Geoff Bateson

Independent researcher, writer and artist.
Books are varied in style; available via Amazon.
General bits of thinking on:

[Geoff Bateson @geoffbateson]

I'm not sure if 'Bureaucratic Fiction' existed as a category before I used it to describe my Amazon-available 'The Exercise'. Possibly not to everyone's taste, but I am reassured that someone whose views I respect thought it was a great read....

[Geoff Bateson @geoffbateson]

Also trying a new approach in my art. Involves tearing bits out of newspapers re a current major event; collaging these to form a rough under-layer that then gets painted/drawn over: becomes abstract but, look very closely, and tiny bits of the original news story show through.

[Geoff Bateson @geoffbateson]

Thank goodness. I can see a route through to the end of writing Book #9. I have really enjoyed writing it.
It started with a topic ('Wartime air crash on moors') and went to many places (New York, San Diego, Forest of Bowland, Chicago, Leipzig, Moscow, Denver ....) from there.

[Geoff Bateson @geoffbateson]

The Dinner Party at Glastonbury. That was interesting. Took me back to some mix of 70s progrock/ best of Kate Bush/ John Peel's radio show ... with that Abigail frontwoman striding the stage like a feminist Cossack (if that's not too much of an oxymoron).

[Geoff Bateson @geoffbateson]

If Parliament is a Public Service (if not, why is it there) then need to stress attendance (every day counts; no absences for MPs; fines for unauthorised absences); Need an OFGOV to issue single word judgements every year (with improvement plans; removal of weak leadership) etc

[Geoff Bateson @geoffbateson]

Looking forward to finally getting back to Vancouver and Whitehorse in the not too distant future, even if only for a brief visit ... Went regularly then stopped during COVID ... Be interesting how much both places have changed. Getting my 'to do' list drafted out ....

[Geoff Bateson @geoffbateson]

Sorting stuff out, I came across old holiday photos from the late 1960s. You can tell how relaxed I was: I had removed shoes but kept the cardigan and tie ....

[Geoff Bateson @geoffbateson]

That's it - Vancouver trip booked. Will be first time back since just preCOVID. Wonder how different it might be ....

[Geoff Bateson @geoffbateson]

If learning is important; and government (various forms) are failing to create conditions for learning for some children; and if criminalising/fining works - then logic suggests a system that fines/imprisons 'government' for these failings ... or have I got it wrong?

[Geoff Bateson @geoffbateson]

enjoyed experimenting (ie playing) at today's printmaking session ... one of several monoprint/collages
#rbsagallery

[Geoff Bateson @geoffbateson]

Cold air got me thinking of new sports:
Joggers use deep snow as resistance. Snow Jogging (abbreviated to Snogging).
Skidoo pulls snowboarder on frozen water. Water skiing/snow boarding cross. Might call it Waterboarding.
Sports ideas are fine but more work needed on terminology?

[Geoff Bateson @geoffbateson]

'Only Labour can deliver the change our country needs'. This repeated mantra assumes that Labour (a bit of a sweeping term, really) knows the changes that are needed (to do what ....??). It would be an interesting bit of philosophical banter if it weren't so important .....

[Geoff Bateson @geoffbateson]

This popped up as a memory on facebook - from 10 years ago. I have no idea of the origin, but it still has a degree of humour:

"I heard cries outside, opened my door & saw 6 men in Man U shirts playing football with a cat. I'd've rung the RSPCA but the cat was 3-0 up."

[Geoff Bateson @geoffbateson]

It has been freezing outside today. The toilet is the warmest room in the house . I was tempted to spend all day in there .....

[Geoff Bateson @geoffbateson]

@teamsquarepeg This is an excellent set of responses around 'every day matters' ... so significant and relevant to many children and families.... and points out (again and again) the huge gaps in government thinking and delivery. Any new government should want to do better.

[Geoff Bateson @geoffbateson]

New Year: Decided to save myself a day in 2024 (estimated/predicted) by unsubscribing from newsletters I no longer read but just delete. Saves me 5 minutes each day; half hour a week; a day a year .... Now, the bigger question is what shall I do with my free day?

[Geoff Bateson @geoffbateson]

New Year: ... Delve deeper into neurochemistry and neurobiology - how that relates to processing, memory and learning ,,,, and the implications of that for understanding autistic grandson's very specific ways of learning ....

[Geoff Bateson @geoffbateson]

New Year: .... and really must get going with that 'Evidence from air plane crash on misty Lakes hillside' next book - written as a file of documents put together as a training exercise for would-be 1950s information analysts ... What story does the evidence tell?

[Geoff Bateson @geoffbateson]

It's in the 2023 Plan to sort all my multifarious arts resources into some productive order ready for a 2024 spingboarding leap forward. Some way to go yet, but I've never been one to let a good Plan go to waste ...

[Geoff Bateson @geoffbateson]

I know, I know: The last thing I needed from that short trip to the city centre was yet another empty notebook but this one was simply irresistible. I now need to find a new project that is worthy of such a superb thing .....