Temporal Relocation Apparatus
1,846 pieces. Includes a clock, which is functional. Time travel itself has not yet been demonstrated.
Welcome to my page
Hello. My name is Dr Kevin Ollerenshaw and I work at Bede University. This is my personal website, which I have set up to give colleagues, students and other interested parties an insight into some of my non-professional activities.
I have three main hobbies: constructing models using LEGO bricks, watching films involving zombies, and programming computer games in the style of those available during the 1980s. I hope you will find something here of interest, although obviously I cannot guarantee this.
PLEASE NOTE: This website is maintained in a personal capacity and does not necessarily reflect the views of Bede University. It is not intended to imply that my professional responsibilities are being neglected. All rankings and assessments are provisional unless otherwise stated.
1. My LEGO Constructions
I have been interested in LEGO for some years. I generally prefer to construct models without following commercially supplied instructions. The following are four of my more recent efforts. Click on a photograph to inspect it at a larger size. I have provided some brief technical observations below each photograph.
Elizabeth Ellington Building
2,309 pieces. The scale is approximate. A colleague has pointed out that the windows are too large.
Dawn of the Dead Shopping Mall
My recreation of the shopping centre in the 1978 film. Particular attention has been paid to the escalators, the positioning of the barricades and the number of available exits.
Municipal Recycling Facility
1,106 pieces. My most successful construction to date, particularly the separate access arrangements for glass.
Kevin's note: The number of pieces is based on my own records and may differ slightly from a recount. I have not included spare pieces, unless they have subsequently been incorporated into the finished model.
2. Zombie Film Ratings
Below is a selection of zombie films I have watched or rewatched recently. I use a 17-point scale because conventional five- and ten-point systems do not provide sufficient scope for meaningful differentiation. Ratings should not be compared directly with those published elsewhere.
| Film | Score | My assessment (one sentence) |
|---|---|---|
| Dawn of the Dead (1978) | 16/17 | An excellent depiction of a shopping centre operating under exceptionally difficult circumstances. |
| Night of the Living Dead (1968) | 15/17 | A highly effective film, although the boarding-up of the windows could have been better organised. |
| 28 Days Later (2002) | 13/17 | The infected move unusually quickly, which raises some interesting questions about energy expenditure. |
| Shaun of the Dead (2004) | 11/17 | Generally satisfactory, although the protagonists make several avoidable decisions. |
| Train to Busan (2016) | 14/17 | The railway setting introduces useful constraints on movement and a regrettable lack of alternative exits. |
| World War Z (2013) | 6/17 | Large numbers of zombies are shown, but numerical abundance is not in itself a substitute for character development. |
| Day of the Dead (1985) | 12/17 | The underground facility is interesting, although staff-management relations are extremely poor. |
| Resident Evil (2002) | 8/17 | The laboratory's health and safety procedures appear to have been inadequate for some time. |
Kevin's note: A score of 17/17 is theoretically possible, but I have not yet encountered a film that warrants it. Please do not email me to suggest one unless you have considered this carefully.
3. Retro Computer Games
I have long been interested in the domestic microcomputers of the 1980s, particularly the ZX Spectrum. I have written a number of small games in my spare time. My most substantial project is The Haunted House, featuring a gentleman called Monty who must negotiate ten rooms of a rather dangerous property.
The Haunted House
Platform: Modern web browser, designed to resemble a ZX Spectrum game
Rooms: 10
Objective: Collect keys, avoid hostile creatures and escape
Music: Included, with a facility for switching it off
The game includes rats, spiders, ghosts, moving platforms and other hazards. Certain enemies do not follow ordinary patterns of movement. This is intentional in most cases.
Technical advisory: The game opens in a new tab. A keyboard is recommended. Progress may be interrupted by contact with a hostile creature, as is customary in this genre.
Kevin's development note: I am aware that the graphics could be made more sophisticated. This has been suggested to me on a number of occasions. I remain unconvinced that such changes would improve the experience.
4. Contact and Other Matters
For matters concerning my university research, please consult my official Bede University staff profile. Messages about my hobbies are welcome, although I cannot undertake to respond to all of them.
I would particularly welcome correspondence from anyone who has independently constructed a model of a shopping centre with a comparable number of emergency exits, provided that adequate documentation is supplied.