This is a guest post by Monty Munford, who has 15
years' experience in the mobile, web and digital sectors. Read his
blog at www.mob76outlook.com or follow
him on Twitter on @montymunford
When I finished my A-levels many summers ago, the world offered
the usual possibilities for an 18-year-old. But first the money had
to be earned to pay for these dreams, so I took a job as a labourer
for Dove Brothers at Hampton Court Palace.
It didn't go well. My head was still at school and the artisans
who were working on the Palace were in their seventies (or so it
seemed), methodical, slow and thoughtful as they updated the
crumbling brickwork of Cardinal Wolsey. Meanwhile I was running
around like a Duracell bunny and annoying everybody.
I didn't, I broke my arm and it was the first accident at Hampton Court Palace for 27 years; my global dreams were shelved for a couple of years. Apart from my utter lack of physics knowledge and stupidity, I have often wondered about these septuagenarians and the quiet way they worked, hoping that over the years I've become more like them and not the hothead of old.
The noise of society is certainly bothersome nowadays. Whether it is hair-dryers, blenders, garden strimmers, mobile phone conversations or traffic noise, the cacophony of a busy world makes it difficult to focus for 18-year-olds and 70-year-olds alike.
Fortunately, there is a movement towards a quieter world that would appeal to those Hampton Court Palace craftsmen and it is this week's Hampton Court Palace Flower show (9-14 July) that is the topical showcase for Quiet Mark, an organisation that is trying to create a less stressful world.
Quiet Mark is a non-for-profit trading arm of the Noise Abatement Society and the "quiet mark" is a mark of approval, awarded by the Noise Abatement Society to manufacturers of "quiet" commercial products, validated by the Association of Noise Consultants and endorsed by DEFRA Department of the Environment.
The company is running the Technology in Harmony with Nature exhibit feature at the show where it has created a soundscape experience in the heart of the show at the Celebrity Speakers and Catwalk in Bloom Marquee.
The organisation will show off "low noise" technology and acoustic products that exemplify the British summer and how the natural environment can co-exist in harmony with (the usually noisy and disruptive) devices that people use in their gardens.
These exhibits include acoustic clouds, quiet high performance garden tools, power tools, fans and lawn mowers, as well as a live silent instrument orchestra and a silent garden party with wireless headphones for those who like to party more than garden. For those more reflective visitors there is even something called "My Quiet Hut" that is supposed to reflect the serenity of a shepherd's hut... good luck with that one.
"With an often limited summer in the UK, we shouldn't have to worry about unwanted noise impacting our enjoyment of the great outdoors. We are presenting an alternative soundscape garden for visitors, allowing them to experience and appreciate the beauty of natural environments when technology is in harmony with nature," said Poppy Elliott, Managing Director of Quiet Mark.
Elliott has considerable form in this area. Earlier this year she was at the Ideal Home Show in the spring heading up the Quiet House. Here, instead of garden products being showcased, quiet domestic appliances were displayed showing how people living in a home can live quietly, instead of driving each other mad with televisions, tablets, music systems and constantly humming PCs.
There would appear to be considerable commercial demand for quiet products and the quiet sell as opposed to the hard sell is not just a hyped-up marketing play for manufacturers looking for other channels to sell their products.
Mike Goldsmith is an acoustician and the author of Discord, The Story of Noise and from 1987 to 2007 was Head of Acoustics (among other roles) at the National Physical Laboratory.
"Surveys have shown that only 25 percent of people consider the likely noise of a product when they buy it -- but that as many as 40 percent regret that fact after purchase. The good news for manufacturers is that half those interviewed said that they would willingly pay 50 percent more for a product that was 'half as noisy'," he said.
But things can sometimes be too quiet. Sounds such as a camera's shutter or the sound of a vehicle approaching are important. This has led to some companies adding sounds to products that would otherwise would be quiet... just that it is always best for us to whistle when walking past a blind person to let them know where we are.
In the US, the Department of Transportation has asked carmakers to add sounds to all new electric and hybrid cars. Earlier this year, Its National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated that making cars louder would prevent 2,800 traffic accidents every year.
If only such considerations were around when I worked at Hampton Court Palace as a teenager and that bucket would have sent out a klaxon when I jumped on it.
But, perhaps those septuagenarian bricklayers knew all along what would happen -- maybe they just decided to keep quiet about it.
