Earlier in January I posted that I’d brought this retro pocket organ from EBay. Stylophone pocket organ It has now arrived and wow, it is in near perfect condition, the seller did not lie when stating it hadn’t been used since 2008. It is almost mint.
Mint condition
Anyway not being a person to disappoint anyone, I did promise that I’d video myself learning to play the unit. I wanted to prove that anyone can play these “Toys” that were hugely popular over the last 40 years. You lucky people. Here’s the video below.
This is a short post and only an observation I’ve just made whilst sitting on the sofa admiring the winter sun flooding through the window.
I have a model that I made of the Voyager spacecraft, an aspect of space travel that has always fascinated me. It sits pride of place on top of a book shelf alongside a five year old Orchid that seems to be mimicking it with its long budded tendril looking just like the lengthy probe arm of the spacecraft. I guess every youngster has aspirations to be a spaceman at some point in their lives.
Orchid wants to be a spacecraft
Please excuse the blue candle that was a present from some comic “Wag” in the family…. 🤦♂️
Now this is a prompt that excites me as it is a nod in the direction of all that i really like, retro.
I started my first full time job in about 1982. The ZX81 came out in 1981, and I used my first months pay to purchase one, it cost around £70Gbp if my memory serves me well.
Sinclair ZX81
My first real surprise when I opened it was that it wouldn’t do a thing unless you actually programmed it, I really hadn’t done my homework and what followed was a crash course in BASIC programming to get it to do something, but I loved it.
Looking back the best thing about this product was that it got you learning stuff, and I have no doubt that items such as this started many people off on the road of computer technology employment, computing was now available at a good price to everyone, and we youngsters really took to this unit en mass as 1.5 million units were sold prior to it being discontinued two years later in 1984.
I moved on fairly quickly to the Vic20, Spectrum, Amstrad CPC464 and then the traditional home computer and as they say the rest is history. They were fantastic times back in the early days, and I cherish them immensely. In fact I’ve never fallen out of love with this technology and I will soon write a more in depth piece about the ZX81 as I am looking at purchasing another one for my retro collection.
What’s the thing you’re most scared to do? What would it take to get you to do it?
This kind of ties in nicely with a post I wrote a short while back, Just another reason to not go wandering. In that post I wrote about some of my relatives and their constant attempts to get me to travel to the opposite side of the earth and visit them in Australia.
But why am I scared to do it? Quite simply I’m a nervous, trembling Arachnophobic. I don’t like those little eight legged freaks. And they probably feel the same about me.
I can pretty much trace my fears back to my childhood, when my parents in their ultimate wisdom used to force my elder brother to take me out to play with him and his mates and he was never too happy with that. However he and his friends had their fun by stuffing creatures such as spiders down my neck, and it is that point, the fear was born.
If I even see the smallest of critters in my house now, my wife will tell you I go up the wall and won’t settle until the invader is found and removed from the house. This can usually involve hours of furniture moving and me running about like a banshee until the issue is sorted.
I’m not just scared I’m bloody petrified.
So, to get me to Australia I’d have to wear something like a flamethrower, not particularly a very PC piece of equipment in a hot and dry environment where fire spreads so freely, however in a country where every animal and creature wants to kill you I see no other alternative.
Probably just easier that I stay away. Yes that’s it I’ll do just that. Problem solved.
Being a fully paid up member of the whinging Uk, I have the god given right to complain about absolutely everything that i can, constantly.
(This is Written in Sarcasm font and is just an observation…. Apparently)
No to be honest I don’t think we, (me included) complain enough. We tend to accept our lot and just get on with it. Maybe we should all put our hands up more often and let our voices be heard.
Now though, when it comes to weather, that is a totally different kettle of fish. We all have an opinion, and surprisingly in this island nation it’s the one thing we all seem to agree on. Bloody awful weather. It’s a constant topic of derision.
Never been greedy so wouldn’t really need a lot. Enough to see me into retirement and be able to walk out of my job tomorrow would be nice. I’d estimate approximately £250k would see me ok.
If I had a large amount there is no doubt I’d see to my close family and friends, and even my close work colleagues. Beyond that I’d help people and charities as I see fit.
That’s about it really. A good few people would benefit, but as stated at the beginning I don’t really need a lot.
I’m not wealthy financially that’s a given, however I’m as rich as anyone can be with the love and life I have.
Money might just ruin that somewhat. But it would be nice to give it a go.
We are not a traditional family, apart from birthdays and anniversaries there’s not much traditional that we do. We are pretty much a day to day gathering of randomness at its best.
We like what we like, we do what we do. And we enjoy each and every minute of it. Let’s be honest there is not a great deal to celebrate at this moment so you have to make the most of what you have.
A lot of people will probably be able to list a whole raft of traditions they adhere to that have been passed down through the generations, that is not so for me, as my family are somewhat dysfunctional in many aspects.
Not bad in intentions though, as we are quite spontaneous. We may pay the price in embarrassment and discomfort however we are able to laugh at our situation and ourselves and that is always acceptable. (In our eyes)
Don’t be too serious, as life will always bite your ass. Laugh and learn, live and love. Don’t take life so seriously, You’ll go far.
Foxes Den 
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