What is your favorite holiday? Why is it your favorite?
For me, there are two places on this planet that I’d go to at the drop of a hat and those two places are southern Cyprus and Iceland.
The two features that both destinations give me are safety and a feeling of being welcomed. I feel safer in these two places than I do in my own home city, and that is quite sad and real in equal proportions.
Akamas peninsular- Cyprus
We’ve been going to Cyprus on a regular basis for pretty much 30yrs now. The sunrises and sunsets are amazing. We avoid the really touristy parts and situate ourselves on the west coast of the island in two areas pretty much untouched by all the madness of modern day tourism. We get on exceptionally well with the locals who have come to know us like “Neighbours “ as we are there that often. We have regularly thought of upping sticks and moving there, but something has always held us back. It is still an option to this day though. Friendlier locals you’d struggle to find anywhere, they are just so welcoming and friendly, and you feel safe to go anywhere and that is most important.
Skogafoss – Iceland
Now Iceland is a relatively new destination for us, we’ve been there three times now and number Four has already been booked. Horrendously expensive but don’t let that put you off, it is such a friendly, welcoming destination, it’s a “New” country that is constantly evolving due to its volcanic and seismic state. It is a fascinating island to witness nature at its most violent, and it is amazing to witness the locals just taking it all in their stride. There is no panic and madness, a calmer bunch of folk you’d struggle to find anywhere else in the world.
That’s it for me, my two favourite places. If I’m not at home you know where to find me.
Oh yes many a time, always with my friends back in the day. Whenever there was a bank holiday we would all pack ourselves up and head off to a little place called Farleigh Hungerford not far away from Bath in Somerset.
Perfectly placed for visiting places such as Glastonbury Tor, Wookey Hole and Cheddar gorge we used to always have an enjoyable few days away, and were always suitably chaperoned by one set of parents (Well to be honest they always tagged along because they enjoyed our company and we enjoyed theirs). There was a local delicacy that could only be found in the Cheddar gorge area and that was Knee Cracker cider.
Knee Cracker
Unfortunately no one will ever be able to experience the joys of Knee Cracker again as I believe the company that produced it ceased to trade a few years back. They used to say that when purchased it had to be left to settle for a few days to be fully enjoyed. Nah, we were impatient teenagers and we would drink it walking across the fields heading back to the campsite after a day out, hence we would be taking in all the sediment and nastiness and by god it was potent. They also used to say, “Drink too much of this cider and you will fall to your knees, praying to the gods for forgiveness”. They weren’t wrong, the hangover this and many other “Scrumpy ciders” from the region used to leave you with were well documented. I remember being so drunk one night I actually fell over a cow sleeping in the field, the resulting noise from said bovine suddenly awaking and alerting the rest of the herd, sobered me up fairly quickly and I went through that field like Usain Bolt on acid.
I’ve tried to convince the wife all through our married life to go camping, and she’s having none of it. She always says it’s fine for me to camp but she would be in a local hotel. So I know where I stand there.
I still have camping equipment, in fact I renewed it all only a couple of years ago, and intend to do some wild camping when I get the chance. I really love camping, being out in nature, absolute peace and quiet and tranquility is unbeatable, the campsite full of families though is not for me.
Give it a try, it’s one of those things you’ll either love or hate. For me it’s definitely love.
I’ve woken up this morning, after finishing a fairly boring stretch of late shifts at work, to find an email from the National lottery telling me I had won a prize. I sometimes get these emails but I never rush to open them as it normally lets me know I’ve won a free entry for the next draw or a share of the latest £140 million pound euro millions jack pot of around £3:75GBP. Hardly life changing amounts i know.
My first cup of tea of the day beside me I’m now ready to open that email, Wow I’ve won £30:00GBP, that’s an improvement on the usual amount i win. I then proceed to inform the family of my good fortune, informing them to not send any begging letters. And asking them to form an orderly queue.
I’ve won…
That got me to thinking, just what would be the amount you would like to realistically win that would change your life?
For me, as I’m already considering retirement in the near future, it wouldn’t be millions that’s for sure. I’d probably want just enough to see me through, selling my current house, buying a new one and having just enough to get by. We have no Mortgage, we are not looking to increase the rooms in our home as there is only the two of us. I’d love a workshop or workspace though, and I’d love to be able to maybe just work part time doing something I love. Maybe working in the great outdoors somewhere, forest management that would be perfect. £50:000 would be enough for me to leave work this very minute and seek that small alternative employment job, £250:000 I believe would be sufficient for me to put my feet up for good, and there lies the problem. As anyone knows who “reads” my posts, I’m a constantly on the go person who has to be busy. That £250:000 would probably make me consider starting my own business to address that need to be constantly on the go, I’d have to do something that I enjoy, as I wouldn’t want to have a retirement where I’m tied to working shifts through a 24hr roster system as I am at the present.
I need time off. I really do.
I don’t need a mahoosive amount of money. Looking at the figures now, that £50:000 injection of money would probably be all I need to massively change my life, not for the better as I already have a blessed life, but to allow me to enjoy it even more, and spend valuable time with those I love.
Very shortly I will be heading off to work for another fun filled day of shenanigans on Britains railways. Whilst sitting here at the living room table looking out to the road that passes by, I watched a van with a friends surname on it pass by, and that suddenly flooded my mind with happy and fun memories about old friends, and especially how did they get their nicknames.
A nickname is a familiar or informal name given to a person, place, or thing, often based on their characteristics, habits, or traits. Nicknames can be a fun way to personalize relationships and add flavor to interactions.
We had a little group of four that hung about together through our childhood years all the way up into the teenage years. We did everything together and pretty much knew everything about each other. There were only four of us so here we go with the explanations.
Balders – that’s me. A simple play on my surname, and that I used to have a constant crew cut hairstyle as a child, so bald by name and bald by nature.
Daz – his name was Darryl and his clothes used to always stink of the washing powder his mother used to use, that also just happened to be called “DAZ” again a play on his name and this time his aroma.
Doug – His name was Derek and he loved Wolverhampton wanderers football club, so we named him after one of their players at the time who had a suspicious “Mullet” hairstyle, as Derek had at the time, so Derek Dougan leant his name to our Derek, it was shortened hence “Doug”.
And finally the most complex and humorous nickname goes to our old buddy Mick.
We were walking home from junior school one day back in the late 70s when Mick was complaining of stomach pains, he was doubled over in pain, so he leant on a brick wall and began to attempt to break wind quite violently. He was unsuccessful in this activity and in polite terms, he followed through. Or in layman’s or younger speak he “Sharted”.
How we got Mick home after this I fail to remember, I think the stinging of the tears of constant and uninterrupted laughter clouded our memory of this part of the day, even Mick, a fantastic person was able to see the funny side of it all, and took part in that laughter. He had a lot of explaining to do to his mum when he got home.
Anyway, fast forward a couple of days and the three of us came up with the name “Mick muddy pants” that stuck for a while but was eventually reduced to the one word “Smudger”.
He, in fact we, are all still known by these names to this day. Sadly Doug passed away about two years back, but when we see each other, rarely do our real names ever get mentioned.
The phone I’m writing on has all their names in, in a nickname format. I’ll be seeing Smudger in a couple of weeks, and it always makes me smile when someone asks, “Why is he called Smudger?” You just don’t seem to see such childish behaviour in today’s world, and I think that’s quite sad.
Give me those old days of being out with your friends, rather than being stuck behind screens as everyone is today. (Me included writing this piece)
Wedgwood Clio style Ceramic Clock Casing – Clock not working. Attractive casing showing fruit and berries. About 20 years old. Unfortunately, the clock is not working and has battery corrosion making it uneconomic to repair.
One of the photos shows the casing with the clock inserted and I will include this clock for information purposes. The casing is 90mm high and 90mm wide with a depth of 50mm.
EBay
With and without clock The faulty time piece
This had just been listed and had a really low buy now price so I took it. With postage and all costs it’s cost a total of £8:32GBP, and I think that’s a good price for late issue mass produced Wedgwood piece. I’ve always fancied having a go at fixing a timepiece so I’m happy to trawl around at the low price end to give it a go. This will my second piece I have attempted, the first one being even cheaper and very tacky that i passed on to my older sister, and she just loves it : Rock & Roll clock
The Wedgwood Clio style was introduced in 1992 and ceased production in 2005. The fact that the seller dates this clock as around twenty years old would tie in nicely with this piece being part of the last production run of this range.
You can buy replacement Clio design clock inserts from Wedgwood direct at about £27GBP per item, but that’s not the purpose of this site, so I will attempt to make the repair. If all else fails and it is actually beyond repair, then I will source something similar to replace it with. This is a 36mm fitting clock insert.
Anyway, let’s await its arrival so we can fully assess things.
Assessment:
A lovely piece of my favourite pottery in just as good condition as described in the listing.
Here I’ve removed the timepiece My old favourite, battery corrosion
If you remove the timepiece and crack the back open there is definitely signs of battery corrosion around the battery connectors. Measuring the battery voltage it is registering 1.4v, I may well replace this as I don’t know if this is the one that caused the issue or whether it is depleting under load, and I wouldn’t expect that load to be too excessive. But you never know so I will source a fresh battery.
Battery registering 1.4 volts
Repair:
The internals are contaminated with green/blue corrosion from an old battery, using my magnifier and a small grinding pen I am able to remove all the visible corrosion.
Grinding pen to remove corrosion A good clean after with some IPA
After I’d used the grinding pen, I cleaned the timepiece with some compressed air and then cleaned the workings with some Isopropyl Alcohol to remove any residual contamination.
With the unit now reassembled, i can confirm the unit is ticking along quite nicely.
It’s just gone 8pm and keeping good time
20’minutes later still going well. You’ll just have to take my word for it.
Result:
It amazes me that someone sells a unit as lovely as this stating that it’s “Beyond economical repair”. What nonsense, this has cost me the grand total of “Zero” to get fixed. At the very most it’s taken 15 minutes of my time. I love easy repairs such as this, the fact that I purchased such a charming little timepiece at pretty much no cost at all makes it all the more satisfying. An item such as this needs to be looked at as it’s too nice to just be stuffed in the back of a cupboard until it’s thrown out with the junk.
Still quietly ticking away after being repaired
Again, some things are just so easy to repair if you just commit some time and patience to it. This clock now has many years of good use ahead of it. On display, right where it belongs.
Another item saved from waste.
A positive outcome in my personal point of view.
Thanks for passing by. It’s always very much appreciated.
This is a hard one to pinpoint to be honest. We all as a race of people on this big old world dynamically risk assess pretty much everything we do on a daily basis. I must admit I’m not a natural risk taker.
In my job I’m responsible for taking people around a live railway and the last thing you really want in that role is to be a risk taker. One foolish decision for me puts peoples lives at risk. I just don’t do it.
Now thinking of it, the biggest risk I probably ever took was throwing myself out of an aeroplane with an instructor attached to my back on a tandem sky dive. It earned a considerable amount of money for a Hospice in my local area at the time, but would I do it again? Probably not.
Let’s do it 😂
See, I risk assessed that activity to the point I’d never do it again. I took note of something my Father had once told me being a parachute regiment veteran. He said, “ The worst jump is always your second. You are fully aware of just what could happen”.
Probably the only good advice I’d really ever listened to from him.
Evistr L53 voice recorder – not working, parts only
EBay
It’s not working
I just wish the listings would be more specific, it’s not working because, (Fill blank spaces) you get my drift eh?
The unit looks good physically and cosmetically, and seems to have been well looked after, we just don’t know exactly what’s wrong with it. I’ll do some digging around and see if there are any generic problems, and I’ll also dig out some instructions just in case. It’s another one of those purchases where the cost of the item £2:24GBP has been out weighed by the postage, £2:45GBP however a total outlay of £4:69GBP isn’t all that bad in reality.
Why would you pay more for a used one?
Current prices are in the £30-40GBP bracket. why you’d pay more for a used item confuses me, but then I’m usually easily confused.
I’ve downloaded some instructions, so we can hit the road running with some basic idea of how it works.
Let’s wait for it to arrive and then we can do an assessment.
Assessment:
Well, the box you see in the picture above, was just wrapped in some white A4 paper and put in the post. By the time it’s reached me the wrapping was split and the box hanging out. We are off to a flying start. It’s not the original box as that is for a 16GB version and this is an 8GB version, again no problem but probably used by the seller to beef up the offer.
The unit itself is quite smart looking, clean and generally free from any heavy marks with only light scuffs that you would expect after a few years of use.
It came with an audio connector, and some other bits that allow you to connect it to a phone system to record conversations.
The package as it arrivedOn charge
The unit is dead and didn’t come with a micro usb charging cable, however again not a problem as I have plenty of these laying around. I’ve checked the charging port and I’m pleased to say it is in a good state and has no damage. So the first thing to do is to get some charge into the unit as the battery has probably been sitting dormant for quite a while. It was totally dead on arrival.
After a while I have turned it on to see if the charge is being taken and was greeted by this message, not one that I was expecting or one that I really wanted to see to be honest.
Disk Error
Disk Error. My immediate thought is that this is no longer recoverable, however, looking at known faults on their own site I might be able to recover the disk by using a Windows computer to access the disk. I’ll look at that option in the repair section of this post.
Security seal intact
One thing I’m happy with is that the security tag on the back that covers the screw that allows access within, is still intact. I’m confident no one has yet accessed this unit internally. One less thing to worry about.
So realistically it’s a nice neat package in a very good cosmetic condition. It’s only problem that I can see at this very moment is the “Disk Error” issue.
Repair:
So let’s get this unit plugged in and see what we can do. It is really the only issue we have with this unit.
On my computer we have issues though. It’s a windows 11 machine and when plugged in, all the right sounds are made however nothing is recognised. Apparently the drivers for this unit are not supported on this windows system. It can’t see the drive. Damn that’s a problem.
My system Does all the right stuff but unrecognised
Ok. I’ve had my thinking head on and just had a brainstorm. My brother in law over the road is notorious for not updating stuff. I called him and asked if he’d brought his new computer yet that he keeps threatening to buy and he says, “No, I haven’t Dave“. “Excellent” i tell him, get it warmed up as I’m coming over to use it.
I arrive at his house and he is curious as to what I want to do, I’m always going on at him to update and make his old computer safer, I keep telling him to upgrade it, and here I am asking to use it!
It’s a Windows 10 machine, slow is an understatement but he only uses it for casual browsing to be honest. I plug the cable in and then the recorder, I get a battery charging symbol and that is it. Hmmm.
Another brainstorm, I realise I’m using a charger only USB to micro usb cable instead of a data capable one. Another quick run back to my property and I take back a selection of cables. One of them worked, the drive was recognised and I was able to format the drive but I did it as Fat32. It worked to wipe the drive but I could not get the drive to boot up again without still showing a Disk Error message.
Disappointed I came home, I wasn’t giving up though. I dug out some other data cables from one of my old radio boxes and put it to my computer again, the drive didn’t show on the windows 11 system but it did something to allow me to be able to access the settings via the menu on the unit. I was able to go into settings and format the unit just as it should be via the units firmware.
No Voice recordsHere we go, persistence pays off
After the format it indicated there were no voice records available, this was something I hadn’t seen before, we were finally getting somewhere.
It works, just have a look at the video below
All working
There are a lot of settings to play with in the unit. However the recording quality is superb if I say so myself, it’s so clear and balanced. The unit is now fully restored and working just perfectly. Add to that the fact that is cosmetically beautiful we now have a perfectly usable unit.
Result:
Working as well as the day it was purchased, this is probably the best £4:69GBP I have ever spent. A lovely unit, looks good, fits in the pocket nicely and has years of use ahead of it.
A cracking little device
I’ve really enjoyed this little project, it’s been a right challenge and I was determined not to give up on it. I was glad that I persisted and got it working again.
I wonder how many of these units, or those very similar to it have just been thrown to waste, when they were in fact very repairable. Well this one has been saved, and will be usable for many more years to come yet. (And I now know how to fix it, if it ever does break again😂)
Thanks for passing by. Always very much appreciated.
The product is a vintage Scrabble game titled “Monty Plays Scrabble,” released in 1984. It is a rare find and comes in its original boxed packaging. The game is a portable computer console version of the classic Scrabble game, making it unique and collectible. Please note that the functionality of the game is untested.
EBay
Why did i buy? I don’t know, maybe because its from 1984 and fits my modus operandi. To be truthful i looked at it, saw the wear and tear on it and thought to myself that i can make it look better. It also states it’s a rare find….its not. In good old EBay style its “Untested” which probably means they have put some batteries in, it doesn’t work, so let us use the get out clause of selling it as untested. I could however be very wrong, and just be using unnecessary sarcastic commentary, i suspect it’s very much the latter.
And it has a battery cover. Splendid
Here’s a little history:
Manufactured by Ritam Corp, under licence from J.W Spear and sons PLC 1984
A portable electronic device that plays a competent game of Scrabble. Up to three players may challenge the device. Each player enters one’s own name and subsequently the turn order in which they will play. The players can decide to draw their own tiles or let the device do the randomizing. If the device assigns the tiles, the players may ask the device to suggest a play by using the “Hint” option.
Players keep track of the gameboard using the paper pad provided or use their own gameboard. The device has a LCD readout that is only eight characters by four characters and cannot display the entire board. Players use the arrow keys of the membrane keyboard to scroll around.
All standard Scrabble rules apply. The device will challenge any word played that is not in its 12,000 word vocabulary. The human player is final arbiter however.
The device is powered by four “C” batteries or an AC adapter. Two Advanced Vocabulary Modules were available. Each module added 16,000 words to the machine’s vocabulary to bring the total to 44,000.
Boardgamesgeek.com
And I’m fortunate to have those two advanced vocabulary modules already installed, so this unit has the full vocabulary range of 44000 words. Lucky me. Apparently the unit is able to do 2 million calculations a second, but can take up to 3 minutes to make a move! With a vocabulary built in of 12,000 words that must mean it does a lot of questioning of itself prior to making a decision. I love a computer system that constantly doubts itself, it’s such a human trait.
Anyway, what’s arrived and how does it look. And is it working?
Assessment:
The parcel has arrived and been unpacked.
Fully boxed All original packaging The unit in its boxFront of unitRear of unit
On taking the unit from the box there is no damage cosmetically, the keyboard is a bit dirty and the silver lettering and edging has worn a little.
Silver lettering and edging worn away
Great news is that the battery contacts are in a perfectly clean condition with no sign of corrosion
Super clean and the two extra vocabulary modulesBatteries added
With no corrosion visible, I put some batteries in. I switch the unit on and it makes sound, great. Looking from directly above it looks as if there is some writing on the screen but this doesn’t become visible until you move to about 60 degrees away, a bit closer to the base of the unit.
When viewed from aboveWhen views at about 60 degrees away
So the pleasing thing is that it works. In general it is in a very good condition, coming with instructions and playing sheets. As always with items such as this from this time period, there is the expected smell of age induced mustiness, and there isn’t a great deal I can do about this. But I do seem to have a working unit that just requires a little maintenance and cleaning.
Repair:
I’ve had a quick clean of the front keypad and it was quite dirty.
Bit dirty just after a very brief clean of the keyboard
I’m not sure but I might open up the unit and give it a proper wash, I’ve got to have a look at the screen inside as I suspect the screen quality might be improved by replacing some old electrolytic capacitors that I suspect may be around that area. I could however be wrong. Let’s get it opened up then.
The board looks really clean on both sides, all capacitors (and there were only three of note) look good.
FrontRear
I have taken all three capacitors in the immediate screen area off, I’ve measured them out of circuit and they are all within the 10% tolerance of their indicated ratings so in my eyes there is no issues here. They are working fine.
All capacitors tested and within tolerance
On the rear of the board behind the display is a small variable capacitor. I turned this slightly to the left whilst under power and the screen quality has improved sufficiently be able to view the display from a more natural position. It can’t be adjusted any more though so it is now at its limits, probably a result of its age and limits of performance being reached for that particular component.
The variable capacitor Improved display performance
To be honest I’m satisfied everything inside the unit is fine, and the slight improvement to the display is more than adequate, I’m now going to close the unit back up and will concentrate on the exterior.
I’ve given the exterior a good polish, and then in my art box I have a silver permanent marker that will be great for touching up the worn out lettering and surrounds, so I will use this just to make the unit look a little more aesthetically pleasing.
Silver penAll lettering retouchedManufacturers name now visibleFinished unit
And boy has that made it look better
BeforeAfter
Looking good as new, and with that result we can say the repair is complete.
Result:
We now have a good looking fully restored and fully working unit. It looks as good as the day it was sold and still does what it was made to do. The screen is at its limits but should last a good while yet. A smart looking 41 year old unit that has been saved from the scrap heap and will be around for a good time yet.
All clean, look at the restored lettering
Here we have a small video of its basic operation
Easy to operate even without instructions
All in all another satisfying repair, and yet another item saved from landfill. If it’s damaged, 9 times out of ten it can be repaired and reused. We don’t need to be so wasteful.
Thanks for following the repair, it’s always very much appreciated.
Silence. That’s the way to do it. However living on the outskirts of a city, silence is not always a viable option so I’ll settle for peace and quiet instead, oh and a cup of tea.
From the moment you arrive at work, your ears are open to a barrage of demands and orders, your brain filters them into some kind of chronological order and you deal with the demands accordingly.
When a spare moment appears in between all the organised chaos that single letter “T” appears in your mind informing you it’s time to consider a break and in a good old English fashion a cup of tea is the order of the day.
Getting the day started normally involves two cups before settling down to business and winding the day up is also another. Yes tea plays a large part in my unwinding process as well.
Not too long though as there are always jobs to be done.
Off we go again.
But nothing beats the end of the day, a comfy seat, a cup of tea and some well deserved peace and quiet.
The wise man will however, always avoid having a demanding day. I am not that wise man though.
I’ve been very fortunate to have my entire family around me these last few days and it has been a truly fantastic time. We get together very rarely and it’s hard to predict a date when this many of us will be together again.
It’s pure luck that’s it’s fallen on Easter weekend, and that’s just added to its appeal for me.
We are not in anyway a religious abiding family, in all truth I’m probably the most active one in that sense as it’s just something that gives me comfort, although I’m by no means a practicing member of the religious community and my attendance at a place of worship is woeful to be honest, nether the less it’s something I hold onto, as I’ve said before, for a little peace and comfort.
Today we have another family gathering at a family members house for a house warming, soirée for want of a better word. This will be the gathering where we all say our goodbyes as we swan off to all parts of the country after first making brief plans for dates, where the wife can work her magic and get the next “Gathering of the clans” arranged.
Prior to that though, a group of us men in the family will move off to the city centre to watch today’s game of football. We are destined to be further pushed along the road to relegation from the premier league, but it’s nothing less than we deserve as we have been awful all season. Personally I’d rather not go, but that’s the point of being a supporter, you give support through both the good and bad times. It’s very much the latter at the moment for us.
We lost, but enjoyed the game
That said there will, I know, be plenty of laughter along the way.
It’s been a lovely weekend where the whole aspect of Easter has been observed. Togetherness, happiness, sadness, whilst reminiscing for those no longer with us and a time for giving gifts and compliments, and compassion for those who are going through difficult times, who couldn’t be with us this wonderful weekend.
It’s rare to have these weekends timed to such perfection but the wife has surpassed herself yet again with this weekend.
Later tonight when all the good byes have been said, the family messaging group will come alive with all the wonderful, fun and smile inducing pictures of this weekend. Memories have been made.
A happy Easter, or a happy weekend to you all, wherever you may be.
Foxes Den 
You must be logged in to post a comment.