Interview with a Broadband Champion No. 1: Libby Bateman
11:00 in Broadband Champion by Louis Mosley
To kick off our regular series of interviews with Cumbria’s Broadband Champions, here is a suitably attired Libby Bateman. Merry Christmas everyone!
Libby Bateman at the Brough Christmas Fair, 11 December 2010
Name: Libby Bateman
Age: 36
Parish: Ravenstonedale
Occupation: Upper Eden Community Plan Project Officer
You live in Cumbria because?
It is where I belong!
Your idea of happiness?
Riding over the fells with my horse and my dog.
Your idea of misery?
Busy places.
When and why did you first use the Internet?
In the year 2000, I was working and living at a pub on Ullswater and bought my first computer, really not sure why, I guess it was just time to step up to the new world. Mollie Young sent me my first ever email, but I can’t remember what it said!
What characters in history do you most dislike and why?
I am really not keen on judging anybody!
Why did you become a broadband champion?
Because my community are sick of dial up. They are running rural businesses which are essentially the life blood of our country and they are doing it on knackered infrastructure. If our farmers went out of business, we would simply have to import more from abroad and this country cannot feed its self - our farms are the factories at the heart of this nation. They must be supported and a decent broadband infrastructure could reduce overheads and increase profitability at the same time as supporting the farming families through access to social networking and online education resources.
If not yourself, who would you be?
Carl Hester - Dressage Rider.
What would you use a 100meg symmetrical connection for?
Watching dressage! To be honest, the possibilities are endless. I would like to use the Internet to do video conferencing and reduce my fuel bill by attending meetings all over the place! Plus it would make me more efficient as it takes me 45 mins just to drive to Penrith - that makes a 2hr meeting last 3.5hrs with travelling time. Add parking in Penrith and we are heading over 4hrs! It would be much better if I could just switch on my computer and we could all talk that way. Then I could spend the other 2hrs. doing real work instead of driving. Which would leave me more time for horse riding - which would be very good.
Your heroes in real life?
I admire many people, mostly from my community as they are the ones I know the best. If I have to put a name to it, I would have to say that my Dad is pretty cool.
What has been the world’s greatest invention?
The mobile phone - cannot live without it.
What’s your favourite place in Cumbria, and why?
Hawswater - (favourite place on the planet). I love the fact that there is not development there and no recreation on the lake. My favourite thing to do is to sit on the balcony on a still, moonlit night and watch the eagles soar above the lake (tranquillity). Although I have to confess, I haven’t done it for a very long time! I watched the sun rise on the new Millennium sat on that balcony.
