Thoughts from a Devon Sitting Room

Recording my life in diaries and photographs, from heady days as a student in London in the 1970’s to being a pensioner on a low income today. My writing is a mixture of insight – from knowledge & experience – and history. I explore my professional and personal interests – energy & climate change, history, politics, music, film, food & drink… the list goes on!

50 YEARS OF PHOTOS

No.10: Dark Clouds over Westminster

Rather apt for current events! A photo taken on iPhone 6s in 2016.

  • Inefficient Energy Efficiency?

    Substack diary no.132: Thursday, 23rd. April 2026

    I was pleased to read in the national press this morning that a company I worked for is under investigation by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO). The final few years of my working life were made utterly miserable by this company, and on numerous occasions I made it known that I was deeply concerned about what I suspected might be fraudulent activity, if not by the company itself then by a company that provided ‘leads’ for work. This will be a highly convoluted investigation given the complexities of the Government’s Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme, which in my view must also take some of the blame.

    The aim of improving the energy efficiency of homes in Britain was laudable. By the early 2000’s it was well known that British homes were built to almost the poorest insulation standard in Europe. It was also well known that Britain, virtually alone amongst north European countries, had a unique and devastating health and social problem referred to as ‘fuel poverty’. ECO was one of the main tools in the Government’s armoury for tackling energy inefficiency and fuel poverty. It was a poorly designed scheme aimed at delivering energy efficiency ‘on the cheap’ by passing the buck from the taxpayer to the energy companies – and therefore onto energy bill payers. Perversely, one of the main reasons for its labyrinthine complexity was to reduce or even eradicate fraud!

    Whilst it brings back painful memories I shall keep an eye on developments. I hope there will be lessons learned, not just for the companies concerned but for the energy companies, the energy regulator (Ofgem) and the Government itself. There can be no excuse for poor policy-making at the highest level.

  • Swansea field trip: the final days fading away into beer and a failed attempt to get home

    27th-29th March 1976

    After all the usual excitement of a geography field trip – touring the Gower Peninsula, measuring plant and soil types on a Valleys hillside, visiting Merthyr Tydfil and Port Talbot/Neath and a very strange remote pub – the final few days of the geography field trip just sort of fizzled out, but not without a cocktail of disappointment, amusement and beer.

    Saturday 27th. March

    The weekend started with a member of our group – Derek – wandering off on his own first thing. I am sorry to say that I do not remember Derek, but in my defence I certainly knew him then – and it was 50 years ago after all!.

    Most of us decided to head for the University and town libraries, which seemed eminently sensible – but not me. In the end I did a Derek and went for a walk around the city and nearby villages looking for tourist attractions. I have always been a bit of an explorer – a feature of my character that has never left me. Yes, on a visit to California I would of course visit Hollywood, but I would also drive up Route 1 towards Santa Barbara and take a random dirt road east, just to see what was there.

    (more…)

Recent posts

So who is Colin Anderson?

A Devonian with stories to tell and a love of history, science, philosophy, environment, & entertainment.

An increasing number of people I know are either down the rabbit hole or caught in its event horizon, which I find distressing. I prefer the real world and, like a frantic sponge, I cannot help but soak up knowledge, insight & quality.

Which I like to share…

USA 2016 travelogue

Scotland 2022 travelogue