How do you start a blog that you know will go on for years? My answer: Dive in at the deep end!
This is the book I’ve wanted to write for years, but organising a book, spending months getting everything organised and in the right order is just plain boring. When, if ever, it’s finished it’ll be out of date, things will be missing and it’ll need a re-write.
No, much better to tell the story as it flows and let events and readers’ responses trigger half-forgotten incidents. Thank goodness someone invented blogs.
I’ve been into space and communications ever since I can remember, as evidenced by the photo. Yes, that’s really me back in the 1950s in my space suit with plastic (a new invention!) helmet and an old valve radio/TV chassis.
Never in those days did I even dream that I would end up with a PhD in Microwave & Telecommunications Engineering and be designing and operating satellites – they hadn’t been invented then. No, I was into Martians, Robby the Robot (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robby_the_Robot) and pre-pubescent thoughts about beautiful, unattainable female aliens.
The only problem with imagining female aliens when wearing a space helmet in a UK winter was that the thing would steam up inside. Then I’d trip over because I couldn’t see, and end up with a bloody knee and a torn space suit – my God, all the air will be sucked out into space and I’ll suffocate!
My female alien childhood dreams weren’t realised until I saw the film Avatar on a flight from Singapore to Frankfurt last year.
If you’ve read this far then there’s no hope for you either. I plan to entertain you and to bring you insights into the REAL world of space, communications, satellites and related high-tech, military and EW things that most people only get a sanitised, skim view of via the “sound bite” media. It’ll be sprinkled with some interesting stories, hilarious moments and anecdotes along the way.
There may be a few people out there who will read this, figure out who I am and think “Oh No! He’s not going to spill the beans on XXX is he?”. My message to you, friends, is relax. There are limits and lines drawn in the sand. Also, I don’t particularly relish being dragged out of bed in the middle of the night by men in black, bundled into a black SUV with tinted windows and driven off into the sunset (well, sunrise) never to be seen again.
I love the photo – you haven't changed that much!Can't wait for the next revelations!!!
Bob, great writing – nostalgia can help to spy on you better !
Space suit and helmet. I remember it well. My dear little younger brother (twenty years difference in our ages). Aged six he wanted a space suit and helmet for Christmas and our mother decided that she would buy the suit and we, my new bride and me (married end of October), should buy the helmet. We were broke and to us the helmet cost a fortune, but we did not disobey mother. We would like it to be known that it was us and not Father Christmas who were influential in Bob's future career.
I've always hoped you would do something like this! Looks good already, I just hope MI-6 and ASIO don't drag me away in the middle of the night for reading 🙂 I have to say though the thought of you beDragged away in your bath robe in the middle of the night by men in dark suits caused me to wet my self laughing