By Phil Spalding
cambolc.co.uk, LinkedIn, BlueSky, Facebook
As we start the working week I enter Day 4, a Monday, of my self set No Car Challenge. The essence of this challenge is to avoid using the car where ever possible for work, shopping, leisure and wellbeing. In other words I am walking or using public transport. As I am past the most difficult stage which is the first three days of the challenge time to reflect and consider. On the humpday of the challenge I am up a little early with enthusiasm and energy as the sun is rising, so what have we done so far.
One of the great advantages of being a contractor and remote worker is that you can be flexible. I work as a supply teacher for part of the year so have a need for a car to be able to get to work. I can travel for work anywhere in the Greater Cambridge Area. A car is needed as it is impossible to reach schools by public transport and I refuse to work where I live.
For these work journeys I have a Fiat 500 which has zero VED (Vehicle Excise Duty) and I can fill the tank up for less than £40. This will usually cover a typical daily commute of a round trip of 60 miles for 4 days. The temptation though is to use the car for even short journeys of less a mile. Of the journeys in the UK 25% are less than a mile and 75% less than 5 miles. So as it is the Easter Holidays and I have switched to the side project (I would like it to be main project) , Cambridge Online Learning Community (Cambolc).
The No Car Challenge is a bit of a digital nomad ambition. With an Office in a bag (below) consisting of Chromebook, keyboard, mouse, power supply and various Raspberry P’s for development. The main Raspberry Pi is the version 5 with 8 GB of Ram ( there is a 16 GB from the locally based reseller The Pi Hut) I am using as my main desktop running Ubuntu LTS. A very stable Linnux distribution that will be my OS of choice when I get round to replacing Microsoft’s Windows10 is deprecated.
As you may have gathered I am a bit of a technology fan. However I believe in using technology for a clear purpose. Having had a 5 week long spell in hospital 6 months ago the first thing I purchased after discharge was a Samsung Digital Watch. I have been monitoring health using this and the Samsung Health App. The recording of the number steps over the last 7 days has been useful. Yesterday for example I took a walk partly around the local flood park on way to buy Sunday Lunch. Being a scientist by training I am very data orientated. Having a Samsung phone to match my Samsung Smart Watch provides me with many ways of monitoring my Health and Wellbeing.
Apps can be very useful to give you a push to do healthy living. One of the apps that I am particularly impressed with is the Discover Suffolk app which I have blogged about in the past. At appropriate times I have recorded my walks over the last three days. Partly to know how much I am exercising and also to publicise my local area as a good place to live and work. The app also a reminder of some of the solutions to the No Car Challenge I have found. The walks with a purpose that are also pleasant.
Local Transport Links:
Cambridge Online Learning Community 