please empty your brain below
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I've found the best value of "AI" - which in its large language model form is not AI at all but fast pattern matching using lots of data, but only if the relevant data is available and clear - is that you can ask it really stupid questions without any embarrassment. This morning I asked how to tell whether my malfunctioning fluorescent light was due to the tube or the starter. Last week I used it to book a desk in my office, something I've never been able to do through the cumbersome, multi-stage online system. But some way to go yet before artificial general intelligence. (!)
John Abbott | Homepage | 23.11.25 - 7:33 a.m. | #
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Your walk stirred my nostalgia for the years when Trent Park was 5 mins from my front door, and The Cock Inn was a the place to spend Saturday lunchtime with the newspapers. No phones or LLM distractions +35 years ago.
Frank F | 23.11.25 - 8:07 a.m. | #
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Spent most of my working and professional life in Rainham Essex (Havering). Typing Rainham Essex into a search engine the text that appears as the first item (which I presume is AI generated) completely muddled up Rainham Essex with Rainham Kent. I have no idea how these issues can be corrected.
Rogeressex | 23.11.25 - 8:26 a.m. | #
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OK, the map is useless, but the literal cat-erpillars on Instagram are cute, especially the tabbies, the ability to turn drawings and photographs into very short videos on Grok is amazing, and the AI Rihanna Motown style cover of Umbrella is a delight.
The underlying principle of 'garbage in, garbage out' still stands, as to creativity, we’re going through the same process as previous generations did with photography and electronic music.
Still Anon | 23.11.25 - 8:54 a.m. | #
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Continuing on the fiction theme, I was expecting the Orangery to offer at least a cafe, a la Lower Loxley.
Man of Kent | 23.11.25 - 9:26 a.m. | #
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I was only thinking the other day that you never come to my area, East Barnet, so imagine my joy when you've popped up here in today's post!
Not surprised that a to-see list in Cockfosters also takes you to East Barnet (very much NOT Cockfosters - a different borough in fact).
GrumbleSlug | 23.11.25 - 9:40 a.m. | #
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I put your prompt into Deepseek, the Chinese counterpart, it had the 'sense' not to attempt a map; passing the buck to Google.
Where is the app that puts the same prompt into several LLMs and then sub edits the answers for me.
mikeS | 23.11.25 - 10:08 a.m. | #
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AI: the world is being used to beta test a product not (yet?) fit for purpose. “Move fast and break things.” Indeed.
Trent Park: I taught there p/t for a couple of years then worked as Middlesex University's web team manager. My office was on the first floor of the mansion, the room I was told was once Edward and Mrs Simpson's bedroom. I have fond memories of lunchtimes in the grounds, the sea of daffodils on the lawn and meetings in the staff room overlooking the lake (the one where the German POWs were reportedly plied with drink and eavesdropped on). It definitely beat the industrial estate in Southgate we were moved to afterwards.
Thank goodness you didn't subject us to any photos of the dreadful housing estate they built on the site of the demolished student accommodation and it's sad to learn that the mansion is becoming luxury flats.
Colin | 23.11.25 - 10:09 a.m. | #
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Well, with this basic model, you wouldn’t get suitable results beyond a list. With the more advanced models (still on a free tier), you can expect better, though not perfect, results. For example, Gemini (3 Pro) returned maps, photos, even a link to a populated Google Map, and included historic information eg about the pub as well as a warning about the current works at Trent Park House, alongside more realistic durations (8 miles, 3-4 hours).
And more refined prompting would likely lead to a reasonably satisfying result.
commonliner | 23.11.25 - 10:37 a.m. | #
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I know someone who lives alone and says that they've had some of the most erudite conversations with ChatGPT.
They won't have that it's not the fount of all knowledge they believe it to be!
Cornish Cockney | 23.11.25 - 11:31 a.m. | #
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I’m just surprised Hadley Wood and Monken Hadley Common don’t get a mention.
Bryn Davies | 23.11.25 - 1:18 p.m. | #
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I'm surprised that Camlet Moat didn't get a mention. Its hidden in the woods to the east of the obelisk and is worth a wander around if you're in Trent Park
Debra Crouch | 23.11.25 - 1:37 p.m. | #
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A friend of mine has been using ChatGPT for planning a trip we are taking to Guatemala. I then go and research the reality of the situation. It's not bad on picking out highlights, but stitching them together in a sensible itinerary is a bit of a struggle.
And she got it to produce a similarly fantasy map of the geography of Guatemala. It put a coastal city in the middle of the country.
Greg | 23.11.25 - 3:32 p.m. | #
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Don't even think of asking it about the naming of Canterbury West and Canterbury East train stations!
Bob L-S | 23.11.25 - 4:10 p.m. | #
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Large Chinese community now occupying most of the new Berkeley Homes development within Trent Park. The developers opened a sales office in Beijing which proved very successful for them.
Anyoldname | 23.11.25 - 7:01 p.m. | #
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Agree that Camlet Moat was a notable omission from the Trent Park sites, only a short distance beyond the Obelisk. Chat GPT seems to have relied mostly on Wikipedia, which appears not to have a page on Camlet Moat (that I could see).
Chris Atkins | Homepage | 23.11.25 - 7:18 p.m. | #
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ChatGPT listed its sources (see top list).
These included Wikipedia, the Friends of Trent Country Park, Historic England and Barnet council.
Camlet Moat has been a subsection of the Trent Park Wikipedia page since 2008.
diamond geezer | Homepage | 23.11.25 - 7:24 p.m. | #
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In the 80s it was one of the many campuses of Middlesex Polytechnic (my alma mater). I was more autistic than artistic so so the only time I went there was to run around the grounds, for cross-country. There were continuous issues with women being assaulted getting there, but no real interest from the Polytechnic. Just one of the many problems with Middlesex University which has sold off all but its Hendon campus, and is now just a pay to go University.
Apuldram | 23.11.25 - 8:57 p.m. | #
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I was at Trent Park on Saturday for the cross-country - less muddy than usual. Good course and great surroundings but arriving by public transport definitely advisable if possible
Jon W | 24.11.25 - 7:29 a.m. | #
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Perhaps we should welcome AI’s shortcomings in creating an itinerary or map, as still giving space for real human involvement and/or creativity. Trouble is, as AI gains ubiquity, it’ll be increasingly impossible to spot the gaps where human imagination could or should have space to roam.
Labourer | 24.11.25 - 3:49 p.m. | #
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