Although it is #OpenHouse,  I’m specifically inviting people I love, respect, admire, listen to, learn from, take strength and motivation from. I hope you can come to my place for any amount of time, from an hour to a few days, you’re very very welcome. I’d love to share my home and outdoor space with you.

I have dreamy ideas of great debates with the many brilliant people i have connected with in the last two years (yes it’s that long since Twitter, leaving BBC land and embarking on a new journey. A journey I am really enjoying and that is taking me to places and experiences that you just couldn’t “script”).  I have visions of laughter, silliness and amazement, bad jokes, goood jokes, funny accidents, and great song

We could have days out… Brighton and the Seaside (40mins), The Surrey Hills (15 Mins) , Devils Dyke (30 Mins), plus lots of National Trust sites that are localish,  trips in Central London are only  35 Mins too. Or we can have days “in” lounging. My garden backs onto woodland it’s circa 4/5 miles of fields and woods and walks with views on high. It’s easy to just go hike, and there is a lovely pub about 30 minutes into a walk.

To get to #OpenHouse is really quite easy…

Zone 6 on the Rail Network direct from Victoria, London Bridge 32 Mins and Clapham Junction 25 mins on modern air conditioned trains. From the South around Brighton, it’s a quick whizz up to East Croydon by train and a change for a journey 15 Mins back south.  I’m 10 Mins and a straight road from Junc 6 on M25 too, I can handle up to 6/7 cars if parked right , there’s no yellow lines on the road either.

I’ve connected and built friendships with an incredibly wide section of people via Twitter, I’m really hoping a good slice of you can come and meet each other, swap stories, world changing views maybe.  Everyone is guaranteed a hearty welcome.

What about Kids ? Well look at the garden… of course! they are welcome, lots and lots to explore .

It would be excellent if you came and you’re in to gardening and/or cooking, you’ll be a very special guest indeed – Bring your tools and gadgets, recipes and ingredients.

I’ve got room for 10 or so to sleep each night, I reckon (airbeds, sharing the floor etc), and the garden can take a good selection of tents, even a couple of massive ones!

If @leashless comes, maybe we could build a Hexayurt ? I would really love that!

It would be very cool if you brought along some supplies (anything you like), enough to share maybe ?

I’d defo like a big conversation about #BigSociety. Oh…. music, there will be MUSIC and your welcome to come and “plug and play” wherever you find a set of speakers.  Not BIG! LOUD!  I haz lovely neighbours, but, well, you know, loud enough for the moment.

Not sure how to structure knowing who’s coming when. The Serendipitous potential of the #OpenHouse is something I’m quite excited about, but… I guess it would be good to know who’s maybe coming on what days. EventBrite seems a bit ordered, any ideas ???  Do share, I need some spark of genius

I really hope to see you and yours, thanks for reading. Hope you enjoy some of my garden snaps.

#OpenHouse Garden on Flickr

Daren

Hey … You’ve probably found this page because you clicked a link, so thanks for that .

I’m Daren Forsyth and I am the new Chief Marketing Officer for a “Start Up” Charity called

TAG International Development (TAG ID) and we are looking to hire interns for the summer. Interested ? Read on…

TAG is different in many ways; our focus is to share unique expertise in developing countries. Our reason to be is to “Change Lives by Sharing Expertise”.

For a bit more detail on TAG ID, you can visit the website I have inherited http://tagdevelopment.org I have altered the text since joining, in all honesty that is as far as I can improve things without a team. This is where you might come in.

So here’s the deal… If you don’t know me, or you don’t follow me on Twitter, you could check my LinkedIn Profile to understand a little more about whom I am and what I’ve done ( A Google search has a few results too). I’m hoping you might able to help with the next chapter.

The roles are digital/online based and the projects are in areas of Social Media, Social Change and Non Profit models that change lives.

The team I’m looking to build has three components:

1. Technical – Geek (only true, real and proud geeks need apply)

 If Coding and data are your passion, I reckon I can give you some stretching tasks as well as some basics support tasks too.

Do you enjoy creating mash ups?

Do you know your way around FaceBook, Google, Flickr and Twitter API’s?

Are you happy working remotely as well part of a group in a dev/office environment?

1. Creative/Digital Designer

Can you create and design beautiful things to look at, but in a way that the information/content is easy to absorb/access in several forms of media format?  You know… paper, web pages, wallpapers, backgrounds, tee shirts, video credits/edits, anything really.

You might also be passionate about branding, or you might be anti brand, whatever… if you have an interest in brand concepts, I’d like to hear them.

You must have a legal copy of Photoshop on your laptop. If you don’t have a legal copy, we will buy you a Student license if you are a student.

1. Content/Conversation/Communication “The 3C Hybrid” (I just made that up)

Dovetailing with your tech and creative team mates (and me), you’re able to create engagement opportunities and conversations, you always share as much as you can, you’ve always done that naturally, you adore connecting people with things/stuff you  or someone else knows.

Maybe people have said to you “You’re too honest”, “How do you know all this?”, “Wow your blog post was brilliant”, “How do you do that?” or “What do you do again?”

Maybe you have been studying PR, or Media Production, maybe Marketing?

This is the going to be the trickiest person to find, because the truth is, I’m not going to know until I meet you who the right person is.  So… engage me, online, K!? And lets see where it goes.

A little about us and how we are looking at this internship.

We are always up for listening to *you* and learning from *you* about how things that could work better for all of us. (It’s not a one way street, although making a great cuppa tea can go a long way).

You can work from home, your local park, coffee shop or library, we don’t care, but you will have to:

1, do what you say you’re going to do, when you say you’re going to do it by (fair?)

2, you’ll have to come to #ThatLondon when we need you. We will pay the expenses and put you up when needed.  (It could be fun J)

3, not just talk, but “do” too. We love conversations, and not always about work, but you gotta know how to “do” too OK (actions, not words are what you will be appraised on, not what you said and how you said it).

We will pay you a meagre weekly wage and some expenses, a lunch allowance to accept on days when I buy you lunch (remember there is no such thing as free lunch).

We respect and appreciate everyone’s skills and talents, everyone! (we may take the piss a lil tho and we encourage you to give it back)

You will be part of a 4 person team, if you can’t work in a team, you will struggle and probably be unhappy quite quickly (no Prima Dona’s OK)

We don’t have fixed hours or days of work. We don’t really have holiday days, but if you need to rest, then rest and come back “up for it”. (we work hard, really hard)

Between the three of you (hired interns) and all the connections and projects we have, you will deliver something truly amazing this summer, I promise. You’ll meet some great contacts and go to some great gatherings too.

If you’re still reading – come to twitter, say hi to @TagDaren with your own message and add the hashtag  #TagID.

Good luck J – Daren

Just a little experiement. I’ve heard people talk about  the creativity of crowds and co-creation.

So I’ve got 50 words (some are terms) and I’m looking for fifty images that represent the word/phrase/term.

If you’ve got time and one or two words below grab *you* and *you* imagine a picture in your mind, would you put a link in the comments ? Maybe you can find the image here on flickr or on Google Images

YaY!!! Posterous makes it so easy to ask and share

Thanks for reading, hope to see some gr8 images.

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“It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before. To test your limits. To break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.“

You can learn more about Anais here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ana%C3%AFs_Nin

I thought the quote was beautiful enough to create a page and share.

I have many many people to thank. So I’m going to try like this, A Twitter List for you to follow http://twitter.com/DarenBBC/irlcontributors-4 , some photo’s and some thoughts, experiences and emotions I went through. If that sounds interesting then please do read on, I hope you enjoy, it was EPIC for me.

London Heathrow – T5 – Jayne had the great idea that I drive myself to H/Row and park using long term parking. I found a new service that meets you at the short term parking area and takes your car away for you, then when you return, they meet you back at short term.

Perfect and only a £5 premium, which given a black cabbie quoted £100 one way to heathrow, it was a no brainer.

Heathrow T5 8.45pm on a Saturday night was deserted, if you’re going to fly, fly then, it was heaven.

Take off was 10.30pm and I have to say the British Airways plane was great, got us in 30 mins earlier at 5.00am. I spoke to the crew because I thought the plane was new, but it wasn’t it had been refurbed. Good job, it felt new. Whilst chatting with the crew, I found out that they would be on my flight home, they were staying in Israel the same amount of time as me, 26.5 hours, of which I slept for 1 hour between 8.30am to 9.30am and 3 hours between 1.45am to 4.45am. I’m not complaining, but I;m not in my 20′s anymore, i’m still feeling the pain of no sleep.

Jeff Pulver graciously offered me the use of his hotel room to shower and change before Conference, I woke Jeff up at 6am, I was earlier than expected. Jeff bought me coffee and cake and gave me some background to Tel Aviv and his activities there, the key to his room says how highly he’s thought of in the tech powerhouse that is, Israel.

So…quick kip, shower and change into the suit and tie. I was later to find out I would be the only person in a suit and tie [ I like that]

The cab ride, was I have to say, that of a middle eastern experience, no english from the driver and no idea where the venue was, Coool! I was running a bit late, but, I’ve learnt on my travels, let destiny take it’s path, I’m powerless in effecting the outcome.

I arrive just as Jeff is finishing his intro, the energy and buzz in the room was off the scale, physically, there was standing room only. I had my suit carrier and “man bag” so felt very concious walking to the front of the room, there were 200 people plus. Once settled I was greeted by smiles from the people that surrounded me. Jeff then announced to the audience that I had arrived and the room applauded, I felt joy, embarrassment, great pride and a real sense that I was “welcome”. I was in room of full of Israel’s “thought” and “geek” leaders and achievers.

First up was Yossi Vardi – The Grandfather of the Israeli Tech Sector, founder of ICQ. Amazing charisma, wisdom and humour. See for yourself

The laughter and engagement from the audience was amazing, and so natural, it was just part of what seems to happen when a couple of hundred tech/media/education/spiritual/young/old/political/music/finance related people get togethr in a room. There was a stage, with mic’s and seats for “speakers and panelists”, but that stage was for audience “use” too. I learnt, that Israeli’s take part, they don’t sit back and think it, maybe talk it down in the corridors quietly, they say it, share it, challenge and act. If it was too cold, someone shouted, “turn the heating up” or if someone said something funny ( which they did a lot) lots of people would laugh, but laugh properly and look at each other while they laughed. It’s a tough subtlety to describe, i guess you had to be there .

And “be there” I was… Lot’s of people chipped in cash to make the experience (trip) possible, and I have expressed my gratitude to you all in some way, but there are seven people I’d like to really show my deep appreciation to. They were the catalysts, and often the work of the catalyst is under valued, if valued at all, as it’s often forgotten, but is actually the vital spark that is always required. So…here are the catalysts, thank you once again.

http://twitter.com/digitalmaverick – He suggested asking the community on Twitter for funds – Drew is a teacher

http://twitter.com/bensaint – He made it clear, very clear he would make a major donation early on – Ben owns Evolv Digital

http://twitter.com/gemmawent – She matched Ben’s support within minutes – Gemma is founder of Red Cube Marketing

http://twitter.com/scottgould – He confirmed covering the cost of flying within 30 minutes of my appeal. Scott is a partner in Conference Group #LikeMinds

http://twitter.com/drewellis – He is Scott’s business partner and signed off flight costs within minutes of Scott’s suggestion

http://twitter.com/robocallaghan – My 1st “Chip In” donator, and what a donator. Just amazing.

http://twitter.com/JeffPulver – He invited me to Tel Aviv

Next edit, I will go into some of the people I met. Until then enjoi the music vid. The tempo is reflective of the intensity experienced and the “here I am” line sums up my feeling once I’d settled into my seat for five minutes.

Daren

I have many many people to thank. So I’m going to try like this, A Twitter List for you to follow http://twitter.com/DarenBBC/irlcontributors-4 ,  some photo’s and some thoughts, experiences and emotions I went through. If that sounds interesting then please do read on, I hope you enjoy, it was EPIC for me.

London Heathrow – T5 -  Jayne had the great idea that I drive myself to H/Row and park using long term parking. I found a new service that meets you at the short term parking area and takes your car away for you, then when you return, they meet you back at short term.

Perfect and only a £5 premium, which given a black cabbie quoted £100 one way to heathrow, it was a no brainer.

Heathrow T5 8.45pm on a Saturday night was deserted, if you’re going to fly, fly then, it was heaven.

Take off was 10.30pm and I have to say the British Airways plane was great, got us in 30 mins earlier at 5.00am. I spoke to the crew because I thought the plane was new, but it wasn’t it had been refurbed. Good job, it felt new. Whilst chatting with the crew, I found out that they would be on my flight home, they were staying in Israel the same amount of time as me, 26.5 hours, of which I slept for 1 hour between 8.30am to 9.30am and 3 hours between 1.45am to 4.45am. I’m not complaining, but I;m not in my 20′s anymore, i’m still feeling the pain of no sleep.

Jeff Pulver graciously offered me the use of his hotel room to shower and change before Conference, I woke Jeff up at 6am, I was earlier than expected. Jeff bought me coffee and cake and gave me some background to Tel Aviv and his activities there, the key to his room says how highly he’s thought of in the tech powerhouse that is, Israel.

So…quick kip, shower and change into the suit and tie. I was later to find out I would be the only person in a suit and tie [ I like that]

The cab ride, was I have to say, that of a middle eastern experience, no english from the driver and no idea where the venue was, Coool! I was running a bit late, but, I’ve learnt on my travels, let destiny take it’s path, I’m powerless in effecting the outcome.

I arrive just as Jeff is finishing his intro, the energy and buzz in the room was off the scale, physically, there was standing room only. I had my suit carrier and “man bag” so felt very concious walking to the front of the room, there were 200 people plus. Once settled I was greeted by smiles from the people that surrounded me. Jeff then announced to the audience that I had arrived and the room applauded, I felt joy, embarrassment, great pride and  a real sense that I was “welcome”. I was in room of full of Israel’s “thought” and “geek” leaders and achievers.

First up was Yossi Vardi – The Grandfather of the Israeli Tech Sector, founder of ICQ. Amazing charisma, wisdom and humour. See for yourself

<embed src=”http://blip.tv/play/g8UBgbTGJwI%2Em4v” type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” width=”480″ height=”302″ allowscriptaccess=”always” allowfullscreen=”true”></embed>

The laughter and engagement from the audience was amazing, and so natural, it was just part of what seems to happen when a couple of hundred tech/media/education/spiritual/young/old/political/music/finance related people get togethr in a room. There was a stage, with mic’s and seats for “speakers and panelists”, but that stage was for audience “use” too. I learnt, that Israeli’s take part, they don’t sit back and think it, maybe talk it down in the corridors quietly, they say it, share it, challenge and act. If it was too cold, someone shouted, “turn the heating up” or if someone said something funny ( which they did a lot) lots of people would laugh, but laugh properly and look at each other while they laughed. It’s a tough subtlety  to describe, i guess you had to be there .

And “be there” I was… Lot’s of people chipped in cash to make the experience (trip) possible, and I have expressed my gratitude to you all in some way, but there are seven people I’d like to really show my deep appreciation to.  They were the catalysts, and often the work of the catalyst is under valued, if valued at all, as it’s often forgotten, but is actually the vital spark that is always required. So…here are the catalysts, thank you once again.

http://twitter.com/digitalmaverick – He suggested asking the community on Twitter for funds – Drew is a teacher

http://twitter.com/bensaint – He made it clear, very clear he would make a major donation early on – Ben owns Evolv Digital

http://twitter.com/gemmawent – She matched Ben’s support within minutes – Gemma is founder of Red Cube Marketing

http://twitter.com/scottgould – He confirmed covering the cost of flying within 30 minutes of my appeal. Scott is a partner in Conference Group #LikeMinds

http://twitter.com/drewellis – He is Scott’s business partner and signed off flight costs within minutes of Scott’s suggestion

http://twitter.com/robocallaghan – My 1st “Chip In” donator, and what a donator. Just amazing.

http://twitter.com/JeffPulver – He invited me to Tel Aviv

Next edit, I will go into some of the people I met. Until then enjoi the music vid. The tempo is reflective of the intensity experienced and the “here I am” line sums up my feeling as I had settled into my seat after five minutes

Daren