aid Reconstruction after a Disaster’ by Sisira Jayasuriya and Peter McCawley focuses on the events surrounding the Asian Tsunami of 26 December 2004. This book studies the rescue and rehabilitation efforts of local, national and international stakeholders
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If someone suggested going on a Spring break somewhere relaxing, where you could enjoy, sunshine, fresh air, flowers, picturesque towns, green mountains and quality local wines, what destination would come into your mind? France, Spain, Greece? Madeira, Majorca? Turkey? Maybe Germany would not be your first answer, yet all of those things can be enjoyed in Western Germany, which is closer to us than the Costa Brava. South of the industrial area, there is a spacious rural and wine-growing country, through which wind the rivers Rhine, Moselle and their tributaries. It’s a great place to relax without getting bored.
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From my own experience, Ross Clark’s description in this week’s (7 August 2010) Spectator ‘Train a Grande Vexation’ of her travels across France by rail sleeper from Paris to Bourg St Maurice are not typical for most travellers. Her argument that France’s investment in its growing TGV network is some enormous vanity project does not bear up to scrutiny. Countries throughout the world, including Britain have witnessed the enormous economic development and environmental benefits of investing in such high-speed rail projects. However, due to delays caused by our pathetic ‘Nimby’ dominated planning system, it is likely that even countries, such as Russia and China, will have completed large sections of their high-speed express networks before Britain has laid its first rail.
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The little town of Soller in northern Mallorca looks like just the sort of place you’d go for a quiet holiday. Green hills covered with orange and lemon trees, shady gardens where bougainvillea trails across trellises, a short tram ride down to a beach with palm trees and some surprisingly perfect (imported) sand. It is close to Deia, the glorious mountain village where Robert Graves retired, and where Bob Geldof, Jason Donovan and that sort of crowd are now rumoured to hang around. It’s definitely not the sort of place where you’d find rowdy British package-holidaymakers of the “earwig” type, getting drunk and raising hell. On the contrary, all the rowdiness and bingeing here in Soller is done by the locals who, though usually calm and phlegmatic, go wild during their annual fiesta. We had no idea about this when we booked. It was pure chance that we found ourselves there on 24th August, the festival of St. Bartholomew.
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The first thing you see as you approach Sark on the boat - the first building or landmark of any kind - is the Pont Robert lighthouse, white with an octagonal tower, halfway up the green craggy slope, looking like one of those chapels or monasteries the Greeks usually build in the most inaccessible spots on remote islands and mountains. The tower looks a bit like a belfry and a little balcony runs all the way round it to give access to the light itself. Everybody snaps it with their cameras. A few minutes later, the boat docks at the Maseline Harbour, a tractor with a trailer arrives to carry you to the top of the hill and all the sensible people go to stay in comfortable hotels like the Harbour Inn or a rented cottage.
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The last time I went to Corsica, two years ago, I heard that a new, super-duper high-speed railway was being built from Bastia on the East coast to Ajaccio on the West. The signs of it were plain to see in Ajaccio where the old station had been extended into the town to make space for it. Actually I’m rather fond of the existing, older trains, and I’m not the only one. The new line seemed pretty pointless to me since there is already a railway line linking the two towns, neither of them very large, and it has been there for well over a hundred years.
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It’s amazing how hard being a tourist is. Take Oxford. Most day trips out of London only allow their paying customers just an hour to see the sights. That is the city of ‘dreaming spires’, its famous university and the locations where their favourite films like Harry Potter or Inspector Morse or Lewis where shot. Then they are off to some other tourist attraction like Stratford to see the Shakespeare.
As a local, one feels sorry for such visitors. Oxford needs more than just one hour to look round its ancient university, see the sights and have a chance to have a real taste of the Oxford experience.
Visiting-Oxford.html
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Sailabrate’ the Bicentennial of the
Star Spangled Banner and 1812 War
If you are suffering from the post Christmas holiday blues then you may be looking for another reason to celebrate in 2012. The two-year Star Spangled Sailabration starting in June 2012 celebrates 200 years since the end of the 1812 War. Experience a number of spectacular events including impressive international naval demonstrations, dazzling firework displays and air shows.
‘Sailabrate'-the-Bicentennial-of-the-Star-Spangled-Banner-and-1812-War.html
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Interviews with famous historical, science fiction, detective novelists, scientists, politicians and business people. Many of them have some connection with Oxford including that they have studied, worked or visited Oxford at some time.
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Richard Dawkins, though perhaps not well known in Europe, is one of the world’s most controversial and influential intellectual figures. He holds the Chair for the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford University. His book ‘The selfish Gene’ published in 1976, in which he argued that the “the selfish gene was the basic engine of evolutionary development.” This book became one of the most influential scientific texts of modern times.
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The many television series, based on Colin Dexter’s books have made both Oxford and his heroes, Inspector Morse and Lewis, household names throughout Europe. As you would expect from such a popular writer, he has been given many honours and awards including the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace for his services to literature.
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I talked with Lindsey Davis, the famous authoress, in the lounge of Rome’s Hotel Forum near the ancient Forum that plays such a vital setting for many of her Falco detective novels. Lindsey Davis is busy at work on a short story commissioned by BBC Radio 4, in a new initiative, which pairs writers with reading groups in the central England region; it will be broadcast in 2008. Then she next turns to the nineteenth novel of her highly successful historical comic detective series set in the first century AD of the Roman Empire under Emperor Vespasian. It will be set in Roman Alexandria and Lindsey comments, 'The challenge is to avoid all mention of Pharaohs!'
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VISITING the Oxford Literary Festival recently, Nicholas Newman, of Oxford Prospects magazine, interviewed travel writer, Fran Sandham, author of TRAVERSA, A Solo Walk Across Africa, from the Skeleton Coast to the Indian Ocean.
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It’s amazing how many people have seen, or read, Brian’s work. Hollywood directors Simon Channing-Williams, Roger Corman, Stanley Kubrick and Spielberg have all adapted his tales into films. Three notable adaptions have been Brothers of the Head, Frankenstein Unbound and A.I. However working with such famous film directors has certainly been a remunerative, exciting, but not necessarily a satisfactory experience.
Brian-Aldiss-Interview.html
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Dr. Bjorn Lomborg aged 42, heads the Copenhagen Consensus Centre, is adjunct professor at Copenhagen Business School Denmark, and author of the best selling books ‘The Skeptical Environmentalist’ and ‘Cool It’. Bjorn was named one of the "50 people who could save the planet" by the Guardian newspaper in 2008.
Bjorn-Lomborg.html
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Julia Gray, Hollywood script writing consultant and CEO of the ‘Scriptwriting Department’, brought these little known facts, to my attention. I met her for lunch with Julia at Oxford’s historic Ashmolean museum rooftop restaurant. She was due to give a one-day film script writing workshop in the town. The Ashmolean museum is a favourite haunt of Oxford’s intelligentsia and artists, such as Colin Dexter and Richard Dawkins.
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Indulge yourself in the very best freshly made chocolates, and enjoy a truly special chocolate experience. Chocolate truffles have always been a wholehearted favourite for lovers of chocolate due to their decadent nature and rich ganache centre. Coco Noir brings the finest, gourmet chocolate truffles available, including a wide choice of styles and flavours and we are sure that you will find your perfect box of chocolates from this special collection of the world's finest (all images for illustration only).
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Greek Cookery Class, Wine tasting plus Supperclub - Jan-March events
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Hello food lovers,
I hope my email finds you well!
I want to give you a short summary and update of the next hands-on Greek cooking classes/course, Greek vegan supperclub/dinner and to announce a Greek organic wine & food tasting event as well and a charity event to help the spastics in Greece.
All events are open to meat eaters, vegetarians and vegans and there are gluten-free options available too, just let me know upon booking and preferably 5 days prior to the event to arrange for alternatives.
After successfully running the first ever Greek Cookery Course earlier this month where the students excelled in making gigantes, kleftiko and mousaka, one of the toughest dishes in Greek cuisine and you can see the pictures from their achievements on www.facebook.com/GreekCookery, the next challenge is to learn to make dolmades, imam baildi (=stuffed aubergines) and bake bread from scratch with your hands on 29 Jan, 5 Feb and 19 Feb respectively! For more details on this course, price and to book please visit my blog on: http://greekcookeryclass.wordpress.com/2012/01/24/greek-cookery-class-course-learn-to-make-dolmades-imam-baildipapoutsaki-and-bake-bread/
If cooking is not your cup of tea, then there is a Greek organic wine and food tasting event on Thursday 23 Feb, this is a chance to sample various Greek meze and the fantastic organic Paros Wines, from the Cyclades. At the event you will also be able to purchase some wine so do bring some cash with you as you'd be sorry to miss out on this wonderful Greek wine which doesn't give you a hangover and tastes divine. More info on the dishes you will be sampling at the tasting and to get your ticket: http://greekcookeryclass.wordpress.com/2012/01/24/wine-food-tasting-event-greek-organic-wine-and-greek-meze-with-deserts-23-february-at-7pm/
And if you want to read more on the wines: http://www.paros-wine.co.uk/
For those of you who want the experience of eating authentic Greek food cooked by me at a nice dinner format and eat some of the fantastic vegan dishes Greek cuisine has to offer then join the Supperclub on Friday 2 March where you get to try several starters, sides, the main Gigantes and salad plus desserts. Full menu and details for the supperclub are found here: http://greekcookeryclass.wordpress.com/2012/01/20/greekfoodlovers-all-vegan-supperclub-friday-2-march-2012/
For all events you need to book and pre-pay via: greekcookeryclass(AT)gmail.com
The course and the supperclub are informal, good fun and you get to meet people who share the love of food and cooking/eating together. To sign up, email me back with your name and anyone else you'd like to sign up on the email below. But it's absolutely fine to just book yourself in, as many people do join my events on their own!
greekcookeryclass(AT)gmail.com
First come first served, so please book early to avoid disappointment!! I also offer personalised gift vouchers if you want to give the class/course/supperclub as a present to your loved ones.
For pictures and info and to get a feel of what we're up to visit us to see our previous 60++ classes and Greek Supper Clubs on:
www.facebook.com/GreekCookery and check under photos or visit the http://greekcookeryclass.wordpress.com
Looking forward to cooking and/or eating together some of the best Greek food in London.
EXTRA news: charity event info...
Finally, I'd like to support a charity event on 26 Feb 8pm at Mythopolis on City Road. The Macedonian Society of Great Britain organises an eve with live Greek rebetika music. Ticket is £10 to listen to this really good live band of young talented Greek musicians and the money is for support of spastics in Greece. All drinks and food at your own cost and on top of the ticket price. (This event is organised by one of my clients). To book contact Panagiota directly: pankot1@hotmail.com
Press and testimonials:
Your chef Elisavet, devoted to Greek food, has received much acclaim for her traditional home-cooking style. Elisavet's food has been served at Riverside Studios in London for a Greek festival and she has been featured in Red Magazine (June 2010), Foodepedia and ITV’s Britain’s Best Dish where Michelin starred chef John Burton Race said her lagana bread is "absolutely first class" and the prawn dish she cooked live on ITV was "cooked to perfection!" Also Eating East has given her food and supper club 4**** stars out of 5 in their review.
Elle Decoration (September 2011) recommends Greek Cookery Classes as the authentic Greek cuisine experience and Business Traveller US magazine lists both her Greek Supper Club and Greek Cookery Class among London's top alternative dining places. Elisavet is also the first cook to teach Greek Cooking lessons at Divertimenti Cookery and Leith's Cookery Schools in London and recently her piece on Greek food was published in The Guardian.
Private events can be arranged as well, for your work, family and/or friends. Get in touch for separate dates and prices for bringing the Greek Supperclub or cooking class experience to your home or bringing your party to us, or hiring the chef for your private dinner party. Catering is another service offered for your special occasions or office meetings and gatherings.
A thank you to Total Greek Yoghurt and Kenwood for sponsoring with their products.
If you wish to unsubscribe or if you've been added to the Greek Cookery Class and Supper Club mailing list incorrectly, please email back so your e-address can be removed from the mail-out.
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Elisavet
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Dear friends and Greek food lovers,
Greek Cookery Class runs another three-week course daytime, this time, on 23 Jan, 30 Jan and 6 Feb) with three full days of cooking and eating. Details are under Daytime Jan/Feb Greek Cookery Class Course below. Then we have a Greekfoodlovers' all vegan Supperclub on Friday 2 March, scroll down to that section if you're only interested in the dinner event. You can sign up for all/any of the events, just email back with your name to arrange for your booking on greekcookeryclass(AT)gmail.com Finally, there will be a semi-supperclub and semi food and wine tasting event in Feb, I just need to have the date confirmed.
Daytime Jan/Feb Greek Cookery Class Course:
In these 3 sessions on 3 Mondays in a row you'll learn how to cook three very popular dishes in Greek cuisine plus a lot of side dishes. Each session will last between 4-4,5 hours and be held between 12 noon - 4pm. We'll cook together and then have a meal together with the food we've made before each participant gets to take a portion home. The course will run on these Mondays: 23 Jan, 30 Jan and 6 February 2012. Each class will feature a main dish: Giouvetsi or kritharaki as it's also called (the rice shaped pasta cooked in tomato sauce with meat), Dolmades the stuffed vine leaves and finally at the last session you'll learn how to make Spanakopitta. The classes are hands-on and you'll get to learn the skills for cooking these classic Greek dishes that so many of you love and what ingredients to use to make each dish a success! Apart from the mains we'll also be doing a few different Greek sides/meze and salads in every class to pair with every main to create a meal and there will be other goodies to try out during the class as well, and dessert if you behave :)
The cost for the full course is £195 per person for all three sessions. All ingredients, 4hr tuition, tastings and meal are included plus a doggy bag to bring some food home after every class. To book contact me via email to arrange payment for your space/s. The 3 week course can be given as a present as well.
If you wish to attend one or two out of the three sessions the price will be £80/class, remember each class lasts for about 4 to 4,5 hours (eating included).
Greekfoodlovers' all vegan Supperclub Fri 2 March 2012 menu, 7pm :
The Supperclub is where I'll be cooking all the food and you'll be sitting down eating a feast of Greek vegan mezedes and Gigantes among other Greek delicacies. This is for meat eaters as well, don't be worried by the "vegan" label. A lot of Greek dishes are traditionally vegetarian and vegan as Greek Cuisine uses vegetables and pulses in cooking. We'll start at 7pm and finish the dinner at about 9:45pm when you can continue your Friday night around Shoreditch's many bars and clubs, if you please. So if you want to spend an evening with authentic Greek food and good company, this is the place where you can eat and socialize around the same table! The cost for the supperclub is £45 per person and you get all of the following on your plates:
Meze for Starters:
Fava
Dolmades
Aubergine dip
Pereski (pontic Greek dish, potato and onion filling baked in fyllo pastry)
Home-baked bread
Kalamata Olives
Main:
Gigantes - butter beans
served with Crispy fried courgette and a salad
Desserts:
Baklava and more sweet Greek surprises
Portions are Greek and generous, all dishes are home made. BYOB! Only extra virgin olive oil is used, no margarines or other substitute fats!! Limited spaces so if you want to book for your party or just yourself, get in touch soon to arrange for your payment. Let me know of any food allergy upon booking, but at least 5 days in advance in order to arrange for an alternative. The menu is mostly gluten free as well, only the bread and the pereski contain gluten and the baklava, but alternative options can be catered for if necessary. Also the vegan menu is open to meat eaters and vegetarians, it's just a meal without animal products!!
The course and the supperclub are held close to Liverpool Street/Old Street stations. Location details only to paying customers and closer to the date of each event.
Pre-payment only.
The course and the supperclub are informal, good fun and you get to meet people who share the love of food and cooking/eating together. To sign up, email me back with your name and anyone else you'd like to sign up on the email below. But it's absolutely fine to just book yourself in, as many people do join the events on their own!
greekcookeryclass(AT)gmail.com
First come first served, so please book early to avoid disappointment!! I also offer personalised gift vouchers if you want to give the class/course/supperclub as a present to your loved ones.
For pictures and info and to get a feel of what we're up to visit us to see our previous 50++ classes and Greek Supper Clubs on:
www.facebook.com/GreekCookery and check under photos or visit the http://greekcookeryclass.wordpress.com
Looking forward to cooking together some of the best Greek food in London.
Press and testimonials:
Your chef Elisavet, devoted to Greek food, has received much acclaim for her traditional home-cooking style. Elisavet's food has been served at Riverside Studios in London for a Greek festival and she has been featured in Red Magazine (June 2010), Foodepedia and ITV’s Britain’s Best Dish where Michelin starred chef John Burton Race said her lagana bread is "absolutely first class" and the prawn dish she cooked live on ITV was "cooked to perfection!" Also Eating East has given her food and supper club 4**** stars out of 5 in their review: http://www.eatingeast.co.uk/2010/09/22/greek-foodlovers-supper-club-2/
Elle Decoration magazine (September 2011) recommends Greek Cookery Classes as the authentic Greek cuisine experience and Business Traveller US magazine lists both her Greek Supper Club and Greek Cookery Class among London's top alternative dining places. Elisavet is also the first cook to teach Greek Cooking lessons at Divertimenti Cookery and Leith's Cookery Schools in London and recently her piece on Greek food in Greece was published in The Guardian.
Private events can be arranged as well, for your work, family and/or friends. Get in touch for separate dates and prices for bringing the Greek Supperclub or cooking class experience to your home or bringing your party to us, or hiring the chef for your private dinner party. Catering is another service offered for your special occasions or office meetings and gatherings.
A thank you to Total Greek Yoghurt and Kenwood for sponsoring with their products.
If you wish to unsubscribe or if you've been added to the Greek Cookery Class and Supper Club mailing list incorrectly, please email back so your e-address can be removed from the mail-out.
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Fortunately, using it on a sunny Spring morning like yesterday was a treat and it seemed to me that quite a lot of people were there. I bumped into two old friends and went to all my favourite stalls, as well as discovering a new one. On the list of unmissable things are always the bakery stall and Eadles for yummy chickens and meaty pork sausages. Apparently we’re not allowed to call anything a Cumberland sausage now unless it’s made in Cumberland, so I will describe these as a Cumberland-style ¬sausage, solid and lean. Do Yorkshire puddings also have to be made in Yorkshire? What about Irish stews? Dundee cakes? Bath buns? And Jerusalem artichokes? I also bought, on impulse, some lamb’s kidneys, which can be grilled, fried or put in a stew. The stall selling smoked trout is another one I stop at automatically. No need to nibble their tasters - I know their products are delicious.
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When did you last taste an apple pie or pudding that was really good? One that made you think, gosh, so that’s why people went to all that trouble planting orchards all over the place. Chances are, it was a frozen strudel and you bought it in a box.
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You will find this recipe fun to do, in fact all the ingredients are available at your local Co-op or Waitrose.
Adults Kitchen - Handy tip:
Lamb Kofte Tagine
Ingredients:
750g lamb mince
1 onion , grated
1 red chilli , finely chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
2 cloves , ground
coriander leaves from a large bunch
1 egg
olive oil
2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes or tinned cherry tomatoes
400ml chicken stock
1 cinnamon stick
Spice paste
a large chunk root ginger , roughly chopped
1 onion , roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves , roughly chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp paprika
coriander roots from a large bunch
a couple of pinches chilli powder
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A recipe from Abigail Rose at Headington's Blackboy gastro pub
Adults Kitchen - Handy tip:
As well as being one of the most unintentionally amusing-sounding things you can do to a foodstuff, spatchcocking is a very good way of making meat easy to portion and quicker to cook. It's also not nearly as complicated as you might have been led to believe.
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TEA drinking in many households is an obsession, and getting a good cup sets people up for the rest of the day. Everyone drinks tea from Wallace and Gromit to the Prime Minister. The trouble is the art of making a good cup of tea is sadly being lost, as the number of American coffee bars has increased.
This is a pity for those of us leading stressful lives, since sitting down in a comfortable chair with a fine cup of tea, a good book and biscuits is an excellent way to relax, as Poirot would say, ‘it helps those little grey cells.’
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A few weeks ago, such a fluke happened to me; I went to stay with an old friend and discovered that behind his house was a neglected orchard in which three ancient pear trees were laden with fruit. The apple and plum trees had long ago fallen into decay, but pear trees can live and go on producing fruit for up to two hundred years. These venerable trees, overgrown, unpruned, and unruly, were weighted down with their bronze treasure, and more of it lay all around in the long grass. The pears were oddities by modern standards, funny shapes and sizes, but absolutely scrumptious.
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A Google search says that there are 2,860,000 recipes for pumpkin on the internet alone. OK, so 2,000,000 of them are variations on pumpkin pie. That still leaves 860,000 ways to eat your Halloween pumpkin. Imagine that all those noughts are round, amber-coloured pumpkins, and beautiful gigantic vegetables like globes of sunshine captured to brighten up our autumn. Beginning to feel hungry?
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For recipe suggestion
Everybody with a garden should have a currant bush in it somewhere. Currants, which are at the peak of their season now, in early August, are ridiculously easy to grow, packed with flavour and vitamin C, and have no thorns or bad habits. All they need is a little space and a reasonable amount of sun. They don’t need a trellis, they don’t need to be pruned carefully, you don’t have to water them once they are established, and they don’t get too big.
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Plums are part of the British culture, woven into nursery rhymes, proverbs, and folklore. We speak of a plum job, and a “plummy†voiceâ€. Little Jack Horner pulled out a plum, because Christmas pudding was originally made with plums (not raisins or sultanas). And where would the Nutcracker be without the Sugar Plum Fairy?
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Oxfordshire has some of the most glorious, varied, historic and interesting gardens in Britain - just what you'd expect for a county of rolling green hills, stately homes and honey-coloured stone buildings.
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It is less than one year to the London Olympics in 2012. Summer is nearly over, yet there is much still to do in the garden, including cutting the lawn and hedges, weeding and pruning the bushes.
Much of this gardening will include strenuous physical activities, that an Olympic sports person would be familiar with. In a recent survey, 80% of Ontario chiropractors reported that working in the garden was one of the most common sources of neck and back pain.
To help you enjoy the fruits of your labour, as you prepare the garden for winter, it's recommend you keep the following tips in mind:
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I sometimes think that if we had to have only one flower in the whole year - a sort of Desert Island flower - it would have to be the daffodil. Nothing else quite so joyously announces that Spring has come around again.
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Oxfordshire Handyman Brenden Gillen is based in Oxford, As a handyman he provides a full range of repair and hard landscaping services.These include:
All types of fencing, gates, repair work, sheds, concrete hard standing, block paving, patios, steps, garden walls, retaining walls, ponds, lighting, decking, aco drains, drainage, shingle, soak away, new driveways, landscaping.
Mini digger for hire with driver at week ends.
Groundwork up to floor level, dpc, formwork and reinforcement.
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Oxfordshire has some of the most glorious, varied, historic and interesting gardens in Britain - just what you'd expect for a county of rolling green hills, stately homes and honey-coloured stone buildings.
There are formal gardens, clipped and tamed, in awe-inspiring settings as Blenheim Palace where fountains sparkle and dance on the Water Terraces. Or Oxford’s Botanic Garden's Rose Garden, amid trimmed yew hedges, commemorating Florey, who developed penicillin.
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The gardens featured include Stowe, constructed on a magnificent scale with more than 40 temples and monuments, wooded walks by lakes and fun play elements for children, and Blenheim Palace Park, landscaped by 'Capability' Brown. Its formal Rose, Italian, and Secret Gardens as well as Water Terraces seem at their best - as if by magic - almost all year round. Hidden away in a Chiltern valley lies Stonor, whose rolling deer park and walled garden planted with roses and apple trees surprise and delight. Up in the north of Oxfordshire, among the Ironstone Hills, Broughton Castle gazes majestically over its moat, parkland and fleur-de- lys shaped box hedges, enclosing rare and historic roses.
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Russian Dispatches A Puzzle Inside A Conundrum
Today, Russia is rarely out of the news. It is either stories about Russians busy buying up parts of London, Chechen terrorists’ attacks on Moscow’s Domodedovo airport or news of the latest Russian owned mega yacht. We rarely hear about the Russian Federation’s recent technological and innovative successes. In the Soviet era, Russian innovators had much to be proud, from the AK-47 Kalashnikov machine gun to the Soyuz rocket. Such products are still in high demand by customers around the world, in part because of their innovative design, reliability and low costs.
Nowadays, for these very same reasons foreign high tech companies are actively recruiting Russia’s creative innovative talent. The results of the country's innovation are all around us, from much of the tiresome spam that arrives at our computers daily to the latest in biomedical equipment. However, difficulties with the past poor reputation of some Russian products and the multinational nature of much innovation may mean users, are quite unaware that they are using the results of Russian innovation.
Last February, I visited several major research and innovation centres in the Saint Petersburg and Moscow regions to discover the current state of technological progress in the country. What I found surprised me, Russian scientists and engineers are not the melancholic and dour people characterised by Tolstoy. Instead, I found many of them to be very optimistic, people full of boundless new ideas and energy.
Russia’s Innovation Stagnation
Russian trains
Russia is a vast land and train journeys can often take days. Herds of reindeer crossing the tracks or the permafrost melting can delay trains. Last February, I travelled on Russian Railway’s (RZD) first high-speed train service, the Sapsan (Russian for Peregrine Falcon), that links Moscow with Saint Petersburg. It is the latest in German train technology, built by Siemens Mobility, and it is far superior to what Russian rail technologists could themselves provide. The Sapsan has already substantially cut journey times from five hours to three-hour forty-five minutes between the two cities. However, most of the rail system is still using Soviet era technology, and clearly, there is considerable room for improvement with trains crawling across this vast country at stately 60 kilometres an hour.
Today, Russia’s profitable railways prefer to rely on imported technology as part of their modernisation plans. At present, Russia’s railway engineers, scientists, production and operating companies are busy in joint technological sharing deals with foreign companies. For instance, Siemens Mobility has registered 35 patents as the result of co-operation with its partners on several rail related projects to make its products more suitable for the harsh Russian operating environment. Germany’s railway company, DB Schenker, in conjunction with Russian Railways and St. Petersburg State Railway University has set up an International Logistics Supply Chain Management Centre aimed at encouraging innovation and modernisation in the rail sector. However, clearly it will be many years before the Russian train builders, will be able to compete on an equal footing against foreign firms such as Siemens Mobility and Alstom.
Russian Innovation Progress
Space Technology
Today, Russia is acknowledged as pioneers of space tourism, what is less well-known is the vital role Russian technology plays in the World’s space research effort, including the launching of satellites into orbit and delivering supplies to the International Space Station. Today, Russia’s approach to space technology is best described as a program of gradual development marked by upgrades of existing equipment, reapplication to new goals of hardware designed for other purposes, rapid recovery from failures, and constant experimentation. This contrasts with the USA, which tends to seek technological solutions that are often overcomplicated and have become too expensive for the taxpayer.
The European Space Agency (ESA) has been so impressed with its experiences in using the services of the Russian Federal Space Agency. That ESA has invested in a new Soyuz launch site at Kourou in the middle of the French Guinean jungle, next to where it launches its own heavy lift Arianespace rockets. ESA has bought 14 Soyuz rockets able to lift packages up to three tonnes, with the first one due to be launched in August or September this year from Kourou.
Russia’s To Build Its Own Silicon Valley!
Since the days of Stalin, there have been what Russians calls science cities known as ‘naukograds’. Ivory towers of innovation located often in the remotest parts of the country, closed to the outside world. Somewhat like the science fiction town portrayed in the American comedy television series ‘Eureka’. As a result, such restrictions hampered the ability of such naukograds to innovate.
Today, the Russian government as part of its innovation strategy has opened most of its naukograds. However, as Sergey Konovalov, expert at the Department for International Cooperation at the Russian Federation’s Ministry of Education and Science has observed that Russian design needs to do better, though its R&D is quite strong, especially in the fundamental sciences, though, applied science and innovation, in Sergey’s view, are in need of improvement!
In February 2010, President Medvedev announced ambitious plans to build the equivalent of America’s Silicon Valley in the Moscow region at Skolkovo in Odintsovo County. Already, several major foreign investors, including Intel, Microsoft and Matsui have expressed interest in the project. It will have its own golf course built by Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich. When I visited the site last February, the temperature was minus six degrees, and construction had started despite the snow. However, such cold weather did not stop Finland from becoming a major world centre of research and technological innovation. In Russia, the winter weather has not prevented people playing golf, as I soon discovered when I visited, with several Russian friends the nearby Nakhabino golf club. Golf in Russia has its rather unique innovations; you play with red balls, and negotiate the course using snowmobiles and ice skates. However, for many Russian golfers, there are additional hazards, including drunken snow mobile drivers, being attacked by a bear and even falling through the ice!
President Medvedev’s ambitious technological policy plans are much more practical than they first appear. Sergey Konovalov, suggests that: ‘Basically, the government has tried to create a favourable business climate for hi-tech industry, granting certain privileges to the key players and investing huge amounts of taxpayers' money into these projects. Sergey, though suggests that traditional attitudes towards treating knowledge as a spiritual human virtue, some kind of a gift that was not for the commercialization purposes, will have to change.
Doubts are being expressed that Russia technological ambitions could fail! Sergey Konovalov admits, such policies face problems, including the key issue of a shortage of experienced and effective leaders who would transform the oil-based economy into a somewhat modernized technology based economy. For many big potential investors, despite the already generous incentives on offer to participate, the Kremlin will have to prove it can protect intellectual property rights and improve governance standards.
However, I think the critics of the Kremlin’s ambitions to create a Russian Silicon Valley are wrong; it has the backing of Russia’s elite, including the likes of Eugene Kaspersky, the founder of Kaspersky Labs and billionaire Viktor Vekselberg. It has a good location, in the most prosperous and accessible region in the country, which should aid success. No, the real question that will determine the success of this project will be how well the Kremlin manages to reform its business, innovative and education environments. Even so, Sergey Konovalov suggests that state-controlled companies will dominate Russia’s high technology sector, simply because modernization is the country’s strategic project. In the long-run, the role of SME will be increasing. I do not see Russia as the world leader in high-tech. Nevertheless, as a smart and committed follower, it should stand in the top-20 countries by the percentage of GDP generated in the innovative sector.
Russia’s Innovation Ability
There is a saying in the world of innovation that you give the urgent projects to the European’s the big projects to the Indians and the impossible projects to the Russians! Certainly, the Kremlin’s ambitions for Russia to be the leading country in nanotechnology look, at first glance, unlikely. Russian's have a habit not to believe every word the government says about a project. It is not surprising there are many cynical observers who regard the Kremlin’s nanotech project as just a fresh opportunity for the Russia’s business elite to enrich themselves from state funds. Dr. Andrey Gidaspov, Russian Telecoms consultant suggests that observers have reason to be sceptical given that Russian inventors face an environment where: ‘the process of commercialization of technology and its practical implementation is in the infancy stage. Product commercialization is practically undeveloped in Russia!’ In addition, there are issues of a lack of a competitive market environment. Much, if not everything, depends on connections and, sadly, corruption. Most business is concentrated in corporations, while start-ups are suffering from a lack of financing. The Russian banking system is clearly not ready to lend credit for new ideas; they are sceptical toward risky ventures. In addition, Andrey Gidaspov suggests many civil servants themselves are skeptical about the necessity for economic diversification and investment in new technology when the country has so much wealth.
However, as I discovered talking to my fellow passenger Alexander Nabakov, a hedge fund manager, on the Saint Petersburg Sapsan express. Alexander thought the prospects that Russia will be amongst the top five countries in the world for nanotechnology looked promising. There are a number of reasons for this; the first is that nanotechnology appears to be a technology that lends itself to Russia’s innovative culture of being evolutionary in approach as exemplified by the popularity in usage of the TRIZ (Teoriya Resheniya Izobretatelskikh Zadatch) approach to solving engineering and scientific problems. The second is Russia’s long-term investment in military technology has provided much of the necessary R&D infrastructure and, lastly, the massive backing of government resources to this project.
These advantages have certainly encouraged major international firms like INTEL, Microsoft and Boeing to invest millions of dollars in new research establishments in Russia concerned with nanotechnology. Therefore, as to the question, will Russia succeed? Alexander proposes that Russia should be viewed as an exciting environment, full of potential opportunities for the investor in high technology. However, success will depend on how effectively the Kremlin will be able to reform all aspects of its rather chaotic economy.
Russia’s Human Condition
Today, Russia presents a rather confusing situation to the outside world. In some areas of R&D, it is amongst the leaders in technological innovation, yet in other sectors, it lags far behind. Russian society has a strong collectivist tradition that has discouraged individual initiative. In addition, it has had societal attitudes that tend to venerate pure knowledge for its own sake, and deplore any attempts to commercialise information. Such attitudes have produced an educational system that has tended to focus on the training of excellent scientists, rather than that of technologists and business graduates. This, perhaps, explains the failure of the elite to create an environment that is favourable to innovators. It is not surprising that often Russia’s brightest and best graduates are seeking remunerative opportunities elsewhere.
Consequently, the country’s elite has tended to be more motivated to exploit the massive profits that are available from Russia’s energy and resources boom, rather than investing in more uncertain technological ventures. Therefore, it is not surprising that the Kremlin has not been able to gain sufficient support from Russia’s elite for its past technology policies to be implemented. As a result, this lack of support has meant the Kremlin has been unable to remove many of the barriers to innovation that face both investors and innovators. However, because of the recession, the Kremlin has now gained sufficient backing from the country’s elite to tackle the barriers to innovation caused by its inadequate infrastructure, problematic business climate and uncertain legal environment.
SIDEBARS
Software
In fact, the Russian software industry tends to be very creative. It is perhaps not surprising there is an increasing number of Russian leading edge companies’ software companies’ operating in world markets. Such firms include Kaspersky Labs, maker of anti-virus software and linguistics software provider ABBYY.
In fact, take ABBYY as a typical example of what is best in creative software companies. Its development history is virtually identical to the Silicon Valley model for advanced technology companies. A group of students at one of the countries leading research universities the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, the Russian equivalent to Stanford University got together to form a software company led by its current chairman David Yang. Their first product was a Russian – English dictionary software called Lingvo in 1989. Since then the company has grown producing an ever-wider range of quality versions and products. Today ABBYY is in a leading provider of enterprise content management (ECM) and document management markets as a provider of high-quality optical character recognition (OCR), data capture and form processing solutions in over 130 markets.
In fact, when I visited ABBYY in Moscow, I found its creative culture and attitudes to work and innovations are comparable to successful software companies worldwide. Nastasya Savina, ABBYY vice-president on corporate communications says: ‘It’s a good place to work; it’s very democratic and flexible.’ The company like all similar companies in Russia has to be adaptable while it can attract the countries best innovators, from its premier schools in software development. ABBYY believes in investing in the future. It sponsors students at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and is allocating 27% of its revenue in research and development into breakthrough products. That's five times the industry average.
Russia’s Automotive Sector
Local drivers have devastated the Russian owned automotive industry by their preference for expensive international brands. This has resulted in an increasing number of foreign owned assembly plants being built in Russia to meet rising domestic demand and overcome high import tariff barriers.
The domestically owned car industry ability to compete has been disadvantaged by a shortage of financial resources for investment and research. Today, the Russian car industry is beginning to fight back as it has become involved in joint ventures and amalgamated with larger conglomerates. Russia’s technological expertise is much sought after by car importers eager to adapt their vehicles for the harsher road and weather conditions of Russia. The results of such developments include the AvtoVaz’s Cheverolet Niva, the GAZ’s Siber saloon and the Chrysler Sebring. In fact, the creative genius of Russian engineers is beginning to make its presence felt from armouring and customising of clients’ luxury vehicles to the development of boutique car-makers like Nikolay Fomenko’s Marussia Motors, plans to roll out new products including a coupe, SUV, sedan and a city car at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show.
ENDS
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The Olympus TG-310 is the latest snap and click camera to come out this year. It is ideal for both the family and adventurer at heart. It’s aimed at those who want to take better quality pictures and video clips than is available from the latest mobile phone. So for people who need good images for their work like journalists, parking wardens, engineers, surveyors and adventurers it is an ideal piece of kit. What’s more it fits handily in my pocket and is rechargeable. It is designed to be tough!
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It is becoming clear that your gadget shopping list will not contain all things apple, it is likely other brands will be competing for your hard earned cash. For those who raced to buy the new Apple tablet – the question is, will you still be using it in six months, given the design restrictions built into the product. Will your apple tablet end up in six-month time, in the cupboard, as some costly mistake, with the rest of the gadgets you bought in haste, superseded by cheaper, more flexible, and easier to operate devices that are starting to come on to the market?
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DrawPlus X5 is designed for both the professional and amateur user. If you are a graphic artist, an illustrator, a desktop publisher or a web designer, you will find it a very useful. It's extremely versatile, both amateurs and professionals will find features to satisfy their requirements.
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Serif has launched the latest version of WebPlus, its WebPlus X5. It is website design tool software, which ensures users don't need to learn HTML to construct and publish a website. It is an update on WebPlus X4, which was very good! The aim of this software is to make it as easy as possible for anyone to design and create a professional-quality website, regardless of experience. It is certainly, a game-changing improvement on its previous version and much easier to use than its extremely more expensive rivals such as Expression Web or Dreamweaver.
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The Olympus LS-5 digital voice recorder is certainly an impressive device! Olympus claims it is designed for professional users who require high quality sound recordings. Certainly, its chunky blue metallic appearance suggests that it is a serious professional tool that any musician, sound engineer, broadcaster, journalist or academic would be proud to use.
Olympus has designed the LS-5 to have all the features necessary for a handy portable sound studio. Like all Olympus products, due to its innovative design it is robust and easy to use. However, as a journalist, with less than perfect eyesight, I found I had to use my glasses to read the details on the small backlit inbuilt screen and discover the particular operation of each individual control button.
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The Olympus DR-1000 is ideal for dictating many of the standard documents such as patient notes, voice mail, letters, memos to colleagues and even producing podcasts. Increasingly users working from home, including the visually impaired, best selling authors, students and academics are finding the Olympus DR -1000 a useful tool in the work and study environments.
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The Serif Template Pack is designed to work in conjunction with Serif’s excellent desk top publishing software PagePlus X4. It consists of an extensive library of document templates, designed for a wide range of purposes for both social and business use that the user can customise. The choice of templates available is designed to suit a range of users from an up and coming public relations agency to an energy consultant.
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United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, 9th January 2012 - Canon today introduces the PowerShot G1 X - a revolutionary new compact camera with a large CMOS sensor, designed to produce DSLR levels of image quality and control in a highly portable metal body. Created for professional and serious photographers, the PowerShot G1 X creates a prestigious new category at the top of Canon’s legendary G-series line-up, and redefines the performance achievable from a compact camera.
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The following features take an indepth look at what is behind the latest, trends, developments and changes in energy related policies, news, technologies, markets, trading and policies in different sectors, regions and countries throughout the world both on and offshore.
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Problems including war-damaged infrastructure, unrealistic power prices and insufficient investment trouble southeast Europe. Although the EU is helping the region, will it be able to avoid a looming electricity crisis?
Southeast Europe is struggling to keep the lights on. Since January 2007, the region has experienced a worsening power supply situation that threatens to reverse many of the economic, social and environmental improvements it has achieved since the end of the Yugoslav conflicts of the 1990s.
In January 2009, the region nearly experienced a system-wide blackout because of the gas dispute between Russia and Ukraine. It helped that the demand for power was lower than usual at the time due to the economic slowdown and the winter holidays, but even when the situation is less difficult, problems can occur.
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here are a number of short and long-term reasons for this, including:
The lack of demand for gas imports in the North American market, due to the recession.
The rapid development of the North American gas shale industry has further reduced demand for gas imports.
As a result of development in the North American market, Russian, Norwegian and Qatarian gas exports are switching away from the United States and Canada to the European market.
Demand for gas has fallen in Europe due to recessionary reasons.
Europe has switched away from pipeline gas to cheaper LNG gas imports, as the number of new LNG import terminals open. The EU’s dependence on liquefied natural gas has shot up from 15% ten years ago to 25% today and is likely to increase further as the bloc seeks to diversify energy supply.
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The recent gas dispute between Russia and the Ukraine has less to do with being a European problem and more to do with being a domestic one, between the member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). This failure in interstate relations between these independent states that make up the former Soviet Union is a result of the ruling elites of these countries failure to sufficiently develop the necessary political, legal, economic, social and business infrastructure required by a modern state today.
Last January's gas dispute was more a result of the internal infighting taking place between the often dysfunctional and corrupt elites that run these CIS countries. Once it is understood that the decisions made are often determined to meet short term vested interests, rather than long-term national interests, the behavior of the Russian Kremlin elite and the Ukrainian Kiev leadership becomes explicable. This perhaps explains why Russia and the Ukraine have failed to implement rational energy policies that would promote the economic and political interests of these states.
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Energy is the most rapidly evolving global issue and represents one of the most urgent geopolitical challenges facing the European Union (EU) today. Hydrocarbon reserves are being exhausted and swiftly-increasing world demand, from developing countries such as China, is intensifying global competition for access to energy, often only available in geo-politically uncertain and unstable sources.
Oil, gas and coal account for 80 per cent of EU energy consumption, with European demand for energy growing by 1 to 2 per cent per annum.
In addition, the role of improving energy efficiency, renewable energy sources, new technology and nuclear power, combined with climate change, raises new challenges that are centre stage in international political, economic and business considerations. This is particularly the case given the extremely long lead times, often two to three decades, required for investment and development in the energy sector.
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Growing scepticism has led in recent months to a House of Lords inquiry into the economics of renewable energy, and into the practicability of achieving the government’s ambitions to dramatically increase the share that renewables plays in the UK energy mix, especially the usage of wind power in electricity generation.
Such concerns about the practicability of such policies are arising when Europe is experiencing dramatic changes in price and supply disruption to it’s imported energy supplies. In Britain the current credit crunch has further weakened the business case for renewables, especially wind power. In fact Simon Harrison, Chair, Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) Energy Sector Panel and Director, Energy Mott MacDonald remarks such schemes are: ‘Being affected adversely by the decline in the pound.’
It is not surprising that energy companies such as EDF and Centrica revaluating their British renewable schemes. We have already seen Royal Dutch Shell withdraw from the offshore scheme planned for the Thames Estuary.
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THE CURRENT SITUATION
The European Union currently imports 44% of its natural gas, with Russia, Norway and North Africa as its main suppliers. Europe is linked by natural gas pipelines to gas fields in neighbouring non EU states, though some gas is transported by Liquid Natural Gas tankers from the Middle East, West Africa and the Caribbean. At present, Russia is the most important supplier of gas to Europe, supplying 41% of EU’s natural gas imports, representing 19% of Europe’s total gas consumption, and this is expected to increase. Gas imports are expected to gradually grow, due to a gradual decline in EU domestic gas production and ever growing European gas demand.
FUTURE TRENDS AND PROBLEMS
Current EU natural gas consumption is some 492.5 Bcm (billion cubic meters) per year. Wolfgang Ruttenstorfer, head of the Austrian energy company OMV estimates that the EU's demand for natural gas will increase between 100 billion and 200 bcm per year.
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The Italian power sector faces six main issues:
high electricity prices
slow pace of market reform
insufficient investment in capacity
dependence on imports
a lack of domestic nuclear power
until recently a lack of a comprehensive energy policy
Part 1 - The Problems Facing Italy's Power Sector
Italy has the most expensive electricity prices in Europe!
Italy-Power-Review.html
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The New Year season is usually seen as a time of holidays for most Europeans. However, in recent years, this period has become notorious for the regular gas disputes between Russia and the Ukraine. Currently, 80% of Russian gas exports to Europe are delivered via the Ukraine, reports German Broadcaster Deutsche Wella . Such disputes have led, at times, to disruptions to gas deliveries reaching not only the Ukraine but the 18 European states that use the same pipeline system to import gas from Russia. In 2008 European gas consumption was some 517 billion cubic metres, reports Eurogas.
In the latest dispute, in January 2009, the countries that were most affected were Bulgaria, Moldova and Slovakia, they were forced to implement emergency measures. It was estimated by the European Commission at the time, that the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, that were affected by the dispute, experienced shortages of around 300 mcm/day. For details of how countries were affected by gas supply disruption in_January_2009
Preparing-For-A-Gas-Nightmare.html
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Today, the players in the great energy game are different to what they used to be. They include Russia, China, Iran and Turkey, the traditional regional powers, but they also include new players such as the EU, USA, India, drug smugglers and religious extremists. However, the strategies are traditional - economic, political, military, diplomatic and religious.
The disruptive disagreements Moscow has had with the EU, Ukraine and Georgia over gas supplies are an example of the current diplomatic campaigns being fought by the players for a piece of the action.
In 2008, BP's Statistical Review of World Energy estimated that the region had reserves of 48 billion barrels of oil, impressive but certainly no Kuwait with its reserves of 101.5 billion barrels of oil.
Unconfirmed estimates of natural gas have been put at 7.49 trillion cubic metres (tcm), certainly better than Saudi Arabia at 7.17tcm, but not as big as Iran with 27.8tcm.
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Renewable energy, whether it be wind, solar, biofuels, or tidal, is seen as a key technology to curb climate change, but all this comes at a high cost. E&T looks at the true price of green energy.
Electricity generated from renewable power sources is, without doubt, a powerful weapon for the world in the fight to save the planet and achieve energy independence. However, renewables will have to overcome many challenges, including economic competitiveness, development factors, supply concerns and public policy issues.
Renewable power is perceived as clean and virtually 'free' by the public. In fact, the reality is quite different. Though the raw fuel in the form of wind, water or solar are free, the costs involved of transforming the energy into usable electricity and delivering it to the customer are not. In fact, from the consumer's point of view, current well-established technologies such as coal, oil, gas, hydro and nuclear are much more competitive.
The-true-cost-of-going-green.html
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Did you know we could be seeing the end to Russia’s power sector liberalisation? Russia’s state controlled energy giant Gazprom and Ranova a private-sector investment fund are planning to merge their interests in the nation’s six largest generating companies. Such a proposal would create a new company dominating 25% of Russia’s power sector. It would also increase state influence over the power sector, due to Gazprom being a partially privatised energy utility.
Who will this benefit?
The proposed company would certainly bring new benefits, in terms of economies of scale, improved access to new investment funds, resources and specialist expertise in many related fields from district heating to solar power.
Are-the-Kremlin's-power-market-reforms-in-danger.html
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The gas supply from Russia has been making the news in recent weeks, and, as E&T explains, Europe is taking a big chance by relying on Russia.
The media is awash with stories of the dispute between Russia, Ukraine and the European Union (EU) for the provision and payment of the supply of natural gas to Eastern European states.
What Europe has recently experienced, with Russia turning off its supplies in January 2009, could be an early preparation for a more serious supply problem when Russia simply will not have enough gas to go around. This could mean parts of Europe being cut off for months at a time.
Such a prospect must be seen as surprising, given that Russia has the world's largest proven gas reserves 1,576 trillion cubic metres, according to the BP World Energy Review for 2008.
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Norway’s Green Ambitions could derail its European power exports?
Today, Norway is a global oil and gas exporter. What is less well known is that Norway is becoming an increasingly important supplier of electricity to Europe’s power markets. Statnett is the Norwegian state owned power utility that has become a significant player in the Scandinavian power market. Norway’s extensive hydro power resources have kept the lights on in Copenhagen, when the wind has failed to turn Denmark’s fleet of wind turbines.
Currently, 98 % of electricity generated in Norway comes from hydro power. Norway's Statnett has ambitions to utilise the country's immense hydro power potential as a battery to back up wind power capacity being built off the coasts of North Sea states including Britain, Holland and Germany.
Norway-Europe's-Powerhouse.html
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It has been suggested that gas from shale deposits will rival conventional sources in the US in a few years, yet the emergence of shale gas as a significant force is still very new. So is it possible that the story will be repeated in Europe? Nicholas Newman has been taking soundings.
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The following features take an indepth look at what is behind the latest, trends, developments and changes in energy related policies, news, technologies, markets, trading and policies in different sectors, regions and countries throughout Australia, South East Asia and North Asia.
Australasian-Energy-Features.html
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By 2050, at least half the world’s new nuclear power plants are likely to be built in East Asia. Most of these planned plants will be built in China, Taiwan and South Korea. However, there are tentative proposals for other plants to be erected elsewhere in the region, including Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia.
Japan
As for Japan, its future depends on which black swans, acts of god and banana skin appears arises in the next year, as it determines its energy future. Currently, it is not surprising that there is a lot off public anger about events at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. The revelations about what contributed to events at Fukushima Daiichi illustrate why Japan is finding it so difficult to get out of its pleasant economic plight today!
East-Asia-a-nuclear-hotspot.html
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Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard faces stiff opposition from the public, business and politicians to her radical carbon tax policies. Her newly announced policies that will see the nation’s top 500 greenhouse-gas polluters, hit by a crippling new carbon tax. Gillard’s coalition government plans to set the new carbon tax initially at $23 a tonne, which will then increase by 5% per year before moving to a market price system in three years’ time.
It is not surprising that there is opposition from business as it will increase operating costs and reduce their ability to compete with rivals abroad. The Australian mining industry predicts that 126,000 jobs could be lost, unless this new carbon tax is phased in.
Australian-power-politics.html
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Crisis was the term Indonesia’s president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono chose to describe his country’s electricity problems. Dahlan Iskan, CEO of state-owned power company PT PLN (Persero), has also admitted the country’s supply of electricity is very limited. PLN has encountered power shortages in 250 regions, including 243 locations in eastern Indonesia, he said.
WHAT LIES BEHIND THE CURRENT POWER CRISIS?
Two main causes underlie the latest current power crisis, which started in 2008. The first is the 1997 Asian Economic Crisis, which forced PLN to cancel many new power station developments says Dr Mika Purra, a research fellow at Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore. The looming power shortage was masked by the crisis and almost a decade of slow growth until Indonesia’s economy began to accelerate around 2006.
The second underlying cause has been government and business sector indecision over investment in generating capacity for at least five years before the current crisis began, suggests Peter McCawley, a visiting fellow at Australian National University’s (ANU) Indonesia Project.
A POLICY OF PLANNED BLACKOUTS
Regular planned power cuts have affected consumers throughout the country since 2008
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The Japanese Tohoku-Chihou-Taiheiyo-Oki earthquake and tidal wave that overwhelmed the North East coast of Japan, hit the Japanese power sector hard. It has resulted in substantial damage to the country’s electricity generation and distribution networks, which has resulted in cities throughout the country experiencing rolling blackouts.
The natural disaster knocked out the 5000 MW nuclear power station at Fukashima. Experience suggests it will take several years to bring back online this atomic power plant that was nearing the end of its operating life.
Japan's-natural-disaster-will-boost-demand-for-LNG-imports.html
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Investing In Indonesia
A case of Rabbits amongst Tigers? Indonesia is facing an energy crunch!
A look at the issues facing investors in its petroleum industry, as the country struggles to switch away from oil dependency to natural gas.
12 November 2010
Nicholas Newman
Indonesian Investment Conditions
Issues facing investors in Indonesia's oil and gas sector
Domestic demand for oil and gas is beginning to outstrip the country’s ability to meet its energy needs from domestic sources. Its ability to tackle this problem is being obstructed by an historic cheap energy policy that encourages wasteful usage of energy and discourages the very necessary investment in new productive capacity and energy efficiency.
Investing-in-Indonesia's-oil-and-gas-industry.html
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Peak coal approaches for Indonesia Indonesia has been a rising star of the global coal industry for years and is now the world’s largest exporter of thermal coal. However, tighter restrictions on coal mining operations and the need for infrastructural investment to reach new mines suggest the country will be unable to maintain its current level of output growth. And just like the country’s oil and gas, export volumes will increasingly be challenged by rising internal demand.
Peak-coal-approaches-for-Indonesia.html
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Australia’s vast land is a treasure house of conventional gas and coal seam gas reserves, which is rapidly transforming the country into a major world gas exporter The success of Australia’s gas sector is due in part to the relative ease of access to enormous resources and a well-developed western type economy and legal system that has encouraged foreign investment and competition. It is not surprising that many of the world’s major energy companies, including Shell, BP, Total and Chevron, are making long-term commitments in Australian gas, Nicholas Newman reports.
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Indonesia, like many rapidly emerging economies, is facing power supply problems. Its power sector, mostly owned by state utility PLN, faces major problems in meeting the needs of this booming economy. These problems are huge. Indonesia is a country the size of Europe, with a population of 237mn scattered across 17,500 islands. For Indonesia, unlike other developing countries, it is less of the problem of an absence of energy resources, but rather the issue of gaining access to them by affordable means, writes Nicholas Newman.
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The following features take an indepth global look at what is behind the latest, trends, developments and changes in energy related policies, news, technologies, markets, trading and policies in different sectors, regions and countries throughout the world.
World-Energy-Technology,Trends-and-Markets.html
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At a time when gas exporting countries are considering the formation of an OPEC type gas producer’s cartel, EU President Barrosso has argued the case for a united European energy strategy in order to improve and maintain a more favourable bargaining position. In an interview with energy expert Jonathan Stern of Oxford University’s Institute of Energy Studies, he argues that such a strategy is necessary, but, doubts, given the very differences that exist with gas production, distribution and marketing, that the formulation of an OPEC type organisation is ‘almost certainly not viable’.
In fact, there is an organisation, the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), which seeks to promote cooperation and coordination between gas exporters and prevent cooperation. Fortunately, for Europe , Jonathan has observed that the GECF ‘has showed it to be a relatively chaotic organisation with unstable membership and an uncertain future. It rarely meets, has no website and no official documents about its activities.’
Time-For-a-Gas-OPEC.html
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Current forecasts suggest that global energy consumption will only increase by 3% in 2012, not much different from 2011. This is not surprising given the state of the world economy. Current market figures suggest that like in 2011, the world will enjoy a net surplus of energy capacity.
Take oil, production is likely to again to outpace global demand; such a prospect will once more disappoint peak oil Cassandras. There are several reasons for this; the first is the coming on stream world wide of a number of new offshore projects in Nigerian, Angolan, Brazilian and Gulf of Mexican waters. In addition, increased Libyan and Iraqi oil production coming on stream in 2012 will add significantly to global oil supplies. However, will this be sufficient to reduce current oil prices from around $90 a barrel today to what they were in 2009 when it was $60 a barrel, is anyone’s guess. Yet, such a drop in price would give a welcome boost to the world economy.
The-World-Is-Not-Desperate-For-Energy-in-2012!.html
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It’s not a scarcity of oil the world should be worried about but more importantly a desperate skills shortage of engineers. This is especially so for the global energy industry. For many jobs, the number of vacancies exceeds the number of skilled experienced engineers that are available. Already, such shortages are causing significant delays and costs for major projects including development of offshore oil fields off Angola. Whilst in Brazil, the home of samba, tropical rainforest and traffic jams, this developed county is in a desperate search for engineers to construct 12 super tanker sized FPSO’s over the next decade. Such skills deficiencies are harming energy security, harming economic recovery and the ability of the world to meet its ambitious CO2 targets.
The-World-is-Desperate-for-Energy-Engineers!!!.html
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A quick look at various aspects that make up the global power generation sector, including wind, solar, nuclear, hydro and coal power station prospects.
Despite the popularity of renewable technology, development of conventional power plants continues to grow a pace.
This year is likely to see the end of the feather bedding of renewables in many countries, due to budgetary constraints in numerous countries. Given these new market conditions both investors and operators are being faced with harder often politically unpopular choices to make in their investment strategies. This article gives an overview of the picture facing investors in various parts of the world.
World-Energy-Market-Prospects-2012.html
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The surging price of oil appears to be at the root of all our economic woes, but there may be darker days ahead.
In recent months, world oil prices have broken the $100 per barrel barrier for crude oil; it was only spring last year that the price of crude was around the $50 a barrel mark.
Goldman Sachs recently said: "$200 a barrel could be a reality in the not-too-distant future in the case of a 'major disruption'."
The reality of $200 a barrel by the end of the year is seen by some experts as unlikely, in part because OPEC (Organisation of Exporting Petroleum Countries) has been steadily increasing its production since December 2007. In fact, Western markets' inventories are steadily growing, and are expected to easily accommodate growth in consumption of 1.6 per cent. Chakib Kheli, OPEC's President, recently predicted that petroleum prices will range between $80 and $110 for the rest of 2008.
The-high-price-of-oil.html
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Resource exploitation could pose a serious threat to the arctic, but could new laws help open this treasure chest? Nicholas Newman reports on the lack of coherent legislation regarding extracting arctic oil and finds out more about the threat of contamination in this fragile environment.
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The Arctic is facing many threats to its environment and including problems posed by human activities, including resource exploration and exploitation. The trouble is many of the current Arctic environmental laws, guidance and regulations can be best described as dysfunctional.
The law regarding territorial rights in the Arctic is complex and full of conflicting claims, observes Sergei Vinogradov, senior lecturer at the Centre for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Law and Policy at the University of Dundee, UK.
Arctic-oil-an-environmental-disaster-waiting-to-happen.html
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As new oil resources become scarce, offshore companies are beginning to tap the very deepest deposits. Offshore-technology.com plumbs the depths to reveal the technology behind the world's deepest offshore oil rigs.
Chevron's Petronius platform
Chevron's $500m Petronius platform is situated about 130 miles (208km) southeast of New Orleans. It is located in water depths of 1754ft (535m). The field, discovered in 1995, contains estimated recoverable reserves of 100 million barrels of oil equivalent.
The rig is a compliant tower and is the largest freestanding structure in the world at 2,010ft. In fact, it is taller than the Eiffel tower.
The compliant tower design was chosen for its ability to withstand hurricane conditions and operate in depths of 2,000ft (610m). The compliant tower design enables it to move within an envelope of 25ft sway (7.6m), and a 10ft (3m) rotation sway at the surface.
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Covering every corner of the globe, we profile the most promising offshore oil discoveries. Nicholas Newman charts a course, covering finds in the Beaufort Sea off Alaska's North shore, The Levant Basin, The Sea of Okhotsk, a treacherous find offshore of Angola and news of a massive find in Brazil's Santos Basin.
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Santos Basin, Brazil
There is a lot of oil in Brazil. This is all due to a string of spectacular successes Petrobras and its partners have had in the ultra-deep offshore waters of Brazil. The most interesting finds are located in the pre-salt Santos Basin exploration Block BM-S-11, some 250km (155.3 mi) due south of Rio de Janeiro, the home of samba and traffic jams.
"The lead operator in the Tupi field is Petrobras, which holds a controlling stake of 65%."
One of these fields is the Tupi field, named after the Tupi people. The Tupi field, the largest oil discovery in the Americas for 30 years, lies below 2000 metres (6,561.7 ft) of water and then below some 5000 metres (16,404.2 ft) of salt, sand and rocks.
Striking-it-lucky.html
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Operating in the polar regions of the world poses incredible challenges for the offshore oil and gas sector. Thirty years ago, operating in such extreme weather conditions was considered almost impossible. In response to these challenges, the industry has become ever more innovative and increasingly automated, and operating in the world's polar seas is now more commonplace. In the future, we are likely to see the industry operating even further north, above the Arctic Circle, but a traditional workforce will still be required for many dangerous and dirty tasks, writes Nicholas Newman.
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The following features take an indepth look at what is behind the latest, trends, developments and changes in energy related policies, news, technologies, markets, trading and policies in different sectors, regions and countries throughout Africa and the Middle East.
Africa-and-Middle-East-Energy.html
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With a population of 800 million, predicted annual economic growth rates above 5 per cent and a glaring shortfall in capacity, sub-Saharan Africa offers an appealing market for power generation companies willing to face a notoriously challenging investment context.
Sub-Saharan Africa's rivers are estimated to hold a potential for hydropower of 1750 GWh per year, of which only 7 per cent has been exploited Source: Eskom
In terms of its per-capita endowment of primary energy, sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is close to the global average. Its 800 million people make up about 9 per cent of the world's population and they are estimated to share 8 per cent of global gas reserves, 10 per cent of the world's oil, and 13 per cent of hydropower resources – as well as much more than their fair share of solar radiation.
Sub-Saharan-Africa-hungers-for-power.html
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Recent events in Libya and Bahrain have been of great concern to many foreign investors, operators and governments concerned with the potential threat of disruption of gas supplies. So far, for Europe, it is fortunate that gas imports from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region have not been affected significantly. This book explains the importance of this region’s gas resources to the world.
What is this publication about?
This book examines the possibility that the MENA region could face a possible ‘gas crisis’ by the end of the decade, which will result in much lower levels of exports than has been expected from a region that contains an estimated 40% of the world’s gas reserves. It examines and comments on the individual trends and policies that affect each of the markets that make up the MENA region.
Natural-Gas-Markets-in-the-Middle-East-and-North-Africa.html
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The following features take an indepth look at what is behind the latest, trends, developments and changes in energy related policies, news, technologies, markets, trading and policies in different sectors, regions and countries throughout North America and the Caribbean.
North-American-Energy-Features.html
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Cuba’s power generation capacity is hampered by a severe lack of investment and the continued trade sanctions imposed by the United States, but in typical style it has improvised to make the best of a bad situation. Nicholas Newman looks at how distributed generation has brought some respite to the Caribbean island’s power struggles.
Cuba’s power sector is in crisis. Despite a recent multimillion dollar investment in a distributed power network, its customers are facing rolling blackouts and desperate orders to save electricity, as Cuba attempts to weather its dire economic crisis.
Current government spending cuts have forced the state-owned utility Union Electrica (UE) to downsize its budget for power station oil imports. For its hard-pressed customers this means regular nights without air conditioning and television.
Decentralized-energy-aids-Cuba's-power-struggles.html
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Cuba has for a long time relied on Russia to bolster its economy and electricity generation. But since the collapse of the Soviet bloc it has had to develop its own electricity market including oil and gas fired power stations and a move to renewable energy.
For tourists in Cuba, the scene of ancient American cars parked on the roadside, darkened streets and houses, and being able to see the stars clearly above old Havana may look romantic, but to the ordinary Cuban it is just another example of the deep-seated energy problems that face this fiercely independent country.
Nevertheless, a revolution, hurricanes, trade embargoes, world economic crises and the end of the Soviet Union have not stopped Cuba's energy sector from delivering a limited supply of power to the nation. In 1991, the country experienced its biggest challenge - 'la problematica energetica' and with the end of Soviet subsidies Cuba was vulnerable again to American trade embargoes resulting in "years of fuel shortages", observes energy specialist Mario Avila at Cubaenergia.
Cuba's-power-revolution.html
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There is an awful lot of oil in Mexico to be discovered, but the difficulty is Mexico’s state oil monopoly Petróleos Mexicanos (PEMEX), has trouble finding it! In 2004, Mexican oil production had peaked at 3,383,000 barrels per day (bpd), reports PEMEX. Since then Mexican oil production has shown a steady decline, so by April 2009 output had fallen to 2,642,000 bpd. Unfortunately, for PEMEX it has failed to find new significant replacement oil reserves to compensate.
This is causing concern to not only Mexico, but also to the United States. For the US, Mexico is the third largest supplier of oil, after Canada and Saudi Arabia. In 2004, Mexican oil exports peaked at 1.6 million bpd, and by 2008 had declined to 1.2 million bpd. If current trends in Mexican oil production continue it will make it much more difficult for the US to achieve its ambition of oil independence from OPEC countries. The problem is that, at present, there are very few oil states around the world that have the spare capacity to increase production to take up the slack.
Mexico-A-Failed-Oil-State.html
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The following book reviews covers publications that take an indepth look at what is behind the latest, trends, developments and changes in energy related policies, news, technologies, markets, mining, trading and policies in different sectors, regions and countries throughout the world both on and offshore.
Energy-Book-Reviews.html
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The Problem
Predicting the future is always problematic and a complex matter, forecasting the future shape of Europe’s gas markets over the next ten to twenty years for Europe’s decision makers, some would say is an almost impossible task!
For instance, forecasting future gas demand is full of unknowns, including the shape of prices, the impact of improvements in energy efficiency, the timing of Europe’s economic recovery to when rival coal and nuclear power plants will come on stream, since such capacity investment will have a negative impact on gas demand.
On the supply side, similar imponderables exist for European forecasters.
What is this book about?
European-Natural-Gas-Demand-,-Supply,-and-Pricing-Cycles,-Seasons,-and-the-Impact-of-LNG-Price-Arbitrage.html
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There are crucial issues and problems that face the Asian Natural Gas industry today, which have been dangerously ignored by the West.
The rapid economic growth in economic development being experienced by the major economies in Asia is creating new challenges for industry decision makers and investors to solve.
The authors in this new edition of ‘Natural Gas in Asia: The Challenges of Growth in China, India, Japan, and Korea’ seek to explain the factors hindering development, examines possible solutions and the likely prospects for the industry in Asia into the 2020s.
What are the issues, challenges and problems the Asian gas industry faces?
Natural-Gas-in-Asia.html
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This book by Davis Edwards should really be called Energy Trading and Investing in North America, since it is heavily focused on the United States. Even so, it is a useful book for those seeking an introduction to this complex subject. It is written not to frighten off the aspiring trainee market analyst, energy lawyer or energy journalist. Energy Trading and Investing is written in plain jargon free English and without the use of complex mathematics one usually associates with such books.
This book’s author Davis Edwards is MD of Australia’s Macquarie Group, and has been responsible for many years for managing the credit risks of its North American investments. It is designed for those readers who need a clear basic understanding of the principles of energy trading and investment.
Energy-Trading-and-Investing.html
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Recent events in Libya and Bahrain have been of great concern to many foreign investors, operators and governments concerned with the potential threat of disruption of gas supplies. So far, for Europe, it is fortunate that gas imports from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region have not been affected significantly. This book explains the importance of this region’s gas resources to the world.
What is this publication about?
This book examines the possibility that the MENA region could face a possible ‘gas crisis’ by the end of the decade, which will result in much lower levels of exports than has been expected from a region that contains an estimated 40% of the world’s gas reserves. It examines and comments on the individual trends and policies that affect each of the markets that make up the MENA region.
Gas-Markets-in-the-Middle-East-and-North-Africa.html
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What is this book about?
This book by David Upton is about how a small independent Australian mining company discovered and developed the world’s largest mineral deposit deep in the remote South Australian desert, some 560 kilometres north of Adelaide.
The writer describes in detail the fascinating story behind the initial discovery and subsequent development of the Olympic Dam mineral deposit. This mineral deposit is special for a number of reasons, including the immense scale of this valuable mineral resource containing copper, gold and uranium. In addition, it was the first significant find based on the theory that such deposits could be found where no tell-tale surface features are visible.
The-Olympic-Dam-Story.html
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The Problem
For both energy policy makers and energy companies involved in the decisions concerned with investing in electricity generation technologies, determining what are the various social costs of diverse technologies is often open to subjective individual evaluations.
What is this book about?
This book is a modern version of traditional cost benefit analysis as it is specifically applied to power generation and its application to such externalities as climate change, human health and the environment. Though the authors do admit, they do ignore the benefits that are derived from different power generation solutions, have had on individual well-being, prosperity and human advancement.
The-Social-Cost-Of-Electricity.html
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Cuba’s Energy Future is written by a team of policy makers, scholars and analysts at Washington’s Brookings Institute, led by Jonathan Benjamin-Alvarado. This book, poses the challenging question what steps can Cuba take to achieve both short term and long-term energy sustainability and self-sufficiency. The often-complex solutions are based on three alternative scenarios of little change, some reforms and a full liberalisation of the Cuban economy will surprise many readers not familiar with the Cuba's energy sector or the developing world.
As a regular writer and researcher on energy matters, including the geopolitical issues that affect countries in the Caribbean. What is clear is that Cuba has much in common with its fellow neighbouring states, including the vital failure, inter alia, to maintain adequate levels of investment in its energy sector.
Cuba's-Energy-Future.html
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This book by James Henderson, who is currently Head of Russia for Lambert Energy Advisory in London as well as a Senior Visiting Research Fellow at OIES, provides a useful insight into the intricacies of the Russian domestic gas market. It not only describes in a concise and knowledgeable manner the complex organisational interrelationships between gas producers, brokers, investors and government agencies, but also comments on how these various stakeholder relationships have evolved over time since the beginning of the post-soviet era to the present day.
However, based on my own experience as a writer and researcher on Russian energy, I found this thorough analysis of the geopolitical complexities of this subject informative.
Non-Gazprom-Gas-Producers-in-Russia.html
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There is no such thing as a risk free world; we all take risks, both big and small. We would not have heard of Microsoft Windows if innovators like Bill Gates had not taken certain risks, nor would we hear about people climbing Mount Everest.
‘Risk Management: with Applications from the offshore Petroleum Industry’ by Terje Aven and Jan Erik Vinnem, Springer 2007, is about how the offshore oil and gas sector should assess, manage and tackle risk of an offshore installation’s complete life cycle from predesign to final decommissioning and disposal in the world’s tempestuous seas.
Taking-risks-and-how-to-avoid-them!.html
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This long awaited book is perhaps unique in attempting to describe and provide comprehensive analysis of the world energy market environment. The book’s author Barrie Murray has provided an in depth expert investigation of the various models of energy market reform that have been adopted throughout the world, together with some useful insights into how well such reforms have succeeded in meeting their original objectives and ongoing events.
In addition, the author examines the new development challenges that face consumer, markets and policy makers in various countries, which arise from climate change, economic conditions and technological developments.
Power-Markets-and-Economics.html
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Alstom, worldwide leader in the production of hydropower equipment and services, has been awarded a contract worth above €20 million by Chinese engineering firm Sinohydro Corporation Ltd to provide key engineering equipment to the new Itezhi-Tezhi hydroelectric dam in Zambia. The contract was signed on 9 September 2011. AMAZON ADVERT
Alstom-wins-contract-to-supply-turbines-and-generators-to-the-new-Itezhi-Tezhi-hydroelectric-dam-in-Zambia.html
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AMAZON ADVERT Researchers at Nottingham Trent University have developed a new system that will regulate the temperature inside of buildings in extreme climates.
The system, which can be installed in new or existing buildings to regulate the temperature, will mean a reduced demand for traditional systems such as air-conditioning or heating. Working in both extreme hot and cold conditions, it will also reduce the amount of energy consumed by using these traditional methods.
Innovative-new-system-regulates-building-temperatures-in-extreme-climates.html
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The Oxford Institute for Energy Studies was founded in 1982 as an autonomous centre for advanced research into the social science areas of energy issues. The Institute is committed to the idea of dialogue – between consumers and producers, government and industry and academics and decision makers. This is reflected in the membership of the Institute and in the composition of its research team, which is drawn from different national, academic and professional backgrounds. Our aim is that co-operation between researchers from these varied backgrounds, will lead to a more informed and balanced understanding of the behaviour, motivations and objectives of the various economic forces, agents and policy makers that operate in or influence the performance of international energy markets.
Research carried out at the Institute is designed to encompass the following:
•the economics of petroleum, gas, coal, nuclear power, solar and renewable energy;
•the politics and sociology of energy;
•the international relations of oil-producing and oil-consuming nations;
•the economic development of oil-producing countries and the energy problems of other
•developing countries; and
•the economics and politics of the environment in its relationship with energy.
As a general policy, the Institute concentrates on research in energy issues of international significance or issues which have implications for the interface of producers and consumers.
The Institute is registered as a company limited by guarantee (without share capital). It is also a registered charity (No. 286084) that operates as a non-profit educational organisation. It is conceived as an association of various Members, who may be divided into two groups. On the one hand are the University of Oxford and three of its colleges; on the other hand is a selection of governments, public institutions, international and regional organisations from oil-producing and oil-consuming countries. With the exception of the University and its colleges, each Member has made a financial contribution to the endowment that provides for the long-term security of the Institute.
Oxford-Geopolitics-of-Energy-Energy-Challenges-Seminar.html
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Press Release:
Natural Gas Price Volatility in the UK and North America
Sofya Alterman
The Oxford Institute for Energy Studies has recently published a paper which investigates the relative volatility of natural gas and crude and oil products prices. Having established the more
volatile historic level of natural gas pricing relative to oil, the paper focuses on periods of unusually high or low volatility in the UK and the US traded gas markets and investigates the
likely underlying causes of these episodes at a market fundamentals level. The results both confirm the relevance of obvious drivers but also show how these can be blunted or offset by
other compensating effects, some of which are less widely acknowledged. The paper provides important insights into this key aspect of natural gas traded markets, and is especially relevant in
today’s environment as trading hub development continues apace in Continental Europe
About the Author:
Sofya Alterman conducted research with the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies in 2011
focusing on natural gas price volatility across markets. Sofya’s background is in private equity.
She is a Vice President with a private equity firm in New York where she has worked since 2003. Sofya’s contact with the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies began as part of her research
for a study on the Trends and Pricing Dynamics in LNG which she undertook as part of her MBA at Harvard Business School in 2010.
THIS PAPER IS FREE TO DOWNLOAD
http://www.oxfordenergy.org/wpcms/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/NG_60.pdf
57 Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 6FA UK
Telephone: 44 (0)1865 311377 Fax: 44 (0)1865 310527
e-mail: information@oxfordenergy.org http://www.oxfordenergy.org
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ENERGY CONSULTANTS, EXPERTS, ANALYSTS, THINK TANKS & REGULATORS IN EUROPE & THE REST OF THE ... Council of European Energy Regulators. The Council of ...Provides timely data, rigorous analysis and sound strategic advice on oil and gas, coal seam gas, LNG and liquid fuels for for energy companies, energy buyers, investors and governments
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Lawyers specializing in energy law have expertise in issues related to energy production, trading, policy and investment. Current issues in energy law include property issues related to natural resource extraction, environmental permits, safety and health, sustainable development and land use controls. Energy lawyers can choose to be environmental and utility litigators.
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A look and some of the developments that are affecting the world economy today.
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Almost every day we hear that the West is to blame for Africa’s problems. However, every day we hear the only solution is more European Union (EU) aid is needed for sub-Saharan Africa, despite the EU spending some € 13.5 billion over the last five years in development aid.
There are many theories as to why foreign aid policy has failed in Africa. It certainly worked in South-East Asia which has transformed these economies into economic tigers. Such theories that try to explain why sub-Saharan Africa remains stubbornly poor could fill many shelves in a library. Such theories as to why Africa has failed range from poor leadership to the terms of trade being unfair to developing countries.
Africa-the-continent-that-keeps-failing.html
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British Forces and their European Allies in Southern Afghanistan’s, Helmand Province, are part of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). As of September 2007, the number of UK troops has risen to 7,700 troops. The security situation in Helmand is fragile and military forces have suffered casualties when fighting Al-Qaeda terrorists and their allies. Troops have experienced the most intense fighting since the Korean War. The ISAF mission is often described as a police action to establish security and deny the Taliban and Al Qaeda the environment in which to operate.
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Politicians are again in the 'line of fire' again opinion polls inside Europe and Turkey are reporting declining support for the very idea that Ankara should join the European Union (EU) by 2015. In fact, opponents on both sides of the Aegean Sea utilise many of the same arguments in their case against Turkey joining as Europe’s first predominately Moslem Middle Eastern state.
Europe's-turkish-Dilemma.html
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Where does Europe end - is a question of growing concern to many Europeans, especially with the entry of Bulgaria and Rumania, and the prospect of Turkey’s entry, in 2012.
This vital political question was the topic under discussion at a recent European Studies Centre seminar at Oxford University, led by Graham Avery (Honorary Director General, European Commission) and Baskin Oran (University of Ankara).
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‘Champagne sir?’ the waitress said, startling the passengers seated around the table in business class as the Eurostar dashed through the Kent countryside for the Channel Tunnel
Conversations of current events on most railway journeys with fellow passengers are often desultory and seldom profound. Such was not the case on my recent journey by Eurostar to Brussels where a wide range of differing opinions were expressed by cosmopolitan fellow travellers and enlivened by a first class menu and lubricated by an excellent vintage.
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Could it be we are all desperately seeking are own vision of Europe? To the British, Brussels has become a figure of hate, for the Germans, a place to redeem themselves. However, for the French, a chance to relieve its Napoleonic dreams, while for the new member states, an opportunity to grow up.
Brussels
Whatever your dream or nightmare, Brussels has always been a battlefield where Europe’s powers determine the future. Unlike in the past, confrontations between nations took place on the battlefields
Are-we-seeking-our-own-Eurovision.html
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On June 10th Europe will see the latest addition to its high- speed rail network, when the first phase of TGV Est. opens to passenger service. This new service will dramatically cut journey times between Paris, Eastern France, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Germany.
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Do you need an energy journalist with an exceptional track record of providing copy for the energy sector? Do you need relevant and engaging content for your magazine, journal, whitepapers, website etc.? Nicholas Newman is an energy journalist with a comprehensive expertise in energy writing and a sound understanding of the current energy markets.
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I am an established energy journalist with deep expertise and experience in the technology, geopolitics, markets and policies involved in the global energy industry business.
Modern life is impossible without energy; political prosperity and stability require new solutions and technologies to meet these evolving challenges.
I am fascinated with the complexity of change in this dynamic global industry.
My unique quality in my work is my ability to provide a geopolitical insight into the emerging energy challenges that face investors, consumers and decision makers. See my Portfolio .
My work provides a gateway for investors and decision makers to comprehend the often-complex issues that face the energy sector in a given part of the world.
I enjoy investigating the undiscovered country of new and emerging global markets and how different solutions are being applied to shared problems.
I am well versed in researching, analysing, sourcing, project management, proposal pitching and writing features, white papers, reports and news stories for a broad range of international, national, local and online business press.
Types-of-Writing-Available.html
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I am an established energy journalist with deep expertise and experience in the technology, geopolitics, markets and policies involved in the global energy industry business.
Modern life is impossible without energy; political prosperity and stability require new solutions and technologies to meet these evolving challenges.
I am fascinated with the complexity of change in this dynamic global industry.
My unique quality in my work is my ability to provide a geopolitical insight into the emerging energy challenges that face investors, consumers and decision makers. See my Portfolio .
My work provides a gateway for investors and decision makers to comprehend the often-complex issues that face the energy sector in a given part of the world.
I enjoy investigating the undiscovered country of new and emerging global markets and how different solutions are being applied to shared problems.
I am well versed in researching, analysing, sourcing, project management, proposal pitching and writing features, white papers, reports and news stories for a broad range of international, national, local and online business press.
Portfolio.html
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I am an established energy journalist with deep expertise and experience in the technology, geopolitics, markets and policies involved in the global energy industry business.
Modern life is impossible without energy; political prosperity and stability require new solutions and technologies to meet these evolving challenges.
I am fascinated with the complexity of change in this dynamic global industry.
My unique quality in my work is my ability to provide a geopolitical insight into the emerging energy challenges that face investors, consumers and decision makers. See my Portfolio .
My work provides a gateway for investors and decision makers to comprehend the often-complex issues that face the energy sector in a given part of the world.
I enjoy investigating the undiscovered country of new and emerging global markets and how different solutions are being applied to shared problems.
I am well versed in researching, analysing, sourcing, project management, proposal pitching and writing features, white papers, reports and news stories for a broad range of international, national, local and online business press.
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I am an established energy journalist with deep expertise and experience in the technology, geopolitics, markets and policies involved in the global energy industry business.
Modern life is impossible without energy; political prosperity and stability require new solutions and technologies to meet these evolving challenges.
I am fascinated with the complexity of change in this dynamic global industry.
My unique quality in my work is my ability to provide a geopolitical insight into the emerging energy challenges that face investors, consumers and decision makers. See my Portfolio .
My work provides a gateway for investors and decision makers to comprehend the often-complex issues that face the energy sector in a given part of the world.
I enjoy investigating the undiscovered country of new and emerging global markets and how different solutions are being applied to shared problems.
I am well versed in researching, analysing, sourcing, project management, proposal pitching and writing features, white papers, reports and news stories for a broad range of international, national, local and online business press.
Testimonials.html
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I am an established energy journalist with deep expertise and experience in the technology, geopolitics, markets and policies involved in the global energy industry business.
Modern life is impossible without energy; political prosperity and stability require new solutions and technologies to meet these evolving challenges.
I am fascinated with the complexity of change in this dynamic global industry.
My unique quality in my work is my ability to provide a geopolitical insight into the emerging energy challenges that face investors, consumers and decision makers. See my Portfolio .
My work provides a gateway for investors and decision makers to comprehend the often-complex issues that face the energy sector in a given part of the world.
I enjoy investigating the undiscovered country of new and emerging global markets and how different solutions are being applied to shared problems.
I am well versed in researching, analysing, sourcing, project management, proposal pitching and writing features, white papers, reports and news stories for a broad range of international, national, local and online business press.
Current-Projects.html
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I am an established energy journalist with deep expertise and experience in the technology, geopolitics, markets and policies involved in the global energy industry business.
Modern life is impossible without energy; political prosperity and stability require new solutions and technologies to meet these evolving challenges.
I am fascinated with the complexity of change in this dynamic global industry.
My unique quality in my work is my ability to provide a geopolitical insight into the emerging energy challenges that face investors, consumers and decision makers. See my Portfolio .
My work provides a gateway for investors and decision makers to comprehend the often-complex issues that face the energy sector in a given part of the world.
I enjoy investigating the undiscovered country of new and emerging global markets and how different solutions are being applied to shared problems.
I am well versed in researching, analysing, sourcing, project management, proposal pitching and writing features, white papers, reports and news stories for a broad range of international, national, local and online business press.
Copy-Writing-and-Editing.html
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I am an established energy journalist with deep expertise and experience in the technology, geopolitics, markets and policies involved in the global energy industry business.
Modern life is impossible without energy; political prosperity and stability require new solutions and technologies to meet these evolving challenges.
I am fascinated with the complexity of change in this dynamic global industry.
My unique quality in my work is my ability to provide a geopolitical insight into the emerging energy challenges that face investors, consumers and decision makers. See my Portfolio .
My work provides a gateway for investors and decision makers to comprehend the often-complex issues that face the energy sector in a given part of the world.
I enjoy investigating the undiscovered country of new and emerging global markets and how different solutions are being applied to shared problems.
I am well versed in researching, analysing, sourcing, project management, proposal pitching and writing features, white papers, reports and news stories for a broad range of international, national, local and online business press.
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We are based in and around Oxford and meet every first Tuesday of the month at the King's Arms Broad Street Oxford at 6-30pm onwards until the pub closes.We are a mutual networking and support organistion for creatives and media professionals based in Oxfordshire. Our membership includes journalists, producers, editors and public realations experts who work both for th public and corporate media.
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Oxford-First-Tuesday-January-2012-Meeting.html
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The Kings Arms was also full of this year's intake of freshers, which produced a lot of highly animated conversation, or background noise if you were trying to hear someone. Among the highlights, Michael explained the ins and outs of organising specialist video festivals for fans of motorsport, especially the more historic or classic events, while Dai entertained us with his account of the difficulty of trying to remain sober while working in the high-pressure environment that was Thames Television back in its creative peak of the 1980s.
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Oxford-Blogging-Workshop.html
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Cherry-Mosteshar.html
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Dai-Richards.html
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Gill-Oliver.html
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Mike-Tomlinson.html
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Nicholas-Newman.html
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Philip-Hunt.html
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European Public Relations Agencies
For some of Europes' leading public relations agencies
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