Since the last entry much much water has flowed below that bridge everyone talks about at times like this. 2015 has been one amazing year! We have been to India, to Australia, to Hong Kong, to the United States, to Istanbul and even to Tenby in Wales (by far the scariest!)... So radio has been on the back burner for much of the time. To all my waiting customers I do apologise and rest assured I'm quickly getting back on track with all the orders still in the pipeline.
India in February/March was a long planned trip as our retirement present to each other. This blog isn't about travel but suffice to say the sights, sounds, colours, smells, food and all the people we met made the trip an experience that has shaped the way we think and feel about the world we inhabit. My cynicism of all things political and politicians in general has been fuelled yet again by the trip. Suffice to say we don't know how lucky we are here in the West and also how much some of our 'western' ideas and influence have seriously damaged many vulnerable people across the world..... Look to the Middle East as witness to the mess we have created and the rise in terrorism.....So think carefully next time you nip into Pri-Mark for that cheap tee-shirt?
May saw the trip down under for the wedding. What a fantastic place Sydney is and how wonderful it was to meet up with Jules,my new daughter in law, and her family. The wedding on Shark Island in Sydney Harbour with the back drop of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and The Opera House was outstanding. Our party, the 'away' team did an amazing job keeping up the our end with the Aussies! All was repeated in August back in London so the Irish and 'home' crowd could join in with the celebrations.
Just to sqeeze in a comment about Hong Kong... We stopped off for four days to explore Hong Kong on our way back from Oz. I was hoping to purchase a few radio related items on the notion that if Chinese hand held radios and such were so cheap here at home then logically they would be even cheaper in Hong Kong. Sadly this was not the case. They were a fortune and I still can't understand why you can buy a cheapo handie radio for £20 here and the same one is £70 there? Funny world....
The USA trip was a further long planned trip to visit our friends Tish and Jim and was designed to be a wonderful two weeks of rest and relaxation. It was. Sitting on the deck drinking beer and watching the humming birds was sheer bliss!
Istanbul and Tenby were quick weekenders just for fun. Istanbul was for Pauline's birthday as in the same way we, the six of us, Ian and Louise, Jon and Jules, went to Iceland last November for my birthday. Tenby was in the company of my old school friend Pete, with Stella, for a weekend of food and fun just 'because' we can!
To cap all the travelling this year we have also found out we are to be grandparents in April 2016!! Thank you Ian and Louise! This is totally fantastic news and we can't wait to welcome a new member of the family.
And now to radio!! http://www.dabhandradio.com/
From the above you can tell that building radios has been a slow process this year. I'm slowly getting up to speed and whittling away at the waiting list. I'm giving priority to those who have been waiting longest so to Mr Mintaka (R1155) Sue (Ekco) Navy Lark! Joe Marshall and more...
On a serious note, part of the reason the waiting list slipped somewhat has been a cash flow issue. Since I started Dabhandradio it has been a hobby business to augment the pension. Recently things have decidedly become more expensive especially my electricity, phone line and broadband to the workshop and parts. All the latter are separate to the utilities feeding the house, a luxury yes, but I do like to keep the two worlds apart as much as I can.... At least the phone won't go off in the lounge in the middle of a nice TV programme or heated discussion! Its amazing what times some people.. customers ... do ring with their questions and queries. Often they could have waited for opening times???
So, I've had to shelve some waiting list jobs to concentrate on money spinning and revenue earning projects in order to pay the bills. This isn't to say that those jobs on the waiting list aren't as important but some of them, once you take out the cost of the parts plus the quote at prices charged two years ago... has meant that I would have been working at a bankruptcy level....
At the end of the day this is a hobby and hence getting too stressed about time and motion is not what its all about!
Right... This brings things up to date. The next blog is to follow and in my head already!
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