To say that the museum is a quiet place to work is something of an understatement. All morning the public pass this way and that, going about their mundane business, many totally unaware that a museum exists right under their nose. On the other hand, I suspect many regard museums as boring places that they and their friends wouldn't dream of frequenting for fear their lives would be destroyed by the humiliation. Pfah! What do they know?

In fact, today was quite an exciting day for us volunteers. The BBC came in to film a news item (it gets aired on BBC Oxford tonight) and I even got to hold a microphone while the tv journalist recorded his introduction spot..I am now an experienced BBC sound recordist. I should put that on my CV. Why not? It's not as if anyone is going to notice.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

Okay, who switched the rain off? last night I saw a weather map with a big blue patch spreading across south western england. It's going to rain, they said. Yeah? Here in Swindon the sun is almost winning the battle to dominate todays weather. Why am I whinging? It's a matter of principle. Here I am, all dressed up to cope with dreary wet weather, and the BBC go and cancel the rain due to a news team recording a sequence at the museum. Can't have tv journalists getting all soaked. At least I now see where all our license fees go to.

Grey Hari, Go Away

Scientists have discovered a cure for grey hair it seems. As a sufferer of this blight for many decades it comes as a shock to discover that it's a disease. I thought hair turned grey sooner or later, though admittedly, in my case it was very sooner. I started going grey when I was 13. One of my grandfathers was completely grey by the time he was 17, so I can only assume I suffer from a hereditary disease. Damn my slightly non-conformist genes!

Why is grey hair regarded in such a bad light? Because it makes us look old and past it? Or is it some instinctive thing, where younger people seek to oust the older less capable members of the tribe from eating food or bonking females? Despite the best efforts of television advertising, and no shortage of jibes from colleagues, I've never felt the slightest compuction to dye it. If that's the colour nature has decided my hair shall be, so be it. Remember, grey haired people are no different. I had a dream... Where grey haired people are equal in society... Where grey haired people aren't forced to buy cosmetics in order to lead fulfilling social lives... I had a dream...

Okay. I've woken up now. But I can't afford hair dye, and in any case, I'm rather attached to what's left of my grey hair. At least I still have some.