A visitor at Pi Towers

Today we’ve all been running around like squirrels preparing for winter, trying to get organised for a visit from the fella on the right of the picture below, who is holding the Raspberry Pi. We made it in the end: the office is tidy, there are cupcakes, and we’re all wearing name badges and sweating gently.

That’s HRH the Duke of York, who, in his role promoting and raising awareness of British science, engineering and technology expertise, came to talk to us about what we do here. He’s also Patron of Code Club, and we had lots to discuss around our educational mission.

Prince Andrew is the first member of the Royal Family I have ever mimed the plummet of a branded teddy bear from space in front of. This wasn’t just a visit for form’s sake; Prince Andrew was as well-informed about the background of our organisation; the changing curriculum in the UK; the growth of groups like Code Club, Young Rewired State, Teen Tech and the like; and the need for new young programmers, as any visitor we’ve crammed into our tiny meeting room. (Although other visitors haven’t been accompanied by men with earpieces and suspicious gun-shaped bulges in their jackets.)

HRH left with a Pi, which he promises to use. There is a plate of cupcakes left. We’re eating them.

24 comments

Avatar

Fantastic. I wondered what all the cupcake talk was about last week :)

Great that such high profile people are interested.

Avatar

I know they come in for a lot of general criticism but the RF generally are quite remarkable at being well informed on five unrelated subjects every day. Day in day out. Obviously they get well briefed but I know my smile and enthusiasm would fail after the first week.

PS you mention sweat.. my only meeting with royalty was when P Philip came round Fenners for some reason (1981, when it was a decrepit old building) and all the team captains (for some reason including mountaineering) had to ‘just happen to be there’. It was very full, squalid and smelly but he managed to chat away easy as anything!

Avatar

Did HRH have a clue what was going on?

When we met him about 10 years ago we gave him some pencils made from recycled vending machine cups his response – what are vending machines?

Avatar

Did he fly there and collect the “air miles” ?

Avatar

More than a clue – he was actually very familiar with what we were doing already, and has a lot of other background knowledge about computing education. He’d obviously read up on us in some considerable detail; and I have a suspicion, having talked to him, that what we do is the sort of thing he’d find interesting even if he wasn’t visiting officially. It’s not often we get visitors who ask interesting and really thoughtful questions (most just nod and smile). He asked some questions that we had to think quite hard about before answering. Good bloke – I commend him to you!

Avatar

> Prince Andrew is the first member of the Royal Family I have ever mimed the plummet of a branded teddy bear from space in front of.

Please tell me that this was recorded on camera :-)

Dave

Avatar

Ahaha! I hope so! =)

Avatar

It was not, but I’m pretty sure I could do it again with the right encouragement.

Avatar

Certainly not a Raspberry Pie then? :-P

(or are you talking in code intimating your courtesy has gone horribly wrong in front of HRH? ;-))

Avatar

OK, young lady, you’re on the next time you’re out this way! Imbibement will be at the ready :lol:

Avatar

encouragement = red wine?

Avatar

oh well, there goes the knighthood

Avatar

I can just see the headlines.
Pi-powered Tardis allows 10,001 men in a small office.

Avatar

Wow, congrats on the kudos!

Raspberry Pi: by royal appointment ?

Avatar

oh, I like that idea! ” Raspberry Pi Foundation, official suppliers of education computers to HRH the Duke of York.” along with the crest it’s bound to impress some schools enough to invest in them?

Avatar

That is awesome! All of you at R Pi have certainly earned the attention.

Way to go!

Avatar

Well, now you know what it’s like for us when we meet the “Raspberry Pi Royalty” ;)

Avatar

A three-word refrain comes to mind: “We’re not worthy! We’re not worthy! We’re not worthy! … “, while bowing profusely in the manner of Wayne and Garth of Saturday Night Live “Wayne’s World” fame :D

Avatar

Bravo l’équipe! Well done – The Prince of Pi. Keep up the Momentum!

Now I’d really like to see Michael D.(IRL), François H.(FRA) & Albert de M(MON) simultaneously miming Babbage’s jump.

Avatar

League table for visiting nobs doing plunging teddy mimes?

Avatar

Good idea Simon, but I’m thinking more Top of the Pops style! New this week…..in at 4….

Avatar

Haha, I was presented my Queens Badge by HRH Duke of York – I used the fact that I participated in RasPiThon (http://beh.me.uk/raspithon/) for part of my volunteering! Didn’t realise just how much he knew about coding! ;)

Avatar

Is that the tardis I see behind teddy ?

A gift or metaphor – small on outside but huge potential once inside the pi !

Avatar

It’s from one of Dave Akerman’s HAB flights But it’s a great metaphor :)

Leave a Comment

Comments are closed