Iain Cameron's Diary
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2006-10-20 - 8:12 p.m.

I played the Bach A minor flute sonata yesterday morning and began to wonder about producing it on the current digital platform. I have also been playing some Ron Carter basslines.

The team for the big european project got together at the end of the working day on thursday to kick the thing about a bit and see if we could see a shape � we need to get to an outline for presentation for the customer over the weekend and then write and research the thing over the next two-three weeks. The first step was to make an A3 graphic on the central and eastern european scene using the mircosft dtp package which takes acrobat quite well - assembling quickly impressive looking spreads from free material � it�s a bit of a house style round here. One of the first things we decided is that we may be able to get some good political leverage. The experience in the Czech republic could also come in handy � that week I spent trundling round, maybe it was 2002, looks time well spent and great fun.

There�s trouble in Hungary � the financial problems have provoked the government into revoking a deal they did with Audi. The article about this quoted some numbers for volumes and investment which didn�t seem to add up.

The guy leading the project used to be an amateur drummer and the other member is married to someone who used to sing with a top regional choir � their son has quite a well established band based on Leeds. The drummer is quite into early garage rock and theres a chance he may come to cameron-towers soon to listen to this and that.

Friday�s effort has thrown up a possible way forward � one of two broad paths at european level. I have been straying along this path for a couple of years � ever since Milan and I had begun to think maybe it didn�t lead anywhere � the reason I didn�t go to Finland this month, But today that path suddenly began look a lot more positive .

One of the elements is called �aim� and another is the uk�s 14 advanced manufacturing centres. I am beginning to wonder whether there is enough here to build a �platform� within the current european jargon. I discovered today that the swiss have a really good platform already and the dutch and belgian ones look quite impressive too. This is the sort of thing that can get me over-excited so I must stay calm � who would have thought industrial policy could be so nervy.

I also discovered a seminar in Cardiff next week where various elements seem to be converging and our Boris Johnson ploy helps, believe it or not. Steve�s PhD supervisor is on the programme.

The boss has flown to Boston for the weekend. Rob and I did that thing a few years ago � some kind of frequent flyer benefit. A really good time was had.

I have been talking to PW a bit about the usual band. We also took a trip down memory lane with the Footlights � how much we disliked them when we stumbled across them in the first term. It was part of the culture-wars that we found ourselves in the front line of � an early sign of what we were up against.

The thriller I have started is by someone who I last saw in the cast of 1972 Footlights Review. Jon Cole got to be musical director for that review � some mistake somewhere I suppose - and so I ended up in the band on 2nd guitar and flute. We did a week in Oxford and a week at the Roundhouse when Prince Charles turned up � my time on the road. There was the occasional kind word for the band in the public prints. It was just before I got married and moved to Brighton. Reading more of the thriller, it emerges that the heroine�s surname is Cameron and she plays the flute. Uncanny.

Talking of the old days, earlier in the week on radio 4 there was a programme about Joseph Needham who was master of Caius when Paul, Steve and Robert Kirby were there.

In a similar vein I sent Paul a link to a festival where Fred Frith played last year � which he seemed to enjoy. More exchanges with Capt P on the current positioning of the KK site and possible developments. Also some chat about that financial idea that has just won the peace prize.

I have arranged to go and see James in Oxford this weekend..

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