 Our motive to print is our own pleasure. We use both ancient and modern processes. Glassware, boxes, fabrics & paper. books, manuals, signs & vehicles. We love to publish your own works for you. This is done not for profit. Craft and technology in harmony. |
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Graham Pressman Master Printer Cart Gap Road Happisburgh Norfolk NR12 0QL
Telephone 01692 582 292 |
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Sunday 17th May 2010 Time - 06:49 hrs
No Weather observations today |
I am informed photos shall come forth in due course. We got all the glasses printed with white. It was a good day. Everybody chose their selected role and worked hard at it to good effect. I just love it when solid teamwork comes together.
Today we plan to get on with the gold working! There is little or no doubt that this will take longer, as the curing has to be 30 minutes; whereas the curing for the first colour was only 10 minutes. To my mind that makes 3 times as much curing time. Maybe we could be looking at as long as three days! We'll see. We only have 3 ovens; these will cure 42 glasses between them at any one time. Thats 34 oven-loads times 30 minutes = 17 hours. Sounds like; on the third day we shall rest - at some time! 1440 glasses printed yesterday in etch effect!- no breakages! The first test-part-oven-load was rather over-cooked! Then we called in the pyrometer!
Noon Alex has been taking some great photos of the sea, which he is intending to use on his web site. Gifs are the name of the game. I wait with expectation and excitement!
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Saturday 16th May 2010 Time - 06:49 hrs
No Weather observations today |
Today we have the whole team booked to be here to print glasses for The Hill House Solstice Beer Festival. It looks to be a high-pressure day. We have 30 boxes of 48 of them here, ready to print. They have to be printed in gold and etch-effect, so they have to go through the screen printer and the ovens twice. Before printing we have to flame-clean them with a great big flame gun, then they have to go under the screen, We rotate the glass once with the screen in contact and the squeegee pulling with just the right pressure (otherwise we get an oval instead of a circle. They, then, have to go into the oven for half an hour, before being removed an stacked, ready for the second colour. Then the process, excluding the flame cleaning, has to be repeated for the second colour. Both colours have to be in exactly the same spot on the glass every time. Great care is essential.
Once the glasses are done, we have the same proccess (this time with no flame gun at all) to go through to print the t-shirts in the same colours. Maybe that will be another day; who knows. I shall try to persuade Alex to produce a photo of this process at some time during the day. It's more likely that you'll see it tomorrow.
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Friday 15th May 2010 Time - 06:49 hrs
Weather observations |
I'm due for a checkup with the optical people today. I don't expect any surprises. My vision is improving every day and is now brilliant. If there is a problem it is only getting used to being able to see. I tend not to expect to, so I tend not to look as much as I should. That, it seems is going to be a case of breaking the habi of a lifetime.Hmm!
We are expecting a delivery this morning,of glasses for The Hill House Solstice Beer Festival. I am looking forward to getting that little job printed. Pump clips for Bees Brewery are now completed. At last! What a fascinating job! I really enjoyd that! We have decided to visit IPEX some time nexy week. I hope that will be an experience for Alex. It will certainly test my stamina. It's at the NEC this year. I was first taken in 1969 by Tony Slaney, my old teacher. I have never been since. It is just one of those events which sticks in my mind and I hope the same will apply to Alex. This exhibition is like the Great Exhibition" for printers. We expect to find equipment and ideas pushing at the forefront of technology. It is possible to see The Most Exciting machines, printed wares, innovations and ideas in the world of printing. We don't know which day we are going yet.
Excersise! Furthermore I have noticed that other so called 'grumpy old men' are inclined in the same way. People I know and respect are behaving like morons (this includes me) after excersise of even faily slight physical labour, which our bodies are telling us is too much at our age. The only issue is that it seems we 'older men' have to live our lives vicariously, through younger men. That leads to a very great deal of waiting and bores me sensless. Then I tend to try to do it for myself, then I get irritable! No wonder really really old men seem to have learned patience! Oh BLAST IT! I really had hoped I could go my entire life without having to learn that lesson! Life is full of choices! I choose to pop my cloggs a few years earlier, and live it happy, rather than all this walking, cycling and running rubbish! Grumpy is BAD! I have an 11:30am appointment to discuss managing (changing and updating) a web site belonging to a school. Someone has to teach the teachers!
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Wednesday 13th May 2010 Time - 08:15 hrs
Weather observations |
A good start so far!
I'm not quite sure how I get in such a muddle with the days of the week and the dates. I check them as I do them in the mornings, but still mess up. Oh how the days fly when you're enjoying yourself! This morning is another time to get on with beer pump clips, beer glasses and tee shirts for staff and customers for The Hill House Inn Solstice Beer Festival. It's a good thing we don't do this for profit! Each step seems to have taken days, but we still have loads of time to spare till the 17th of next month (21th is Solstice day), when the festival begins. Just to add to the fun, Mark is making rakes of signs for the camping fields, we have tasting notes to do (which tends to be a last-minute thing when all the beers are in), notices to go on the kegs to say which is which, a banner to go accross the front of the bar and Goodness know how many other little joblets.
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Monday 10th May 2010 Time - 11:19 hrs
Weather observations |
I am upgrading my web servers over the next 2 or 3 days, so there may be a short interruption in service. This will not allow me to show the news page as fore-waring or explanation on www.catseyepress.co.uk. However, I will still have full use of www.fergusontractor.co.uk whilst this is all going on, so if there are problems, you can check there till things iron themselves out.
All this is about improving service and you will see those improvements when it all sorts itself out. I am about to stretch the service I can offer into hosting; to go along with Alex's web design service. The long and short of it is that I will be able to offer Alex hosting on my new servers, so that he can host the web sites that he designs.
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Sunday 9th May 2010 Time - 12:05 hrs
Weather observations |
My eyes are looking up, so to speak. That does not mean I am peering into space, although I could if I so desired. It does mean that my sight is now at least as good as it was before I have the most recent operation, which puts it at about 20:20.
We did a test run on the Hill House Solstice Beer Festival beer glasses yesterday. That was in 2 colours and was extremely successful! Mark is asking what we are going to do today, but I do not yet have a clue. I do know that I have some books to prepare for postage tomorrow.
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Friday 7th May 2010 Time - 13:40 hrs
Weather observations from YESTERDAY |
I have just had the operation on my eyes and cannot see much yet, but I do want to say this:- I would now like to see the Liberal Democrats form a Government, using both the other parties to help them on an issue by issue basis. I will explain more later, when I can see better.
15:08hrs The above seems to me to be extremely unlikely, but perfectly possible as well as extremely sensible. Surely by this method we would either get the best or the worst of Government. I look forward to seeing the outcome of all of this, but seriously doubt it likely that I will get my way. That would be just too radical, clever and sensible for any polititian to embrace. Any messages supporting my view would be well recieved. Others may not be so welcome, but might be interesting. My intralase wavefront laser surgery at optical Express, today, seems to have gone very well and I am seeing well enough to type to my usual poor standard by 3:00 in the afternoon. For this I am very gratefl, as Mark is asleep and so being particularly boring at a time when I am extrememly animated by the politics of the nation and very keen to get on with some printing, but unable to do so, as my vision will not allow it. To anybody who is fearful of this kind of surgery, my experience has been superb. Yes it hurt a little, but not enough to cause me to say it is too bad. If the results are as wonderful as I expect, I am sure that every one of the few seconds of pressure as the job was done was worth it. As to post-operative discomfort, I see nothing worth a mention barring a sense like that which occurs at the instant before bursting into tears, which has lasted me for a couple of hours and a short period of oversensitivity to light. Just a few hours in sun-glasses has solved that problem. The fact that I am writing now proves that it is a very simple and relatively painless process.
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Thursday 6th May 2010 Time - 08:50 hrs
Weather observations |
The result of the work Mark and I did yesterday was a working proof of the t-shirt, for The Hill House Inn Solstice Beer Festival, printed in two colours. We are delighted with it. Clive, the publican has said he might like one of the colours a little stronger. I disagree. I can do it, of course, but I like it the way it is, so we have left him to look at it in the morning. I have been quite deliberate in mixing it at 5% density in order to compliment the same colour on his glasses.
It's morning now, so first I shall do my weather report and then pop up to the Polling Station. The best I feel I can hope for in this election is to proove once and for all that it is a 3 horse race and hang them so and so's in Parliament fora while. Once they have learned their lesson, they may be allowed to ask us again what we think and we can then give them a resounding meesage. Tough times are coming folks, but they may proove worth while, if we can get these people in line and remind them who's boss! Let's hope we can teach them to compromise and arrive at genuinely sensible conclusions instead of their usual narrow-minded answers. I know they will hate it, but there is a real chance they might actually earn their inflated salaries for once and do a good job between them, under the watchful eye of a criticle public. Mark & I have coated and exposed the final (we hope) screens for The Hill House Inn Solstice Beer Festival glasses. We now impatiently await the arrival of postman Pat with the phase-multiplicator (invertor for making 3ph 220v out of single phase 240volts mains supply, so that we can drive the 3ph 220v motor on the machine which prints round things. The multiplicator was sent of 1st class yesterday. It's the hope I can't stand! I live in it. Hmmm! The curiousity element, which is what fires memost in life, is the degree of accuaracy and sharpness of the lines I am going to be able to produce. If I don't get to see the result today, it may be a few days, or even weeks, before I get a really good look with my new eyes, after tomorrow's operation. I can remember being driven by curiousity from a truly incredibly young age and it is still the most powerful driving force in my life. I would have loved to have been a founding member of "The See what Happens Club". I have referred to it over the decades, but I don't even know if such a thing even exists. Now llok what I've done! I've got to do a search to find out if one ever existed. It'ss the curiouity again! Clive got back to me this morning, gracefully agreeing with me, eing seen the colours we submitted yesterday, in daylight. Mark is taking me, in the morning, to Norwich to have the old eyes operated on again. This is the final refining of detail, which is intended to give me very special eyesight, which will never need any further adjustment. Woopie! Brilliant suff! Alex is staffing the phones for the morning, but will be inable to deal with tractor questions, but he CAN take landline numbers, which I plan to call back as soon as I can. I will nt expect to see, but I DO look forward to the odd difficult problem, which I can anser blind. If I don't get that I will be bored to distraction, whilst I wait for healing to tak eplace. so please phone with your problems. I will be gagging to answer. If I have a bunch of typos now, bear with me, I am without lenses in preparation for the morning.
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Wednesday 5th May 2010 Time - 08:50 hrs
Weather observations |
Yesterday I made some films and a screen. That was good enough! Then I took some still life photographs. It's years since I did that seriously. Very enjoyable! My, now aging, mother, who has Alzheimers (is that how you spell it?) and is occassionally rather forgetful of recent things, still has a strong memory of her past. She was an Associate of The Royal Photographic Society and a Medical Photographer at The Royal National Orthodaedic Hospital at Stanmore (in association with Great Portland Street, London). She was head of department there when I was ten years old. Even my memory is a little slugish of the period, but I do remember during school holidays I spend weeks milling around the hospital grounds and helping out in the department. I clearly recall setting up to take photopraphs of an early, modern titanian-containing-bone Hip Replacement, befoe it was inserted in the leg of the patient. I was also in theatre, whilst she was recording the event, on film, for posterity. I feel extrememly privalaged. It's odd that no-one died from some wierd illness due to teenage boys acomanying their single parents to work in a hospital in those days; but no-one would have dared cross the Theatre Sister, who's standards were scrupulous. I remember her teaching me to scrub-up. It was a serious and scientific business! Some days later, I was there, with Mum, when we took photos of the patient taking the first steps after the op. Pride oozed from everybody in the room; which included the entire surgical, nursing, biomedical engineering & physiotheraphy teams. Again, Mum and I recorded the event on film. We followed progress for years afterwards, recording changes and things which did not change. There were always measuring sticks and special lighting; which had to be always the same. I wonder what happened to that patient? Anyway! The point I am making is that it really is some years since I helped to set up to take that photo of the stainless steel hip implant in that photography lab, back in the late 60's. We had to avoid all reflections of other objects oin the room, we used natural light, which we had to diffuse and we did not have photodhop or any other such thing to re-touch. Anything like that had to be done with a sable paint brush on monochrome film. But I do not seem to have lost the old touch. Of course, after that I went on to take thousands more photos of any manner of object, at school, at college and at work. But you never forget your first, of anything, do you? What a first! I have a few last words on the election.I have spoken about spoiling my vote. I now think I was wrong. I willl not do so tomorrow. I will vote Lib Dem.My MP (for the past few years), NormanLamb, in my opinion did the worst of wrong things on the Smoking ban and I have told him so, mst clearly. He has failed completely to aswage my misgivingd. Despite that. the Lib Dems have my vote. They are, in my view, wrong on a number of issues, however, they are righ on mk ore policies than they are wong (remember, that is my view, not a matter of fact). My MP, Norman, is just an idiot when it comes to the smaking ban. In other respects, he is reliable. That is the nature of drug addiction and reformagtion. I have to make a descision on the basic of the "lwast worse". That has to be Lib Dem.
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Tuesday 4th May 2010 Time - 06:35 hrs
Weather observations |
We did get some good work on the Hill House Solstice Beer Festival T-shirt and glasses artwork, yesterday.
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Monday 3rd May 2010 Time - 06:35 hrs
Weather observations |
This morning might bring the slight adjustments to the artwork for The Hill House 10th Solstice Beer Festival glasses and t-shirts that I want. Bank holiday weekends still drive me to despair with pointless waiting!
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Sunday 2nd May 2010 Time - 08:35 hrs
Weather observations |
The screens are ready to print t-shirts and glasses for The Hill House Inn, 10th Annual Solstice Beer Festival. It is going to be fantastic! All I need to do is to get Alex to fine out some detail on the artwork. The cat is back, so the chucks are locked away now till I either shoot the thing or get it collcted by it's owner. Frankly it's all a bit of a drag.
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Friday 29th April 2010 Time - 07:35 hrs
Weather observations |
Mark and I had a good morning yesterday, getting more type listed and organised. Every day we get nearer to my goal of being nicely organised in a small space.
Alex worked on a project, which he seemed to enjoy and which was a good learning curve. Learning is always the best bit of any project, in my view. Our neighbours Ferguson TE F 20 (PiNG), which has stood in our garden this week, failed to start. We hope to get a look at that this afternooon.
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Thursday 29th April 2010 Time - 08:35 hrs
Weather observations |
Yesterday was not over productive, but was very pleasant. Steve came for a while, and I alway enjoy that. Alex came and gave some thought to a site for himself. I am afraid I did not pay him as much attention as I should. I don't know how well he got on. No doubt I shall spend some time with him today on that. Mark got the flywheel back on my Empress, which now spins fine; following a difficult brazing job. Well done Mark, and many thanks to Clive from The Hill House who help us by providing some brazing rods.
I caught 2 chickens in the act of egg-eating, yesterday and threatened them and slapped their faces slightly. They were just about to do it again this morning with a gorgeous pair of eggs, when I opened up. I stopped them in the nick of time to save Mark's breakfast. I think they are getting the message. This time I wagged a finger, which seemed sufficient warning. Today I buy a ink, emulsion etc for The Hill House 10th Annual Solstice Beer Festival beer glasses and tee shirts. This year we celebrate Four centuries of The Hill House Inn as well.
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Wednesday 28th April 2010 Time - 08:20 hrs
Weather observations |
I'm expecting Alex this morning. Mark is off to work early. I am also hoping to see Steve at some time today.
12:15hrs I have to think about the cost of printing on cider and apple-juice bottles. That will be my next task, while Alex is away meeting his customer.
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Tuesday 27th April 2010 Time - 18:38 hrs
Weather observations |
Sorry I have been busy for a couple of days. Mark has been home and we needed to get some doing done. Alex has been here some of the time as well and he and I have been working on another web site for him. I have more or less given up on Dreamweaver as it takes so long to learn new tricks and it has cost us days trying to do thing which it just will not do. How does that old Serenity Prayer go?
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; I cannot make Dreamweaver work and have the wisdom to know it. Tee hee! Good old fashioned code works well for me. I think Alex thinks I'm mad - perhaps I am - but I did in 1/2 an hour, by hand, what we have spent 2 days struggling with in the WYSIWYG. I have the Adana TP48 all up and running bar for new rollers; which I will order when I have the time. It's a fantastic machine, which will print A4 without wingeing, and has a brilliant action; very similar to the Empress (which is twice the size). Seeing them side by side is rather a wonder to behild as they are half a century apart in manufacture and metallurgy. In the latter respct the Adana is much the lighter machine and the more inclined to breakage as a result. Having said that, the Empress' flywheel is broken, which gave Mark some jipp to mend. The iron is not what we expected or had the rods with which to cope. I have to admit to being more impressed than I expected, with the Adana TP48. When I get rollers for both presses and run the same job on them both, by way of comparison, I'll let you know how I get on. The Happisburgh Heckler is nearly ready to go to bed. I just need to fix a handfull (more like 2 fistfulls) of typos, and away we go! Ten minutes on the Miehle Vertical V45 should do it. 100 run! Other than that, I am not going to report anything else for now as I can feel a pint coming on and the little electric bike is waiting patiently in the garden, for me to mount it. I have to eat a meal first.
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Saturday 24th April 2010 Time - 07:21 hrs
Weather observations |
Yesterday was a quiet day and I found I had broken my Miehle some time in the recent past, but I have no recollection of so-doing. Mark shall have to work his magic on it for me. What would i do without him?
Today, being another of Mark's days off, is probably going to be rather quiet. No doubt that will do us both good if I don't moan about it too much. Do send me an order for t-shirts and books if you feel like it. I would like to do something at least. For now, it's time to make some breakfast. Then The Archers, followed by a couple of forms to complete for IHT, then Mark wants to make some fish pie. We are hoping Clive at The Hill House Inn might have half a brazing rod that Mark can use to fix my Miehle Vertical V45.
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Saturday 24th April 2010 Time - 07:21 hrs
Weather observations |
I have no idea what I am going to be doing today. More later, no doubt. I do intend to pop up to see PING at some time this morning.
Politics Truth be known, none of us wants to be hammering and banging, welding and sawing in factories, on production lines any more. We have all got very used to cutting hair, typing on computers, managing other people's money, claiming to insure them against losses of miriad sorts (whilst not actually insuring against anything which may actually happen) and playing in a band or at sport. But ultimately all these things are utterly unproductive. Nothing constructive comes of any of it in the long run and the nations which are growing now are those which are making things, mending things and growing things. England has long gone down the drain and we are living on credit. Within a few years we will be scratching in the dust for a grain of wheat; just like the nations who we taught to make, mend and grow, used to do before they industrialised at our suggestion. It's my view that we would do well to learn to do something useful again, before we run out of credit (actually it might be a bit late for that). I also think we would do well to stop importing stuff and start doing things for ourselves. It's our last change folks! The trouble is, who is going to be the one to get out of the chair in front of the PC and pick up the tools? Do you know anybody who still knows how to drive a saw, a screwdriver, a chisel, a lathe, a drill or - dare I ask - make steel or iron? Oh forget it! Our children and grand-children can sort it out. It's too complicated and I'm not in the mood today anyway! Aha! You just heard me!
Local Politics
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Friday 23rd April 2010 Time - 8:06 hrs
Weather observations |
Alex and I had a good day yesterday. We go the bones of a web site together, with the logo created and the background images ready to in-fill. He spent the day taking photographs for the site and I have prepared quite a bit in the way of site layout, ready for customer copy to arrive, which is due soon.
Politics
Today's news Mark has had a day off (only working 7-midnight) and has done some cooking to prepare food for us for the next week. Mark is a hero! I'm very glad to say that I have organised a supply of special white and gold inks for the glasses and t-shirts for The Hill House Inn Solstice Beer Festval. I am hoping for the broken parts on the Adana treadle press to arrive some time in the next few days. To my great surprise it's a brilliant (not so little), hand fed machine!
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 A friend brought his new Ferguson tractor to see me earlier. What a wonderful thing! We adjusted the clutch a bit and it drove very well indeed. It's called PING. |
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Thursday 22nd April 2010 Time - 8:17 hrs
Weather observations |
That was a chilly old night! There was a hard frost on the car windscreen this morning
We got a good proof of the beer glasses yesterday. Excellent! I posted a Ferguson TE 20 Plough Manual off yesterday and have a combined workshop and parts manual ready to go off to Australia today.
Politics
Now is the time for a dramtic change. We have to, once in a lifetime, make a brave choice to back down from the usual swing this - way swing that way habit that the British electorate has formed. Now is the time for a high quality, humane, middle of ther road, balanced and above all, fair Government. Once in a lifetime folks! This is your last chance in my life time to get it right.
My only worry is that my Lib. Dem. MP voted in favour of the smoking ban. In that one respect he let down bith myself and the nation, terribly. I doubt that either alternative would have done any better and this is but one issue. Over all he has served us well over the past few years appart for this one, very important issue.
I shall be listening to this evening's 'Leaders Debate' with fervent interest.
Volcanic Ash
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Wednesday 21st April 2010 Time - 8:17 hrs
Weather observations |
Good morning!
Mark's 1st job has been to go shopping. From there he will be going to work and back here by 3:30pm I am expecting Alex some time this morning. There are no outstanding jobs for me today. Everything I have planned is done; till Mark does his bit. Alex and I adjusted the artwork for pint beer glasses; taking account of the shape of the vessel. That is interesting maths! I now wait for emulsion to make the screen, to see if I have it right. It has to be said that it looks very ditorted as it is now.
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Tuesday 20th April 2010 Time - 6:39 hrs
Weather observations |
What a wonderful start to the day!
It seems that I am about to have a day more or less on my own. Mark is out shopping with Sue this morning and working this evening. I am not expecting Alex till much later this afternoon as far as I can remember. He just sort of mentioned it vaguely as he was leaving last night - well, not exactly vaguely. He did actually say exactly what he had in mind, but it was complex and I remember very little of it. I know we have to do some more cards for him, but I cannot remember what time that is to be. I also remember that we have to do some work on a web site for him; or at least, he has to do some work on a web site for him, as well. I am not sure what time of day we shall get my art-work altered for my beer glasses job, for The Hill House Inn, but I do hope it will be today. We have some maths to do for that - cosines and stuff! I'm sure I'll get my head round it, but it may take a bit of thinking about. Mark has to get a collection request in for an oven to be picked up for The Hill House this morning before he goes out. - That's done now
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Monday 19th April 2010 Time - 6:39 hrs
Weather observations |
Another gorgeous day in sunny Happisburgh!
Alex re-appeared last evening, at the pub. He is expected at 10 this morning to design some special cards with a perferation down the middle, so that enquirers names and be recorded on the other half and retained. I need to order screens for The Hill House Beer Festival Glasses. Mark & I now have a success in that respect. It turned out yesterday that the reason for our difficulties with the intaglio prining is worn (or slightly distorted) steel doctor cups. I shall talk to our grinding company this morning. We are talking with Drives Direct, who supplied our phase converter for the Miehle Vertical V45, about the Debuit, for our friend's glasses. For now we are winding the thing by hand.
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Sunday 18th April 2010 Time - 8:36 hrs
Weather observations |
I have just asked Mark if we can do some pad-printing today. He grunted. No doubt I shall see him later
The lifeboad crew are hard at practice; so I'm not the only one up and about. Having read through the three manifesto's that I put up links to yesterday, I have to say that another wild sing would seem to me to be typical of Britain's inclination over the past lifetime and sticking with what we have in politics is impossible, from my perspectives. The only real solution has to be Lib. Dem. They are the only middle of the road party with a real and wide set of solutions. Added to that they are nearer to humane than either of the others and seem lessinclined to micro-management of the individual. I do not agree with all of their policies - their attitude to foriegn war being one of them. However, we HAVE TO STOP THIS SWINGING from one EXTREME to the other.
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 The Happisburgh Lifeboats being retrieved using a tractor and trailer. |
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Saturday 17thth April 2010 Time - 11:24 hrs
Weather observations |
I've just read the Liberal Democrat manifesto at this web page link. I shall refrain from comment until I have seen the other two, but so far it looks as well as even I could hope for.
Here's the Conservative Party Manifesto and here is the Labour Party Manifesto Mark is off today, so we hope to spend it together. We expect no sign of Alex till Monday, as far as I remember. We lack just one parralell key to get the Empress actually running and then the rollers will need re-covering to make it print. The bits which are missing will take rather a lot longer to replace. I have asked Mark to take a photo of a similar duct, in the vain hope that someone may have one for me or that the seller, who declared it was present in his ebay advert, can come up with one. These things are often missing,which is why I asked for confirmation that it was there before I cranked up the bidding. It would not have sold for half as much if it was known it was incomplete. Today,it seems, will be a good day to get my electric bicycle going for the summer.A drop of oil and a wipe over would seem good.
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 This is an ink duct, like to one missing from the Morfitt's Empress, despite the seller stating perfectly clearly that is was present. Just try toimaging thecost of trying to have one made? That sounds like £3-500 to me. The result certainly has to be that if he won't refund sime of the price paid for the machine, I will have to do without it. It makesme reluctant to use ebay again, unless I can get them to solve the problem. |
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Friday 16thth April 2010 Time - 08:49 hrs
Weather observations |
I am trying out a slightly different layout style here this morning. From this you can tell that Mark is still not awake and I am rather bored.
I have one booklet, "TVO, how to amke it and what to avoid" to print, then not much else planned for the day. Alex is off with his family, so Mark and I will be able to spend some quality time together, we hope. I don't think he's at work today, till 5:30 this evening. I learned last night that Mark is not too enamoured of my new Morfitt's Empress. That's so sad! I am so plesaed with it. Mark's problem is the missing and broken bits. I just think it's such a wonderful thing that I will forgive it anything. A start was made yesterday with arranging cases in the comp room. So far they are in rather a random muddle. I don't much like that. I have begun by starting a list on the PC and labelling the cases so that they can be recogised. The next step,once that bit is coplete, is to shuffle the cases around into some kind of real order. To that end I need to know exactly what there is and what there is not. We are indeed spending the day together. Woopie! The postman has been and left us a sample of specialplastic, with which it is my clear intent to make beer pump clips for Bees Brewery of Walcott.
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 Morfitt's Empress C1890 |
Wednesday 14thth April 2010
Time - 06:44 hrs
Weather observations
Wind speed * 7.6 mph
wind direction * NE
Temperature * 6.1 C
Humidity * 80%
Accounting for Wind chill * 0.6 C
Air pressure * 1020.3 mb
Outlook * Overcast
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Mark and I erected the Morfitt's Empress. There are, of course several broken bits and a few missing bits. SUch is the nature of old machinery. I'll try to get photos to post, in a day or so.
Tuesday 13thth April 2010
Time - 06:44 hrs
Weather observations
Wind speed * 13.0 mph
wind direction * NE
Temperature * 7.7 C
Humidity * 80%
Accounting for Wind chill * 0.8 C
Air pressure * 1019,0 mb
Outlook * Clear and bright
------+------
We have some changes to make to the comp room today. Once done we can lay the remainder of the cases.
I have a manual prepared for postage to Germany. Now I can weigh it and send the bill. Other booklets are also ready to go ff this morning..
Politics
The tories seem to the offerring to put more powerinto thte hands of the people. But surely there is the thing that the people elected New laour for the past two terms. The public have demanded all these services, which we cannot afford. Somehow we need to have polititians who will prioritise those things the people want and can afford. That is why I have been trying to promote the Lib Dems. Their poicies tend towards allowing individuals to live their lives peacefully but with self-direction and self-control. They did nto seem to be so intensly inclined to controlling the personal lives of the people, where they do not harm others. Indeed, they seemed to err towards the carefully thought-through treaise of John Stewart Mill; see http://www.utilitarianism.com/ol/one.html. It is my view that the balancebetween utilitarianism and conservatisim is all-important; with socialism being of much importance as a means or method of helping those unable to think and act for themselves - and there are plenty of them.
I return, once more to the suggestion that I want, only, to be left alone to live a peaceable lifestyle. J. S-M says "the tyranny of the majority" is now generally included among the evils against which society requires to be on its guard." The people already have more than enough power over my life. That's why New labour have to go and is now why The Conservatives should not be elected as the only alternative (Twice this year already I have had to entertain officals, who have been sent by the people to investigate my lifestyle, and have the power to change it, were it not for the fact that I have been careful to remain inside the law. I fail to comprehend why these people should have the slightest desire to control me). The Liberal Democrates are the only alternative and might well have potential. I fail to see why they cannot form a Government. They stand in enough seats. It only takes a majority of votes to see them win outright. I am in an unusual position because the MP whoo brought utilitarianism to my attention appears to me to have broken the principles of his own theories. In the end I will have to decide which way I am going to vote. For me it is a choice between striking-through my ballot paper and re-electing my standing Lib. Dem candidate. I so want to re-elect, but he will not accept that he has let me down by voting in Parliament in favour of the smoking ban, which has stolen from me certain leberties to live a peace peaceful lifestyle. The descision is a very very hard one. for me. The worst thing about it is that I like the man but I distrust the polititian, following that one vote.
I am close to voting Lib Dem again, despite being so terribly let-dowwn, on the grounds that of the three, they are the only reasonably sound-minded.
Again I quote Mill
"Like other tyrannies, the tyranny of the majority was at first, and is still vulgarly, held in dread, chiefly as operating through the acts of the public authorities. But reflecting persons perceived that when society is itself the tyran--society collectively, over the separate individuals who compose it--its means of tyrannizing are not restricted to the acts which it may do by the hands of its political functionaries. Society can and does execute its own mandates: and if it issues wrong mandates instead of right, or any mandates at all in things with which it ought not to meddle, it practises a social tyranny more formidable than many kinds of political oppression, since, though not usually upheld by such extreme penalties, it leaves fewer means of escape, penetrating much more deeply into the details of life, and enslaving the soul itself. Protection, therefore, against the tyranny of the magistrate is not enough; there needs protection also against the tyranny of the prevailing opinion and feeling; against the tendency of society to impose, by other means than civil penalties, its own ideas and practices as rules of conduct on those who dissent from them; to fetter the development, and, if possible, prevent the formation, of any individuality not in harmony with its ways, and compel all characters to fashion themselves upon the model of its own. There is a limit to the legitimate interference of collective opinion with individual independence; and to find that limit, and maintain it against encroachment, is as indispensable to a good condition of human affairs, as protection against political despotism." Surely that says so much about the place in which we now find ourselves.
John Steward Mill also writes in chapter IV of On Liberty:-
Under the name of preventing intemperance (substituate smoking) the people of one English colony, and of nearly half the United States, have been interdicted by law from making any use whatever of fermented drinks (substituate tobacco products), except for medical purposes: for prohibition of their sale is in fact, as it is intended to be, prohibition of their use. And though the impracticability of executing the law has caused its repeal in several of the States which had adopted it, including the one from which it derives its name, an attempt has notwithstanding been commenced, and is prosecuted with considerable zeal by many of the professed philanthropists, to agitate for a similar law in this country. The association, or "Alliance" as it terms itself, which has been formed for this purpose, has acquired some notoriety through the publicity given to a correspondence between its Secretary and one of the very few English public men who hold that a politician's opinions ought to be founded on principles. Lord Stanley's share in this correspondence is calculated to strengthen the hopes already built on him, by those who know how rare such qualities as are manifested in some of his public appearances, unhappily are among those who figure in political life. The organ of the Alliance, who would "deeply deplore the recognition of any principle which could be wrested to justify bigotry and persecution," undertakes to point out the "broad and impassable barrier" which divides such principles from those of the association. "All matters relating to thought, opinion, conscience, appear to me," he says, "to be without the sphere of legislation; all pertaining to social act, habit, relation, subject only to a discretionary power vested in the State itself, and not in the individual, to be within it." No mention is made of a third class, different from either of these, viz., acts and habits which are not social, but individual; although it is to this class, surely, that the act of drinking fermented liquors (substituate smoking) belongs. Selling fermented liquors, however, is trading, and trading is a social act. But the infringement complained of is not on the liberty of the seller, but on that of the buyer and consumer; since the State might just as well forbid him to drink wine (substituate smoking tobacco), as purposely make it impossible for him to obtain it. The Secretary, however, says, "I claim, as a citizen, a right to legislate whenever my social rights are invaded by the social act of another." And now for the definition of these "social rights." "If anything invades my social rights, certainly the traffic in strong drink (substituate smoke) does. It destroys my primary right of security, by constantly creating and stimulating social disorder (substituate the claimed harm caused by passive smoking). It invades my right of equality, by deriving a profit from the creation of a misery, I am taxed to support. It impedes my right to free moral and intellectual development, by surrounding my path with dangers, and by weakening and demoralizing society, from which I have a right to claim mutual aid and intercourse." A theory of "social rights," the like of which probably never before found its way into distinct language--being nothing short of this--that it is the absolute social right of every individual, that every other individual shall act in every respect exactly as he ought; that whosoever fails thereof in the smallest particular, violates my social right, and entitles me to demand from the legislature the removal of the grievance. So monstrous a principle is far more dangerous than any single interference with liberty; there is no violation of liberty which it would not justify; it acknowledges no right to any freedom whatever, except perhaps to that of holding opinions in secret, without ever disclosing them; for the moment an opinion which I consider noxious, passes any one's lips, it invades all the "social rights" attributed to me by the Alliance. The doctrine ascribes to all mankind a vested interest in each other's moral, intellectual, and even physical perfection, to be defined by each claimant according to his own standard.
With the above in mind, I ask 'how a person purporting to support the principles of liberty described as above, possibly countenance, let alone vote in favour of The Smoking Ban now in force throughout this fine land'
Monday 12th April 2010
Time - 07:51 hrs
Weather observations
Wind speed * 12.1 mph
wind direction * NE
Temperature * 8.4 C
Humidity * 81%
Accounting for Wind chill * 1.7 C
Air pressure * 1022,0 mb
Outlook * Clear and bright
------+------
We had a visit from wonderful friends from my past on Saturday/Sunday. They stayed the night at The Hill House Inn, which they seemed to very much enjoy and we had breakfast together there on Sunday morning. The whole thing was a great pleasure. Mark cooked dinner on Saturday, which went down a storm.
Back to wrok now! I have made a simple moving gif image, shown in the header, for now. Just to see how it's done.
We had a visit from a very nice Planning EnforcementOfficer on Friday. How I wish people would mind their own business. She had had a complaint (not an enquiry), it seems) about our garage, which is, of course, perfectly above board. Grrrr! Why is it they feel so strongly that they need to control my life but would be offended if they went through the same rigmarol several times a year. We have had 2 visits and numerous telephone conversations this year alone! Never, yet, have we been found wanting. So why persecute us?I don't know what motivates the complainants!
The RNLI are erecting a building, which is huge, by comparison, right next door. But do we comaplain or object? Of course we don't! That would be mad!
The Happisburgh Heckler is ripe for publication again; with the exception of a photo or two. Hmm! Spoze I must!
Sunday 11th April 2010
Time - 07:51 hrs
Weather observations
Wind speed * 11.4 mph
wind direction * NE
Temperature * 8 C
Humidity * 78%
Accounting for Wind chill * 1.5 C
Air pressure * 1024,5 mb
Outlook * Clear and bright
------+------
We've been a bit busy over the past few days, with Ronin and Else visiting. They are old friends of mine, whom I have not seen in nearly 20 years. They have not changed a jot, lov'em.
I did print postcards for teh local ppost offive; so that is a good thing.
Thursday, 8th April 2010
Time - 03:11 hrs
Weather observations
Wind speed * 3.8 mph
wind direction * W
Temperature * 5 C
Humidity * 83%
Accounting for Wind chill * 3.6 C
Air pressure * 1014,7 mb
Outlook * Clear and bright
------+------
Let us see what the day brings.
Wednesday, 7th April 2010
Time - 7:45 hrs
Weather observations
Wind speed * 0 mph
wind direction * NE
Temperature * 7.5 C
Humidity * 83%
Accounting for Wind chill * 7.6 C
Air pressure * 1012,1 mb
Outlook * A little sea mist
------+------
Here I am, ready for another day. I have let the chickens out of their cage, having provided a new ome for a neighbouring cat's family and having warned them that if it comes back I'll not be kind to it. I will defend my chickens. I'm not really a cat person.
I have just got to configure the payment pages for the website that Grasshopper and I completed yesterday. The it is complete.
I really must print post cards for your local shop today. They made the mistake of saying there is no rush. Mark is planning to print t-shirts for Wendy. The machine is all up and running again now. My first job, though is getting chicken food, straw and shell suppliment from Hall Farm Forrage (our local supplier of such things).
We have a little print job to do for Steve, by way of snooker balls for a cancer charity job. I believe Steve is coming to get involved in that in some way, today.
I just added a Morfitt treadle platen, C1890, to our collection of vintage printing equipment. This image is taen from original advertising from the period for a very similar press, the Minerva, by Cropper.
As it is right now 
We have also bought a treadle Adana, which demonstrates an early example of the effect that lightweight engineering had on British industry in the late fifties and early 60's
These two additions to our collection, connect 1863 (our Albion), through the 1890's on through the 1930's via the Miehle vertical V45 and 60's to present day.
Tuesday, 6th April 2010
Time - 8:05 hrs
Weather observations
Wind speed * 4.5 mph
wind direction * S
Temperature * 10.3 C
Humidity * 71%
Accounting for Wind chill * 4.1 C
Air pressure * 1016.6 mb
Outlook * Sunny
------+------
Back to work then? Enjoy! You have some catching up to do.
Grasshopper and I have nearly finished the web site we are working on. Talking of which! I must up load the "spry" file this morning.
You'll notice some changes in our menu bars today (or was that yesterday). Surfers can now choose to browse or to shop. Some of thenew files are old files, which will need some refining and updating. The 2 new files are about day-visits and holidays.
I had a phone call first thing this morning from a nice farmer chappie who wants to seel his Ferguson TE F 20, because he has not used it in years and his M-F35 Industrial, for the same reason. If you are interested, do give me a ring. The number is at the top there.
<10:00hrs
The carrier have lost my plates. Hmmmmmmmmmm!
Monday, 5th April 2010
Time - 8:05 hrs
Weather observations
Wind speed * 13.8 mph
wind direction * S
Temperature * 4.8 C
Humidity * 82%
Accounting for Wind chill * 3.4 C
Air pressure * 1019.4 mb
Outlook * Raining
------+------
Another day with nothing happening outside of here! How frustrating! I am waiting for delivery of printing plates. No platemakers to nag on the phone and no post!
More with Grasshopper today, on his web site job. I hope he will be here good and early so that we can get the job done and under our belts. It is coming on very well, but we could do with a few more hours a day on it.
Yesterday was a good day, though, with 6 good hours done and all the work was brilliant!
Sunday, 4th April 2010
Time - 8:19 hrs
Weather observations
Wind speed - 11.4 mph
wind direction - NW
Temperature - 8.7 C
Humidity - 79%
Accounting for Wind chill - 2.3 C
Air pressure - 1003.3 mb
Outlook - Sunny
------+------
Yesterday turned out to be a day of rest. Hello today!
Just in case anybody thinks I have been being silly about The Conservative Party and their attitude to gays, Chris Greyling made it clear today, when he picked out gay couples as people who B&B owners should be free to turn down on religeous or ethical grounds. Let me be absolutley clear. I believe that anybody who runs a private B&B should be absolutely free to accept or decline ANY booking on the grounds that they do or don't want it. They should never, however, accept a booking and change their minds when the customer turns up. As long as they state clearly in their advertising who/what they will and will not welcome, all would be well. For example "B&B. Proprietor is classist/racist/homophobic/Religeous biggot/Tory/fearfull of drunks/intollerant of load music/misogynist/misandrist (delete as applicable). Only £100 per night (or whatever)!" My conditions are that they check that the would-be customers understand the terms and conditions before the booking is acepted. They should take responsibility for the conditions, at the time of booking. If they don't make themselves clear and accept a booking without that check, they should put up with it, politely, rather than leave people on the street by surprise.
But for the Tories to pick out gay couples in this way is just plain rude and wrong. Damn them!
Time to listen to The Archers!
Saturday, 3rd March 2010
Time - 8:19 hrs
Weather observations
Wind speed - 8.3 mph
wind direction - S
Temperature - 7.1 C
Humidity - 80%
Accounting for Wind chill - 2.3 C
Air pressure - 999.3 mb
Outlook - Sunny
------+------
Mark has been preparing for a wedding function at The Hill House Inn for a few days. Today is the day! Best wishes to all concerned!
Yesterday Mr S. and I spent the day working on a web site for him. That was very productive. We have some more to do today on the same project.
Friday, 2nd April 2010
Time - 8:19 hrs
Weather observations
Wind speed - 6.9 mph
wind direction - S
Temperature - 6.6 C
Humidity - 81%
Accounting for Wind chill - 2.8 C
Air pressure - 1003.8 mb
Outlook - Rain
------+------
Thurssday, 1st April 2010
Time - 7:25 hrs
Weather observations
Wind speed - 9.8 mph
wind direction - W
Temperature - 2.8 C
Humidity - 78%
Accounting for Wind chill - -6.3 C
Air pressure - 998.4 mb
Outlook - Bright and sunny, but blinking cold
------+------
Heating on full chat and coat on indoors. That kind of weather.
That was the morning taken up with a visit to the optitians. They have agreed to do the top-up laser surgery soon. Thank God! My eyes are miles better than they have ever been, but I still use contact lenses for detail. Once the laser surgery is done they should be as good as they can be and stay that wau for the rest of my life. I am very much looking forward to that!
The afternoonwas spent fighting some somewhat recalcitrant software. We won!
The air blower and the belt guard had arived from America for my Miehle. Excellent! Must fit those soon!
Tuesday, 31th March 2010
Time - 8:25 hrs British Summer Time
Weather observations
Wind speed - 13 mph
wind direction - S
Temperature - 5.1 C
Humidity - 83%
Accounting for Wind chill - -1.8 C
Air pressure - 979.6 mb
Outlook - Raining a lot
------+------
It's jolly chilly to day. Yes! That is a minus num,bre (with wind-chill taken into account.
Mark is now only popping in in passing for a few days as he has much to do at work. I concede begrudginly!
Thans to The Traveller for pointing out that my dates were all a bit muddled. I brought today up to date, but may have other days wrong still - never mind!
Monday, 27th March 2010
Time - 8:25 hrs British Summer Time
Weather observations
Wind speed - 6 mph
wind direction - E
Temperature - 9.3 C
Humidity - 84%
Accounting for Wind chill - 7.2 C
Air pressure - 985.7 mb
Outlook - Sea mist
------+------
Them polititians are talking about the cost of "personal care" again. Listen, you idiots!" There are two points to be made here.
1:- Which is most important? Caring for our elders or killing foreigners in foreign wars?
sssh! Don't tell anybody, but it's their oil. Let them sort it out!
2:- The public never did agree with the term 'personal care'. We deny any differential. If a person is too ill to wipe their own bottom, then they are sick enough to have their care provided by the NHS. Polititians ask why I think they deserve that. The answer is that they have paid thier taxes. Those taxes were not reduced when the bast....s in power at the time invented 'personal care' and started to charge for it as a separate service. We have fought it all along, so as far as I am conserned, they have paid for their care. It always was part of the responsibility of the NHS; and in my view, should remain so. They think we, the public, have go so used to hearing the term personal care that we will let them get on with whatever additional extortion they impose. No, No and no again We shall NOT! The public are not THAT stupid! Surely?
If we agree on point one, which is a simple choice, and then cannot afford to send our soldiers to blow people up and shoot them, because we blew our tax and NHS money on our elderly and infirm, I will not regret it.
Once again, no party seeking election has made any of the points I make above. So, for whom can I vote? Certainly not any of the big 3. My only remaining option is to 'spoil' my vote by striking it through. This will be designed to communicate that none of those on offer will be good enough.
There is another possibility! Maybe this is where all the money has come from to pay 'the useless third of society' to micro-manage our personal lives. If this is the case and if we, instead, use the money to care for our elderly, I shall not be sad. And don't give me "this'll cost too much in unemployment benefit". It will cost much less than their inflated salaries and cost nothing in the back-office stuff they need. So the dole could be increased, so they could live to a decent standard and 'do' for themselves to some extent and our infirm could still get the care they need and have paid for.
Come on politics! It's not that blinking radical It's not that hard to fix your mistakes. If you cannot find a solution ask me; I'll ask at the pub and your problem is solved! Simples!
Monday, 27th March 2010
Time - 10:52 hrs British Summer Time
Weather observations
Wind speed - 6 mph
wind direction - SE
Temperature - 7.2 C
Humidity - 76%
Accounting for Wind chill - 7.2 C
Air pressure - 1001.2 mb
Outlook - Raining and overcast
------+------
Happy good morning!
So that was sprng then!
Our pheasant is in our garden squarking now and then, to ensure we stay awake. How wonderful! They are such a pretty bird.
Our chickens are laying eggs with soft shells, so we are buying some additive for their food today. Why their standard "layers pellets" don't have it escapes me!
Printable vinyl arrived this morning for Bees Breeries pump clips. The artwork is all but done and ready. I have sent out for board upon which to mount it and Grasshopper will, no doubt, prpare the artwork for the cutting form tomorrow. I just need it improved a bit, before sending it off to the forme makers.
Much type was set for the next edition of The Happisburgh Heckler yesterday. Mark wants me to make plates now, for photos. That seems a bit advanced for a free broadsheet, to me. Hmmm.
Sunday, 26th March 2010
Time - 09:38 hrs British Summer Time
Weather observations
Wind speed - 11.4 mph
wind direction - W
Temperature - 9.7 C
Humidity - 70%
Accounting for Wind chill - 3.3 C
Air pressure - 1004.3 mb
Outlook - Very bright
The clocks went forward here on the Albion mainland at 2am today.
That makes today the first day of our spring and summer!
and the weather is gorgeous!
------+------
Happy good morning!
8:00pm and dusk. Woopie!
Today Mark & I set more type for the next edition of The Happisburgh Heckler. Great fun!
I attended a meeting of neighbours about local security issues. That was quite interesting! Nuff said for security reasons.
I have bad back-ache, but I think I must print the menues for The Hill House Inn. Hmm! Better soon!
Mark has ut the final brackets in my weather station. It doesn't bang on the garage roof now. Woopie! maybe rainfall figures can come back soon.
Saturday, 25th March 2010
Time - 09:13hrs
Weather observations
Wind speed - 5.4 mph
wind direction - W
Temperature - 10.7 C
Humidity - 79%
Accounting for Wind chill - 8.8 C
Air pressure - 1000.1 mb
Outlook - Bright & slightly overcast
The clocks go forward here on the Albion mainland at 2am tomorrow.
That makes today the last day of our winter!
I have no idea what they do on the island of Europe,
across the English channel, there. I expect they try to defy us as usual!
------+------
We have daffodils and pansies flowering in the garden and they look brilliant!
We completed the 50 Ferguson tractor Workshop Manuals for Agriline yesterday. They are all packed and ready for collection.
I am planning a day off, so I will probably be really busy.
The village Post office and Stores want some Post Cards with Happisburgh Lighthouse on them and I want to get the Bees Brewery pump clips printed as soon as the material arrives (probably Monday or Tuesday). I think there will only be 20 of each (which is just over 2 sheets of A3, 9 x up, so I'll print 3 of each sheet)
I will need to print some more booklets for Mary Trett some time soon.
I must do some ISBN work. I need to go on line and register a couple of publications. I don't much like their system, I have to admit!
Mark and Steve are bringing my Albion Press staple (that's the big bit around which the whole press is errected). First, though, Steve is painting the top edge of our new garage black to accomodate our neighbours. Unfortunately, no sooner has he started to paint than it has started to rain. Anybody would think it's April (showers and all?).
Mark has let me play with is new camera.
Miehle Vertical V45
My comp. room, where I set type. Aka, Graham's den!
Mark's den is twice the size of Graham's den, but I like it that way round. I prefer cosey. I once had an ambition to be a ship's printer on a cruise liner. I never did get round to applying for that. I didn't even bother to enquire, but I had a shine to the whole confined space thing. Hmmm! I haven't changed much! I still prefer the security of my own home to going out and about. Mark is quite the opposite.
View to the rear of The Bungalow
Another view to the rear of The Bungalow
What the neighbours laughingly call the M25 or Happisburgh bypass, leading to the 4 (1 treble) garages.
Our Albion has arrived at The Bungalow. Now all Mark has to do is to re-assemble it. Many thanks to Steve, who has helped so much in this move and without whom the old press would probably still be at Home to Roost (come to think of it, I expect I would still be there too).OW!!!!! (Mark) Now we have a place for an apprentuce to sleep. Under the press, where an apprentice belongs in case he is needed for an urgent print-run in the night. maybe if war breaks out or some-such.
Just so that you know what I am talking about, when I mention The Hill House Inn:-
This is where Mark does his part time job.
How things have changed! Home to Roost has had new cladding fitted front and back and looks very smart. In a couple of weeks I shall be a landlord, with paying tennants! I never thought I'd see the day! With Mark's part time job at The Hill House, that should mean we are no longer scratching a living from day-to-day. It's all thanks to Irene; bless her!
Friday, 24th March 2010
Time - 07:35hrs
Weather observations
Wind speed - 10.4 mph
wind direction - S
Temperature - 10.4 C
Humidity - 85%
Accounting for Wind chill - 4.5 C
Air pressure - 995.9 mb
Outlook - Bright & Sunny
------+------
Grasshopper completed the art work for Bees Brewery pump clips yesterday. I have ordered the material on which we have to print them. That may be here Monday; by which time the press should be clear, to print them. Then we have to apply the printed sub-straight to a special polymer board. Once that's done we drill tiny holes through the whole lot to act as register marks, put the cutting forme on the 1863 Albion press and cut the things out, one at a time. The reasons not to run them faster (much faster) on the Miehle, is that the polymer back-board is ridged; and so will not go round the Miehle's cylinder, and that the register on the Toshiba is not good enough because these things have a border in the design, so the cut-out oval shape has to be spot on or it will look awful. Best do it by hand then on the century-old press. We know it makes sense.
We had another power cut at about 6:30pm. We were running Ferguson Tractor Manuals at the time, for Agriline. Power came back up about an hour later and we continued till Mark had to go into work at The Hill House Inn, Happisburgh. I am hoping to have them ready for delivery on Monday. Then I will phone the customer to tell them that they can arrange collection.
Art work has been sent off to platemakers for the Hill House Inn Soltice Beer Festival commemorative glasses. I hope to have the plates back by about Wednesday (along with some ink and pads), then we can begin. I was dreaming about t-shirts for that event last night. I have some excellent ideas about special colours to celebrate the pub's 4th century as a pub and 10th annual Soltice Beer Festival.
I have a call to return on the subject of TVO for Ferguson tractors, today. The phone was down when it came in, due to the power cut.
The chickens broke an egg this morning, so that's breakfast in doubt! I gave a dozen away yesterday and that's left us none in stock. I was hoping for three today. Now the most I can hope for is another 2.
Thursday, 23rd March 2010
Time - 07:35hrs
Weather observations
Wind speed - 6.0 mph
wind direction - S
Temperature - 11.1 C
Humidity - 81%
Accounting for Wind chill - 7.5 C
Air pressure - 999.6 mb
Outlook - Bright with an early sea mist
------+------
We were having a great afternoon, till about 6:30pm, again. Power cut! Not so bad in itself, I would just have been running the Production Press from 7:30 this morning. Mark's air supply thingy is working great! But no! The press now has an electrical fault, apparently brought on by the power cut, and I have to wait till 8:30am to send for an engineer. Grrr! I've waited for month to be able to do a decent run on this press. It cost over £18th. What a nuisence! Never mind!
I have Grasshopper in today to help me with some art work. The 1st thing will be to prepare for Bees Brewery, then The Hill House Inn beer glasses.
Wednesday, 22nd March 2010
Time - 08:00hrs
Weather observations
Wind speed - 4,6 mph
wind direction - SE
Temperature - 8.2 C
Humidity - 73%
Accounting for Wind chill - 8.2 C
Air pressure - 1005.6 mb
Outlook - Bright with an early sea mist
------+------
By jingo that was a busy day! Grasshopper and I focused on completing a database for a web site of his. Now it is for him to make a job of the look of the site. The database had taken about 5 full days to complete. The look and feel should be about the same.
Mark has set the type for the 1st column of the 2nd edition of The Happisburgh Heckler. We have re-laid the type cases in individual trays, so the we now have both upper and lower cases for the type we use for this broadsheet.
Doctors can mind their own business with regards to smoking in MY car. I don't have children in my car and anybody else who chooses to travel with me can choose on their own; whether or not to travel with me. I will NOT be controlled or micro-managed in this way. I call on Government AGAIN, to remove their restrictions on me smoking in other public places. I am a grown-up and can and will respect the descisions of the owners of those premises, but I will not have my life managed on a minute-by-minute basis by central Government. Other people can rspect my descision with regard to any premses on mine. Why on earth can we not just use common sense instead of the heavy war-club of law? Idiots! Have they no idea of the harm they are doing? I suspect that as educated as they are, they are displaying the bullying tactics of the sadly stupid.
As for parks and playgrounds, I have no intention of going to a childrens playground, but parks are for everybody; they are out of doors (That's as obvious as can be, but these twerps seem to be oblivious, so it has to be mentioned) and are used by all memebrs of the public, smokiners or otherwise. Frankly smokers not only have the same rght to use the parks for which they pay, as non-smokers and there is NO possiblity of passive smoking in an open space. The people are saying that young people are incapable of seeing that starting to smoke is a mistake. My two step-sons were brought up by smokers/drinkers and don't smoke or drink. They reacted, as teenagers, by revolting, as teenagers do, by not smoking or drinking. Come on!
The platen and bed of my Albion arrived home yesterday. They had gone off to be ground flat; but the grinding company had not been able to mount the parts on their grinding bed. Mark can now re-erect it at home, here at The Bungalow. I do have a little job for it, cutting the shapes for Bees Brewery. I have 4 pump clips to reproduce a couple of dosen of, each. They are currently 2 different sizes, and I shall get Grasshopper to make the art work for them all the same sizes, so that one cutting form will do them all.
There is talk of us doing "childrens menues" for The Hill House Inn of Happisburgh. The idea is to cut out a shape of a bundle of ballons and to print it in bright colours. There may beV
Monday, 20th March 2010
Time - 08:00hrs
Weather observations
Wind speed - 6.5 mph
wind direction - SE
Temperature - 6.5 C
Humidity - 84%
Accounting for Wind chill - 5.2 C
Air pressure - 1016.3 mb
Outlook - Bright
------+------
I'm hoping to have Mr.s here at 9am. We can prepare the artwork for The Hill House Inn's Solstice Beer Festival glasses. Then I shall have to send off to have metal plates made. They might be back by Monday of next week.
We printed a test glass yesterday. That was fun! Actually, we printed it over and over again. We just wiped the image off each time and made another adjustment, before printing again. What an interesting process! I can deal with the photogravure element easily (given flat plates), but the shape of the pad escapes me yet. I can print on a flat surface easily. The three dimentional element is new to me.
6:??hrs
Power cut!
Restored around middle night. It's nice having a little generator!
Sunday, 20th March 2010
Time - 08:41hrs
Weather observations
Wind speed - 7.6 mph
wind direction - W
Temperature - 7.3 C
Humidity - 79%
Accounting for Wind chill - 2.6 C
Air pressure - 1011.3 mb
Outlook - sunny
------+------
That WIZIWIG isn't so bad I, suppose. I could never use it for want of sufficient memory to recall all the thousands of un-labeled commands. For Mr. S it's brilliant!
We did some intaglio pad printing yesterday. That was fun! It's really like photgravure, except it's offset with a very quidgy pad. I just need to work out just how runny to make the ink. I need a number and a way to measure it. Off to google!
Right! Done that! The viscosity we need is slightly more than I would use in traditional photogravure. No problem! Off I go to try it! Hm! That leads me to the understanding that I could really use some little 250ml plastic bottles and some little platic mixing beakers. Off to ebay then!
I've bought a few little 250mm mixing pots and some 250mm wide-mouthed bottles. I have also bought a spirit bottle to hold and dispense the thinners.
I had a nice little chat about Ferguson tractors at altitude this morning. The story is all in the Workshop Manual, which I sell. See the Shop link above. I must have a look, as I think there is also a reference in another of the books. There was not a special model made. The 85mm petrol tractor did best at high altitudes.
The chickens are on their last few day's dose of anti-biotics. Most are much better, but one of them now seems to have a cold. Anti-biotics won't help that much. The poor little thing is sneezing horribly this morning!
Saturday, 19th March 2010
Time - 08:41hrs
Weather observations
Wind speed - 8.3 mph
wind direction - SW
Temperature - 15.7 C
Humidity - 54%
Accounting for Wind chill - 12.5 C
Air pressure - 1009.0 mb
Outlook - bright
------+------
Much pleasure was had yesterday seeing what some WIZIWIG programme could do, with Mr. S. I have to admit, it did save some time with mapping; but it did make the page of code very big and very, very messy. More of that today I think.
I have had an enquiry about what kind of glasses we can print. In theory we can print nearly anything at all. There are limitations brought about by physical dimentions. We cannot print a cylindrical or cubic object much more than about 2ft in diameter or high, for instance, but we can print on a beer barrel or a chicken shed. Heck, we can print on a printing machine or a car indicator lever! It's always best to pick up the phone and ask or to email a photo of the object first, then pick up the phon. We love to talk.
Friday, 18th March 2010
Time - 07:45hrs
Weather observations
Wind speed - 11.0 mph
wind direction - SW
Temperature - 8.8 C
Humidity - 71%
Accounting for Wind chill - 7.4 C
Air pressure - 1009.6 mb
Outlook - Sunny
------+------
I wrote this before it was tomorrow because I was out of my pram again and I didn't want it to be missed at the bottom of later today.
Here it comes! Are you ready?
I am told:-
That a friend's company (a private business) is being sued for unfair dismmissal under some new law-type thingy called T U P E (I think I'll call it the toffee laws, as it seems to stick to blankets like it and it's just as bad for the consumer), by a man who claims unfair dismissal against his employer, on the grounds that our friend's company took on the work being done by by the plaintif. DO WHAT? The victim of this (our friend's company) has been persuaded of the absolute need to employ a very expensive solicitor, in order to avoid a HUGE bill to compensate this man. That makes me think I should have become a solicitor! As a regular reader, of mine, you will, no doubt know what I think of the legal profession.
My interpretation of this is:-
If YOUR business has a person doing the photocopying and a printer takes on the job of doing that photocopying (because you asked him to), after the emplyee has been let go for some spurious (or perfectly morally legitimate, but illegal) reason, the printer can be sued for UNFAIR DISSMISSAL by the sacked or dismissed employee if that sacked/dismissed/layed-off/whatever's solicitor say that YOU may not be able to afford to pay off (if their claim is fair), the dismissed person, then the printer (that is, a perfectly innocent supplier of the service needed) can cop for the unfair dismissal claim.
THAT'S MAD!
I want to say "nuff sed", but I feel the need to say more. What busines or self-employed person now dares take on a job , any job, for fear of having to compensate a customers' ex-(or sacked) employee on the grounds that they might be doing the work of of a sacked/dismissed-one; of whom the victim-of-the-law may have never even heard? that makes every self-employed person constructively dismissed, to all intents and purposes (as none of us can afford to risk employing ourselves) because of the toffee laws, as far as I can see. Does that meen we have a case against either The courts or Europe? I wonder? Or are we supposed to sue ourselves? Nop! Hang on, maybe we get's to sue the company who takes on the jobs we have been too fearful to take on because of all this toffee, thus renderring ourselves redundant! WOOPIE!
Apparently:-
This legal bullsh*te originates from that off-shore island (Europe) again. Oh what! Another mind-distorting surprise! Who would have thought it?
GO on... See the real story about toffee law at www.out-law.com/page-448 and tell me where the honour is in it? These madmen (Yes, I'm casting nasturtium at the law-makers again, in the vain hope that it'll embarrace them into submission and stop their stupidity) treating employment as though it is a right, rather than the enslaving curse of the drinking classes that we all know it to be.
And another thing!
This is all based on a presumption that we can afford all this law-conjouring rubbish. We can't! We are skint! Potless! Bankrupt! In the soup! We are about to become a third world nation! We've had it! We are financially up sh*t creek! Don't they understand? Never mind whether we (as a nation) can afford to hold one-another responsible in court for the actions of third parties, we are financially incapable of taking responsibility for the next potato to feed ourselves. GET REAL, you idiots!
NUFF SED FOR NOW
Anybody want to buy this Debuit Screen Printing machine?
It prints on bottles and cans and other cylindrical things. I's 3 phase and in perfect working order and a real snip at £1000.00
Reason for sale - It's 3 phase and we don't have 3 phase. And anyway, we might make someone redundant by accident if we were to print a few! No! Really, we bought it to print glasses, but they are really cones and this is a bit expensive to convert for cones (about £3000), so now we've bought a pad-printer for the glasses! We're printing the glasses for a friend. I've never printed on beer glasses before, so it's a new challenge.
Thursday, 17th March 2010
Time - 07:29hrs
Weather observations
Wind speed - 8.3 mph
wind direction - S
Temperature - 8.8 C
Humidity - 82%
Accounting for Wind chill - 4.2 C
Air pressure - 1015.5 mb
Outlook - Sunny
------+------
own It's a bright morning and I would be in a very good mood except that yesterday the postman carded me on the grounds that a signature is required. The why the hell did he not ring the door bell? He wants me to GO to North Walsham! No! I was here, nt 8ft from him when he carded me. I hate that!
The chucks are all well and laying. FUnny tings chickens. They are potential prey for so many agressors, that they hide their failings lest they be taken advantage of. Pardon the English. People will do the same in some situations; and be agressors in others. Apply that to the psychology of politics in your mind's eye, when you have a couple of hours to spare.
Wednesday, 16th March 2010
Time - 07:56hrs
Weather observations
Wind speed - 8.3 mph
wind direction - SW
Temperature - 6.4 C
Humidity - 66%
Accounting for Wind chill - 3.9 C
Air pressure - 1018.3 mb
Outlook - Sunny
------+------
Mark, Mr. S and I did work on Mary's books yesterday. We started at about 11:30am and worked through till 6:30 in the evening. In that 5 hours we managed to get about half the job done. The intention is to get the other half done today. The drawback is that Mark has to be at work for most of the day. On the plus side, Mr. S's paper handling is increasing in speed and accuraty as the hours go by.
I think I may be able to look forward to a quiet day today. All current orders are printed and done. I only have one for the postman today. I am expecting one paper delivery and one of book covers, for Ferguson tractor manuals.
We have had delievery of samples of gold and etched effect glass-ink for the Hill House Beer Festival glasses, which we ar hoping to print this year. We have some sample glasses lined up to get us tested and running.
Mr. S got the remainder of our bulbs and onions planted for us yesterday and popped in some pansies too. Thanks Mr. S.
Who needs peacocks when they have phasants? They make a dreadful noise like peacocks and look beautiful, like peacoks; and they occur naturally! Brilliant! I haven't seen many rabbits this year yet, but we watch and wait.
One of Chris's new chickens has been ill with a lung infection. FOrtunately, we spotted it pretty quickly and treated with anti-biotics. All better now! The thing with chucks is that they tend to hide illness as a form of self-defense. It makes it hard to see what's up till it is too late, sometimes. It looks like we caught it this tim!
I have had the day off. I did test the door bell at 6pm, and it IS still working, but the postman carded me non-the-less. I hate that! One of us will have to go to Stalham tomorrow to collect and then we will miss the next delivery and be carded again and have to fetch again! Grrrrr!
It's not that people don't care about politics, these days. They just feel dis-empowered about it, unable to achieve anything about it and excluded from it. Did I mention that before?
Tuesday, 15th March 2010
Time - 07:15hrs
Weather observations
Wind speed - 1.6 mph
wind direction - W
Temperature - 3.5 C
Humidity - 82%
Accounting for Wind chill - 3.5 C
Air pressure - 1023.2 mb
Outlook - Bright
------+------
Mark, Mr. S and I did work on Mary's books yestrday. We startd at about 11:30am and worked through till 6:30 in the evening. In that 5 hours we managed to get about half the job done. The intention is to get the other half done today. The drawback is that Mark has to be at work for most of the day. On the plus side, Ales's paper handling is increasing in speed and accuraty as the hours go by.
Monday, 15th March 2010
Time - 07:15hrs
Weather observations
Wind speed - 9.2 mph
wind direction - W
Temperature - 5.8 C
Humidity - 82%
Accounting for Wind chill - 0.1 C
Air pressure - 1022.7 mb
Outlook - Overcast
------+------
It is my plan to day to get the creasing and collating done on Mary Trett's books, to get them stitched and then trimmed ready for delivery. That is dependant on Mr. S having the time.
Sunday, 14th March 2010
Time - 07:15hrs
Weather observations
Wind speed - 13.8 mph
wind direction - W
Temperature - 6.6 C
Humidity - 82%
Accounting for Wind chill - -1.4 C
Air pressure - 1025.9 mb
Outlook - Overcast
------+------
More web site building with Mr. S yesterday. He is very good at manipulating images quickly and efficiently.
Now for the important bit. Mark had our Toishiba digital press running solidly for over 1000 sheets without a break. How? He re-designed the feeder so that it works the more like a printing press. The silly thing is that it really didn't take much doing after all that! The difference in cost between a pile of scap metal costing £18000 and a useful press is only £5-600 and a little R&D.
Today we have printed the books for Mary Trett, called "Happisburgh. The village as it used to be" and a few visiting cards for a friend.
Saturday, 13th March 2010
Time - 07:00hrs
Weather observations
Wind speed - 3.8 mph
wind direction - NW
Temperature - 5.3 C
Humidity - 82%
Accounting for Wind chill - -0.9 C
Air pressure - 1025.9 mb
Outlook - Overcast
------+------
Another day vanished! I love it!
The chickens are laying well, but 1 still has rather soft shlls dspite proper Feeding supliments.
We rcievd new feed rollers for the Toshiba, and are still working on the experiments for that. It is being a bit of a one. More today....
Mr. S put in another good day yesterday, on his web-publishing work.
Thursday, 11th March 2010
Time - 0 :hrs
Weather observations
Wind speed - 3.8 mph
wind direction - NE
Temperature - 4.3 C
Humidity - 80%
Accounting for Wind chill - 2.9 C
Air pressure - 1022.9 mb
Rainfall last hour - 0"
Rainfall last 24hrs - 0"
Outlook - Overcast
------+------
OK, so that was a busy day, yesteray. Mr. S arrived fairly early and we set about doing a job for him. That involved laying a couple of cases of type, which are best-part done now, and setting the job in type. Mark made a new type-chase for my pneumatic foiling press (I have only ever used photopolymer plates before), so that we can use lead type on it in future.
I had a mag-mount arrive, which I bought for the Miehle. Sadly it is a wierd hieght. Maybe from the island of Europe or some noncense. Wherever, it's no blinking good! It's too high! HOw I am going to get 145 microns shaved off an A4 magnet, who knows! It's a real pest!
We printed some gorgeous businss cards today for Mr. S, on the digital press. Mr. S set some of the type we layed last night and over printed them in gold foil on the pneumatic hot press. What I most enjoyed about it was that Mr. S did most of it himself. The pleasure in his eyes when he looked at them, when they were finished, was all the payment I could have wished for, and more.
Tuesday, 9th March 2010
Time - 0 :hrs
Weather observations
Wind speed - 5.4 mph
wind direction - N
Temperature - 0.3 C
Humidity - 85%
Accounting for Wind chill - 1.9 C
Air pressure - 1027.8 mb
Rainfall last hour - 0"
Rainfall last 24hrs - 0"
Outlook - Overcast
------+------
I diss'd about 4000 ens yesteday, so I now have a small case of 12pt times italic.
I have been asked to look at printing some pump clips for our local brewery and expounded on the pro's and cons of bee-keeping.
Mark arrived back with an engine for a 9n, ready to install and a type case frame with some type. I will have to look at that today. It's far from run-of-the-mill and may once have been something else. But it will do!
I have an A4 mag-mount on it's way, along with a few other trinkets.
I am hoping that, by tomorrow or the day after, I should have a batch of friction feed rollers for my digital press, which I can try out to feed non-standard paper types. This would make life a very great deal easier for me. Maybe I might have a solution which will help everyone who has one of these presses. Watch this space!
I must just mention the subject of politics again. Government MUST stop this policy of the micro-management of the behaviour of individuals. It is NOT their role. They MUST repeal the act controlling smoking in public places and they must ease up on most other areas of our lives. The MUST STOP plans working towards Indentity Cards. Until and unless I can get an undertaking from one of the parties on this issue, my vote will have to be SPOILED, unless they give us a "none of the above" box to tick. That way it cannotbe said thet I don't care who runs the country. I DO CARE, as all my regular readers will know for sure. There is just NOT ONE party I can trust to get it right.
For me the best of the bunch is Norman Lamb, for whom I voted at the last election, but he completely let me down by voting for the act controlling smoking in my own premises and at my place of recreation, despite the fact that I won the argument. He is now Lib. Dem. Shadow Minister for Health. Hmm! I wonder? Labour are clearly into micro-management of private individuals and the Tories faught against equality of gay rights to the wire. They don't even warrant a second glance as a result of that utter lack of statesmanship or human care. Single-issue parties are not fit to govern for want of other policies.
I am not a dog-lover. But for crying out loud! The government are raving mad! That's for sure. WHat appears to be simple and expdient measures surrounding the ownership of dogs will, for sure, lead to a whole department running the affairs of innocent dog-owners. You'll soon need a MOT, Insurance, and a licence, administered by thousands upon thousands of useless idiots running around the country stopping poeple to check their dog licences. Or are they going to add it to the responsibilities of the police? Look! Setting a dog on a victim as a means of bullying or attack is ILLEGAL ALREADY. We don't need new laws to override the existing ones. OK?
Monday, 8th March 2010
Time - 09:29 hrs
Weather observations
Wind speed - 7.6 mph
wind direction - NW
Temperature - 3.8 C
Humidity - 68%
Accounting for Wind chill - -1 C
Air pressure - 1029.9 mb
Rainfall last hour - 0"
Rainfall last 24hrs - 0"
Outlook - Sunny
------+------
Mark is now off to Essex to collect a couple of items. I wish him a great journey. Before he goes he is just removing a garage door so that I can take delivery of the new (old) screen printing machine, which is expected today. That will be something exciting for him to play with when he gets back. He has some metals t re-cycle on his way.
I am intending to spend the day dissing type. We have a large quantity of new Time tupe, which will top up otherwise week cases. I also have the last 2 cloulmns of The Happisburgh Heckler to diss.
Sunday, 7th March 2010
Time - 09:29 hrs
Weather observations
Wind speed - 4.5 mph
wind direction - E
Temperature - 4.2 C
Humidity - 49%
Accounting for Wind chill - 2.4 C
Air pressure - 1034.3 mb
Rainfall last hour - 0"
Rainfall last 24hrs - 0"
Outlook - Sunny
------+------
I spent some time with Mr. S yesterday working on the design and database for a web site. I quite enjoy that. I only wish I didn't have to re-learn most of what I know.
Mark moved our laundery equipment here to The Bungalow yesterday. That will make things more convenient. He has been having to go to Home to Roost to do washing etc.
The chickens are having two little troubles. FIrst they seem to be unaware of actually laying, so whilst they clearly prefer to lay in the next, they agaisionally drop an egg by surprise and it usually breaks. Also, at least one of them is making thin shells. They break wherever they are. I am feeding good quality food with a suppliment for shells, so I hope that will get fixed as soon as they get used to using their beaks. In the mean time they do have layers mash in their mix - and seem to prefer it. One of them may need a wee beak-trim. It's not very bad (I've seen much worse) and seems to be improving with time, but a little clip may help it to get right quicker.
Saturday, 6th March 2010
Time - 10:44 hrs
Weather observations
Wind speed - 11.4 mph
wind direction - S
Temperature - 4.2 C
Humidity - 60%
Accounting for Wind chill - -3.8 C
Air pressure - 1027.0 mb
Rainfall last hour - 0"
Rainfall last 24hrs - 0"
Outlook - Sunny
------+------
Friday, 5th March 2010
Time - 09:19 hrs
Weather observations
Wind speed - 9.2 mph
wind direction - W
Temperature - 2.1 C
Humidity - 74%
Accounting for Wind chill - -4.3 C
Air pressure - 1026.1 mb
Rainfall last hour - 0"
Rainfall last 24hrs - 0"
Outlook - Sunny
------+------
Mark has the main paart of the floor in the second side of my Morris Minor traveller. He has some printing to do today, so the Morris will have to wait for another day.
The new screen printing machine is due to be collected today and should arrive some time on Monday, we think. It's 3 phase so we shall have to do something about that and I expect it will need a compressor. I am not sure if either of ours will do, as they are both quite small.
Thursday, 4th March 2010
Time - 09:14 hrs
Weather observations
Wind speed - 12.1 mph
wind direction - N
Temperature - 5.9 C
Humidity - 69%
Accounting for Wind chill - 1 C
Air pressure - 1022.5 mb
Rainfall last hour - 0"
Rainfall last 24hrs - 0"
Outlook - Sunny
------+------
Yesterdays thermographing was enjoyable, and by the end of the day was looking really very good.
Mark had another go at my Morris Minor, bless him. That does give me pleasure! I am so hoping it will be as much a joy to potter about in as I think it will. The engine is playing up rather, but no doubt Mark will get to the bottom of that when the bodywork is sound. It was OK when it was parked up at Home to Roost. we ran it every couple of weeks and all seemed well. It has gone down a bit since coming here to The Bungalow. It odesn't seem to like living in a garage. Ho Hum! No pleasing some people!
The sunshine is a real pleaure. I have the doors and windows open and the heating off this morning. A change of air will be a good thing. The Spring tide set came and went without incident, which is another good thing. I feel as though Spring is just around the corner, but I do know better.
Mark has a little register problem with the Direct to Garment t-shirt press. He's been working on it for a while, it seems. He hopes to get it going today or tomorrow. I hope so as I have an order for it. One of them is one of the Ferguson tractor set that Mr. S Grainger designed.
Wednesday, 3rd March 2010
Time - 09:30 hrs
Weather observations
Wind speed - 3.0 mph
wind direction - SE
Temperature - 5.3 C
Humidity - 77%
Accounting for Wind chill - 2.9 C
Air pressure - 1022.4 mb
Rainfall last hour - 0"
Rainfall last 24hrs - 0"
Outlook - Sunny spells
------+------
I had a couple of enquiries about Ferguson tractors yesterday. One was about TVO in relation to push rod lengths.
I am expecting some thermography powder to to be delivered today and will produce some samples of that to show people. I rather like thermography! To that end, Mark has set me the task of sourcing an electrical switchy thing, which switches on the elements when the thermostat says they need turning on. I forget the words he used and the electrical wholesaler was very kind and said I could have a choice of several types. I'll cross examine Mark some more when he gets back from the shops.
Time - 10:45 hrs
I now have the old relay in hand so that I can take it to the vendor to match. Mark has gone off to work. I have to wait here till the thermo powder arrives and until I have answered a couplke of phone calls I am expecting. Then I can go to get the relay. Mark has labeled the terminals.
Tuesday, 2nd March 2010
Time - 09:35 hrs
Weather observations
Wind speed now - 3.1 mph
wind direction now - W
Temperature now - 4.8 C
Humidity now - 75%
Wind chill now - 4.8 C
Air pressure now - 1019.6 mb
Rainfall last hour - No
Rainfall last 24hrs - 0"
Rainfall last week - ERROR
Outlook - Sunshine
------+------
Monday, 1st March 2010
Time - 09:35 hrs
Weather observations
Wind speed now - 7.6 mph
wind direction now - W
Temperature now - 2.6 C
Humidity now - 81%
Wind chill now - -3 C
Air pressure now - 1005.4 mb
Rainfall last hour - No
Rainfall last 24hrs - 1.25
Rainfall last week - ERROR
Outlook - Sunshine
------+------
I have heard a rumour that if we allow Scotalnd and, possibly, Wales their independace, we can not stay in the EU without applying to re-enter. WOOPIE! By-bye Scotalnd (and possibly Wales). No hard feelings! You can come back in if you want to, once we have escaped the invasion of the Albion mainland by the island of Europe. I really cannot ditch Europe fast emough! They've changed Albion too much already. NO MORE! GO AWAY,back onto your little isthmus (def; A narrow strip of land.) off Dover! You cannot be trusted to mind your own business!
I seem to have had the date wrong for a cople of weeks. Sorry!
My "none of the above" item last night has to be a long-term solution to the political problems we have here in Albion. The parties have been taking the rise out of use for decades. I have little doubt that most oif the MP's are well-intended, but they find themselves up against their "Party Lines"
Norman Lamb, my MP told me, following a long exchange about the smoking ban that he thought I had won the argument but that he had to vote against me in Parliament when the time came. I fear that he may have been towing the party line against his better judgement!
The Labour Party (or isw that New labour? I don't know!) Have done a lot of good, but have gone raving potty with the Law Making and war-mongery on my behalf. I object to paying to kill people, which I have been doing. That HAS to stop! So they cannot have my vote.
The Conservative Party faught Gay Rights to the wire. Had we under their thumb, Mark and I would never have been the equals of everybody else. They are nothing less less than a bunch of homophobic thugs. So they cannot have my vote.
The rest are basically single-issue parties with no experience of running a country. We cannot possibly drift into that trap. Yes, I want to get the hell out of Europe! Yes I want to see England get back on it's feet. No I don't think either of those senarios are very likely under ANY existing party.
We had a chance a few years ago. We VERY nearly got a new party, which was made up of polititians of experience and wisdom. Good people from all 3 sides, came together and tried to sort out the mess. They were thrashed and they burned out. What a shame! We blew it! I doubt any of them now have the guts to try it again, and anyway, they are mostly too old now! I honestly feel that most of them were bull-whipped into submission. Talking of whips, that's got to be the 1st thing to go. Why on earth can we not allow our elected MP's to vote with their own hearts and minds? They are not that stupid, surely? If they are, what are they doing in Parliament?
But beware the Civil Servants. The last thing they are is servants. The most likely best title for them would be our Dictators. I seriously wonder about the extent to which our ministers really do run the country. I very much doubt that they have any real influence over the carreer public servants. I still think the so-called expenses scandle was orchestrated and manipulated by that bunch of ne'r-do-wells. I don't doubt that they THINK they are doing the right (maybe even only possible) thing, but they forget. THEY ARE NOT ELECTED!
Did I tell you I did a bit of shopping last night? I bought a:-
It's a rotary screen printing press, for printing on round and oval things. It can be used to print some glasses for The Hill House Inn Beer Festival . It is my hope that it will be here next week. It cost a very small sum, for what it is. I am sad to say the sellers are in financial trouble and I bought it on an ebay auction. If it had been dearer, I would not have bought it.
Sunday, 28th February 2010
Time - 09:35 hrs
Weather observations
Wind speed now - 9.8 mph
wind direction now - NW
Temperature now - 4.7 C
Humidity now - 88%
Wind chill now - -1.7 C
Air pressure now - 978.7 mb
Rainfall last hour - YES
Rainfall last 24hrs - device broken in yesterdays wind
Rainfall last week -
Rainfall since (my) records began - record distorted by breakage
Outlook - Overcast
------+------
Sorry!
This has got to be said! I have just been on the phone with a much regarded friend and she says that she may well vote UKIP at the next election because she respects the candidate, despite the fact that she does not respect the party. WRONG!
What we need is a "none of the above" box to tick. We will not get one so LET'S DO THE NEXT BEST THING Strike a line through your paper! THEY call it a "spoilt" paper. If enough people, do it, it can't be ignored! If MORE people draw a line through the papers and "spoil" them, it HAS to be seen as a genuine OBJECTION to all candidates. The truth is NON of the parties are good enough for us. MAKE A STAND! Show the bastards what we think of it all. THEY may be GOOD ENOUGH! But the PARTIES are no good, so maybe our polititians are decent people, but theystem or the parties will not do. TRY to make them hear us! Maybe NEXT time we will get a "none of the above" box, if we make our point clear now. Take the TROUBLE to vote, just not for them! Give them no excuse to bumble and complain about "voter apethy", don't let them shift the blame to us. IT'S THEM that are just not good enough to represent US! We deserve BETTER!
Start a campaign, my friends! PLEASE!
Saturday, 27th February 2010
Time - 09:49 hrs
Weather observations
Wind speed now - 1.6 mph
wind direction now - SE
Temperature now - 5 C
Humidity now - 88%
Wind chill now - 5 C
Air pressure now - 992.7 mb
Rainfall last hour - YES
Rainfall last 24hrs - device broken in yesterdays wind
Rainfall last week -
Rainfall since (my) records began - record distorted by breakage
Outlook - Overcast
------+------
I have had a bit of a running start this morning. I have had a dating enquiry and a parts number query about Ferguson tractors and John has popped in to drop me off a lino cut he has made of a tractor mounted log saw and splitter. I want to get some good prints of that later today.
14:57
I have made ready a pull of Johns lino cut. It looks great!
Friday, 26th February 2010
Time - 08:17 hrs
Weather observations
Wind speed now - 9.2 mph
wind direction now - W
Temperature now - 6.7 C
Humidity now - 83%
Wind chill now - 3.7 C
Air pressure now - 977.8 mb
Rainfall last hour - 0.00 inches
Rainfall last 24hrs - 0.27 inches
Rainfall last week - 4.17 inches
Rainfall since (my) records began - 5.06 inches
Outlook - Overcast
------+------
1 x workshop manual, 1 x special transfer, 1 x Petrol tractor maintenance book, 1 x Cordwood saw instruction book, two wide format posters and 620 Tyvek wristbands (70 of one design and the rest of another). That's my day's output. And most done after close of play!
More advances on the Miehle vertical. I do like playing with that! Today has been working out how small a job I can print on it. The answer is 5.5" x 3.5". Of course, I can print 2up (or more) and cut them afterwards, if we need smaller.
The hens laid 3 eggs today, bless them.
The weather has been horrid. All wet, windy and cold!
Thursday, 25th February 2010
Time - 08:17 hrs
Weather observations
Wind speed now - 5.4 mph
wind direction now - W
Temperature now - 5.5 C
Humidity now - 89%
Wind chill now - 3.1 C
Air pressure now - 988.8 mb
Rainfall last hour - 0.00 inches
Rainfall last 24hrs - 0.01 inches
Rainfall since (my) records began - 4.78 inches
Outlook - Overcast
------+------
I was wrong yesterday. Mark had not popped in to NFM to buy an electric fence. He had gone shopping. Then he came home with Sam and they set up my band saw, for sutting printing plates. It was not wired up before they got on with Mark's Sreen Printing Dryer. Then there was a terrible acccident. Mark cut his thumb quite badly on a Stanley knife. We rushed him to the local Dr's surgery, who recomemded that he be taken to A&E at Norwich. They re-bandaged it, declared it 'not too serious', and sent us home. We had a pint and then I printed my new 1/2 tone block of The Happisburgh Hand Axe. Brilliant! It is 100dpi and I am delighted with it. As soon as I can get power to my saw I can get the job completed.
I phoned IHT office this morning. They haven't got any news for me. Hmmmmmmmm! I'm beginning to wish I could get that matter wound up now. It has dragged on too long. I am not the only one with an interest in getting this sorted and I am under some pressure to get it done and dusted.
Wedesday, 24rd February 2010
Time - 08:13 hrs
Weather observations
Wind speed now - 6 mph
wind direction now - SW
Temperature now - 4.9 C
Humidity now - 90%
Wind chill now - 2.5 C
Air pressure now - 993.1 mb
Rainfall last hour - 0.00 inches
Rainfall last 24hrs - 2.39 inches
Rainfall since records began - 4.77 inches
Outlook - Sunny spells according to the machine (misty according to me)
------+------
This morning I have been working on making plates for The Happisburgh Heckler. I am not waiting whilst the exposure frames post-exposes my test strips to see the outcome. Then I intened to mount the plates on the Miehle and take a few pulls to see how they look.
Mark has done the artwork for Chris's job (special waterslide transfer) and now we are searching for the material upon which to print them. That would normally take 20 seconds, but we are not sure if the sheets of transfer paper have been moved from Homke to Roost or not. At worst, I shall have to buy some more.
Half-tone blocks
I have done it! I have started with a colour photo from my files, made it into a 1/2 tone negative and from that I have made a photopolymer plate; which I have then mounted. I have printed the from block onto a Happisburgh Heckler using the Miehle Vertical. I have not done that since I was 18 years old (as part of my City & Guilds Basic Craft qualitfication). Chest all puffed up, proudly! I am not yet ready to try that in CMYK.
Transfer paper
I have ordered transfer paper for Chris's job. The price of that stuff has gone raving made! I just had to pay £128 for 100 sheets. That's £1.28 per sheet! Jolly hocky-sticks! The world has gone silly! It's transfer paper, not 24k real gold, which is £49.51/3024 ft2 on ebay, for goodness sakes!
Electric fence
It seems that Mark has called in at NFM to buy a small electric fence to protect the chickens from foxes and cats. Great! That will relieve me from some worry!
Tuesday, 23nd February 2010
Time - 09:13hrs
You will all have to put up with the mixture of units as there are the ones I am used to, being a child of the 50's. I am a unitary mess! I have been trying to get used to SI, but keep being messed up by history and legislation. So damn them! I'm going to do it the way I understand and that's that!
Weather observations
Wind speed now - 13mph
wind direction now - E
Temperature now - 2.9 C
Humidity now - 70%
Wind chill now - -2.1 C
Air pressure now - 993.3mb
Rainfall last hour - 0.00 inches
Rainfall last 24hrs - 0.56 inches
Rainfall since records began - 2.39 inches
Outlook - Bright
------+------
The chucks still won't come out of the hutch, but they are bright enough inside. I did move one out, but it went back in before I could get another one to join it. In is warm! Out is cold! I can see the logic. Then again, short days has meant no eggs. Hmm! Fair enough! I suppose it is February.
I am planing to print a transfer for Chris's tractor this morning. But 1st, breakfast!
We have found Chri's original, I have scanned it and passed it to Mark to crop and improve as much as he can. Then all I have to do is to find some tranfer material and print it. Then I can post it over to Chris.
The hens are in and out of the hutch a bit more now and have laid me a couple more eggs. Good girls!
I have just dissed a couple of thousand ens of Times Bold into the wrong case. Damn it! That's a HUGE case (it must be the strongest we have). Oh I hate it when that happens! My fault! I had asked Mark to lift a case of Times Bold case out and didn't check that it was the right one. Oh BOTHER! - I have to admit to being completely dis-heartened by that little accident and at this moment I doubt I will ever print another thing. Grrrrrrrrrrrr. What's the blinking point? There's no joy in hand-flogging an entire case, sorting the nicks and re-dissing it! It's well over £1000 worth to replace, so it's got to be done! No doubt I will come to terms with it in a couple of days or so - maybe more like a couple of months ..................... This sort of stuff just takes me back to my apprentiship, the 1st 3 years of which was just diss - diss - diss. I HATED it! No wit's my turn there's no such thing as an apprentice. AS far as I can tell I was in the last batch of letterpress apprentices; finishing in 1975-7
WANTED
PRINTERS DEVIL
£7 10s 0d per week - all found
sleep under the press
Monday, 22nd February 2010
Time - 08:15hrs
You will all have to put up with the mixture of units as there are the ones I am used to, being a child of the 50's. I am a unitary mess! I have been trying to get used to SI, but keep being messed up by history and legislation. So damn them! I'm going to do it the way I understand and that's that!
Weather observations
Wind speed now - 5.4mph
wind direction now - E
Temperature now - 2.8 C
Humidity now - 82%
Wind chill now - 1.3 C
Air pressure now - 988.2mb
Rainfall last hour - 0.00 inches
Rainfall last 24hrs - 0.81 inches
Rainfall since records began - 1.83 inches
Outlook - Cloudy
------+------
The new girls are really much better than I ever expected. They are inquisitive, extremely mobile and very people-friendly. I'll put the web cam on a few seconds before uploading the page this morning. One egg has appeared overnight, and one chuck has dis-apperated and re-apperated beind a load of type cases.
Sunday, 21st February 2010
Time - 10:18hrs
You will all have to put up with the mixture of units as there are the ones I am used to, being a child of the 50's. I am a unitary mess! I have been trying to get used to SI, but keep being messed up by history and legislation. So damn them! I'm going to do it the way I understand and that's that!
Weather observations
Wind speed now - 13.6mph
wind direction now - S
Temperature now - 1.9 C
Humidity now - 85%
Wind chill now - -6.6 C
Air pressure now - 991.2mb
Rainfall last hour - 0.04 inches
Rainfall last 24hrs - 0.04 inches
Rainfall since records began - 1.05 inches
Outlook - Cloudy
------+------
The hens have landed. They can be seen on the web cam for today. These birds came from a farm which had finished with them. Had we not taken tham, their fete was sealed at the age of 57 weeks. They just don't lay enough eggs from this time onwards, to justify their feed. For now they are climbing all over my type and messing things up quite well. Bless them. They seem happy! It's gone 5:30 now, so I have turned out the lights to let them rest after an exciting day.
Saturday, 20th February 2010
Time - 08:34hrs
You will all have to put up with the mixture of units as there are the ones I am used to, being a child of the 50's. I am a unitary mess! I have been trying to get used to SI, but keep being messed up by history and legislation. So damn them! I'm going to do it the way I understand and that's that!
Weather observations
Wind speed now - 9.9mph
wind direction now - SW
Temperature now - 0.3 C
Humidity now - 80%
Wind chill now - -4.4 C
Air pressure now - 993.4mb
Rainfall last hour - 0.00 inches
Rainfall last 24hrs - 0.13 inches
Rainfall since records began - 1.02 inches
Outlook - Sunny
------+------
I am expecting Margaret and Maurice at 9:30 this morning, to sign off on a proof for Margaret's latest poetry book. I have to try to explain that when I get copy in Word format, it is not a finite thing. For example, if I don't have a particular font that they have. or if the same font is named differently, the appearance of the output job will be different. The only solution is to supply press-ready artwork, like .pdf or some other image format. Well, I haven't. It's just the way a PC interprets something it doesn't understand. My PC has over 1000 font's; just not that one! On the one hand, MS Word is dead easy to work, very convenient in lots of ways. I don't have to say "I can only use your copy if you send it in a MAC format" and that sort of thing, but there are minor, limitations (well - not so much limtations, more, compromises. Convenience against function, shall we say?) to PC's and this is one example.
Mr. S collected his prints last night. They look great!
After Margaret and Maurice have been, I hope to get on with their books. There are several hours of work there, so the sooner I get going the better. After printng, they have to be trimmed.
I have the Happisburgh Heckler to diss, ready to start the next edition. I think that will take me a couple of days. I have started, doing about 2 hours a few days ago, but I really cannot do it if I am about to be interrupted any minute. It somehow takes me a while to get my head into diss. I admit I hate doing it, because it feels so destructive. I did three years of it, solid, when I started my apprentiship, back between 1970 and 1973. That was why I changed from the composing room to the machine room, and learned to run the Thompson Automatic and Hiedelberg platens and cylinders. It's 10am now. The day is beginning to warm, although the water pipes are still frozen. We have tanked water for tea, in the mean time.
I am looking forward to tomorrow, when the hens have to be collected. Then again to Monday when the hen-house and run comes. Mark wants to restrict the hen-poo to within a pen, rather than it be all over the lawn and, indeed, with 3 hens we would not actually have much of a lawn if the chucks were allowed to scratch it all up. Cool damp grass between the toes appeals to Mark more than warm chicken poo. Fo my part, I lived for nineteen years between ages 21 and 40, rarely wearing shoes (I kept them for occassions when I had to wear them or loose my toes. They were so very expensive in those times, and wore out so quickly, on the towpath), so I appreciate them rather and prefer to wear them as much as possible now that I can offord them.
I've just seen a thrush in the garden. I have to say that it is some years since I saw a thrush. We have had tits, robins and wrens (the smaller birds) for some years, and of course, the pidgeons, doves and blackbirds, fromt the larger group. We also have a small number of gulls and some wading birds (and a load of those wagtails) turn up from time to time.
I just remembered that Sam is also due to turn up some time today. I look forward to that, but have no idea what time it will be. No doubt I will get some idea when Mark get's himself out of bed. That's one of the problems with him working late at The Hill House. It is seen as a good reason for him to lye in most mornings, but spoils my start to the day. I'm up at normal times and have to wait for the day to start properly; till he's good and ready.
Mark is up and about. His 1st reation is to go shhopping. He needs to buy a key for Home to Roost, for the window fitters; bread, canned fish, for lunches, a battery for the camper, and mayonaise. I hope he's home soon. I miss him already and he hasn't even left yet.
We have to wait till we have 8.3 C or 47 F to plant grass seed. They say we can expect that in mid to late March. That will improve the appearance of the back lawn.
It's now 11am and the tea pot is empty for the second time. The sun is shining and the temperature is climbing streadily (3.3
Here's a thing! I just typed 'emty' instead of 'empty'. I know full well how it should be spelt (I even pronounce it 'emPty', when I speak. It is 1 st nature to spell it right. There are some words I still don't seem to be able to spell at the grand age of 54. Mark has taught me some memory tricks for one of two of them. I can read my work in Notepad, which I use to type HTML, and it looks right. Then I upload the file, and read it again in Explorer and it is obviously contains errors. I then go back to Notepad, search and destroy the typos and upload. I read the damned thing again and see more errors, and try again. It can take days to get it right. I have no idea why, when I can see the mistakes, one minute, I missed them a minute, an hour or a day ago (but usually give up after an hour or so). It is terrible frustrationg and not a little embarracing. I am often told that one programm or another would check spelling for me. I have never found any truth in those rumours. Sorry chaps! Perhaps it's my PC, but never have I seen such a thing on my screen, and I have tried all the recommended software.
I don't think learning the Linotype keyboard helped my typing much, but I didn't really do much of that during my apprentiship. Most of my work was always hand-set type. I keep thinking that I aught to take a typing course, but frankly, find that I cannot be bothered. ANyway, I have no faith in that improving things very much, but can foresee that it may lead to some kind of obsession, which would not help me at all. Ho Hum! See! I can spell that! T H A T!
Bored now! Where's my 1st appointment? I would have liked to have gone out with Mark!
11:22am
One more thing to say, just before Sam get's here. The term "outlook" as used in weather. I always thought it meant that we could look forward to the outlook that is predicted to come next. WRONG! It seems to mean that it's what we see if we "LOOK OUT". You learn something new every day. Outlook Sunny!
6:15pm
Friday, 19th February 2010
Weather observations
Thus ends the weather ------+------
Mr. S was in last thing yesterday to prepare and print some delightful photographs of Norfolk Broads Scenes. He is due back today to laminate I am aware that I missed a call from him, but there was no message with any instructions.
Lunch time is Mark's last shift for this week. Then he can get on with clearing Home to Roost, ready for my new tennants.
Following a change of heart, we have bought one of these:-
Thursday, 18th February 2010
Weather observations
Time - 17:15hrs
Wind speed now - 8.3mph
Temperature now - 2.6C
Humidity now - 86%
Air pressure now - 988.7mb
Rainfall last hour - 0.06 inches
Outlook - Rain
You will notice that the weather observations are beginning to improve a little in detail. I will try to update it as and when I can
This morning I have colour matched a little poetry book I am printing and ordered card for it's cover (which is due to arrive tomorrow).
Yesterday I helped Sam to design a new menu for The Hill House Inn. I also printed a number of Ferguson tractor books, which are due to be delivered today. I also had a little look at some laminated posters for Mr. S.
A kennel has arrived this morning, which I hope to get errected for chickens in our garden. The idea is to mount it high on the garage wall, so that it is above fox-hieght. I have decided that I would like to get some "rescued, retired" commercial birds, for no other reason than that they are there and that there are no cockerals amongst them. All I need to discover now is where 'there' is. Any ideas? Please bear in mind that we only want 3 retired commercial laying hens.
Tuesday, 16th February 2010
precipitation - Heavy rain tonight
I have had rather busy days today and yesterday
I have printed quite a number of boks and booklets about Ferguson tracors and implememnts, and I have been trying to print a run of booklets about Happisburgh for a local author. For this job I have had to order new rollers for my big digital press. They should be here in a few days and work can progress.
I have printed a full run of covers for Ferguson Tractor Sales Manuals, which went out on webcam earlier today.
I have agreed to let Home to Roost to a local family, who I hope will move in as soon as the replacement windows are fitted.
Sunday, 14th February 2010
Weather observations
Time - 07:49hrs
You will notice that the weather observations section has become a little more sophicated. As figures become available, I will try to remember to put them up for you as they uild on the new weatherstation, Mark is just erecting. Wow! What a gizmo!.
Mark left for Wales before 7 this morning. I hope he has a wonderful trip. I know he loves driving and travelling.
15:08
18:38
Saturday, 13th February 2010
Weather observations
Time - 08:29hrs
Mark has gone out with Belinda to Vintage Supplies in Happisburgh, to see if they can find her a small ball joint.
Steve is planning to come round later to help us to retrieve the trailer from under our little boat, for Mark to take to Wales, when he collects the heated conveyor belt on Sunday (Cripes! That's tomorrow!), or Monday.
Later
Time - 15:13hrs
Friday, 12th February 2010
Weather observations
Time - 14:48hrs
I have been printing tractor books since I started this morning. This is my 1st chance to type news. I see I have printed 34 this month already. That compares with 12 for all of January and 16 for all of December. Woopie!
Now to get on with lunch. I'm ready to eat now!
I went to the dentist, the appointment with whom was at 3:35pm. I was away for an hour and a half. Someone phoned in my absence. Sorry I missed you, please call again. I cannot call back if there is no message left and the number is withheld. I don't publish my movements in advance for obvious security reasons.
The Happisburgh Heckler is available, free of charge, at The Hill House Inn and Happisburgh Post Office and Wayford Stores. Amazingly, it has already been picked up by a retired letterpress printer, who used to run a Miehle Vertical and other presses, and is a compositor and stone hand. Wow! I look forward to hearing from him!
It seems that Mark is off to Wales on Sunday, to collect a dryer, for longer t-shirt runs. Till now we have heat-treated them one at a time under a press. This machine does a better job, quicker. Great! That'll be handy for The Hill House Beer Festival every year.
It sounds like Phil Archer just died! Crikey! That was completely out of the blue!
Thursday, 11th February 2010
Weather observations
Time - 06:53hrs
No doubt you will enjoy watching The Happisburgh Heckler's first print run. I am intending to run half of it at 9:30 this morning, and the rest later, at 11:30. There may be a later run, so watch this spaceto see what time! I am thinking of about 1pm. For that we will have to wait and see. If you would like to book an appointment at another time, just ring me and ask. Anybody near enough to visit is welcome to observe in Person. Just pop you round at 9:30am or 11:30am today. Visitors in person, who actually see it coming off the press can have their very own signed first edition pull.
Wednesday, 10th February 2010
Weather observations
Time - 09:07hrs
We are hoping to get the gravel down for our drive today.
We are expecting a heating engineer to sort out our air-source heating. He was due at 8:30 and may be lost, but is late. No doubt he will turn up in due course.
I have despached all paid-for books this morning. 3 are yet to be paid for and are ready, pending payment.
Just to be clear. We took advise from Planning at NNDC before erecting our garage. See also Planning Portal We comply! I say this because a person has asked the Parish Council if we had Planning Permission for it. We checked with NNDC and don't neeed it. SO THERE! Busy-body! What a waste of Parish Council time! Now somebody has to do all the checking and recording, noting and letter-writing, just because some silly idiot cannot mind their own business! Oh well! No skin of our noses, I suppose!
Tuesday, 9th February 2010
Weather observations
Time - 08:00hrs
The diggger driver arrives now. He starts his engine and - he's off! His task today is to finish what Mark has strted, renderng the surface like that of a billiard table
The web cam seems to be working now. I have checked with Steve, and he can see it on his home PC. It will pop up occassionally at the head of the page. Whether t appears or not is random,the same as the other images that show in the middle of the masthead. The reason I have done that is so that it does not get so much demand on it that my little laptop crashes. It is the laptop that transmits the images.
Digger, Dumper, driver (quite cute), hardcore, railway sleepers and gravel supplied by Pink Plant Hire 07771 552 767, who I highly recommend. They have been back and forth all weekend delivering materials as needed, and supplying endless help and encouragement. What a fantastic job!
Monday, 8th February 2010
Weather observations
Time - 08:30hrs
Mark is digging away with the digger despite the foul weather. We are hoping to get the Geotex down by the end of the day. We have a professional digger driver coming tomorrow to do the final grading to get the thing thoroughly flat, and ready for the shingle to go on top to complete the job.
I am expecting Mr. S some time this morning.
I have to admit (and it is not easy after a 1/ 2 lifetime working, proudly, outside in the weather) that it is too cold for me out there today. I am still in some pain as a result of yesterday's efforts. No problem, but not something I want to compound. Mark, being so much younger,I suppose, is hard at it and going great guns.
I am glad Mr. S is coming today, because it will probably mean that I shall havethe opportunity to make use of some brain instead of brawn. That seems more cvilised, somehow! Truth be known, it is surely the case that both sides are needed to achieve a balanced and comfortable world. We have to have both brain and brawn to live the way we would like. What worries me a little is that in England, these days, we are only employing the brains and not doing that in a very civilised or honest way. I'm on about bankers again! Stop me!
I am looking forward to listening to what Nick clegg has to say on Radio4 this morning.
Whilst I am waiting, I wonder if Mr. Clegg will talk about the incredible financial change, which is clearly on, here in England, us now. I have predicted this change for years. It came on us all of a sudden, when the bankers went bust. Our Labour Government went and bailed-out the idiots, using the taxpayers money. That's my money and yours! In doing so they have endebted your children for the rest of their lives, never mind you and I. How they dare do that, and by what moral standard they believe that to be acceptable, escapes me.
The programme has started and he is being cross-examined about child allowances for parents. Erggh!
Mr. S just phoned to postpone his visit till this evening.
At least Nick Clegg did seem to recognise that there has been an extremely dramtic change in world finances. WHat I wish he had said, but did not seem to, was that the change, which he has now made clear that he recognises, is extremely likely to lead to this country becoming as poor as a church mouse. I fear that people will simply not be able to afford to live in the wonderful new techno-homes which are now being built. Neither will they be able to afford not to! As for food, if we don't grow our own, we are just as likely to go without, in my view. I think we are snookered! The thing about a snooker is that, if great skill is exercised, one can bounce the cue-ball off the cushion and pot - to win. This would be a good time to practice our cue-skills ready to get ourselves out of the apple-cart. Do it people! Do it for your kids! Learn to live on a combination of brain and brawn - SKILLS is what we need!
We absolutely must learn that if we cannot afford to buy machinery (and if we have to borrow to buy it, we cannot afford it), we have to learn to do things want to be done, by hand or using much cheaper and older machines.
We've been wanting a conveyor drying machine for the t-shirts, for a long time. We bought one today. t's in need of work as it is quite broken, but Mark is pretty darned good at fixing things. We hope it can be collected next weekend.
Mark is working with Steve to get this hardcore down for the drive. They are doing very well indeed! It's 2:50pm and all is very well!
Sunday, 7th February 2010
Weather observations
Time - 09:30hrs
Mark is digging in the digger. He has done about a quarter so far. He does work so hard!
I am supposed to be driving the dumper truck, moving the spoil. \sadly, the dumper is not actually moving apart from upping and downing the tipping thing.
Wee're going for a nice little border all round the garage and raising the oundary banks a little, where they are low.
Saturday, 6th February 2010
Weather observations
Time - 09:07hrs
We have a minidigger for Mark to play with today. We are removing a little top soil, laying some crushed hardcore and then laying Geotex on that. On the Geotex will go 2" of shingle, for driving the cars to their garage and walking on. The point is that it is all flexible and permiable. Any attempt at brick-weave, tarmac or the like would fail on this soft ground. Niether would anything impermiable be any good for the land and natural drainage.
My Printed Wills are live from today. Click away at that link at the top. You can choose from either the tradtional large tri-folded kind or the modern A4 bound type; either way they are printed on the very top quality mould-made paper. Both do the same job of securing the future for your family oe friends and giving you peace of mind. Remember! You can perfectly well do it yourself. This way is just tried and tested and looks more professional. I will not give you any sort of guidance about what to leave and to whom. These wills are just here to present your wishes succinctly and clearly; in a secure format. Once done, you can put the matter aside until, if ever, you change your mind. At least there'll be no mad scrum after the funeral.
The difference between a "free" Will from your bank (even if you already have one) and this one is that, whilst one of mine will cost you a few quid now, it will cost nothing instead of a stupid proportion of your estate when you die. You know what I think of bankers! They are a very expensive profession. I just paid out as much as I ever want to pay them as a tax-payer. Why would anybody want them to have another few percent of all you ahve ever saved? Revoke your old will if the bank made it, have a new one and save thousands!
Added to the above, have Mum and Dad done theirs? Do you know? Have they ever told you where their Wills are? Do you have any responsibiltities as executor and so on. It may be worth checking if they haven't told you yet. It horrible how many people die intestate! Please don't get caught out by that problem. That's why I am doing this.
All you need to do for most simple wills is to complete the on line form and I will post you your Will, ready to sign. Then check it to make dead sure it's the way you want it. If not, I will re-write it and print it for you again, with your corrections. As soon as it's right, get it signed and the signature witnessed by two people and you're secure in the knoledge that you have done wht needs to be done.
Later
Mark has got a lot done with the digger. Unfortunately the dumper truck is not working, so I cannot move the material away to the boundaries; as was my plan. I managed 2 runs before the thing just would no longer go forward or astern; althoug it was making reversing bleeps in reverse. We have had three 7ton lorry loads of crushed hard-core delivered. We have had a bonfire burning all day, which has got rid of a load of old wood from the buildings we replaced when we erected our garage. There isw still a dead tree to burn. That is being a little more reluctant to catch fire!
Friday, 5th February 2010
Weather observations
Time - 08:1hrs
Wednesday, 3rd February 2010
Weather observations
Time - 06:57hrs
Dental stuff this morning for a 1/2hr or so!
Then I want to be focusing on my Will software. I am keen to help people to get their affairs in order before it is too late. I hope to go live next week. The point of this software, which has cost a small fortune and has huge on-going costs, is that it has been written by legal specialists, so that my job in the affair is just the printing. All the client has to do is to decide what they want to leave, to whom and under what conditions. I then input those intentions in a standard form and out comes the correctly worded will. Most of the cost of the will is a contribution towards the cost of the legal software, a small part is the cost of the printing and the remainder (which only applies when clients need an interview) is just to cover the time of the person taking the order.
This system can save the client a fortune and is designed to be readily accessible, so that the decision can be made and the job done before it is too late. There can be nothing worse than putting this off, for anybody of any age or any state of health! It's like betting on your own life in some ways. We were so fortunate that Irene had actually got round to writing her will and getting it signed. Without it we would still be scratching by from day to day and wondering where to live.
I would encourage clients to complete the online forms, when I publish them, and keep the cost of a single Will down to only £37.50. If you need a personal interview (in person or by telephone), I am trying to organise that, which is the cause of the delay. I am hoping that it can be kept as low as another £37.50 or even lower for telephone callers. That rather depends on the cost of trained personnel to perform the task. I have a plan! We'll see if I can get things organised on this over the next few days. What I am looking for is a trained specialist to return calls on at least one or two days a week. I have someone in mind.
Tueday, 2nd February 2010
Weather observations
Time - 09:03hrs
I phoned TV licensing at 8am and told them to go away and not to darken my door again. They agreed so to do. I had no joy in presuading them to stop it with the threatening letters. Now let's see what we can do about DVLA's SORNs. The principle behind those is equally offensive and, sadly, is now enshrined in law!
Tueday, 2nd February 2010
Weather observations
Time - 09:37hrs
We set another couple of columns for The Happisburgh Heckler yesterday. Mark did a 1/2 column all on his own! Brilliant stuff! That just leeves about 1 1/3rd colums still do to.
WHY ENGLAND'S ECONOMY IS STRUGGLING?
Now he's hoping his MP can ask the Prime Minister (MADE IN SCOTLAND) if he can help.
Then again, with taxes at between 50 and 90%, what chance have we got of competing with any of the above nations?
Oh! I forgot! There in't a political party offerring that as an option, is there? That'll be because no-one has written to their MP asking for it. What did Benny Hill say? Oh yes! "We got our fingers out, but that didn't do the trick! So follow your true leaders, with all your might and mane, like Jenkins, Heath and Wilson and stuck 'em back again!"
It has now become clear to everybody of basic intelligence or over, that if a person turns out not to see this stuff, they are blind; if they don't understand it they are idiots; if they seek to enforce the existing path on the populous )with or without first tricking them into believing in the efficacey of the path), they are morally and financially bankrupt.
Now I ask, who will stand?
Now let me be absolutely clear! I will not tollerate presumption of guilt in England. I most certainly will not tollerate threat of persecution if I do not prove my innocence! I will take any such diabolical shite like that to the highest authority - God! I am livid again and it is the TV Licencing Authority which has brought me to this level of sheer frustrated livid anger, yet again.
Hear me one last time, you useless portion of socitey! You are wrong, you have overstepped the mark and you have tested my patience one time too many! You are now the focus (with DVLA and their evil SORN) of my bitter and violent evil even if it causes me a heart attack. I defend myself against you as if it is with and for my life!
You say I have failed to respond to your previous enquiries as to why I do not currently hold a TV licence. I DO NOT NEED TO! If I did not need a pint of milk, would I phone TESCO to explain? I think not. Would I need to pop along to my local Post Office to explain why I do not need a stamp? IF COURSE NOT! Well get knotted! I will not bother to take my precious time to tell you if or why I do not need to buy a blinking TV licence!
If my local PO, General stores or even the mighty TESCOs threatened to persecute me if I did not explain my reluctance to pay for milk or stamps, how do you think I would react? I would be furious. BUT you, TV licensing, threaten to send an inspector, which you say is the 1st step towards lagal action - and you expect me to accept your threats? You know not what you expect! You can expect me to defend my property against your threats aggressively. How DARE you? I most certainly shall not explain the reason I do not need or want a TV licence to you under duress! I do not trust you with such a confidenceS
I will not willingly permit your intrusion into my property. If you try to force entry, I will defend my domain as though your representative is a thief! Are you CLEAR???? GO AWAY and do not darken my door again. AS A RESULT OF THE WORDING OF YOUR LETTER, I WILL NEVER OWN A TV, CONNECTED TO THE AIR AGAIN! You just lost another customer FOR LIFE! I do not predict the future easily, as I am no prophet, but - this is serious!
Monday, 1st February 2010
Weather observations
Time - 08:31hrs
The beginning of Fenruary eh? 28 days!
I'm not launching it yet, but for regular readers, you can gave a preview of what I have been doing. Please don't buy yet! www.catseyepress.co.uk/wills Having just been through the whole "executor" thing with Irene's estate, I am more certain than ever of the importance of wills. They are the easiest thing in the world to do, and very important if you want to keep your hard-earned property and cash out of the hands of those you wouldn't trust with a barge pole. An estate is a simple enough thing to manage, but the impression one get is that they can only be handled by a professional, charging a large proportion of your fortune. NOT so! I have just handled Irene's andd it has to be said that Probate was a doddle and Inheritance tax have behaved like true English gentlefolk; bless them. I have acquired all the necessary, tried and tested wording, by proper and legimimate means (ny that I mean I have paid a lot of money to professionals for it) and so it is just a matter of making a decent job of printing and security binding, from my perspective; as the wording is just a matter of putting your bequests in the right order on the form. Mark and I have always written our own wills and changed them as our cercumstances have changed. In fact I had all the necessary systems already in place. If I can help, I surely will - pardon the pun please!
Sunday, 31st January 2010
Weather observations
Time - 08:09hrs
No doubt you will all be wondering what I have been doing for the past few days. Well! It's still a secret! I hope to let you know in a few day's time, when the project is ready to be published. Suffice to say that I have been working my little cotton socks off.
The platen and the bed of the Albion have gone off to be surface ground. The first company to whom we sent it could not do it as it is too big. They have passed it to another company local to them. I await the results of that enquiry. It will be good when the thing is dead flat and sqaure. That is the sort of thing that makes so very much difference to both quality and ease.
The old hand-rotary guillotine isnow set up and working. It is a delightful thing, nowhere near as accurate as the new one, but will work with the power down, if needs be and is full of around a hundred years of history. What's more it can deal with imperial paper sizes, which the new one cannot.
I now have 4 type racks, and some empty cases into which to diss some Gill fonts, that I have waiting for somewhere to put them. These things take a lot of time, but are well owrth-while. No! That has not been the project upon which I have been working for the past 3 or 4 days.
That's still a secret.
Message to anybofy wanting to write a new web shop! You have to have some kind of account into which to pour your ill-gotten gains. Paypal is very good; being virtually the industry standard these days. It takes a few days to get verified, so for goodness sakes; get it up and running early in your project.
Saturday, 30th January 2010
Weather observations
Time - 01:59hrs
Friday, 29th January 2010
Weather observations
Time - 09:13hrs
I have not made any plans other than seing Mr. S for today, although I have not heard wheter he is coming. I sincerely hope he turns up.
Mr. S did turn up and a good time was had by all. We discussed web site preparation.
It's snowing - a lot - now. 7:30pm
Thursday, 28th January 2010
Weather observations
Time - 11:13hrs
I've got to do some tax forms today.
I have had a stream of phone calls this morning. All of those have been interesting.
I still lack sales of these delightful Ferguson tractor related t-shirts, sweatshirts and hoodies. I would love to see some of those out there in the world.
Wednesday, 27th January 2010
Weather observations
Time - 08:00hrs
The press engineer was here most of yesterday, working on the big digital press, so I did notget my books printed. The 1st page of every book was voming our dirty. I am off to do them now.
09:00hrs
18:00hrs
Tueday, 26th January 2010
Weather observations
Time - 08:11hrs
I have some books to print today. I tried yesterday, but failed. I need to do some work on those particular publications, most of which are ones that were designed to do with expoted tractors, and I have yet to prepare them for the new press; which takes a coule of hours each, sometimes. I have a software compatability issue with one of them, which was driving me a bit scatty, yesterday.
I had a number of calls on the telephone, whih I enjoyed. I have one person who is emailing, which taks longer than phone calls. I'd rather he phoned; but then again, he aught to be talking to the registration person at FoDH on the particular subjct he is raising.
Another call I helped with was advice for somwone who is developing a board game, who needs a few to be printed. This is about balancing cost with ink wear as chips or counters are moved over the surface.
12:00 noon
Time - 12:00hrs
Monday, 25th January 2010
Weather observations
Time - 13:47hrs
Sorry I am a bit late today. I had to go to Norwich to thwe optitians. They say my eyes are still imorving, which means they are still changing, which means we cannot do the final fine corrections yet. The waiting game.
Sunday, 24th January 2010
Weather observations
Time - 06:00hrs
Mark has pottered off to Wiltshire to collect some type. He had gone when I woke at 5am.
I was about ready to go back to sleep by 7am. I am not really ready to start the day yet and it's still dark. I am, however rather bored; but I wanted a pot of tea. Sadly, Radio 4 is not really holding my attention this morning.
11:00 a.m.
One odd thing is that I've had to buy a set of @ symbols, in different sizes. They just didn't exist in a standard font. No-one ever really needed them in those days; what with there being no such thing as an email address.
Mark has just phoned and he has bought the type and is now loading. Happy days! Mark does seem to like a drive out!
Saturday, 23rd January 2010
Weather observations
Time - 09:14hrs
This morning we are planning to attend the memorial service to Bronson Fargo. Bronson was a colonial (from the Americas) who came to the village with his family, his great pride and joy, a long time ago and who took real trouble with people. He was a real joy to see. He was genuinely interested in his friends and neighbours. Bronson invested a lot of time and effort into the lifeboat and other village affairs. The whole village loved him. He died very suddenly last weekend, in London. We pulled his leg about his colonian roots, but Bronson had earned the love and respect of the entire village, as one fo our own.
Friday, 22nd January 2010
Weather observations
Time - 09:14hrs
It's an Alex day today! I enjoy sharing what I have learned of life and graphics with him; although I fear the weekly sessions are not long for this life. I really should learn from my own advise to Irene when she had students studying under her. My plan for today is to try to print the headers for The Happisburgh Heckler. Newsprint and rollers are due to arrive today at some time. I shall try to have the type set ready for that/those time/s.
I know I want to have a line drawing of an Albion as a backround device; pehaps in purple, suggesting a lack of political allegance to either red or blue, but being inclusive of both. As to them lib-dems! I dunno if they deserve any recognition, because my Liberal Democrate MP voted in favour of the smoking ban, despite admiting that I had made good points and had won the discussion on the subject. Bad Man! Maybe mix a little orange into the purple. Maybe I am too cross with the idiot MP, to do so. I accuse him of voting with party policy, in order to further his own carrer! I have no proof, but I have my suspicions! His name is Norman Lamb and he's been given responsibility for Health. With that portfolio, in the offing, it's no wonder he describes himself as an ex-smoker and votes like a fool against his long established claim that he is a defender of personal liberty!!
I finished the Potter book yestrday; thank goodness! Now I can have my time back. It is a very good book, indeed. Mark keeps telling me that we have the 1st 4 years in book format in the house, but I really don't want to loose that much time. Books have turned out to be worse than television in that respect! I suppose I might concede that I lack self-control when it comes to a good story; but I might remain in Cleopatra - in de Nile.
2:06pm
I think I'll get on with the Happisburgh Heckler, as I was going to do it with Alex. There's a good play on the radio. I can stand and set more type, listening to that.
My old OKI just turned up following a good servicing. Thanks DTP!
Paper for the Heckler and inking rollers for the Miehle have arrived. I am not strong enough to hang the rollers. I shall have to wait for Mark to do it.
19:30hrs
Limbs ache
Thursday, 21st January 2010
Weather observationa
Time - 09:17hrs
The trouble with a good book is that it takes all one's time. In that respect they are worse than TV.
Tuesday, 19th January 2010
Weather
Time - 08:12hrs
The webcam seems a failure to date. I can see myself in all 4 of our PC's. Steve cant see us and and niether can Rene. I have no idea why, so it seems to have been a waste of £18.00. If anyody can tell me that they can see a picture, I may persevere.
Later
We've been off-line for most othe day again, today. We're on now, but 135Kbps! Redicoulas!
Monday, 18th January 2010
Weather
Time - 08:42hrs
Our phone line is down this morning, but BT is forwarding incoming calls to our mobile free of charge.
The phone line is up and down, for now, as far as I can tell.
You will notice that we now have a webam up. For a little while, I will leave it on for all surfers, but in due course (a day or so), I will return the rotating pictures, so that you get the webcan on 1 in 11 occassions (controlled randomly). There is, of course, a small bandwidth issue if I leave on on every page and lots of people use it.
I'm sorting type again today. You can watch the paint dry on me if you like.
Sunday, 17th January 2010
Weather
Time - 16:22hrs
What I have been doing today is re-laying more type cases, ready for use. It takes hours, but wll save days of wasted effort.
Mark has been bringing stuff from Home to Roost nearly all day. Each day he does that is a day nearer to it being ready to offer to let. The only other thing he has done is to print and laminate some posters for The Hill House Inn. They have some events coming up.
Saturday, 16th January 2010
Weather
Time - 18:00hrs
I am thinking about the possibility of entering weather conditions on this page. Let's see how it goes. This is a good start.
The last of my letterpress printing equipment arrived today. Woopie! Thanks Mark! My next step is to sort the type, because it is quite out of sorts, and to clean it of all old ink, as well as discard any battered items. My new inking rollers for the Miehle are due next week, all being well. I have my eyes open for a number of type cases for the several new fonts I have.
I also find that I have a very good supply of Times typeface, in roman, italic, bold etc. in a full range of sizes, but no sans serif set in the same abundance of variety of sizes. It has never occurred to me before, but is something that I may perhaps need to rectify. I do have a vast selection of display sizes and faces.
Mark has printed, and is laminating, some posters for The Hill House Inn
I am still thinking about The Happisburgh Heckler. I have invited a couple of people to submit articles. nothing yet!
I have some plate material, of quite a hard type, and am considering some of a softer type and make, which I used as an apprentice. Because this material comes in huge minimum quanities, I am waiting till I find out how much I am actually going to use the Miehle. I also have to get half-tone negs down pat. So far I am not doing well in that department. My line-negs are great, but I simply seem unable to make half-tone plates yet. The professionals tell me I need an "imagesetter". That sounds like a lot on money for something I may not be using very often. The cheapest I can see, second hand is on ebay at £200 for now and the next one up is more like £1500. I'm not paying that much, for sure, as I will not be using it very often!
Thursday, 14th January 2010
I've been trying to buy some newsprint. There is a huge paper mill in Kings Lynn called, something like, Palm Paper. They wanted to know how muny tonnes I wanted. Hmmm! Then it truned out they only make it up to 45gsm. That's the weight of toilet paper and no use, really, for anything other than packaging stuffing or fire-lighting. I gave that up as a bad job. I had already tried my own paper merchant. They had it at B1 size in 45gsm and another company I use now and again had the same problem. B1 won't go under my guillotine. I finally tracted down some 80gsm Crown size at a company who make giftware. I have no idea what kind of a gift uses newsprint, but so be it! They usually sell it at Crown (20" X 30", which only our hand powered guillotine will handle, but who cares, it still works after a fashion, after 100 odd years!) in packs of 25. I said I would like a ream and they said they will get back to me with a price. It seems they may have forgotten, as they did not call back.
What would I want newsprint? I fancy printing a village broadsheet. Just now and again. Villagers can write their own aticles, so there can be no mistakes. I just fancy printing a village broadsheet. Something very old-fashioned looking! I'm a printer! I just like printing things.
I have put some little golf-ball boxes up on ebay. I think lake-balls would look better in a nice professional box. So I made some.
You can also buy them from my web based shop or call in if you really want them that badly and don't mind waiting whilst I make them 4 you. You can watch if you like!
I've printed a Ring Bound Manuakk or Ferguson tractors, and that is ready to go to Holland, when the customer pays. Not that the money matters.
I made a book about TVO for a visitor who wanted to know all about it. \\\\\\\\\\he turned out to be a retired printer, like me and was much impressed (pardon the pun) by the Miehle. He told me of all the type the company for which he used to work, had scrapped. I don't like those stories. Non-the-less it was good to yarn with another letterpress printer.
Our local brewer came into the pub last night, on the offchance of selling a barrel of his beer, I think. He hasn't made any bitter, but he has made some that tastes like chocolate, or some-such. I do wish these brewers would just make beer that tastes like beer! I'd had enough to tell him so more than once.
Alex is coming tomorrow. I am not exactly sure what we will do. I want to wind up last week's work. Then we may talk about writing HTML without a WYSIWYG programme.
Saturday, 9th January 2010
How's your weather? Mines normal winter weather thanks. That's that dealt with then! Mark drilled and fitted my sucker bar on the Miehle today. Mark's driling and Darren's alluminium welding are both spot on! Brilliant work men!
Parcel Force didn't collect my roller stocks on Friday and no-body has contacted me, despite them having email address, phone number, and real address. That will, of course mean that I will have to wait 3 days for them before I can ask them. I'm cross about that, to tell the truth.
I'm increasingly perplexed. I have just learned that DVLA are declining to SORN our camper and declining to accept payment of road tax for it. Does that mean, bearing in mind that it is fully insured, but not on the road, that we are law-breaking? I honestly don't know. That's the trouble with SORN as a law. It presumes guilt of something and that something could be any number of things! Grrr!
NNDC keep writing to ask when we are going to knock our bungalow down or move into it. That's odd really! They have sent VOA round to see if it is habitable; and they seemed ambivolent. They said they planned to declare it OK. I have no idea why NNDC would want to ask such a wierd question. If we planned to, how could we say with any certainty when we planned to do it. That would be prophecy. I have never been a prophet or a sooth-sayer. To predict such a thing would, in my view be nothing more than a wild guess. Anyway! We have NO plans to knock it down. We have only just bought it! Odd woman! Oh! I swhould mention that FULL Coucil Tax is paid-up for both The Bungalow and Home to Roost for the whole year; so it's not that we are fiddling anyhing like that. Oh! We checked it has full residential status, with NNDC, before we bought it.
All that aside, I am not best pleased with my new £18,000 Toshiba digital printing press. It's doing it's normal work OK, but you know I am not that normal in my printing interests. I want to print a particularr job and it won't do a very good job of it. It WAS doing a good job of this particular product, now it's not. The engineer has been twice and admited that he is unable to fix it. He agrees that it is not working right, but can't do anything about it. That's odd too! Sorry! That's not any good to me. It's within a spit and a fart of being returned as "not fit for purpose"!
In fact, I am more tempted by the day to return to proper letterpress printing as the best option. I am rather tempted to try making a 4 colour see if I can still do 4 colour work. That would be a turn-up for the books; if letterpress was still better than digital, after all these years! A can' see it!
Wind turbines in the North Sea
Compare a few sqaure miles of sea, given over to wind turbines to 5 nukes or having insufficient electricity for our needs and desires! No contest! It's the same as always! Choices! Make-em and pay the price with a smile on your face.
I hope they don't forget tidal and wave enegy, here on the east coast. Those methods would be stunning too - and they would provide for a little diversity of supply!
Thursday, 7th January 2010
We had an interesting evening in the pub, last night, with friends. I related the fact that I had heard on the radion, a comment which said "and then we have these unregulated cowboys selling firewood". Do what? Whoever would want to regulate the sale of firewood, for heavens sake? That's something they gave up in medeval (how the heck do you spell that? and don't say T H A T ) times. But it's true!
A throw-away remark on BBC radio on Thursday, becomes the subject of a Government QUANGO on Monday, a Volutary Scheme the following month and entwined in legislation within the year. Their plan is to nibble away at small minority groups and occupations, one at a time, in such a way that one by one we all fall under their control. What's worse is that the electorate actually SUPPORT this process!
Our local pub had a phone call recently (or was it a vist? I cannot remember) from a police person who invited them to join a "volutary scheme" in which anybody who is banned from 1 pub, has their identity sent to all other pubs and, when they go and ask to be served, their identity is checked against a list and if they have been banned at one pub, they cannot get served anywhere! Hang on and think about that for just one moment please! On the surface, it sounds like a perfectly reasonable scheme to make life safer and more pleasant. After all, who wants to be drinking quietly in their local, when, in comes a stranger, who disrupts the entire place and messes the whole evening up for everybody?
But! You walk into a pub, the barman sees you, checks your appearance against a pile of photos of baddies, to check you are not on the list and then, if you pass that test asks you if he or she can help you. That would never work! No barman has the time or the interest in checking through a pile of mug-shots every time a stranger walks in So what happens? Does the entire scheme fold? Not on your Nelly! Before you know it, we all have to carry ID cards, so that your card can be pushed into a card-reader to check that you are worthy of being served before you can buy a drink. 'That's OK by me', says you. 'I haven't done anything wrong wrong! I'll clear the check.' Oh will you? Are you sure? What if a ruck broke out and you got your ID taken just because you were there? Remember, your ID has been scanned as you walk in. The descision is being taken by the barman, not a judge! He might just hit the "everyone in the bar" button. You may have gone home. Did you "log out"? Come on! This is hideous!
It's no different to me, as a printer, being asked, as I was not so long ago, to join the new met police voluntary scheme in which it would be my duty to run an ID check AND a credit check on ALL my customers, to prevent fraud! That's STUPID! and I WILL NOT do it! Now I will become a "cowboy" printer in a month or a year or some time soon. Look! If Joe Blogs comes to me and asks me to print identity cards for Peter Browne, what do you think I am going to do? Yep! I'll use my common sense! I pay policemen to deal with
Let's examine this word cowboy! Erp! It don't mean hearder of cattle, now, does it mister? If means bad person who will do anything to turn a dishonest buck and probably do the job very badly and at huge expense and probably con. every customer he can. Does that sound like me? Does that sound like you? What trade or profession are you in? If you don't join their next voluntary scheme this week, you will be a cowboy in a year or so's time. You'll be next! These people are no better than the 3rd riech or whatever thay called themselves. Be warned!
Someone has to stop these schemes! Once more there were 4 of us standing in the snow last night when we wanted a fag. Won't anybody relieve me of these petulant priests? No! I don't mean who will kill them! I mean who will tell them very clearly and consisely that what they are doing is NOT what we want and that we want them to STOP IT NOW!
I actually had a sensible person say to me, last night that she diodn't think it was OK for me to erect a wind turbine in my garden if it was just for myself, but it might be OK ifit were for the whole street! It doesn't work like that! The wind doesn't blow all the time in any one spot. The power we generate has to be piped into the grid. That way if it's winding in Wales, but not in Norfolk we get power in Norfolk too and if it's winding in Norfolk, but not in Wales, they can have power in Wales. then she told me they are ugly. OK! here's the choices. Slim bladed turbines, big, Norfolk-style fans, Nuclear, coal or gas-fired stations all within your eyesight. they said on BBC R4 yesterday that we have enough gas in stock to keep us warm for a week (eight days, sorry!) How secure is that?
Wind power
They can keep their nukes, as far as I'm concerned. Above all I have got used to having electricity on tap. I like it! I am prepared to and would be delighted to see turbines as well as trees on the horizon. Ugly! What a load of nonsense! What makes something ugly and something else attractive to look at? What I do know is what makes me cold and what makes me die! Choices! It's all about choices! I choose warmth and light thanks! And I quite like it when my printing presses go round and round on their own. I'm not that keen on pulling levers and peddling treadles. Does that make me selfish?.
I finally got a price for printing machine ink rollers last night. They say they will take a fortnight. Actually they take about an hour, but they just make me wait a fortnight on their pleasure. It's just their little joke to wind me up! It's taken nearly a month to find a company who will do it. Nobody has been able to get to work, what with the jollydays and the snow. OK, I give in! They got me! My only other alternative hasn't got a clue what I am on about when I say I want rollers for a letterpress printing press. "Is that litho? What type of plates are you running? What font solution are you using?" Idiots!
OK
Evening
Mark's been trying to persuade me to drive a little faster in the snow. I thought I'd try it under controlled conditions, on my own. He was wrong! These new radial tyres are no better than my old cross-plies were, in snow. They don't nagically grip. If you go too fast, you turn the car round in a skid. Nothing new there then. Simple! Drive slowly and carefully folks!
I made-ready for a cutting and creasing job today with new-fangled creasing matirx. Brilliant new invention! I was still using card and applying it by hand. I must learn to keep up to date! Modern can, sometinmes be good!
I found an old friend in Hemel Hempstead today, who recovers printing machine rollers. This old business has quoted 1/2 the price and can send them back in a couple of days, unlike the other lot I found. Brilliant! I expect them to be collected by a carrier tomorrow; weather permiting. What's more, they actually knew what a Miehle, vertical is and what kind of rollers it needs.
Gas has gone up in price Surprise! Perhaps them ships will pull into port now, then. Tomorrow I will be discussing costing and estimating with Alex. Let's hope that I can share more with him in one day than college could impart in some years. There is a direct connection between what I shall be showing him, the cost of gas and proper costing. All this modern "What can I get for it" b******s is what is causing the bankrupcy of so many businesses. No-one has a clue what it is costing in the 1st place. They ASSUME they will profit if they sell as much service or product as they can and charge as much for it as they can get. They're lazy, greedy and presumptuous, intellectual self-flagulating perverts! There's a lot of it about! The more that go down, the less competition there is. I have to admit that I'd rather they were paid dole, than were left ripping people off with their self-centred and self-opinionated stupidity; taking their redundant employees and unpaid suppliers with them. Woopie!
My advice is to carefully calculate cost and think what you need to profit. Then charge the right price! Remember! There are million of competitors out there who will work for a bowl of rice a day. You have to have a genuine edge to win. Get clever, get trained, and work hard, making, mending or growing something. You will not get something for nothing for much longer! If I hear you complaining about your income tax, I will know that you are ripping someone off!
You are more than welcome to complain about indirect taxation, Government waste and about paying to fight foreign wars. Then look and see what you elected your Government to do. See what they promised, or threatened, in their manifesto. Is it your fault? Probably!
Sunday, 3rd January 2010
Nothing much happened today, or yesterday, come to that. I hope not to have to report that very often this year.
I think I have found the part I need for the Miehle. I wait expectantly. Just in case, Mark has found a local tradesman who can repair the old one. It's a silly little thing. Because there is a 1/4" of movement in a simple, plain bearing, the paper tends to fall in the wrong place by 1/4" and so it doens't get picked up in the cylinder grippers and I end up feeding a double. That results in an over-impressed sheet, now and again. As this wear has increased, the operatior has improved his accuracy in other setting, step-by-step, to overcome it. Thus the problem has not been noticed. It is a bit like wear in a car, wehereby the driver just does each little thing a bit better until the MOT comes along and a complete stranger ays "that's not right" and the car fails. That's the only eally good thing about MOT's and we don't have them on American printing presses - why should we. When I got the machine, there were a couple of old elastic bands that I felt were a bit odd. Now I understand why they were there and will buy a box, in the moring, to replace them, to cover me till the new part arrives. Now I know printing machine operators are the same the world-over! It lifts my heart! I'm saying I would have done the same thing as the old printer, who had this machine before I bought it. The difference is that I hope, but doubt, that I might have replaced or repaired the part before it got this bad.
I've finishede reading Potter nad the Pheonix. That was one very good book! Now I understand things about the story, which I had not picked up in the filmand had cross-examined Mark about, thus getting right up his nose when we were watching it together. I don't know if he had read the book, but he wasn't keen on me not understanding several subtleties that i was asking about. I must remember to read books before I watch films!
A friend has given us set containing Age of Five book 1 to I haven't counted) by Trudy Canavan. I suppose I aught to read that next. However, I do think we have a copy of the last Potter somewhere, so I will nag Mrk to find me that, because I am desperate to get to the bottom of the Potter stories before I move on. btw, nagging Mark is a bad thing. I aught to avoid it. Hmmm!
Friday, 1st January 2010
Alex and I spent the day printing and cutting golf ball boxes. I found a little fault on the Miehle, which Mark will have to fix now. It's just plain wear in a little piece of alluminium. Grmph! Thank goodness for Mark!
The trouble with getting up early the day before yesterday is that I can't seem to sleep now after 5am. Here I sits at 5:36 typing news and listenting to The Archers on the BBC web site.
I can't wait till things get back to normal. These holiday periods can drag everything out so much. Can't seem to even order a bottle of gas to run the heating. Fortuntately, we had a spare kicking around -just a small one.
Oh! That punch I waited for such a long time, that arrived in the last post I have seen, is not made of very stern stuff. It has gone to slots. the steel is nowhere near as hard as the metal i an punching. Thirty quid and ruined in 1 job. Bloiw that for a game. it will have to go back, I'm a fraid! I don't like doing that, but this is worthless to me. Not made of the righ materials for the job!
I have had 2 very kind emails this morning. Thank peoples!
and
I love it when I get mail like that. I really do appreciate people taking the trouble to drop me a note!
Thursday, 31st December 2009
My first pleasure is to wish you all a happy new year.
A quick report on the operation today.
Now for some work - actually I think I'll have the rest of the day off and pop up the pub later, for a celebratory pint with the locals. If you want to phone, in the mean time, you are more than welcome.
Don't forget! I want to see these t-shirts, sweatshirts and hoodies flyying out of the door in the New Year please. They are Great!
The print colours are bright and clear
If you get your orders in, for boxes, tyvek wristbands, books or shirts, over the remaining holiday period, I will try to get them in the 1st post of the new year. I'll only get bored otherewise. Even I don't like me when I'm bored.
I'm reading Harry Potter and The Order of the Phenix in my spare time. The book really is FAR better than the film. I'm going to try to get the latest one soon, so that I can read it before the films come out.
By the Way
Wednesday, 30th December 2009
It has been quite a busy day today. Alex has been over for a while, setting up to take some photos for me. Whilst he was here I had a number of telephone calls about Ferguson tractors. I have taken orders for 2 Workshop manuals and 2 Parts Manuals, which I am printing now and hope to be ready to post in the morning, on the way to hospital. All other orders have been despatched first class. If your order was prior to today and has not arrived, please give me a ring.
We also had Tony, our boiler engineer, go to Home to Roost to check over the heating system for us, in preparation for letting the place to new tennants. We are still looking for suitable tennants, so if you are that person, give me a ring.
I have prepared another design for Golf Ball Boxes, I shan't be showing that for a day or so and I am in the hospital tomorrow as I don't suppose I will be feeling up to much till late Friday, by which time I may have had second thoughts.
Tuesday, 29th December 2009
We had a little trip into Norwich today and set me up for an operation on my teeth on Thursday. I guess I won't be too talkative that day.
My chisel just turned up. Woopie! I must now go to use it.
Mark is off at work at the pub.
Evrybody else I have tried to contact is still on holiday. I don't suppose they will be back now, till well into next year.
This afternoon I have performed my magic and prepared 150 Golf Ball Boxes (3 packs) for sale. I have printed 50 in colour, 50 in monochrome and 50 plain. All that remains is to guild them if the buyer wants them printed in gold, silver, bronze or any other foil.
I am going to be interested to see which sell first. Once I know that, I will think about preparing some more. I have to say that I am really chuffed with them!
The point of these boxes is that people can play using Lake balls, whilst giving the apprearance of playing with new balls, because they come in professionally made boxes, like new balls. This is a good way, not only to save money, but also to recycle. Even the boxes are reccyclable, as they can either be used again, if treated with are, or at very least, popped into the recycle bin to make new paper or card. The board is Registered under the British and international quality standard BS EN ISO 9001-2000 and the environmental standard BS EN ISO 14001.
Monday, 28th December 2009
The so and so's are still on holliday! Urgh!
I have printed a Workshop Manual and two instruction Books this morning. All I really want is for the postman to come so that I can get on with work on the Miehle. Tomorrow i have a trip to Norwich to the hospital for a check-up before going to surgery for tooth extractions. That won't be nice! never mind. It should stop the toothache.
Alex is due this afternnon, some time early, to set up to take some photos for my web site. I look forward to the improvements.
I have the foiling press hot and ready to roll. I am trying the Golf Ball Boxes in bronze foil and then maybe I shall have a look at them in Green foil.
Sunday, 27th December 2009
Today Mark has brought me my imposing stone from home to Roost. Thanks Mark!
I have completed the make ready for the Gold Ball Boxes and run a few on the Miehle.
I have made a foiling plate for the Golf Ball Boxes and am just about to heat up the foiling press and foil a few with a logo Mark has designed.
Mark is doing soome domestic cleaning in the motorhome. He enjoys that! I have interrupted that process, and asked him to mend a fuse in the foiling press. It turns out to be a little more fiddly than that. Sorry Mark! It is my hope that I will get a couple of proofs out to make up and take a photo, all being well.
Anybody who did not get T-shirts with Ferguson tractor images for Christmas had better order a set for themselves. I warned you! There were very few bought in the run-up to Christmas, so there will be a lot of dissapointed tractor owners. You'll want to be dessed properly at the first shows in a few weeks time and no doubt there will be some social events before that, for which you will need to present well.
Here they are then!
Saturday, 26th December 2009 (Boxing Day)
Mark only worked this morning, now he is home and we are working towards getting straight enough to find the things I couldn't find yesterday, whilst Mark was slaving in a hot bar. No luck so far, but we live in hope. It's creasing and perfing wheels, for the Rollem that we are looking for - in a nice little cardboard box.
The heating system in my garage is working better today. It seems that it only needs to be a few degrees above freezing (just warm enough so that there's no need for heating) for them to work.
I am still waiting for the postman to bring me the tool for which I am held-up. That is designed to cut small nicks into the cutting rule, to prevent the little boxes falling out into the press, on their way to the delivery pile. The system will not work without the little nicks and I don't want to spoil a good forme by using a chisel not designed for the task.
I have found an old sample book from 1989-1993 belonging to Catseye Press. It's good to look back on some of the old pure letterpress jobs, done mainly for local charities. I have all the samples I have taken since I took over completely in (about) 2005, at Home to Roost. I must get them up here to The Bungalow some time.
Talking of which, we are intending to let Home to Roost out some time soon. If anybody is interested, do give us a ring at the number on the header of this page.
Very large garage.
Manageable front garden, largely gravel.
Rear garden has a patio, overlooking a pond and waterfall feature with gold (and other cloroured) fish.
Within 100 feet of a delightful sandy beach
£130 per week rent - more if you would like to negotiate.
Monday, 6th July 2009
Our dear friend Irene Barker died peacefully at 11:00 a.m. this morning after a short illness.
I first met Irene in September 1965.
Ever sice then, she has been a tower of strength and sensible advice.
Sunday, 5th July 2009
Here we are, back in Norfolk to catch up with some printing again. Thanks again to Steve for chicken-sitting.
Irene is comfortable, in hospital, but very poorly indeed.
I am expecting Belinda Opie to telephone at 6pm and hope to get into Norwich to buy paper at 9 and be ho0me by 10 to talk with Margaret from WEVA, with a view to running 100 "Turning Tides" books for them. I need to get inot Stalham on the way back from Norwich to collect inks from Broadland Ink.
At some stage I shall have to buy food. I have just woken up from a post-drive nap and am famished! The cupboards seem to be bare.
Then, first thing, I have some Ferguson tractor books to print, bind and post and a compressor to package and send off by courier to Northern Ireland.
Tuesday, 30th June 2009
Good morning!
I have had a telephone call this morning, at 6:30am, to say that Irene had another bad night. There is nothing I can do and her cousin is there, with her until tomorrow. My thoguhts and best wishes are with her.
The t-shirsts for the Closed Shop in Sheffield are ready for collection by the courier.
19:13hrs
We have handed over samples of the calendars to the Happisburgh RNLI crew, for their meeting this evening.
We have copmpleted samples of the books for WEVA of Walcott ready for collection at 10:00am tomorrow. We have a quarter of a ton of paper here ready to print the calendars for RNLUI and more for the Walcott Emergency Voluteer Association books. We are all ready to go with both jobs when we have approval.
We have despatched the t-shirts to the closed shop in Sheffield.
We are up to date.
Sunday, 28th June 2009
OK! It's 09:00
13:54hrs
I am getting on with the Walcott books proofing.
Saturday, 27th June 2009
I am hame at last!
Mark has been brilliant and covered for me for the most part. He is working at The Hill House Inn at Happisburgh now and I am looking forwqard to him coming home later.
Steve has been a real friend and looked after our chickens for us (letting them out in the mornings and locking them in at night), which is sure to have kept them safe from foxes and cats. Many thanks Steve! He has also done another very big favour for me, which I shall not go into detail about; but thanks again. I hope you enjoyed it!
Irene is very poorly and her cousin is now there visiting daily fora few days. I have just cleared up all the tractor boook jobs and intend now to knuckle down to the Walcott books job and the rest of the tickets for This is BD as well as the Happisburgh RNLI calendars.
Wednesday, 24th June 2009
Mark and I are now spending a couple of days together, following our separation of the past couple of weeks, brought upon us by a combination of The Hill House Inn Beer Festival and Irene's illness. Mark has been in Norfolk and I have been in Hertfordshire.
As has been the case, recently, call the landline and if we don't answer, leave a message. You may then phone the mobile. If I do not answer, it'll be because I am driving. I will call back when I get back to the landline. Whatever you do, please don't phone the mobile if you find the land line engaged, because I can only talk to one person at a time and will be pretty cross if someone tries to get me to leave my landline call to talk on the mobile. I will just either not answer or siply say "call later or leave a message".
Mark has despatched books to French and UK destinations. They should arrive tommorow, for UK customers and a couple of days later for the French one. There is one book for France outstanding. I need to print a cover for that. The content is printed already.
I also need to print some t-shirts for The Closed Shop and a couple of other customers. I hope to be able to do this at the weekend.
The next big task is the books for Walcott. That aught to be done next week. I am also looking forward to a meeting with the Happisburgh RNLI crew, about their calendar.
A possible point of interest to those who are middle-aged and a little older, is that in view of Irenes heart attack, I decided to give statins another go. Within days my muscles stiffened up and began to give constant pain. I did not take last nights dose, and feel a little better already. I am concluding that it is all very well to extend life, but not if life is going to be painful from the day you start taking the life-extending drugs. As far as I know, statins are meant to reduce cholesterol levels. Well! In my case there is no elevation in those levels and the prescription of statins is intended to be preventative. Thanks, but no thanks! For now, at least!
Monday, 22nd June 2009
The winter months are setting in. (steve Wakefield 198?)
I had a nice telephone message from our friend M. T. yesterday. Thank you M. Would you mind calling again please, and leaving your telephone number this time, please?
Saturday, 20th June 2009
I am writing this from our London office (the grand name for Irene's house). This is the 1st time there has been a PC and an internet connection here.
Mark is at the Eccles-on-Sea address.
For the next few days, please try phoning the landline (which is forwarding here) and, if you cannot get a reply, ring the mobile. My next job will be to try to put the mobile number in the header of this page. I plan to do that over the next few minutes.
Our very good friend, Irene is very ill in hospital. That's why I am in the south - at her house, visiting her daily, in hospital, and keeping other friends informed and stuff. That does NOT mean you can't get me on the phone. Rig the lamdline first (it's forwarding for free). If I'm not here, leave a message and then ring the mobile.
You all know me well enough to know I'm not keen on mobiles. However, I am less keen on being out of touch. So the landline forwards to me at Irene's. If I'm not in, leave a message on call-minder AND do call the mobile. Don't bother to text, they wind me up. You can email me at my usual address.
Sunday, 14th June 2009
First the best bit of news for us is that our friend Irene is much better and well on the road to recovery.
I have just completed the final prof for the tasting Notes for the Hill House In Solstice Beer Festival, which begins on Thursday. I got the final copy yesterday and it was a long day, yesterday.
I also saw another customer about calendars for her project, yesterday. We have offered to print a few ata time, in order to help her with funding and cash flow. We can start by printing as few as 20 at a time at the same cost as printing 5000 - pro-rata.
I am half way through foiling the drinks vouchers with security holograms. They can now be completed very soon. All we need to do then is to staple them into pads, and that is being done as I do the holorgams. This is all hand-fed work; one at a time.
Orders continue to fly in for t-shirts.
The chickens continue to supply breakfast, daily. I am of a mind to leave their photo on the header for a few days, just because I like it!
Wednesday, 10th June 2009
It has been nearly a week since I updated this news page. Sorry folk! I've been very busy.
We have printed books for Ferguson tractors, drinks vouchers, wristbands, hundreds of t shirts, some documents for The British Museum and much more. We have been preparing art work for RNLI celendars, books and booklets etc.
Today we are expecting to have our big hot digital press upgraded to this year's model. We have not been told what time it will arrive and i have to admit to being rather miffed about that. it has been impossible to plan the day, and it's nearly 11:00am now and nothing has been achieved. I=f we were not so busy, I would not mind so much. As it is, nothing has been printed, whilst we wait on the whim of a sales rep who says he is now an account manager. He has made the point that in his new role it is not for him to sell and run, but to assist the customer, that's me, through the entire process. He needs a little practice at that! Grrrrmph! He said he would contact me 1st thing to let me know what time they are coming. He has not proven true to his word.
A good friend of ours in in hospital with a heart problem, which also restricts the time I can spend on the telephone, so that we are available, should we be needed.
An hour later
In the mean time, I have spent a fortune on consumables for my big, 12 month old, digital press, so that I can get on with the work for RNLI, British Museum, Hill House Inn, Walcott Emergency Volunteers Assn., etc.
Thursday, 4th June 2009
Today we have taken delivery of some 150 shirts of varying types, for printing on the screen equipment.
I intend to vote Liberal Democrat in both the local and European electionsn as I see no better alternative for freedom and justice for all. I do this despite hating to be financially horse-whipped into remaining in the EU, but preferring it to the fear of war. I guess I am saying that life is full of choices. Failing to choose is a poor option; so we have to make the best of what we've got. I'll just keep paying the EU for now. Human kind seems not to be of a sufficiently trustwrthy nature to avoid fighting it out at the drop of a hat! I am glad not to believe that we are being watched by aliens. I would be very embarraced to be seen to be a member of such a violent sprecies.
19:09hrs
Wednesday, 3rd June 2009
Today I went for treatement at the dentists. She asked me if I'd taken pain killers, I said "yes", she replied, "then the anaesthetic won't work properly then". She was prepared to carry on, but I wouldn't let her. I booked anpother appointment.
We have finished trimming the poetry books I printed yesterday and the day before. Mark is packing them now, ready to weigh off, for posting.
Mark ahs completed exactly half of the t-shirts for The Hill House Inn Solstice Beer festival. We will try to find the time to complete the job tomorrow or Friday. This is one of those jobs we like to get under our belt in good time for the do, which begins on Thursday 18th June this year.
We have ordered a couple of hundred more t-shirts for several other smaller jobs over the next few days. I have ordered ink for some of those. All these orders should arrive tomorrow.
I have another few jobs on order to fill in any spare time which may materialise.
Monday, 1st June 2009
Politics
For instance! The European Economic Community (which has now become the European Union) we joined all those years ago has cost us trillions of pounds and caused us endless trouble. I have fought it tooth and nail for decades. All the people who tell me they are in favour of it leave me with the certain feeling that they want the UK to stay in the Union out of fear that, without it, Europe would decend into war. I have never believed that people are that stupid. I fear that I may have been wrong. Therefore, I accept the Lib. Dem line that we must stay in the EU and cough up our billions a year in protection money. In this respect I am a reluctant victim of extortion, rather than an enthusiastic member.
Then there is the matter of the law-makers in Europe! I have to admit, with the most extreme levels of embarracement, that it has not been our Government which has passed the human rights laws, that I hold so dear, but the Europeans. The Conservatives have fought against decent treatment of fellow-humans to the wire and New Labour have been dragged screaming. Only the Lib. Dem's. have supported my line of thinking. Because we have not had a Liberal Government in my lifetime, we have had to rely on Europe to do the right things, in this respect. For that I am grateful to the EU.
You have heard what I have had to say about our own M.P.'s expenses, in general. When we get to hear that there are certain, and in some cases high ranking, ministers committing fraud (if the reports are true and I hope they are not), then we have to say "enough". We cannot have that! Surely the best political minds in the country are not all corrupt? Well! If they are, then maybe we are OK being run by the career civil servants. Maybe they are the only one who really have a clue what's going on and maybe we have done alright with them at the helm over a lifetime. Yes we have been poverty-sricken in comparison to the way we may have been without the expense of Europe, but at least we have avoided another World War under their guidance.
I am saying - "Maybe I got it wrong, but that won't stop me from commenting." That cetrtainly does not mean that I concede the smoking ban was right! It was WRONG! Even the Germans treat it with the contempt it deserves. The Irish seem to just ignore it and the French do what the French have always done - as they please.
There's one other issue to address. That is the question of decimalisation of units of measurements. A sudden flash of understanding hit me whilst Mark was talking, recently. It's not just the matter of which units I should use, it's more that case of objecting to the compulsion and the threats of persectution by fines and imprisonment, should I fail in the demands of those in charge of the project to convert me. I am admitting that there is an element of protectionism in the use of units of measurement, which are not shared universally. I do stand against protectionism and now realise that the old units are not good for the global sharing of knowledge. If only they had explained and asked me to change instead of demanding that I change!
Conclusion
As for the local's, most of us have been doing the right thing for some time and electing Lib. Dem wherever we can, with good effet. All we have to do is to keep that up. The local dudes really do make a difference to the ordinary person.
Printing
I have printed a workshop manual for the Ferguson tractor this morning, in time to catch the post and I intend to print 100 poetry books when I have completed this news page.
Sorry! Spell-check will have to wait till alter, if at all.
Saturday, 30th May 2009
We have printed a run of tee shirts for The Hill House Inn Solstice Beer Festival. There are only a few still to do, in XXL, which we hope will arrive any day.
We have anlso printed security entry wristbands for the same event. These have all been numbered for use in a competition being run at the event.
Thursday, 29th May 2009
Following another day of toothache, yesterday, I went to the dentist this morning, who put the problem on hold for a few days.
Materials and inks arrived to produce more t-shirts later today.
Tooth still very sensitive! Antibiotcs prescribed.
Rep from McNaughton, my main paper merchants booked to visit Tuesday afternoon.
Tuesday, 25th May 2009
Carriers have been coming and going all morning. There is only the Ferguson tractor workshop manual and parts for Belgium, still to go. the carrier for that (DHL) usually comes about 3-3:30pm. The wristbands ordered on Friday will be with the customer tomorrow, all being well.
I am have had a customer here, who brought some books to bind. It was a real pleasure to me him and his wife. They were lovely people.
I have ordered black ink and a couple more screens, as well as some other supplies for the screen printing machine. Things seem to be fair leaping into action on the t-shirts front.
I am expecting to see a rep about an additonal digital press some time later in the day. I am not sure yet what to do about that. The savings in consumables appear, on the face of it to be worthwhile, but I have yet to be absolutely completely convinced.
I wrote, the other day, that a cull of politicians seems a good idea. I don't like to kill people, so I have been thinking about the Golga Flinchen's solution (reference to the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxey by Douglas Adams, one of my modern literary heros), which was to re-locate the useless third of society to a new planet, which they could run the way they wanted it and leave the rest of the population alone. Sadly, the Golga Flinchens' ship landed on Earth by mistake and we became overrun by them. We would have to avoid an accident like that if we were to move them on, again.
Monday, 24th May 2009
It rather appears that mark and I are the only people in the world working today. Why? Are they all so rich they can afford a day off? Hm! Just my usual bank holiday blues!
We are printing a combined Ferguson Workshop and parts manual to go to Belgium this morning.
All books and other packages, for despatch in the morning, are now ready.
Mark has produced a 33ft long banner, 2'10" High for The Hill House Inn Solstice Beer Festival (just don't tell them Europeans, 'cos they thinks it's 10 meters by 72 centimeters - PS why the blazes can't they either use mm, cm, or m? It is my opinion that the system is idiotic and horendously prone to error!)
Vast swathes of BT's broadband service are "out" since yesterday. We wonder why? Could it be a major change, a serious fault, the sort of maintenance they do on the railways during holidays, or some kind of attack? Whatever it is, it's having a huge effect on hits to our web site and thousands of others. Our servers seem un-affected, but connections to them from other places, throughout Albion seem badly damaged or interrupted. I hope they get it sorted very quickly. try 0800 169 0199 to find out about it, or surf to http://business.bt.com/business/help/ss/0,8829,Broadband_0_5_BTCTB_Home,00.html
Sunday, 24th May 2009
We went for breakfast to The Hill House Inn Stables Cafe this morning. That was a very fine way to start the day. We intend to do that every week from now on. Hence the change of hours at the heading, to accomodate breakfast on a Sunday. Hardly anybody phones on a Sunday morning anyway!
We now have some packing to do, a little paper drilling and some artwork to prepare.
Saturday, 23rd May 2009
This morning I have printed a couple of books about Ferguson tractors, of our authorship. They are ready for the post. I am going to hang on to this morning's post, because this is a public holiday weekend and i know what happens when post kicks around at the post office over an extended period. I think people could reasonably expect delivery of their books in Wednesday's post. I hope that feels best for those 3 customers who will wait and extra day. I believe it to be for the best.
I was just thinking about them M.P.s' pay and expenses again. I realised that the TV licence fee costs the average person amongst us nearly 40 times as much as all our M.P.'s put together. Which is it to be? Several hundred M.P.'s or TV content? That's no excuse, but it sort of puts it in context. Both suits me!
Friday, 22nd May 2009
Here is a photo of the wrist bands we have been printing:-
We have also printed a Ferguson TE 20 Workshop Manual and Parts List combined.
Screens and inks have arrived to print some t-shirts we have on order for various customers.
Later
It was a good feeling, earlier today, to have bothe the Hot Digital Press and the Cold Digital Press running at the same time. We had a real sense, for the first time, that there might be a real living to be earned printing. Not, as you all know, that money is why we do this really. We just enjoy printing, plain and simple, but money does seem to raise a certain level of excitement, when it does come.
Thursday, 21st May 2009
Politics again
The parliamentarians have cost us all under a couple of quid each.
Bailing out the bankers seems to me to have cost us itro £200,000.00 each - PLUS INTEREST!
The above figures are just estimates, but are my honest and most truthful estimate. Please believe me. We are being diverted from the real issue here!
What worries me is who by and for what reason? Do I think it's benign? No I don't! But I do think it's careless (the purpetrators don't care, they just grab, grab, grab, like animals, regardless of the sufferring they are inflicting). I would love to take away their toy. I think their toy is money. Do away with it and see how they get on then!
Printing
T-shirts for The Hill House Inn Solstice Beer Festival are here and awaiting only the ink and a new screen.
Tee shirts for Van Manor Band are done, ready for delivery or collection.
Delivery notes are done and ready for Wayside Supplies.
Back to politics
That puts M.P.'s salaries is completely in the shade, except on principle, and shows why they feel the need for a bit extra!
Albion is in trouble, people! I warned you!
Expanding on a previous topic
Maybe I just lost the plot (which means I haven't because I am questioning it
I could be a political comentator, if I could spell. Since I can't I could employ a spelling checking person.
Tuesday, 19th May 2009
I may have to pop out for a bit this afternoon (I don't know what time), so if you want me, please ring before noon.
Politics
In the mean time, do not allow the MP's expenses row to distract us from the dodgy bankers issue. I have been whittering on about bankers for several years and I don't think may people have taken much notice. I don't believe it's about
how much they draw in salaries and pensions. I think it's about the way they doggedly manipulate our thinking with regard to debt. they encourage debt, then blame us when it goes wrong and rip us off when we are most financially vulnerable, having fallen into their diabolical traps. ban the bankers!
Back to printing
We need to order a few hundred t shirts as well. We still have a few dozen, but these things must be done. In particular, we have to obtain a hundred for the Hill House Inn, for their Solstice Beer Festival in June. They will need printing soon.
We also need to order some special yellow vinyl, for a tee shirt order.
We have plenty of paper in for all the jobs on order and much more besides.
Monday, 18th May 2009
Just as a matter of interest, does anybody know the make of our old outboard? It has the company name SBM on it and the town name Uppsala - Sweden. I always thought it to be a Bolinder Munktell (now Volvo), but doubt has been cast on that idea.
I am a bit worried about the current political situation. I would not like to see Parliament dissolved in a panic move. Despite that I would like to see the expenses problem solved, just that I would like to see it done with due consideration and proper thought. I am clear that there is a problem, in my view, but I am not yet clear exactly what the problem is. It could be simple dishonesty on the part of our elected members of parliament, or it could be a trick by civil servants. It could even be a lendid mixture of those two things and some others.
I do wonder how effective a part the Civil Servants have played in all this. I am mindful of the old TV series "Yes Minister" I can imagine a scenario whereby some civil servant might encourage a parliamentarian to make claims, assure them of their right so to do and then, behind the M.P.'s back, rub their hands in glea, muttering, 'that's that one in our pay forever! We can expose them at any time we want to get rid of them and there's nothing they can do about it'. Do you see what I mean? It really has been sounding that way. Any MP who is too busy to fuss about expenses and just hands it over to 'the office', could easily find themselves right up a gum tree! There seems to me have been a good amount of manipulation of natural human nature. I bet the communists would be laughing at us now! Some nationalities would wonder what we are whittering about; it's so accepted and common in their public lives. Even a couple of days ago our MP's were saying 'it is all within the rules', and I am sure most of them believed it!
I think we are all agreed that the massive chasm between rich and poor, even within the UK, let alone the worldwide gap, is a bit too big; and always has been. Those thinkers amongst us must be aware that the poorest in our nation are probably a very
great deal richer than some people in other countries. It may even be the case that, as a nation, we feel that if we allowed, permitted, didn't prevent or even encouraged some slight levelling of playing fields, our wealth would soon disappear and our local, poverty would, for sure, become deeper. As a result, who in the Albion nation would support such a move towards the elimination of poverty? Be honest? We would all find it near impossible to cope with and extremely undesirable. I hope that is the last infinitive I split today. Furthermore, we would soon see things begin to return to the status quo. Sorry! More foreign words. I should have said '.... the way things are'.
So what can we do that will improve the lot of the most poverty stricken on the planet, without endangering the very lives of some of the poorer people in Albion and possibly even, some of those who have, what appears to be, a reasonable degree of wealth?
Maybe we could take a leaf out of Star Trek's book? I don’t know! There don't seem to be many paupers in 'The Federation'. They certainly don't run their worlds using Communism, neither are they Capitalists. What would we call the way they work? They seem to elect their Governments. They don't seem to have money. They all seem well-watered, fed, clothed and housed. They all seem to be employed in some activity that benefits the masses, but satisfies their mental and physical need to be doing useful work. Come on!!!! Someone? Help me out here! The help for which I am asking is the solution to the most important problem on the planet. Someone must see what I am getting at!
Must what I am searching for here, be called unachievable idealism? WHY can't it ever work? Go on! Tell me that; and don't you dare say "human nature". That's just a stupid cop-out! My readers are more intelligent than that!
Just a thought
What would be the cost and to whom?
What benefit would the world experience from the additional output then available from those who are, for now, dying of thirst and starvation, or just too poor to get to work?
Disclaimer
Saturday, 16th May 2009
I've had tooth pain for a few days and got to a dentist this morning. Reports were, as usual, good, but old fillings from chilhood have given up the ghost, as is usually the case. Appointments have been made.
Apart from that, today has been fairly quiet. However, I have been sleepy, between the odd phone calls. That's probably caused by the pain killers. I am looking forward to a call which might bring my brain to attention and demand a little something in the way of thought.
Friday, 15th May 2009
I'm guessing that the "MP's expenses scandal" is something about which I might be expected to comment. Well, here we go then!
Why would all these people feel the need to claim so very much money in expenses? I would suggest that their £60 odd thousand
pounds a year salary is probably not really enough for them to do their jobs without money worries. Does that surprise you?
If you are like us and struggling to earn your taxable allowance, then it will. If you are not surprised, then you are
probably one of the ever-increasing band of people on that sort of income, who is still struggling financially. You will get
little or no criticism from me for earning a living, that's for sure! In the current economic climate, it is good that at least some people are earning a decent living.
I have opened a new paragraph here, because it is obvious that what I have just said will seem out of character for me. It's
not really, but not many will know that. Just because mark and I have struggled for some years with finances, does not mean
that I approve of people earning a little for a lot of effort. On the other hand, there is a lot more to this than meets the
eye or can be controlled by a few individuals. I think we need to think around matters of 'the average global living
standard'. That really is a biggie! For instance, I have often been heard to say, but not often written, that as long as
there is someone out there prepared to do what you do for a bowl of rice a week, when you feel you have the right to
breakfast, lunch, dinner, tea and supper, in a centrally heated home, lined with wall-to-wall carpeting and electric equipment in every room, including delightfully appointed and elegant lighting (as compared with a naked fish-oil or animal-fat flame used in some places in the world), then that imbalance will lead to the system breaking with one almighty crash one day. That day might well be very soon indeed, or we might be lucky enough to die before it happens! I cannot tell! Either way, the imbalance is clear and obvious and the potential for disaster is as plain as the noses on our faces. Sooner or later, something has to give!
What I shall ask, at this point, however, is this. If one person earns £5,000 a year and another earns £50,000 in the same year, How can the person on the lower income possibly afford anything that the person on the higher income produces or sells?
For instance, Mark and I are printers. We print things and we can only command a certain amount of money for our printed goods. If an insurer earns 10 times as much, how can we be expected to afford insurance? It has to cost ten time what it would cost, if we did it, if the person earns ten times as much as we do as we do. If a politician earns ten times as much as us, how can we be expected to pay the levels of tax that the politician sees as reasonable? Of course we can't! Not to worry! We can buy from a developing country instead of buying British and only pay a tenth of the price that we would charge or 100th of what the higher paid person would chagrge (plus the transport costs). Now! I ask you! Does that thought not open your eyes to a few questions and give food for thought? Here's another little nibble. If Mark and I are worth an amount equal to an insurance broker (and I would hope we are), then isn't a printer in India worth as much as Mark and I are worth? Then why are salaries in India so much lower? Not because everything is cheaper in India! they just have less than Mark and I. And YES, it does matter!
I have been in a position whereby I have been assured that I have a "right" to claim expenses, when I have worked for
charity. I have resisted it, but I know with an utter certainty that for some, resistance is futile. I was told that I have
an obligation to look after myself, first, in order to be best positioned to look after others and to be in a place to "set
an example" of a decent lifestyle aspiration to those to whom I ministered, in those days. I chose a different path, and
conducted my work from a position of relative poverty. it was my choice, but the road was hard to maintain, as others
amongst my team constantly pressed me to higher standards. For that reason and from that experience I am not without
sympathy for the MP's who are in trouble now. I have long-said that we should pay MP's a good salary and ensure that they can
afford to conduct themselves as we would need them to do so or we will get a bunch of chancers in Parliament instead of
intelligent, well-educated and caring individuals, who will do a good job. After all, the best can go into trade, business or
industry and earn a proper salary. We, the electorate, are in competition for "the best", with big business.
£65,000 a year (which is what I think they are saying is an MP's salary) equates inmy language to £1,250 every week. To me
that sounds like an absolute fortune! But is it? I, for one, don't have the time or inclination to buy a ticket on line to go
anywhere by train, and it costs 10 times as much to buy it at the station. If I were an MP, would I really want to go to
London by train? Frankly, no! I would want to be driven, by car. As far as I am concerned, at the moment, London is
prohibitively expensive place to visit on the costs of entry, parking and the type of vehicle you need. If I had to
go, I would have to afford it. Then, there's the cost of food in London, and so on and so on. It just goes on and on. OK, if it
were me, I think I would set up a camp-bed in the corner of my Westminster office and sleep there if I had to stay
overnight; but that would not get me back and forth between London and my constituency. Look! I don't know, but I
wonder! I live an introverted, low-cost lifestyle. But what if I were and MP. travelling to and fro, between
Norfolk and London and visiting half a dozen sites a day in the course of my responsibilities? I wonder
Either way! We have been very lucky to have been sold a huge TV set for £1.00. By huge, I mean really, really big. There is
no way on this earth we could ever afford such a thing, if we had to pay the right price. We would just have to go without or
have a normal set. The thing is, though, that this is the 1st TV I have ever been able to see properly. I didn't even begin
to guess how little of what happens on TV I actually noticed I could never read the sub-titles, now I can. I could never see
what people were reading, when the shot is of a significant note or letter. I never even knew some of the facial expressions
the actors wore. It was not much better than radio. you all know that, for years, we never had a TV. We were, in lost of ways
all the better for that. However, I have to admit that having had one for a year now, I would miss it very much if it were
not here. Do I need a TV? No! Of course not. Is it reasonable to expect to own a TV, like this? No way on earth! Is it
reasonable to expect a TV of any kind? Well! Not by worldwide standards. Surely more people on earth live without one than
live with one. Go on! Try not switching yours on, for one evening! See what your family say? See what you do with your
evening. I bet you do something useful, if you can bear to be without it. We find it a real struggle to find the money for
the licence, and yet we have done so, twice now, because it is good entertainment. That represents important things we have
not bought (or have waited longer for) for the business. Buying it has made a big difference to our wealth, and yet we have
done it because it is good entertainment at a time in our lives when a little relaxation in front of 'the box' feels
good for us. I wonder if it is really? If I'm honest, I don't think so, but I do it anyway. That TV must be worth more like
£1000 than £1. To be sure, however tempting, we would (indeed, could) never have paid that for it! With that sort of money I
would invest in more printing equipment.
What am I trying to say? I am not really sure, but writing this has, I hope, moved me one more little step towards an understanding.
I aught to run through this now, for typos. But I'm not in the mood. Brain too fast for the fingers, so I've done a quick, Word, spell-check and that will have to do for now! Sorry!
13 days and the chicken eggs in the incubator are looking good. 20 seem viable, from candling!
Blackbird/s doing well. We cannot tell if there is one or if there are two, babies.
Thursday, 14th May 2009
's funny how the weeks roll by out here on the coast! What have we been doing all week? Well! It's seemed very busy. Ideed, we have printed a number of Ferguosn manuals and books. I have answered a lot of questuions about Ferguson tractors by telephone and I have been doing some box-making for Belinda Opie. the Albion has been going ten to the dozen! I have to admit that my back wishes I had a Vertical Miehle to cut them on, but the price of one of those is still beyond our reach. If I had earned enough, I would probably have had to pay some of it out in tax, so it's hard to know how we will every afford one. We can write off computor stuff, but money for machinery purchases has to be tax-paid first, them written down over some years. that seems silly to me, but I am sure H.M. Gvt. think they know best! Someone's go to pay the bankers and for all the wars! Whiolst that goes on, I'll just keep pulling the handle as I always have done! I sometimes wonder who's pulling what in this country!
Today we met Lindsay and peter (from http://www.seedngrow.com/) who breed sunflower and other seeds. We are planning to make some seed packets for them and some little plastic sticks with pictures of flowers and vegetables on them to mark the rows, when they are sown. That has been an interesting project. Another job for the iron Albion hand press in combination with the latest digital printing.
We are just waiting for copy to arrive for a few thousand tyvek wristbands for a Pokemeon TM event for http://thisisbd.com/ (both the link I have posted today seem to take an age to load. perhaps it's my connection? I don't know.). We hope to have those printed and delivered in a few days time. The preparation for that has taken a little time. They are, as usual, to be printed on white, pre-perforated Tyvek TM wristbands, in full colour.
The only other thing that has taken up our time is more tax things for H.M.C.E. and other Gvt. stuff like that.
The baby blackbirds have flown the nest and the motherbird is chasing round the garage, looking for them and calling in a tone of voice akin to panic. It really does seem to be a painful business this babies flying the nest lark!
Sunday, 10th May 2009
Pterodactyls:-
We've spent hours doing tax again today. At least last year is now all done and dusted. Rather laate by my standards.
We have been to examine some signs in Stalham in preparation for making similar signs, for the local Bowls Club.
I have approached Folk on the Pier, in Cromer with a view to doing some t-shirts for them next time they have an event.
I had sample material arrive this morning for some special plant labelling sticks.
Saturday, 9th May 2009
Friday, 8th May 2009
If I see another F****** millimeter it will be too soon. The F****** things just cost me another £30.00. Why the blinking heck could we not have kept good old inches? D*** the B**** Europeans for imposing their systems on me! They've stuffed an already weak memory. They've made it impossible to communmicate with people younger than myself. They've caused endless rows about the reletive benefits of one system over another. They've cost me a B***** fortune! I an perfectly happy fopr them to use thier system Just D**** their eyes for trying to force it on ME! If this is what it trakes to be allowed to trade with them - I don't want their silly little Euros and I don't want their grotty produce! We can just jolly-well re-learn to make it for ourselves! Up the UK Independance Party! I want OUT! And next time their break out in fighting, they can sort themselves out! And wobetide any of them that come to my shore with ships, guns, rockets and aeroplanes! I'll shoot the so-and-so's with my air gun!
OK, So I know I am allowed to use Imperial units now, but I have been trying to conform to metric units for so long, I thought I could cope with them. WELLL I F****** well can't! So NOTHING gets done, here, in metric from now on! So THERE! I know it looks as though I just threw all my toys out of the pram, but in fact it has been building for decades and I have just had enough. The last £30 straw just broke this aging camel's back!
Wednesday, 6th May 2009
Politics
Rogue Traders
Business Rates! Business Rates are imposed by Government as a means of raising revenue to pay for things like war and stuff.
Rates are NOT imposed by local authorities, they are collected by them on behalf of Central Government. They are simply a tax
by Central Government on the people of Britain. They are supposed to appear to be a tax on profit-making businesses; but
they, of course, (because they have to) pass it on to their customers - that's you and me. See where I'm going here? Now!
working from premises brings with it, certain value. For one thing, they are usually a little drier and have better climate
control than a stall in a lay-by. For another, there are normally mains electricity, water sewerage services and other
supplies, for the convenience of the trader (or should I say business?). Government deam it appropriate to tax these
conveniences by way of Business Rates. If a trader cannot afford business rates, he or she has the absolute right to trade on
the public highway; provided only that no danger is caused and a few (rather clumsily applied) other lawlettes are covered.
New para. again!
Why the F*** should a trader doing business out of doors be called a rougue, when a person choosing to conduct business
from a building is not? Which one is doing the lesser harm to the planet? Could it be the one who is not heating or cooling
the place of work or lighting it or using the telephone all day or running a PC and all kinds of other carbon savings? I
respect street hardy street traders and despise the idea that Government calls them rogues is either correct or legitimate!
Change of subject
Little DIY Project here at Home to Roost
How's the blackbird?
Definition of a poster
Business electricity rates
It's a bit like the TV advert which sows some poor chaps car being crushed for not having a tax disc. Then they say "if you don't pay your tax, we have the right to ...." or something like that. Firstly that right (may be better described as an open threat (or, attempted insightment of fear) to deprive me of my property (or ... theft and vandalism)) they claim is arguable (by virtue of laws which demand that any penalty should be - oh! What's the words? comensurate, with the crime, was it?) and secondly, it is not true in every circumstance. For instance, my car is SORNED. Ah yes! and this SORN nonsense! WHY? If I don't drive it on the road, I do not have to pay tax. Why would they want me to tell them whether or not I am going to drive it on the road? It's obvious I am not intending to drive it on the road if I don't renew the tax disc. If I do drive it un-taxed. then I expect to be fined. But if not, why should I b***er about SORNING it? I've got mor importantnt things to do than nurse-maid their computor records!
Tuesday, 5th May 2009
Belinda Opie's cutting forme and Lustralux card have turned up today, so I am on the Albion making ready for that job. I do like working the hand presses! It's really very satisfying!
Saturday, 2nd May 2009
Good morning!
I have an order for boxes bor Belinda Opie of www.belindaopie.com. The cutting forme has been made and is on it's way here by carrier. The card is ready for collection when this blasted bank holiday is over, on Tuesday.
We have the printing to do for The Hill House Inn Solstice Beer Festival. There is a lot to do for the and we are well under way with it. New work, which we have not done for this festival before includes secure full colour entry wristbands, a 42 foot long banner, sign boards and much more.
On Tuesday I am expecting an author to come to me, eho has printed some proofs of his latest books and who has asked me to bind them.
I have had an enquiry form a school for about 400 t-shirst, designed by the students in a competition. I don't know if that will turn into a job, we wait and see.
Plans are afoot for a calendar for the local RNLI crew. That one may even go national, the way things are going. Again, we wait and see.
This morning, Mark found 14 eggs in a hedge, in the garden. We have known for a few days that we have a broody chicken. That explains it then! The problem is that this breed is nowhere near reliable over brooding, so we have popped them, along with some others (total 21), in an incubator.
Tuesay, 28th April 2009
She's out getting worms:-
Sunday, 26th April 2009
We have put a few of our Ferguson tractor items, from our personal collections, on ebay:-
I have made my 1st screen today, for the new screen press and printed my first t-shirts for decades. That went very well!
We have the washout tank in place and plumbed in; after a fashion.
Friday, 24th April 2009
The new (brand new) guillotine blade for our recently purchased electric guillotine arrived this morning. Mark fitted it and "BANG", it all barr wrecked the new blade. A pair of roller bearings, buried deep inside the machine, are completely missing. Hmmm! Mark has now gone off to measure and find replacements for the bearings and the shaft that sits between them. Whoever sold this machine to the fok, from whom we bought it, must have known they had removed this part. Fortunately the people we bought it from had never used it, so they had no idea it was so badly abused. If they had used it, they may well have had a serious accident. Fortunately, Mark and I are nobodies fools, so spotted the problem before an accident happened.
Wednesday, 22nd April 2009
Mark has completed the new wiring on the electric guillotine. We will soon be able to manage without the hand rotary machine we have had this past few years. We only wait now for the delivery of a sharp blade for it.
We have received the new screen printing press, which we bought on ebay. It had a few bits bolted on the wrong way up, so I doubt if the last owner ever got to use it himself. Indeed, there is no perceptable wear, so mabe it has never been used. You can see from the photo that we have set the screen press up in our living room, in the true spirit of Cottage Industry.
This afternoon, I must get on with an article for our trade magazine.
I have let a blackbird out of our garage several times in the past couple of weeks. It turns out now that, maybe, she didn't want to go out.
Tuesday, 21st April 2009
Today I am expecting delivery of Screen Printing equipment. I hope the have the first pulls printed in a few days.
Yesterday we got the new guillotine going. Excellent stuff!
I have, this morning, posted our new Charitable Giving Policy. I have great hopes for it. From this day forth, for an experimental period, we shall not do any paid advertising, but will hope that charities will enter into the loosest of verbal agreements with us in a mutually beneficial way. We will give instead of paying for advertising and, in exchnge, we hope that those charities will spread the word about us, whenever they get the opportunity.
Sunday, 19th April 2009
Here is a list of the answers to search queries people had put into Google in the past week and looked for on my web site. I could have answered some if they had phoned. No-one phoned with any of these quwestions. Here they are:-
tyvek wristbands - yes
How many timwes have I got to tell people, "that is what I am here for"? Please phone me if you can't find the answer on my web site!
Saturday, 18th April 2009
Will no-one pick up the phone on a Saturday?
I've only had 3 calls and printed 2 little books, all day, and I'm bored!
9pm
11:1pm
Friday, 17th April 2009
The bankers have sponned me again! I sent money over on Tuesday to pay for a mchine I am collecting today, and it has not arrived. I have had to cancel, or at least, postpone, the courier. It's busy earning interest for the bankers, no doubt, along with billions of other people's.
Eggs are this morning's real story.
Thursday, 16th April 2009
The day began with me missing a 07:00 auction. I have made an offer and wawit the reply.
The next thing was an overnight order for 5 books, which are now printed, and are ready for the postman.
Tadpoles
Mark is in Norwich, buying more paper for tractor manuals and instruction books.
Wednesday, 15th April 2009
Here we are 1/2 way through the month and barely have we got over the Easter holiday. This morning I had a call from someone who has sold us a small machine, down in Kent. The courier had arrived to collect it and was unable to move it over a step, about which I had not been told, despite having asked. Mark has now gone South to dismantle the machine and bring it home. Such is life!
I despatched 3 books about Ferguson equipment this morning.
Where are all the orders for wristbands? No-where to been seen! That's odd, quite frankly! I wonder what it is that I am doing wrong. It's clearly a big market, I know that I am "in" the right price range, I have the means to do a better job than nearly any other printer in the country, and still things are very slow! It's a funny old life!
Tuesday, 14th April 2009
Today I patiently await the arrival of money to pay for a couple of new machines we have bought. It is burried in the banking system.
I also wait for a call from the seller of one of the machines, to arrange payment and collection of it. I have been waiting for this call, now, for a few days.
I have been on to the carriers, for the other machine and expect collection any time now.
I have been trying to find and NHS dentist, having broken a molar, but that is also proving to be a waiting game. I have left messages, but not yet had a reply.
Monday, 13th April 2009
The day started with a run of 120 beer vouchers for the Hill House Inn and 100 ABV cards for their beer festival, which is due to take place at the summern solstice.
As most bank holiday wekends, it has, in other respects been quiet. The few calls that I have had about tractors have been very welcome.
Sunday, 12th April 2009
This morning I printed a number of books to go to Australia, I expect they will leave with the postman on Tuesday morning, after the bank holiday is over.
I have also printed "TE 20 Series tractors, A Buyers Guide" The title says it all. I am just waiting to know to what address it should be sent as the order and thepayment addresses are different. has someone moved house? I don't know!
Free telephone advise
Saturday, 11th April 2009
We are expecting a visit from a bride this morning, looking into some Order of Service sheets in preparation for her wedding.
We need to talk with auction sellers to organise collections.
From this morning's headlines
Don't mis-understand me! I am not against charges being levied to cover costs and to make an honest profit on a job
well-done. Far from it! But be honest about it! This is like sneaking up behind people and holding them to ransom.
"Either cough up or you can't go on. And hurry up, there's a queue behind you! Come on, get your money out! Quickly now! Put
it in that slot there! Right! You're free to go! NEXT! Even reading about it feels threatening, doesn't it?
Police camera-cars!
Thank the good Lord, Mark and I live out here in the real world, away for those nutters! Here, if they started that lark, we
just will not tolerate it! Why do you city-dwellers cow tow to these monsters? You don't think they are benign do you. If you
do, you are very, and disastrously mistaken! If the majority were law-abiding, I might see your point to an extent. Most
(almost all) people don't even know the law (how could they, the way parliament is rattling them out?), let alone comply with
it. Everyone out there breaks the law every day. It WILL NOT BE LONG BEFORE THE CAMERAS GET YOU TOO! You will, like all the
other victims, be too embarrassed (or too fearful of increased penalties) to complain that you aught to have the right to
scratch your head, eat a mint or (now I’m being contentious!) SMOKE whilst driving (and yes, I do pull over to roll them, I
only set fire to them and suck on them, whilst driving). You'll just cough up! it's tax by the backdoor! And, it's
employment for the terminally "useless third of society". This is a way of getting the taxpayer to foot the bill to
pay idiots to monitor that people and send them tax bills thousands of times a day, on the grounds that they are guilty of
some criminal act or another, which the old fashioned booby-on-the-beat would have had the common sense not to mention unless
it had caused a real and tangible problem. For heavens sake, someone throw that 415vot mains switch! I'm LIVID - again
Why do we pay people to do this stuff?
Thursday, 9th April 2009
Yesterday we bought a 6 colour screen printing machine. It will be a few days before it actualy arrives. Having that will allow us to print long runs of things like T-shirts at very competative rates. The vinyl sysetem is great for 2 or 3 off, but silk screen is the answer to runs of hundreds, especially if we want to lay down a particularly dense layer of ink.
In the mean time, it's the wristband and tickets time of year. Events are being organised. A lot of new customers are working out that wristbands are this year's tickets, when it comes to entry control! Do remind everybody you know that we are here and excellent printers for all other jobs, as well. Word of mouth is the most important means of spreading the word for us.
This afternoon I have printed 100 post cards for our local post Office and shop and 100 business cards for www.roast-master.co.uk, who's web site isn't running yet.
Wednesday, 8th April 2009
The best laid plans of mice and men....
Tuesday, 7th April 2009
1st, I apologise for that slight coding error on this page yesterday. All fixed now!
I have bought another batch of blank TyvekTM wristbands today, for stock. They are expected tomorrow.
I have also paid for some Google advertising, which might appear in the next day or so. It is supposed to bring us to 1st page on Google. We'll see! As things stand now (12:54 Tuesday) I await a telephone call from the company concerned to confirm details. I have never paid for Google advertising before, so it will be an interesting
experiment. The www.fergusontractor.co.uk works very well without paying to get to the top of the list on Google, but there are not many people in the world selling Manuals for Ferguson TE 20 series tractors. In fact, to the very best of my knowledge, I am the only printer licensed to do so outside of M-F. However, there are loads of printers about and I have to recognise that I am in competition with hundreds of others. Therefore, I have decided to try paying for a spot of advertising if I want to increase my output a bit. I only hope I will not be flooded. Not that I think there is much chance of that, to be honest. I do have plenty of capacity, that's for sure!
Did I mention my desire for e Vertical Miehle printing machine? Well! I asked a company called www.pressfinders.com if there was one about anywhere. TO my amazement they found one within 24hrs in France. That's a bit of a long way away and the cost is an absolutely massive £1950.00. Much of that is the cost of delivery. However, it is a smashing looking machine!
The only question now is, whether I can find a suitable amount of work for such a press. I certainly cannot buy it on the off-chance and indeed, it will not be me that buys it. Irene would have to do that and cream off a return. So it is important to me that any request for an investment, is soundly based.
The Hill house Inn
Monday, 6th April 2009
I am of a mind to go to the Jarrod museum of printing, in Norwich on Wednesday. It's Mark's day off, so he can mind the shop as it were.
I have had an email offering a paper drill, which is far better than the one we have. Thank you Bob!
I have heard from a man who has found a TE-T 20. He was put on to me by my friends at www.FoFH.co.uk.
I also had a call from an Englishman France, who has a TE A 20 and a Hochkiss Ferguson and have sent a manual.
Sunday, 5th April 2009
I have a job for a hog-roast business, locally. I will have to get on that in a minute.
I have decided that I'd quite like to think about getting a Vertical Miehle printing press from the 1950's. If anybody knows where I can get one, do let me know please.
Saturday, 4th April 2009
Food prices had to rise over the past few years. If they had not, then food producers would have gone down the pan and everybody would have lacked food. Now state benefits and minimum wages have to rise to catch up. Otherwise those in poverty will go without food or have to eat poor quality food. It makes precious little difference to the rich if food were even to double in price. All that would happen to them is that they may have to go without some small luxury item or items. I'm saying, if a family income is a couple of hundred a week, doubling food costs from £75 to £150 is very significant (is it to be found from the rent, the water or fuel bills, or where?); whereas, if another family is earning £800 a week, then that extra £75 quid is not such a big deal. Maybe one evening out in a week could be sacrificed; or swap their Jag for a Toyota or something, perhaps. I don't know where the better-off spend it all.
That's the headline fact of the matter. Beneath that, we must think more carefully about other things. The UK is buying huge values of, what I call, tat. Gadgets and gizmos, trinkets and fashion accessories. Useless shite, which benefits nobody, for the sake of appearances. Beneath all that, there are goods and services which are supplied with the best of intentions, intended to ease the burden of time constraints. The longer hours people work, the more they are under pressure to buy less labour-intensive food processing equipment for the kitchen, the car, the general running of the household. If a person is out of work, they can sweep the carpet with a home-made broom of sticks and twisted straw, gathered from the hedgerows. If they are working 80 hours a week, like some people, they could do with a vacuum cleaner. See my point?
Then the problem arises that the vacuum cleaner, bought by the high-flyer with a job and the 2.4 proverbial, is assembled by the poor person who is earning a bowl of rice a week. A bowl of rice will not do, to sustain a vac.-maker with a family. Wages for assembly workers have to rise. Do you begin to see a pattern developing here? Yep! Inflation! The scourge of all classes, but the terror of the poor! I once heard it said that if you take all the money from everybody with lots of cash and share it evenly throughout the world, everybody would get a shilling. That would obviously have been unhelpful to anybody in the long run. Is that still the case today? I wonder how it could even be researched; or if anybody has?
I have to admit that my heckles rise when I hear of people earning hundreds of thousands of pounds for doing something which does not involve making, mending or growing something, but is that fair? I call them "the useless third". I wonder if they so
represent only a third and I wonder if they are useless? I suspect they represent more than a third of the UK and I suspect they support those who are unable to find a job to earn a living or that they still perform vital tasks which are just plain low-paid, because the greater number does not particularly value their produce. A farmer, friend, of mine once told me that over a lifetime his has made a liking on a crop on a handful of occasions and that most years he makes an horrendous loss. Over a lifetime, he has just clung on to his land and his hope. He certainly lives in the most extreme poverty of gizmos. His home is old and tired. his family are worn to the bone. He simply has not acquired the sort of modern paraphernalia that so many ‘useless third’ people seem to think of as necessities, following a lifetime of farming. The worst of it is that he is desperately ill because he has not had the time to access medical treatment for simple ailments. He has to work every day just to keep his head above water, pay his taxes and perform the tasks needed to avoid prosecution under the right-to-roam laws and such-like. That man certainly has enough land to be seen as a rich man but half his farm will have to be sold when he dies to pay the death-duties as another half was sold when his father died, so his descendants will never get to own their a self-sustaining and profitable farm, should they want to. Indeed, they probably won't even have enough left to buy themselves a house in the village in which they have been raised. Generation after generation, the farms have had to sell-off 40% at each passing (or go further into debt with the banks), till there is little left. There are now plenty of second homes, owned by 'the useless third'. Then again! Are the useless third so useless? Where would we be without bankers and insurers?
What if house-values were say 1/8th the price that they are now? All home-owners would still have a home. It would just not cost as much for a mortgage, and more people could afford a home and have money left to buy food at a fair price. Oh! I
forgot, if the capital sum is less, then the mortgage companies would not make as much profit. Heavens forefend! How are house values set? Ah! That'll be the house-valuers! To whom are they allied? Into Which 'third' do they fit in the grand scheme of things? What would it take to reduce the value of property? Erm! I know! decline to pay the asking price and do without till the price drops? No! That wouldn’t work! All the existing mortgages would simply fall apart and there'd be all those banks to bail out at tax-payers expense. Erm? Could we decline to bail the banks out? NO.............. They'd re-posses people's homes. Can bankrupts do re-possessions? I wonder?
It's a funny old world!
What am I going to do today?
I printed the Wedding Invitations, Mark is foiling the type and glazing the pictures, in and then I am creasing them. The whole operation is very much done by hand here. £120.00 sounds like a lot of money for only 55 invitations, but when one thinks of the planning and liasing that goes into the preparation, then the man-hours of hand-perfomed tasks to actually produce the cards, one at a time through several workings, to foil the type, glaze the hand-drawn pictures and crease each card, one by one, it all makes perfect sense. This sort of work really is a labour of love!
We have had a respose from Tim, who is perfoming a benefit evening for the local RNLI crew, has been on the phone and approved the posters and tickets we are priting for that event. We now only await the images to include on the work. Then we can go ahead and print the job.
Friday, 3rd April 2009
I awoke this morning at about 4:30am, thinking of an old friend, with whom I lost touch a very long time ago. I have used the Internet to seek him out and dropped him a line.
For some months I have been thinking about the law and the way that penalties are imposed on offenders. This morning the television news is running a report of "wheel clampers" and high release fees. Only a few days ago I saw a "public information advert" about the penalty for failing to pay road tax on a car. That being the almost certain destruction of the car. What!???
We used to have a law in this country preventing "cruel and unusual punishment" and "presumption of guilt". I have long defended the way the law works in England, insofar as that it evolves by case, rather than it being crudely imposed by Parliament. I like the principle of the jury being the last word. Sadly, like democracy, that depends upon the jury being made up from informed, intelligent and considerate peers. In a decade when such a high proportion of the population is university educated, one would hope that such peers might, at last, be in the majority. I am devastated that such does not seem, on the face of it, to be the case. There is a missing element. "There but by the grace of God go I" Does anybody even begin to understand that still? "There" = the making of mistakes, the committal of crime and sin, the falling for deceptions. "but by the grace of God" It is sad that so few now believe in God and sadder that even the churches seem to have lost sight of His grace. What ever happened to forgiveness? Whether it be the forgiveness of God or forgiveness one person of another, or of the law of the criminal. Forgiveness is the psychological key to 'doing the right thing' in future! "go I" That's every man jack of us! "All have fallen short of the glory of God" or put another way, we have all failed to achieve even our own standards for ourselves, let alone those of the society on which we live or the law before which we cower one minute and to which we plead for revenge, the next.
Before expecting the law to penalise your neighbour, for goodness sakes, ask yourself how much wrong you have done in your own life, which remains unremitted and ask yourself just what or how much you might be expected to pay for those mistakes, were they discovered.
There is no doubt in my mind that society benefits from the incarceration of repeat offenders, who seem unwilling or unable to understand that they would do better to stop beating people, stealing from people and committing other crimes against society. But if, as a society, we take upon ourselves the right to deny other people their freedom, if that freedom results in our losses to their bad behaviours, then, most surely, we, as right-doers, must be responsible for ensuring that we commit no harm (and that no harm is committed on our behalf) to the incarcerated? Surely we must be responsible for their safety and their humane care! If we remove their right to self-provision, we must feed them. If we remove their right to self-defence we must defend them. The cost of doing it the way it's done now is mad, surely we can keep a hman being hamanely for less than we are currently paying to violently tear every ounce of decency from them, strip by strip, at the moment!
Can it be usual or proper to destroy a person's car (even if they are not the owner, because it is on hire-purchase) if they decline to apply the road-tax on time? That's silly! That's against even 17th century English law. It's absolutely daft! Just think of the consequences of such an act of legalised vandalism. I don't need to spell that out, surely? Worse still, can it be reasonable to plaster threats that to fail to pay road tax will result in the destruction of your car all over public television? Can it be reasonable to be screaming "we know who you are" "You're on our database" to every televsion watcher in the land? Who are the public servants who are threatening their employers in this way?
Democracy
Why do I write this tripe?
Credit where credit is due!
I also heard that the film piracy people are to stop their threats, and actually thank people watching legal copies of videos for doing the right thing, instead. Will wonders never cease?
I sincerely hope that the 2 examples of the right way to do things prove to be extrememly successful.
I spoke to the friend mentioned at the top of thee day.
I hate doing cold sales calls
Frog Orgy
Thursday, 2nd April 2009
Yesterday for us, was a high pressure day. Today I have only printed 1600 labels and handled enquiries about tractors and about printing TyvekTM wristbands in full colour.
All our orders are completely up to date, except for three, customers for which have not yet paid. No doubt they will get round to it when they want their printing.
Other than that, the only other matter is proofs for, what looks as though it will be, an outstanding wedding.
The postman staggered off this morning as cheerily as always. We like our postman!
I would comment on this global finance sumit, but they don't deserve comment as they are not behaving in a way, which I think, justifies taking seriously. The problem with that is that these people hold our cash in their hands and are spending it like water on our behalf. Oh well! That's my life affected and nothing I can do about it. The same applies to all of you. I am beginning to feel quite uncomfortable with this "democracy" thing. it's OK as long as common sense rules, but when we are governed by idiots it is hard to know what to do to govern the governors.
As for those protestors dripping with blood, on BBC CTV yesterday - Grrrrrrrr! I saw no police dripping with blood! I am pleased about that, but why was the need felt to beat the living daylights out of a selected few "innocent (according to law as they have not been convicted)" people who don't like being governed by idiots and feeling unheard and/or ignored by their MP's?
I want to be clear about this. I have always supported the police, but on the only occassion that I went to a rally of like-minded protestors, to expose Parliament's contempt for humanity, we, very few people, were suddenly, noisily and agressively, penned in by police in a manner, which was most certainly designed to generate a natural "fight or flee" reaction. Fortunately, the group conserned was more than sufficiently intelligent to resist nature and remain calm (if terrified) and wait for the aggressors (the police) to settle down. At that moment I lost all remaining faith in the London police, in crowd-control situations. of course, they one the day, in that I dare not go to such a protest event again!
Wednesday, 1st April 2009
I am going to compensate for a busy day by posting one picture of work and the rest of our livestock, which have nothing to do with, that which has been, a very busy day.
As usual everybody is alway welcome to telephone.
Tuesday, 31st March 2009
Many thanks to customers for overnight Ferguson tractor manuals orders.
We are expecting a visitor today around 1:30-2 for a few hours. Mark was going for more paper this morning, but I have just increased the order, so he will collect Wednesday now. No harm there and it saves a journey.
We produced some proofs yesterday for the RNLI's lopcal boat crew. They are having a fund-raising event next month with "Nashville Numbers", a Country Music Band. It should be a wonderful evening, at the Happisburgh Village Hall (The Wenn Evans Centre), with a bar, food and all sorts.
In between print jobs this afternoon, we have cleared the patio and tidied up after the winter, ready to entertain alfresco. Added to that, we have celared some wood into a pile for the chucks to sift through for bugs and weeded between the paving slabs. We now have guests!
17:00 gone
We think we shall spend an hour or so sitting outside in the evening air, enjoying the peace and watching the fish and the chickens over a light beer ow two.
I believe that later, there is to be a TV programme about who killed the electric car". That will be of interest to me, if not Mark. I recal rumours, several decades ago, and disbelieved them at the time. now we may find the truth of the matter.
Monday, 30th March 2009
Here we are then! Monday morning at 8:15am and orders for 3 Tractor books and 1600 self-adhesive labels. That's a good start! Keep them coming!
Mark has been signed back to work from Thursday. That sounds like a good thing to me. Any longer and he would, almost certainly, go quite mad, with boredom.
Sunday, 29th March 2009
Never waste a good recession!
Yesterday I spent some hours cleaning and fettling the Tillock. It doesn't look much different, but my hands don't go black when I pull the lever or turn a screw now. Even white paper stays white.
I hope that nobody minds if I say that weekends are really boring! Will someone please phone with a taxing problem to solve? I really do not understand why everybody seems to wait till the get to work to use the office phone. I'm here all weekend!
Nuf of that moaning! I have at least, had the time to do more work on the Tillock. It is now ready for a little expenditure on the gas plumbing. And! We have really enjoyed an episode of Scrapheap Challenge, in which one of the teams built a steam-driven paddle boat (the engine was built from scratch). It was truly GREAT! The steamer only lost to the Diesel because the valve-timing was held together with (Blue Peter) sticky tape. Had the switch been screwed down, it would have been a wonderful race! The Diesel must have been 20-40HP and the Steamer was about 2-4HP, so it was a very well matched race. They did say that it was the 1st electronically controlled steam engine (in this case a microswitch controlled the inlet and exhaust valves, driven by solenoids). That is not strictly true. For one thing I worked on one with Thames Steam Launch Company many years ago. It is all known technology, so, surely, we cannot have been the only ones to have done it?
Saturday, 28th March 2009
The first thing to do this morning is to invite Mary & Mac over for tea at some time that it's convenient to them.
Yesterday!
100 tri-folds for Lessingham Village Hall
Now that is a better day's work!
Today a Workshop Manual. and handed over the Lessingham trifolds to Steve.
Thursday, 26th March 2009
Mark was doing very well last night. With typical brass he insisted that we spend an hour at The Hill House last night, where he was met with the expected awe at his stowick resolve and bravery.
Many thanks to Steve, who helped me dismantle the Tillock yesteday, so that I could bring it in. Actually he is very like Mark and would not let me do much of the lifting or mechanical work. With two of them round me, I didn't get to actually do much for myself, which I was rather looking forward to. I am begining to know what it is that people with disabilities are on about, when they say they want a modicum of independance. Shhh! Steve! I'm not moaning, Just learning. I mean it! Thanks!
I guess a jolly good clean-up and maybe a paint job - to keep the work clean - would help now. I just wanted to make sure it was all there - and it is, more or less 1 side-lay.
Mark has gone into work this afternnon, to show that a heria operation does not have to lay a person low for weeks, provided they work at it. He won't be working today though! The Hill House Inn, for whom he works is keen that he does the right thing and rests up for long enough for him to be fully repaired in time for the Summer Solstice Beer Festival, at the end of June.
Wednesday, 25th March 2009
I think Mark has been surprised at the extent to which he has been temprorarily disabled by these hernia operations. I have left him in bed this morning. He is showing no signs of waking. If my similar, but not as extensive, op. a while ago is anything by which to go, he will be out of action for a fortnight, in terms of driving and getting around the house and maybe quite a bit longer in terms of pulling pints. Mind you! He is a determined chap, so we'll see! For now he cannot lift a pen to paper.
For my part I am hoping that some of the jobs I am hoping for will turn up soon, as we could do with the income. I also hopw that the next orders for tractor books will not be long in coming. There are usually one or several in the last week of the month!
I am expecting a gent. to come today about some books for the, newly independant, Walcot Flood Devence people. That's a charitable freebie. I am also hoping the new (150 years old) Tillock case-blocking press will arrive today.
Tuesday, 24th March 2009
Mark is home and, whilst extremely delicate, at least he is almost talking - between laboured breaths. I don't think he will be lifting anything or pulling any pints for a day or several. At least he has a smile on his face!
Monday, 23rd March 2009
Right then! That's Mark ensconsed in his hospital bed and me alone for the next 24hrs.
On our way we did go to see some monotype type-casting machines, which are for sale locally. Fascinating!
Sunday, 22nd March 2009
I started the day with a nice little order for Ferguson tractor books, to go to Australia. They are ready for the post on Monday morning. It being the last week of the month, I am hoping for more order for these books this week, as seems, most months, to be the case.
Mark has, very kindly, cleaned out the heat-sink on my PC's processors and the PC is now running much more smoothly. Thank you Mark!
I have had a email from a printmaker who also has an Imperial blocking press. i hope we will have a chance to speak on the phone soon. He has a number of questions about letterpress, with a view to expanding his studio. I need to engage in conversation or else the email exchanges will go on for ages and I would still not be able to advise him, without being sure of his intent and possible options. There is such a wide variety of variables to take into account!
The chickens are laying 2 or three eggs most days now, so spring seems to have sprung and we hope the grass will soon rizz. That will cut down on food requirements a little, as will the birth of some new insect life; for the girls to eat. I am very pleased with the cockerel now. He is even daring to eat from my hand without biting. He is becoming a very biddable bird, without the vicious nature of his father.
the fish in the ponds have begun to take food, as the temperature rises. We rerally do feel that spring is nearly upon us. We have passed the vernal equinox, and things begin to look much brighter again. No more getting up in the dark for me! BST starts next Sunday morning. Hoorah! I have to admit to being a proponent of British standard Time. I am not too keen on BSDT (double time in the summers).
Mark is due in hospital about noon tomorrow. So bear that in mind please. I may be unavailable for a short time around then. I think he is due home in the morning of Tuesday. that is another time that I may be unavailable for an hour or so. Then with mark off work for a week, recovering, we can get on with some serious work here, at home. I know that Mark is planning to prepare the groundwork for the printing for The Hill house Inn Solstice Beer Festival, whilst he is off work.
I have found a low filing cabinet and placed it near the other iron hand presses, ready to mount the Tillock. Having all three together will be a good thing. I have a fine 3-shelf trolley (I really don't know what else to call it), which I use for papers and inks, for feeding and such like. That will roll very nicely between the presses, I rarely use more than one at any one time.
I some ways I would quite like to have the iron presses in the same room as the 4 different digital presses, as that would make a handsome contrast. However, the digital presses need to be with my, big, PC and that needs to with the scanners. There would not be space in the room which houses the iron presses for all that as well as Mark's PC, his vinyl cutter, sublimation printer and hot-press. Added to that, it is handy to have the finishing (laminators, drill, folding, cutting and creasing machinery and binding machine) and pre-press (guillotines etc.) equipment in the room next the the digital presses. There is certainly no way we could put any of these things in the same room as the UV exposure units, vacuum frames, plate and film-making or dark-room equipment. The comp.-room is out in the garage already, so that can't do much for us. Anyway! I like the peace out there when setting metal type; apart from the fact that is is very well lit, just where the copomsing frames are sited.
The one thing that I am beginning to get close to having to admit is that I could do with a small (I have no real idea oif small would do! Mt feeling is that A3 would be the smallest that I could get away with and I really hate the modern litho process, with a passion. In fact, one has to wonder why they call it lithography when there is no sign, whatever, of a stone.) litho press. I thoroughly hate the idea and will only do so if truly pressed - if you'll pardon the punn. The one lithographic process I might be persuaded to entertain is actual lithography. the type that actively employs a sandstone rock as a printing medium. I heard of one the other day and find myself sorely tempted. Other than that, the nearest I would want to go, would be colotype. It does not use stone, instead it employs a glass plate coated in an egg albumen sensitised gelatine. The clever thing is that one achieves a very nearly contiuous tone image from continous tone film. This process seems to have been overrun by printmakers. I really don't see myself as a printmaker. For me they are predominately artists, whereas I see myself more as an artisan craftsman printer. I really don't have the creativiy of an artist!
Saturday, 21st March 2009
I was just reading one of the wbs sites of a author's society. They start off by warning that we printers of Print on Demand books are only after the author's money. Well! Erm! we do expect to be properly paid for our work. That seems only fair. What seems to be the cause of the antipathy? No doubt someone will let me know.
For my part, I will be happy to print a book - or several - on demand (subject to copyrights). That's how I earn my living, I'm a printer! As to any attempt at rip-off? Why would I do that? Paper this much, Ink this much, Trimming so much - labour soem other much. price agreed. job undertaken. I really cannot see the problem. Happy days!
Am I going to set up signings and other promotions with books shops all over the country? No! Why not? Because I'm not charging so to do! I'm charging toprint such books as customers order. I also undertake to pay the royalties demanded by the author, each time I sell a book. That seems only right too. I understand that there are people out there who would want someone to promote the books they have written. Just in the same way as I want my printing business promoted. Indeed! I understand that there are publishers out there who will undertake such a task for authors. This am not such a business. We are here to turn an idea into reality. The specialist salesperson for that product is a salesperson or the author themself. Seriously, if an author can find a publisher to do the marketing side, no doubt they will do so. We are not here for those authors. We are here for the authors who know full-well who is going to buy their books, and is perfectly capable of directing those reader to us, to have them printed.
Oh! We do not restrict the rights of the authors to their copyright; that remains with the author. We only undertake to make the publication available to would-be buyers who seek it out, on behalf of the author. Maybe this is an unusal kind of arranegment. I just fail to see anything wrong in it.
I suppose that I am coming from a place of having written a few little books myslelf, and published them for myself, quite happily. They are of limited interest, so I don't expect to sell them by the thousand, but I have sold them by the dozen; and been pleased so to do.
Friday, 20th March 2009
As the end of another week draws nigh, we await delivery of a 19th century Tillock gas-fired blocking press to supliment the book-binding equipment. We hope that will turn up on Wednesday. Where, exactly, we are going to erect the Tillock, I am unsure. That is something which shall have to rest, gently, in my mind for a little while. My real worry is that Mark will have been chopped up (hernia op.) by the time it arrives, so it will be a so and so to get erected in place. I shall have a struggle lifting even the basic frame, with the rest dismantled, on my own and Mark will not be lifting anything heavier than a bag of sugar for a few weeks.
The press below is the Imperial letterpress machine we have (the picture was taken after it had spend ages in a damp garage. It has been cleaned now). You will note that the Tillock is of a different type, based on identical design. The Tillock has a gas burner in a print-head, in place of a platen. Then the bed does not run out in the same way as the pletterpress machine and does not have the folding timpan either. The Tillock is specifically designed to gold block the covers (or cases) of books. These presses, of around 10" x 15" (Crown Folio) were much faster to "fly" than the larger like the 20" x 30" (Double Crown) Albion, below. Some 300 impression per hour were said to be achievable by one small boy. I don't suppose you would get much in the way of quality at that speed. I have tried it and, whilst it is certainly achieveable, it is very hard, very fast work. My best is 200 per hour on cutting jobs, which require no time for inking.
I am sure you all know that we also have this Albion Iron Hand press by J Marr and Co. of much larger dimensions, for bigger jobs. This machine is of very similar design the the, smaller, Imperial (the differences are important, but not huge). It is said that a team of 2 young men, one to ink the type or block and one to impress and postion/remove the paper (presumably the older lads, who had, earlier in their training operating the smaller presses) could print up to 200 per hour on this press in it's heyday, under the watchful guidance of a Printer. No doubt the Printer would watch a number of such presses, each operated by lads of varying sizes, according to the sizes of the presses they were using.
It must have been an amazingly industrious sight to behold. Especially when you think that at one time, this was the only way to produce books with large amounts of text; the type for which was all hand-set, letter by letter, by skilled compositors. These letterpress presses were also used for hand-bills, newsletters, flysheets, posters, as well as indulgences for the Church; until that went out of favour. All three of these presses are from the mid 1800's. The earliest, to my knowledge so far, is the Imperial at from 1858. The J. Marr Albion is 1863 and I do not yet know the date of the Tillock gas-fired blocking press.
Printing presses were built in fairly large numbers following the lapsing of The Licensing Act from around 1694, which had effectively controlled the spread of printed knowledge since 1643. All osrts had abused the powers of that Act and it was one of the most powerful ways in which democracy was clawed from the depths of despair. It seems a shame that we are regressing, so quickly! It's almost as though no-one understands the meaning of the word, any more. It is far more complex than any definition I have heard in reply to the question. With freedom comes great resposibilty and high expectation of good behaviour. When that expectation fades and is replaced by legal obligation, democracy begins to disolve. In our case, it is now being swept away in tides and torrents, im my view!
The other item due to turn up any time is a new A3 document scanner. Our old A4 scanner has performed faultlessly, but A3 is now the thing of the future for us.
Mark is booked in to have his operations on Monday, at Great Yarmoth. I plan to leave the phone staffed, but it's probably best to wait until I get back if you want an educated answer to anything on Monday morning.
It is worth mentioning that TyvekTM wristbands are well and truly on the list of products available here in full colour. Most sellers can manage printing in one monochrome colour or another, We can print in photo quality colour on this difficult material, with ease. We charge only 9 pence each for them. and our minimum order is a, poultry, 8 bands.
I am still waiting to hear from my "poet" customer, for whom I am soon the print some peotry books.
I am also still wishing another gentleman well, who has written a very improtant work on the subject of time keepers. He will know himslef if he reads this. I have his cases and stand ready to bind his books.
We were expecting to receive some artwork and wristbands from a company who would like a sample ofwhat we can do. I rang this afetrnoon to tell them they had not arrived and learned that they have not yet received the artwork from their artists.
We have sent "bubnny" proofs out 1st class, for wedding stationery, this morning.
Wednesday, 18th March 2009
Mark has been to the hospital today to get his pre-surgery check.
This evening, we have printed 500 business cards for The Limes guest house at Catfield in full colour one side and black on the reverse.
A sample of pink card/paper has arrived with a customer to select for wedding stationery. We now only await their approval of one kind of the other (or maybe even a request for something different) so that we can go ahead with that job.
Regular readers will notice another string to the bow on the web site, with the vinyl cutting on it's own page now for signs.
I'm currently bidding on a new, larger (A3) scanner. We await the outcome of that.
Meansbetimes, Mark is cutting the cards to size for The Limes guest house at Catfield. We print them 10up. then we shall box them in 100's, ready for collection tomorrow.
22:53
23:55
Monday, 16th March 2009
Welcome to monday morning!
At 7:40 this morning I ordered paper and card for collection tomorrow, for trifold handouts for the Hill house Inn, and for printing my books. I have enough in stock for 4 manuals, which I guess will be more than enough till tomorrow.
Over the weekend I have had orders for two Ferguson combined workshop andparts manuals. 1 has been paid for by Paypal and will go out 1st class this morning and the other customer is sending a chheque, which no doubt, will arrive in due course.
I have also begun work on 5 invitations to a wedding for a couple who have designed them, using a pair of rabbits in a delightful piece of art-work. I am just waiting for the couple to decide on what paper and card they want.
I also wrote a little article for the Foilink trade magazine, which should come out in the next issue.
22:11
I have heard from my wedding stationery customers, by e-mail and replied, just now. that's all going ahead well!
Sunday, 15th March 2009
Minimum price for alcohol
I do have sympathy with publicans who feel they are competing with cheap supermarket booze; but there is something much more important and fundamental to consider .....
For poor people, raising the price of booze will mean that they can afford less food and shelter. Alcoholics will not drink less just because Government ups the price of booze. They just steal more, eat less, live an even worse quality of life with poorer nutrition and die earlier. All in worse squalor. All the legislation in the world will not change that simple truth. I'm not suggesting that it be subsidised - Heavens forbid - Just don't try to force a living breathing human being to do your will by withdrawing simple sustenance and shelter - YES! FOOD & SHELTER! Not booze. Food comes second to booze for an alcoholic. Alcoholics can't help that!
What about stopping children from becoming alcoholic? I here you ask. Then look after your children, if you must have them. Prevent shops selling booze to kids. Control who your child is with at night and give them something to look forward to coming home to. They're YOUR children! You deal with it!
This is another case of the lunatics running the asylum This move is just plain ill-thought-through! It displays a complete and utter lack of understanding of the problems that face the people of the UK. It makes it look as though we are being governed by idiots! Oh! come to think of it, we are! We are electing parliamentarians on the basis of 'what decision-making process' exactly? It sure as heck isn't their intellect! "I am the man behind it all. I am the man responsible"."The Responsibility" by Peter Appleton Just as I am for the bomb, the tax system, the monetary crisis, the constant attacks on foreign combatants by UK soldiers, the incredible lack of housing and the homeless in the UK, shortfalls in NHS recourses resulting in the withholding of life-saving drugs and services, poor roads, pollution, lack of care for the elderly, pathetically low pensions etc. .............
Have a look at this page on the Liberal Democrat website. Even they can't get this one right!
On the subject of pensions,
Now who’s the crook? If I ran a a private pension company doing that, I'd be banged up! Once again, hang on! It is me, and you and you and you .... We vote for this trickery and tom foolery! Yes we do have a choice. There is always a choice.
Saturday, 14th March 2009
Credit
Now we are finding ourselves quoting for jobs, being told that our prices are good, and yet not seeing orders result from some of them because we do not extend credit to our customers. Sorry people! It works both ways. We are providing a good service, at low cost (else our estimates would not be acceptable) and we have achieved that by doing it our way. We hate to loose work opportunities over this. it is very upsetting, but we have talked it through at length and the decision has been made to stand-firm. In short, we are not a money-lender, we are printers!
We would encourage everybody to join us in our stand against credit. When you consider where the money comes from to extend credit, we must all understand that it has to come from the end user. The customer! The ordinary Joe in the street! These valued individuals cannot afford to be paying us to borrow money or to lend it. Every darned thing we buy has an element of cost built in, which goes to pay the bankers! We know people who are loosing their homes over credit, It's that serious! Tough it out with us, people! We will all be the richer for it in the end!
Credit cards
General suppliers
Manufacturers
Shopkeepers
Banks
Money lenders
For goodness sakes! Let's stop this in it's tracks, NOW! Be brave and bite the bullet!
Thursday, 12th March 2009
Woopie! I have a new keyboard. Wow! It is so different to the old one! That's to say that it works, so much better. Unfortunatley my fingers haven't learned that yet, so I'm still all over the place. I really must do some of those touch-typing excersises - when I get an hour or two.
Mark and Steve had a good day on the 9NAN yesterday. There was a lot of clanking and banging, all the day long.
Mark also mounted and set up a press for me, in the same room as he has his PC. That will improve output a bit! The latest one that's going on my PC could have come yesterday, but didn't, so might come today or tomorrow. That's all down the the carriers (I've decided to stop trying to spell courier as it sounds French). I am very hopeful of a delivery today, I have so much to do and so little time in which to do it. yesteray the chances (certain assumtions accepted) were 33:66 against me. Today they are nearer to 50:50. That sounds like an improvement to me! Hopes are raised in the "ready to dash" position!
Later
Wednesday, 11th March 2009
I have had a hard day on the arithmetic front! I have completely failed to read numbers correctly and have ended up embarrasing myself. At any event, I have apologised to the parties concerned and now must put that behind me.
I am awaiting the arrival of a new machine, and I don't know whether it will be delivered today, tomorrow, or Friday. I feel as though I am wishing my life away. Hmmmm!
Mark & Steve are working away in the garage on the 9NAN Mark has in. I am just printing out the book they need, to get on with what they are doing.
Tuesday, 10th March 2009
My telephone headset arrived this morning. Woopie! Now I can talk to my heart's content and wander from place to place around the building as I want. I can get on with work, or make myself a cup of tea, just as I choose. Above all, no doubt the pain in my arm from holding the phone to my ear will subside in a very few days.
I had another enquiry about TyvekTM wristbands this morning. I wonder if any of these will turn into orders? If they do, we might have to order yet another machine.
I am quite keen to look into other products that need to be printed on TyvekTM, to see what we can do to help folk who find short runs a problem. ANbody who has anything to suggest, is welcome to telephone.
Monday, 9th March 2009
I love days like yesterday!
I've got another press, for Tyvek, arriving in the next few days. That shoud allow for more production. After yesteday's calls, I am expecting demand for full colour prijnting on Tyvek,TM to oncrease a little over the next few weeks. I have another press lined up to order, some time in about a month's time.
Sunday, 8th March 2009
I wonder why I get so few calls at the weekend? Surely everbody must know I am open as usual, every weekend?
One good thing about that is that I can get on with some important chores. Today I have been adjusting the web site metatags. For those of you who don't know, but would like to, metatags are a means by which search engines find web sites. They are short lines of script which guide the search engines, but cannot be seen on the pages.
Saturday, 7th March 2009
We had a very good day, yesterday!
We produced and posted a Ferguson tractor combined workshop and parts manual, 50 brochures for Opies ... The Stove Shop, 3 proofs for Uniprint and 75 Wedding Invitations, ready to go this morning when the postman comes.
Later
I can tell I am beginning to advance, slightly, in years now. I have just completly failed to take a photograph of a gold foil and colour business card to post here. I shall have to wait for Mark to get back. I really have tried pressing every button on the camera a number of times, and the best I can achieve is something very out of focus. I can see the thing try to auto-focus, and then flash. out comes a grotty, fuzzy mess! Never mind. Patience will out!
later still
Additional investment in specialist machinery to print TyvekTM products
we have, today, bought a new machine, dedicated to the prnting of TyvekTM wristbands and other TyvekTM & other polymer low-melt polymers, for clubs and other venues' security as well as specialist (especially outdoor or wet) packaging needs. This is an an added string to our bow, which we hope will bring in further turnover and revenue streems, by investing in the most medern of technologies. There are very few printers in the UK who know how to do this and we are proud that, once again, we are at the forefront of a developing market.
There is little doubt that, becuase we do not borrow from the theives and bankers, to fund fascinating and exciting projects like this, we will experience a short period (estimated to be about a fortnight) of stress. If we had borrowed the huge investment in this, instead of saving and paying cash, we would be scrimping for ages to come. As a direct result of our policy of saving up for the equipment we need to earn our living, we have already done the scrimping and have only the good times to follow. We urge this policy on all busiiness in the land. In the mean time, we urge our exisiting and loyal customers to continue to use Catseye Press for their printing needs, so that we can surge forward, helping people to experince decent quality, specialist printed products, at competitive rates into a strong and exciting future. For us, the printed word is one of the most exciting things mankind has ever invented, and we want to continue in it's growth and expansion. That even include the Internet as a printing medium!
P.S.
Friday, 6th March 2009
I just popped out to the post at 15:00 - 15:09hrs and missed a call, number witheld. Please call back?
Thursday, 5th March 2009
Mark and his helper had a wonderful and very full day, yesterday on the Ford-Ferguson 9NAN in the garage. He seems rather pleased with progress.
I completed a proof of Wedding Stationery for the Mr. & Mrs. D. and that is going 1st class this morning. The materials did not arrive until half and hour before the last post (well, actually, there is only really one, but the morning collection is sort of extra to save me going to the post office with the big parcels, which will not go into the post box). That should arrive in the morning with the customer.
I also have an order for our friends at Opies ... The Stove Shop for brochures, printed on A3 art paper.
My guillotine blade is due back tomorrow, so that will be a relief! It arrived at the grinding company at 11:00hrs yesterday. This is a company called North Shields Grinding and they provide fantastic quality and brilliant service.
We are negotiating to buy a three pahse invertor, for the new guillotine, as well. That is a very expensive business! How I wish it were a single phase motor!
I had 2 large boxes containing Ferguson workshop manuals, parts lists and instruction books go out in yestrday's post and I have opne more waiting in the wings for the guillotine blade to come back. I sincerly hope that will make Friday's 4:30 post. If not it will have to go on Saturday morning. I have, of course, spoken with the customer.
Wednesday, 4th March 2009
Yeaterday I produced a Ferguson tractor workshop manual, this morning I am producing another the same, a parts namual and a plough manual. and a High loft Loader Instruction Book and a Diesel Tractor Instruction Book.
I am hoping for a delivery of paper and envelopes for a Wedding Stationery order, so that I can produce a proof of that to go out in the post as soon as possible.
We have had enquiries, for which I have quoted for a local election campaign's leaflets and other work, a run of "specialist" calendars for the lifeboat crew's fund-raising campaign and we have finalised things for our preparation for the Hill House Inn Solstice Beer Festival.
Mark is going to be working on the Ford/Ferguson 9N, in our garage today. The hope is that a friend will help. Mark is pushing on with this as he is booked for his hernia operationns at the end of this month and will not be able to do much, once that is done, for a few weeks - at least in terms of lifting.
Monday, 2nd March 2009
I have sent my portable headset phone off to be replaced. It has been playing up lately and has been a bit annoying. The nice people at Plantronics say it is still under guaruntee, after nearly 2 years. What an amazing service! Do give me a couple of minuites to get to the phone, sometimes. I am not always at my desk, contrary to popular opinion. That's just a function of being able to answer the phone, whilst working at a press or even eating a meal at the front of the building. The phone is at the back of the property, in the hot foiling and engraving room, with the most powerful of our PC's (the iron hand presses and fabric printing equipment, with the vinyl cutters and smaller PC's, is at the front) and it's no mean dash, when one is in a hurry to get to it to answer.
The next thing to get fixed is my keyboard. I have been promised one, which is due to arrive in a day or so.
Sunday, 1st March 2009
Crikey! It's March!
Friday, 27th February 2009
I just had a call from More Than car insurance, telling me that my car insurance is up for renewal, and offerring to quote. First, where disthey got that information? Secondly, it's not accurate. Then we came to the truly dodgy bit! They announced that in order to quote they would have to do a credit check on me. I sent them off with a flee in my ear. Not that I have anything to hide, but why would they need to do a credit check scheck for a payed-up-front transaction? I'm fed up with this country! I really am!
I have completed the proof of the tractor picture for my custmer in Scotland. I must ring next to sk when to send it.
Just t backtrack a bit! It's bakers and insurance gamblers that I find the most untrustworthy of professionals, in this world. Why would I want to trust them with my personal information? If an insurance salesman wants to know my credit rating, I am bound to want to know why. The reply I was given was that it is automatic. WHAT?????
Forget you not that it was only a few months ago that I was complaining that the MEt Police wanted me to get involved ina 'volutary' schem, whereby I was to do just such a check on all my customers. Remember my answer? I said "NO"; and very forcibly too! This is the way it's going, good reader. Beware, be afraid! Be very afraid! Something is going (or has gone) very wrong in the country and I don't know what it is.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Licensing_of_the_Press_Act_1662
As of right now, I am not in the mood to check for typos.
Wednesday, 25th February 2009
We have changed a consumable in our big printer today, which last for 150,000 pulls. That gives us a good idea of how many we have printed since we bought it.
Tuesday, 24th February 2009
An interesting combination of Ferguson tractor instruction books went off to Devon this morning. If I were to make deductions from the order, it would go something like this "Here we have the owner of a Ferguson TE20 (originally a Continental engine),
which has been concerted to Diesel using a Perkins engine and is fitted with tyre tracks, is in a rush to lift the sugar beet, which is very late in (indicating a broken down modern tractor), followed by an urgent need to cut wood for the household fires using a Ferguson cordwood saw". Of course, I am not Sherlock Holmes. so I can be certain that is all wrong.
Yesterday's post did not bring the things I need to try printing on glass, for the first time, so I rang up and they said, again, all was posted days ago. I wait on!
In the mean time, I continue to print for fun as I wait for orders. I have quoted on a few jobs, though. I think Mark is going to Norwich today to collect some paper. I am not sure yet, as it is early for him (07:50hrs). mark needs some more business cards, which I can foil this afternoon.
I have been on the phone this morning to the manufacturer of one of my machines. they are sending over some special Teflon lifejackets, which I can use in a foiling process, which I have been using. It should improve production rather a lot.
Mark is, by now in Norwich, where he is replenishing stocks of several cards and papers for me.
You will also see that I have slightly altered the header in these pages, changing the links on these pages to 2 rows, in order to spread them out a little.
This morning's post brought a beautiful painting of a Ferguson FE35 from Colin, which I am to use to colour-match for some folded cards, for a customer in Scotland. This delightful original, painted by an, obviously very talented, young artist, is to be the key to the front of these cards. It is always difficult to print from a scanned image, without the benefit of sight of the original, to match. The customer has to be applauded for the superb, hand-made packaging use to send this, clearly valuable, work of art, through the post, by special delivery. computers are not really so good at interpreting the details of images like this. They are inclined to differ from the original in terms of density and other elements, despite all the information being properly held on the software file, ready to de-code using the human eye.
It's now 10:00am and I am ready for to take the first pull on Colin's picture for the first comparison. I will keeep you informed.
I finished work at 2pm, weiry with consentration. Back tomorrow!
Saturday, 21st February 2009
Our advert in Cosmopolitain Bide came out today. I am now watching the stats to see if it has any effect on the web site and I am, as usual staffing the telephone; today with extra intest in the type of calls which come through.
I am grateful for a call from 1 customer, who has just recieved his Ferguson tractor Workshop Manual. He sounded very happy with it in every respect. It was good to get some feedback on the Ring-bound edition in the new box ring-binder.
Thursday, 19th February 2009
No doubt regular readers will have noticed the addition of even more pages to this web site. I hope it all encourages you to remember us when you need printing.
I have produced a good batch of little books for Sparex. They seem to be selling weill, especially the ones that Mark and I wrote about repairs to various parts of Ferguson TE 20 tractors. These include the electrics and the carburettor and governor.
I have also printed and despatched a few workshop manuals. I am surprised at the sheer numbers of ring-bound manuals I am printing. I always thought (and still do) that the hard-bound coffee-table edition is the best. I have had to order more covers for the hard-backs and more ring binders for the others. They are expected to arrive in a day or three and I have plenty in stock for now.
Other than that, all I have done since I last wrote is 100 business cards and some compliments slips. Mark has printed a few Tee Shirts for a pool team. They seem to like those! Oh! And he hs also printed a couple of little heart-shaped purses for gifts and a couple of special-design Tee Shirts for individuals.
We have been looking into printing on glasses (pint-pots for a start) over the past few days. Now there is an interesting challenge!
I am expecting a call tomorrow from scotland about proofs I sent to a customer a few days ago. One of the things of which we must all be aware is that if a picture comes on a disc, in PC format, if I haven't got the original, against which to compare the result, I cannot colour-correct. That's why, if that's the way we are doing it, I always send proofs, till we get it the way the customer likes it. That can sometimes take a few shots. The key is always to talk! Thank goodness this customer is a very, very nice man! Tee Hee!
We did go to see a very fancy Xerox printer at a local open day. It's very impressive, and very fast. The speed is stunning and the quality is as good as that of the machine I have got here. One funny thing is that they are marketing the vitually the same (rather slower) engine as mine under the Xerox name. It's a small world!
Whilst in conversation today, with a friend of mine near London, I discovered that she had seen a printing press, back in 1961, which could print in full colour, by a similar process used today by the most advanced digital presses, which wikipedea states, was not invented until 1973. She saw it whilst visiting a US military base. They were using it to print maps. How is it that the military are always 10 years ahead of the rest of us, even when it is the taxpayer who funds them? It would have been almost worth joining up to play with they're new toys. If only they would stop using hem to kill people at my expense and in my name! Grrrrrrrrrr!
Talking of funding, G.B. seems to have started printing money! Off we go again then! Not to worry! We all got through the last Gvt. muck-up so no doubt we'll get through this one. I wonder where all the money goes, when they get up to these tricks? I suspect the bankers get it. What do you think? Don't answer that! I know the answer.
But I have to ask the question, "what does he think the printing of additional paper (actually, I think they inferred on the news that it's digital) money will achieve?" It seems they are simply sending the bankers a few billion here and there, by electronic transfer,to top them up, without actually having the reserves to support the transactions. I'm with Clarkson on this. I'm sure I don't need to repeat what he said. It was emblasened all over the news and appeared on the face of it to be spot-on accurate. Why Clarkson was made to appologise, escapes me. Maybe they'll make me appologise next. Now let me think? Am I entitiled to my opinion any more than is Clarkson? Erm ... I dunno! Vote Lib Dem!
Sunday, 15th February 2009
OK, so fairly major changes to the web site today.
Nothing much more to add really. It's Sunday after all, and that little lot has taken all day.
I'm still here to talk on Sundays though!
Saturday, 14th February 2009
Since last writing I have printed some proofs for some gorgeous personal stationery (with a customers' own delightful original artists image), to which I want to add one more card-type for which I am waiting. I have produced a Ferguson tractor Workshop Manual and an Instruction book and I am designing and printing some business cards.
As far as the proofs are conserned, I am hoping that the customer will opt for the mould-made card. It is of the highest quality and just oozes high stands. I have embossed a pair of initials in one corner, which looks and feels quite wonderfal and adds an extra level of personalisation, which is rare these days. There could never be any doubt who sent this card. It would stand out from amongst all others.
3:04pm
We shall have to see whether the customer thinks the difference is worthwhile.. I certainly do. But then I love quality stationery!
Monday, 9th February 2009
I just had a marvelous chat with a gentleman about Ferguson Cordwood Saw. He has just bought it and needs an instruction book. The exciting bit was carefully leading him through paying using Paypal. I understand that Internet payments can be a bit worrying for anybody who has not used it before. He did, of course ask if it's entirely safe. I had to say no, but that it is very safe, just not 100%. Nothing is 100%, in the world. A bit like my typing.
Anyway, he has paid sucessfully and his book will go with the postman 1st thing in the morning, all being well.
I posted some books to a customer a week ago and I have not yet recieved payment. I must remember not to do that again, even though I know this customer will not let me down, but they obviously don't understand that making me wait hurts the old finances.
Saturday, 7th February 2009
This morning started with 100 A5 flyers for a local Cab company.
Then I altered the www.fergusontractor.co.uk>web site to include a picture of the new lay-flat protective ring-binders for the Workshop and Parts Manuals for Ferguson TE 20 series tractors.
Now I am writing this. See you later:-
Later
Thursday, 5th February 2009
WARNING!
Yesterday's Ferguson tractor Workshop Manual order is ready for the postman to collect in the next 1/2 hour.
All other orders have already been despatched. None are outstanding.
I have had a phone call this morning form a Workshop Manual customer, who has a few problems. He is not getting fuel to his carburettor. He has fitted a new carb and a new fuel bowl, but no filter on the fuel tap. I suspect that the tap has already bunged up with grot from the fuel tank.
The worst of it is that he has taken the head off and taken it to be serviced by an engineer. Sadly, the engineer has tried to exptract the lead plug in the head and cracked the head in the process. Now the owner needs a replacement head, so I have suggested that he asks Dave Garner, who's phone number is 01553 828 330 or Patrick Edwards. A full list of suppliers for used spare parts for Ferguson TE 20 series can be found at www.fofh.co.uk/yellowpg.asp
Wednesday, 4th February 2009
Diabetis
I sent off samples of TyvekTM wrist-bands yesterday to Club King. I know the boss there is about to go off on holiday for a month, but we will have to see what he has to say. I am just waiting for a quote from the company who make my cutting formes to tell me how much it is going to cost to set up the perforations. Double Sided tape is due here today. I could be up and running in a couple of days. The forme/s will probably be about £100-150, if I know my stuff. I just need to decide whether to go for 19mm wide bands or 25mm wiide bands. Can anybody think of any other application for me to print TyvekTM tear-proof paper? Answers on a postcard please (Make that a phone call, if you don't mind). Just bear in mind that it retails at 50p per A4 sheet abd £1 for A3.
They are suggesting that they make it illegal to ski without a skid-lid! I think skiing is unwise to the point of stupidity (except for legitimate travel needs), but I will defend, to the hilt, the right of anybody to do it, with or without a helmet, as they please.
This morning it is raining here, so it is very overcast. non-the-less it was light enough to go out without a torch, if anybody could brave the rain, at 7am. There was definite light behind the cloud at 6:15. Hoorah! As soon as it's light enough to go out before the blinking dog-walker, who are at it at 6:30, I can start my walks again. I just don't like it when the mutts run up to me growliing and yapping and the owners tell me they're only being friendly. Growling and showing of teeth is not a display of friendship!
I printed 20 copies of The Legendary Ferguson LTX Tractor, The Big "Fergie" Story, by Erik Fredriksen for Friends of Ferguson Heritage yesterday. They will soon have them on their shelf. They have been in my bookshop for some couple of weeks now. I also sell a hardbound edtion, which is £15.00, but very smart!
My telephone headset has been playing up for a few week now. I hope to recieve a replacement today. That should solve the problem of customers' voices fading to nothing mis sentance. I have to say that his headset is over 4 years old and Plantronics have been very helpful in their attempts to help me to solve the problem.
I am also expecting new ring-binders for my Ferguson tractor Workshop Manuals today. These are coming from Viking-direct. We will have to see how well they go down. They are actualy slightly dearer than the hard-covers, but I hope they will be a better option than the simple display ring-binders used so far. I have raised the price accordingly. I have one outstanding order for a ring-bound workshop manual and that will go in the new binder at no extra cost. I hope the buyer likes it.
Mark did more preparation for re-starting the restoration of the Ford/Ferguson 9N he has here for a customer. He hopes that he will start work on it next week. The space is now clear and benches set up all ready to begin. His plan is to work on it every Wednesday now until it is completed. The next stage in the job is the cleaning (and repair where necessary) of hundrds of parts, ready for re-assembly.
Tuesday, 3rd February 2009
Politics first
I had an e-mail for the Lib. Dems. this morning. I didn't realise that our esteemed Government are pushing the Identity Card on more and more people. They are using the usual 'voluntary' thing as they do with so much else. I only hope that those who think the whole plan is harmless and useful, are also aware that at the same time these ID cards are being introduced, Government is also intioducing other volutary schemes, the like of which require that people like me conduct a financial investigation into people like them, before doing any printing for them. Yes! That's right! it's true! Just voluntary for now, but sure to become part of the plan to licence all printers, elecricians, plumbers and so on. You will never again be able to do anything for yourself without first becoming properly qualified. If you allow it, it will serve you right! I have warned you all! See http://www.homeofficewatch.com/2009/01/31/id-card-creep/comment-page-1/#comment-4965. If you want to help to solve this problem, do surf to http://www.libdems.org.uk/noidcards/ and sign.
My telephone headset has been playing up
Advertising
back to politics for a moment.
Thank you Derek!
Monday, 2nd February 2009
Is there enough anti-freeze in all your engines? The forcast says it could yet get colder.
Where insurance is compulsory, as it is on the roads, look after your no-claims bonuses. the crooks always get it back from you, with profits. A payout is never free!
The chickens shuddered dlightly, when I opened up 1st thing this morning, then politely declined to come out to play and have not layed eggs for 3 days. Bah! I fed them in their little house, in the end, this morning.
It does seem to me that Monday mornings, are usually quite busy on my web site, but this morning is much quieter than usual. Surely my customers are not waiting till they get to work to surf my site and when, like this morning, they are delayed or don't make it in, due to weather, they don't surf from home? I know it's a long time since I worked for an employer, but surely folk don't surf, privately, on company time, do they? It really does look that way from here! Fascinating! Of course, whilst I know how many people are surfing, I have no way of knowing who it is and where they are (well! I do know if they are in the UK or abroad). This morning, so far, I have had 13 Americans, 2 Swedish and 8 from the UK. Last Monday, I had :-
Last Monday at www.fergusontractor.co.uk we had:-
Weekends are always quieter. That's my point. It's as though people are much more inclined to visit our web site from their work computer.
Saturday, 1st February 2009
Pinch and punch for the 1st of the month
Saturday was very quiet, but I awoke this morning to an order from Australia, which I have printed and will go out 1st thing in the morning (Monday), if the postman makes it in this rather chilly and somewhat white weather (raging blizards).
Oh! and I drilled some photocopies (for fixing into a ring-binder) of a rather wonderfull book this morning for a local customer. I had the privalage of seeing the original. Ooooh! Hand made paper! Letterpress printing! Really remarkable quality work!
Political stuff
But the problem starts off small and grows and grows until disaster strikes with the inevitability of the passing of time. Why is it that if a man has the space to accommodate 20 chickens, he feels the need to squash 25 into that space? The answer is that he feels that he could live better and raise more screaming bratts, on the profit from 25 chickens than he could on the profit from 20 chickens. Sadly, when there is, sure as eggs is eggs, a glut of chickens, the price goes down and no-body profits. The man who was happily selling his 20 chickens at £1 each, is now only getting 75p, so he now needs to grow 27 chickens to maintain his living standard. The next thing we find is that his chickens develop some sort of disease, brought on by the over-crowding, and the supply of chickens dries up. Whoosh! Up goes the price of chickens, so that no-one can afford chicken. Then all the chicken-producers go bust and start to grow sheep instead. That's the end of sheep-rearing as a living then. And so it all goes on.
Well now! Here we go with the price of oil. You all think "I know, I'll save up for a pension for my old age". Good idea, in itself. But the person with whom you save you money then rushes off to invest it in a way, which he hopes will earn him a profit over the interest he has agreed to pay you. What's more, he is looking for the greatest profit he can get. HUGE profit! Rich investor! “Great”, thinks he. He invests in oil, which is, as yet, in the floor, in some Arab nation. It's oil that Mr. Arab will dig up next year perhaps. When it come time to sell the oil that Mr. Arab dug up, so that the chap who is saving for a pension can heat his water and his home, it's so expensive that he cannot afford it. You may think that the solution is simple. All we have to do is to cash in our pensions to buy the oil. Sorry! Most of the rise has been creamed off by the futures investor. Not one jot of profit has been made by the investor. Not only that, but the investor has to pay taxes on the apparent profit he has made. Tax does not take inflation into account. Now the poor investor IS poor, as he cannot even afford food and water, let alone oil.
I think I have said enough about the useless third of society for now. It's starting to feel like we have no control over our own destiny. Read again another day to find out how we can regain the control over our lives that we so desire! But for now, here's a clue. I suggest that nobody borrows money from bankers! They are in the same clubs and think the same way as the futures marketeers.
Do we really think they didn't understand what they were doing? These are the people who's university education we have all been paying for the past few decades. If they don't understand, they are either daft or they have not been listening in their lectures. I really don't know which it is, but I have been ranting on about it for ages, and no-one in authority has been able to, either, see it or stop it. I don't know which, but it is as clear as the nose on my face.
Ooooooooh!
Friday, 30th January 2009
January 2009 can go down as the month we learned to print in full colour digital on DuPont Tyvek.
Wednesday, 28th January 2009
It's funny how things go. Folowing a fairly boring day, yesterday, Mark was due his day off today and had to go into work and I have printed several ring bound Ferguson tractor manuals. That's kept me busy most of the day. There have been a combination, Workshop and Parts Manual, two Workshop Manuals and a single Parts Manual.
I am still awaiting the arrival of samples from Germany and from the UK of a new tear-proof paper, which I can use in my digital press and the new web-foil printer.
Web sessions served in the past month are 4166 from this web site, totalling 99 hours of browsing. The www.fergusontractor.co.uk web site has had 11890 in the same past month period, totalling 352 hours of browsing. I guess that leaves me browsed for a grand total of some 451 hours over the past month. What I wouldn't give for £1 for each hour!
Tuesday, 27th January 2009
I had a very enjoyable vist this morning from a man who has had a Ferguson tractor workshop manual and parts list. As he arrived I had a telephone call for exactly the same order, from someone else. That was a busy few minutes!
Monday, 26th January 2009
My first job this morning has been to print a Ring Bound Ferguson Workshop Manual and Parts list.
Then I rang round my family and had a chat with most of them. My sister did not answer, but everybody else is fine.
Next I must drill this book, and fit it to it's ring-binder.
I think the next thing I might do would be to make a plate for the foiling press on the new (well, not so new, but new to us) vacuum U.V. light box. It will be a matter of doing test strips to discover the correct exposure times on the new equipment.
19:48
OK
I was a bit dissapointed with the post this morning, and got bored because it didn't bring a cheque I was expecting (allowing me to get on with the job to which it relates), or samples of 2 different kinds of paper, whch I am looking forward to playing with. I like to print stock, which is considered difficult or impossible to print on. That's my hobby. I just love printing - and Ferguson tractors!
Saturday, 24th January 2009
The first job this morning is printing on Tyvek. This is always a fun challenge, as Tyvek is very heat sensitive and most of the processes I use involve heat. Of course, letterpress does not! These Tyvek wristbands are for identifying payees at conserts, and other events.
12:16
14:02
Friday, 23rd January 2009
So! We are finally in recession!
I see myself as one of that nation of shopkeepers, about which we are all told during childhood.
For the past few decades we have been trying to keep-shop in competition with huge businesses, which are constantly borrowing to the hilt, in an effort to undercut us ordinary shop-keepers and to drive us out of the market. They have been spending what I call "funny money" to offer 'lost leaders' and all sorts of discounts, incentives and inducements to customers to buy grot. Yes grot! Yes, I refer to Reggie Perrin! I suspect he understood better than most, what these big businesses have been up to.
Now, with all these mighty monsters going bust, the poor people they employed are going to be desperate. They are going to be verging on hunger. Hunger drives people. People get up and do something for themselves when driven by hunger. There is a good chance they will begome shopkeepers themselves. They might even make, grow or mend something in an effort to earn a real living. Making, mending and growing things is the only real way to live for the benefit of others around you. Let's do it! The people of England are very good at it!
I'm printing. I need an ink-maker. I would prefer one who is making ink in England. I don't know of any. The ink I use is made in Germany, as far as I know. Come on England! Offer me ink!
I need a paper maker! I don't know of a paper mill in England which makes proper, top quality, low cost paper any more, least of all do I know of a paper manufacturer who makes some to the hi-tech papers I need in this modern market. Go on England! Make me paper!
I need my blades sharpening! I am pleased to be able to report that I use an English engineer to grind my blades.
I need a foil-film maker. Once again! They are not making the stuff here in the UK. It's all imported. Would somebody please start making foiling film in England?
Finally
Today's printing
17:09hrs
Thursday, 22nd January 2009
I had a checkup at Norfolk & Norwich Hospital today, relating to Obstructive Sleep Apnoea. I was passed as a good patient who is responding well to treatment, and will be seen, next, in 2 years time. In the mean time, I keep up with the treatment. Works for me! Thank you NHS.
Here's a quote from BT, which will affect our business. Well done BT! And not before time. They are, however, increasing the charge for this service, but only a little bit.
Make FREE calls to 0845 and 0870 numbers.
Other than that, a quiet day - so far!
Wednesday, 21st January 2009
Today is Mark's day when he doesn't go to The Hill House Inn, Happisburgh at all. It's the day that he gets to do things that he wants to do, for himself. A sort of a day off!
Today Mark has begun the assembly of my new electric guillotine, in my finishing room. Then he has installed a new vacuum light box in my photographic room, for exposing positive film and photopolymer plates and, finally, is now erecting the Taylor-Hobson engraving machine, which will engrave metal plates, with which to produced embossing and foiling plates.
What for me is a side-effect, and for him is the main purpose of the excersise, is to clear the garage of my machinery, in order that he can get on with the Ford 9N tractor, which he is restoring for a customer. Indeed, he took the job on before ending his tractor-restoration career, before we ever moved here. I know he is very keen to get this job under his belt and the tractor back to it's owner in new, gleeming condition.
In the mean time, I have been printing wrist bands, for use at events, to identify vititors who have paid their entrance fees. It is fascinating material, which has a tendancy to melt when it is hot. It is a sort of tear-proof paper, which is made of plastic filaments, rather than wood fibres. All very high-security! I can already print on it in one colour, and hope to be able to print full colour versions of short runs, soon. By short-runs, I guess I am talking up to about 2000 sheets with 9 wrist bands to the sheet, totalling up to some 18000 wtist-bands per job. I am equally happy to be printing as few as 9 wrist bands at any one time.
I have just had an order through for a Ferguson TE 20 series Workshop Manual, a Ferguson Rear-Mounted Mower Instruction Book, a Ferguson Diesel Tractor Mainenance Book and a Ferguson Diesel Tractor Instruction Book. I hope to have those in the post in the morning.
Here is our very first ever little engraved plastic item.
It's 19:20hrs and I'm just printing a laminated poster for The Morley Sculpture Society Annual Exhibition, at which our friend, Belinda Opie is exhibiting.
Tuesday, 20th January 2009
Here's hoping all goes well at the US Presidential inauguration later today.
Today's first little bit of news from us is that I have printed a Ferguson mouldboard Plough Manual and an Earth Levelling Blade Instruction book, which are ready for the next collection by the postman.
Mark has been planning to print Security Event Wrist Bands for this year's Solstice Beer Festival at The Hill House Inn. This had led to more product developement. Until now, short runs (up to about 1000) of these has been pricey. We now seem to have the problem licked, so that short runs should be almost as reasonably priced as normal and longer runs. I hope that by the end of the week, we will be offering short runs of event security wrist bands at excellent prices.
Our advert for Cosmopoltian Bride is now in and should be seen in the march-April edition, due out some time in late February.
I have increased to pressure on my compressor today, to it's rated maximum. That is no bad thing as it will enable me to foil larger areas, whillst not compromising safety one jot. I downgraded it when I first had it, as I was not using it to it's potential.
Monday, 19th January 2009
Just as a matter of curiosity, the Government are talking about lending more money to the bankers, so that they can lend it to the public. Hang on a tick! Who is funding the Government? We are! Are we? I think that this time it's the children who are doing it (although I'm not sure that anybody asked them if it's OK with them to spend their earnings before they have even started work yet). Am I right? Are we borrowing from children, some as yet unborn to restore an economic system we have messed up? Errrr! Don't forget folks, "we are the ones behind it all, we are the ones responsible".
Here's something else I don't quite grasp in this 'sub-prime lending losses' matter. If the borrowers failed to pay their loans back, surely the properties then got re-posessed by whoever was holding the risk? Then afforesaid risk-holders get to either sell, lease or rent out the properties. Where's the loss there then? Are we being conned into lending billions of pounds to banks that will then lend it back to us at a vast profit?
On a lighter note, here is the advert we are thinking of posting in a bridal magazine next month.
IMPORTANT NEWS FOR TRACTOR BIFFS
Sunday, 18th January 2009
The building, here, has been a-rumbling now for a couple of days. The cause is this little lot on the beach:-
You will notice that the grab is almost twice the height of the surveyor, and , no, they don't just grow small surveyors round here. This machine is lifting rocks 6 x 6 x 6 feet (ish). It's massinve. The whole area shakes, as in an earthquake, when it drops one.
Friday, 16th January 2009
Mark has been signwriting a trailer for our friends at Opies ... The Stove Shop this morning. Here is how it is coming on:-
Thursday, 15th January 2009
I doubt that there is one amongst my readers who doesn't know that I am addicted to cigarettes. Tuesday morning I tried a new toy. It's calles The Electronic Cigaretteand comes from http://www.theelectroniccigarette.co.uk. It's two full, smoking days, later now, so here's why I bought it and what has happened so far.
In my opinion, the legislation imposed on us by The Labour Party and other Members of Parliament is unnaceptable. I deny giving them the right to do it and I hate them with a passion for doing it. As a result, I work from home, where they cannot stick their dirty noses, thus denying them business rates and I visit the pub less often, thus denying them booze revenue. They can consider themselves punished.
Yes! I have tried quitting, and that leaves me feeling dreadful, and failing to quit. I hate failure! It also left me heavier than when I started to try. In my case the health implications of being over-weight out weight (so-to-speak) those of smoking.... for now.
I bought some electronic cigarette. so that I could visit the pub and smoke inside, without having to go outside in the cold, wet and wind for a fag, when I want one and so that I don't get so irritated during conversation, when I need to smoke. I woke up cheesed off on Tuesday morning having had a bad ight at the pub on account of this nonsense and the electronic cigarettes arrived with the post Tuesday morning. I had a go, so didn't need a fag, just then. Then I kept puffing at it, and before I knew it , it was 8:30pm. At 9pm, our friend, David, turned up and we went to the pub to try the thing out (frankly I expected bunch of ill-informed, bigotted, idiots to tell me off for smoking inside the pub. I thought I was ready for them! ACtually, inside, I was quaking. As it turned out, no-one commented. Well! It IS Happisburgh, where the men are men and....!). Mark was due to finish his shift at 10. It was busy, so he didn't finish till very late and we came home, happy. I woke the next morning having, virtually, not had a fag for a whole day.
I lit up as normal Wednesday morning (albeit a little late, for me) and thought! Hm! This tastes a little tarry. SO I puffed on an electronic cigarette. Mark and I moved a load of stuff out of his garage, we erected my small, iron, Imperial hand press next to the J. Marr and Company Albion hand press, moved the bandsaw into a more suitable place, in the building and had a generally rewarding day. I also printed some 'compliments slips' for the wholesale suppliers of our blank Tee Shirts. The big point is that I didn't have a fag till 11:30pm, when I wondered how it would taste. Suffice to say that I didn't much like it, had one more electronic cigarette, before going to bed.
I did recieve some more paper samples yesterday. It is a highly exclusive paper, with a deckle, which is made to the most amazing and wonderful standard. It still lacks a little in 'size', which is what prevents ink from bleeding into the paper, so I have asked the same manufacturers to send me more samples, with more size in the pulp mix. This sort of paper is often used for watercolour painting, and may be better suited to the specialist printing processes, which I use. Not that the paper I use at the moment is lacking, rather that I am always seeking to better my best and to extend my range.
Wednesday, 14th January 2009
Suffice to say that I have started the day, this morning, on electronic cigarettes and have no desire to smoke the real thing.
I would like to think I could get a second guillotine set up today, but Mark will be out and it is very heavy, so maybe not! We'll see. Cripes! It's 08:15. Cup of tea anybody?
If I correct any typos, it will be much la'er.
Tuesday, 13th January 2009
This morning the postman brought a packet containing Electronic Cigarettes. These are intended as a substitute for the real thing, whilst in public places. After about 20minutes, I have to say that I have yet to be convinced, but shall persevere.
I had an evening out lst night and, frankly, didn't enjoy it much. I was forever having to go out in the pouring rain and howling wind for a fag. I really do hope this electronic cigarette thing solves that. The problem is that everybody seems to talk nonsense when I'm not smoking. Yes! I can see full-well, that it is likely that the problem is all (or mostly) coming from me, but that doesn't make it possible to socialise sensibly when withdrawing from smoking cigarettes.
Moving on to another subject!
As I see it, it is we, the electorate, who have led them to this. Each and every one of us would benefit from the understanding that they think they are doing the will of the majority; and may well be, in fact. As an example, I listened last night to a man who defends us against the smoking legoslatiom , because it has affected his trade and defended new legislation prohibiting us from wiring a plug socket in our own homes, because he considers himself to had the necessary knowledge, time and money to obtain the required qualification. BAH! I suggested that his arguments seemed inconsistant and he retorted (after first suggesting that we agree to differ) with an accusation of lunacy in a very derisory and agressive manner. Mark, now, will not discuss anything with me which is along this line of thinking, and those people, who's opinion I respect, in the pub seem incapable of conversation on these matters without being hurt or degenerating into abuse. Frankly, I am pained, because I see this sort of subject as being amongst the most important, before the English nation, today. I need to develop my thoughts. If there is no-one with whom to discuss the problems, the thinking stagnates or may even set in a shape which is patently wrong, for lack of sensible excersise..
Later
Apart from that, it has been a fairly quiet day, with a fair amount of thinking, but not very much doing. I did print an invitation in silver on hand made paper using a toner-transfer system, which I had thought might be difficult, and it was not possible. They have not used any size at all in the manufacture of the paper, so the toner is drawn deep into the fibres, leaving none on the surface to which to attach the toner. I have ordered an alternative.
The other thing about the hand-made paper is that I have made better quality paper myself, even when I did it in my kitchen sink. They seem to be doing the same thing as some modern letterpress printers are doing and accentuating the flaws in the paper-making process in order to establich that it's hand-made. It leaves me wondering where the real tradesmen are these days? But then again, I can see that the public will be looking for those flaws and if they saw well made, hand made paper, they may not know the difference between that and good machine made paper. It's a funny old world!
Saturday, 10th January 2009
Giid grief! Is it Saturday already?
This morning I have been printing boxes for wedding invitations.
Thursday, 8th January 2009
This morning I have printed some more brochures, which we are now trimming and collating for our friends at Opies ... The Stove Shop.
I could do with an item of household furniture, strong enough to use to mount an old iron hand-press weighing much more than Mark and I can lift together, but sufficiently non-industrial looking for our living room. I need to set it up to do box-making jobs. The area and height need to be akin to that of a small office desk. If anybody has such a thing kicking about and needing a very abusive home, and is local to us, please let me know.
First let me thank Belinda and John Opie for pointing the following out to me when they goot home from a walk or bike-ride:-
I've just returned from a brief look at sea, and they are unloading a huge barge of rocks onto the beach for sea defences. It is fantiastic to see such skill in managing a 2000 ton craft to the beach, working the tides as they must. If they were to get the timing wrong, they could be in awful trouble, so the skills required have to be top notch! Marvelous!
This afternoon, I have printed a WOrkshop Manual and Parts Manual Combined, ready to post out in the morning. I am about to start printing a Tractor Instruction Book, which I intened will catch the same post.
I still have 5 Workshop Manuals destined for Germany, ready to despatch.
Another, fascinating costing excersise, I have been doing, is for little glossy boxes, some 1 3/4" cubed and printed in colour for an established customer from Covent Garden (I'll put the URL here when I know it). I am quite excited about that little job. They will be shape-cut on one of my 19th century Iron Hand Presses after printing on my top of range, modern digital press.
I have arranged collection of the five manuals to Germany. The postman will collect the Instruction Book and the Combined Workshop and Parts Manuals in the morning. my next trick is to get some books off to Norway....
Opies ... The Stove Shop collected their brochures this afternoon. Many thanks John!
Tuesday, 6th January 2009
No-one currently has to wait for delivery this year yet. It seems that most customers have 'got their orders out before they've put them in', to parody a poem on the wall of the printers' at which I served my apprentiship.
Monday, 5th January 2009
PETER!
I have an appointment at about 10:30 and I have to travel to it. So, please call me after 11:30am GMT or before 9:15am GMT.
Today the Weddding Stationery thing goes live. That is the appointment that is so important that I have to be away for a while.
12:40pm
Upon my return, I found a repeat order for 500 compliments slips for the company from whom we buy tee shirts and then for 5 Ferguson Workshop Manuals for export to Germany. That kept me busy for the rest of the day.
My appointmnents with wedding stationery outlets (1 locally and one for The Midlands) went well, now we wait to see tangeable results.
There is now a price calculator for the wedding stationery at the bottom of the 1st page relating to that product range.
I also have an enquiry relating to little boxes for packaging gifts. I have offerred my quotation and it seems to have been well recieved. I hope that new paterns will arrive in the post tomorrow, from which I can have cutting formes made to make some more box designs for general release. At this stage it's about adding strings to the bow and about widening the product ranges available. for instance, I intend to be offerring genuinely three dimensional products including wedding stationery and promotional items. You will be aware of my pyramid desk0calenders; well, now we will be able to go several steps further forward in developing ideas around that sort of thing.
Saturday, 3rd January 2009
PETER!
Sorry I missed your call. I didn't hear the phone. I have been trying to find your e-mail address for days. Thanks for the chocolate! Please phone again. +44 (0)1692 582 292
Wednesday, 31st December 2008
Happy New Year everybody!
Tuesday, 30th December 2008
Well now, let me tell you a story! We have had 107 hits through our wedding pages since I put it up yesterday. I had a phone call yesterday afternoon from Matt and Kerry, who were given the date for their wedding in the morning and saw our web site a few minutes later. They came over late afternoon and have already decided on a style, type face, silver blocking and our gorgeous embossing for their stationary. They have now gone away to make up their guest list and I expect to hear back from them either later today or tomorrow with their order. Congratulations, Matt and Kerry!
I had my latest order for a ring-bound Ferguson tractor Workshop Manual and Parts Manuals, whilst I was out last night and they left with the postman this morning. The 100th hard-bound-edition Workshop Manual is still up for grabs.
Later:-
Monday, 29th December 2008
They say that no sector is secure against the 'current financial crisis'. Well! Here's one that is better off than most. We have no debt hanging over us at Catseye Press. Our equipment is all paid for, we owe the banks nothing and we have sensible stocks of inks, paper and card. I have just paid for our web sites for the next year up front, our power is paid for in advance, as is our telephone bill. For once I feel very financially secure.
That is not to say that we are rolling in cash because we do not overcharge, we don't have to because we don't have credit interest to pay all the time. What you buy from us is only our materials and our time. With other businesses the customer is the one who ends up paying the cost of borrowed money. Not so with Catseye Private Press! You don't have to pay the bankers to buy your printing from us.
So! Here we are, back at work after he Christmas holiday, wishing all our customers a very Happy New Year.
We have not wasted the holiday period either! We have completed developement of the new range of wedding stationary, to add to the other vast rage of printing we do normally and we still have our unsurpassed range of books relating to Ferguson tractors and their implements at www.fergusontractor.co.uk
Sunday, 28th December 2008
Thank goodness some people will be back at work tomorrow! I've got so much to do. The best thing is that the paper merchants will be back. I need to order some more card. I only have enough left for about 500 invitations.
Yes! The Wedding stationery range is up and running! We have a fantastic new range of the most up to date options. This year, the fashion is going to be to go for the kind of quality that has not been seen for years, but with a modern touch.
Nothing is impossible now, and prices are so fair!
Boxing Day, 2008
Did anybody see Dr. Who yeasterday. We recorded it, but transmission was late so the last few minutes were lost to us. What happeened at the end please? PLease telephone to tell me.
Christmas Day, 2008
Happy Christmas
OK, I know this is a commercial web site selling printed wares, but I type it and I really do wish all my customers and friends a wonderful day. I'd hate to forget the personal element of life, just because I work for a living. I strive to keep people in mind at all times of the year.
You know I often make political remarks on here too. Well, today is the most important day in the calender to remember goodwill to all mankind, and that must include the polititians, however silly I think they may have been over the year.
Of course we have no idea of what date in the year God came amongst us in human form, but it is my belief that He did and that in so doing He first showed up the failings of humankind, which is, after all, His creation, before demostrating His fogiveness at Easter, when he showed us 'the way' which He would like us all to follow.
I see it as no bad thing to fit all that snugly into an annual calendar, which we can use as a method by which to keep us alert to His grand plan for us all. I hate to bring up anybody's failings, but unless we each remember, privately and for ourselves, what it is for which God forgives us, we never know the extent of that forgiveness. In the case of the Christmas story, it begins with Mary finding herself relagated to a stable, in which to give birth. In my case, as with everybody, it's beyond measure! But, "there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus"
Thank God
I'm going to be running Mark into work this morning and then coming home for the most part of the day, Then I hope to join him there in the late afternoon, at which time we will begin our Christmas celebrations. We shall have lunch together, with our friends, and be home in time for me to raise a glass, last thing. I am rather looking forward tho this year's Christmas Spaecial of Dr. Who.
Christmas Eve, 2008
Mark has slipped out to the Post Office to post 50 inserts for a book of poems by Dave Sheppard.
Various things arrived here this morning pertaining to the launch of our new range of Wedding Sationary, still intended for the 1st of January. I just realised that that's a Bank Holiday. Well! I suppose we are not a bank, so that'll be OK then.
Mark has delivered the last of the Tee Shirts he has printed for people for Christmas. They all seem to have gone down very well.
It's worth a reminder to everybody that when payments are made by Paypal, following standards suggested by Paypal, I always despatch to the Paypal address.
For those of you who don't get a manual for Christmas, and I guess there may be quite a few, I have loads of stock to print them. The next one out is number 100. I would love to print that either this year or on the 1st of January. I'l try to remember to date it as well as numbering it.
Later (about 7pm)
Mark is due back from work any moment now. He is working tomorrow lunch time, then we get the rest of the day together.
Tuesday 23rd December 2008
I posted another Workshop Manual off this morning. That was number one of the ring-bound Workshop manual only edition.
I am just about to get on to a supplier of a new gold blocking printing machine for ribbons as part of the Wedding Stationery project.
I have also ordered cutting formes to deckle the edges of invitation cards. They are going to look great!
The next Hardbound edition of the Workshop Manual is nuumbered 100. I sold the first on 23rd February this year. I am delighted with the interest in these books. They really are the mainstay of my little business.
Monday 22nd December 2008
I know I've been a bit quiet for a few days. I have been busy printing Ferguson tractor Manuals and preparing a new range of Wedding Stationery for launch on the 1st January.
So! Anybody wanting to get married next year needs to contact me for the printing for that very special day. Obviously I will be doing Civil Partnerships as well as weddings.
Be sure that I will continue to do the Tractor Manuals I have always done, but that I am just adding a very special, additional, range to my repertious.
Monday 17th December 2008
POST
Everything else
From now onwards, all Ferguson tractor books are to be packed in plastic, before shipping, double wrapped, in cruciform boxes. That's why the postage has gone up to the next price range. We are now well over 2kg for a full Workshop Manual. For those who have asked family for a Manual for Chrsitmas, I have printed 2 for wives and 3 or 4 for other family members. Out of all those who have told me that it was their intent to ask for one for Christmas, that's about 10%. The rest of you are more likely to get books on other things, like DIY home-maintenance.
I am staggered not have been asked to print much in the way of Christmas cards this year. Not that I'm into them, myself, but loads of people send them and you could all have had your own design, had you asked.
For those of you facing uncertainity in your jobs over the coming months, if it were me, and it has been, I would act now. There's a raft of cheap machinery on the market as the big boys find they've got their business models wrong, with their impersonal, mass-production services and are having to get out. Coming is the year of the independant business! Coming is the time of shop-local and sell with the lowest possible overheads. This is the year of the people who work from home in their own simple, honest, straight forward one-to-one, customer-centred, independant business. At last! Businesses that care! If you only do it to top-up your ever-shrinking salary, do it! Do it now!
I have, for years, been fascinated by the way larger businesses and organisations refer to independant traders as fly-by-nights, bodgers and other silly and derogatory descriptions of one man bands. I know it's a defense mechanism, to preserve their market against honest competition, but we now know that even the huge banks are not playing it straight. Only the little one-man-band is being honest, because one dishonest stoke from him and the whole community knows and his reputation is lost. Until the banks all went bust, everybody thought going bust was something that only happened to SME's. I'm saying it can happen to any business, but it's more likely to happen to the big boys. The trick is not to borrow vast sums from the banks and money lenders! Then there's nothing much to loose.
Credit and debit cards
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all!
Saturday 13th December 2008
From now onwards, all Ferguson tractor books are to be packed in plastic, before shipping, double wrapped in cruciform boxes. That's why the postage has gone up to the next price range. We are now well over 2kg for a full Workshop Manual.
I am staggered not have been asked to print much in the way of Christamas cards this year. Not that I'm into them, but loads of people send them and you could all have had your own design, had you asked.
For those of you facing uncertainity in your jobs over the coming months, if it were me, and it has been, I would act now. There's a raft of cheap machinery on the market as the big boys find they've got thier business model wrong, with their impersonal, mass-production services and are having to get out. Coming is the year of the independant business! Coming is the time of shop-local and sell with the lowest possible overheads. Coming is the year of the people who work from home in their own simple, honest, straightforward one-to-one, customer-centred business. At last! Businesses that care! If you only do it to top-up your ever-shrinking salary, do it! Do it now!
Saturday 13th December 2008
I have had no orders for printing since Wednesday.
There is no posatal service in several important places on Friday, so please order before TUESDAY if you want your books before Christmas!
I heard today that there are 6.4 billion people in the world. The planet, we are told, can sustain 1 billion. Work it out!
If we knock it down to one child between each couple, then their children do the same, it all comes right again. then we can all have 1 each again. Someone else can have one for us.
Wednesday 10th December 2008
I have three Workshop Manuals and one Sales Manual going out in the post tomorrow morning. We now have about 9 days left to order for Christmas. The most recent Workshop Manual I have printed is numbered 98, so number 100 will be any time now. I will put a note up when number 100 is sold. Remember though! The next one is number 99. of the Limited Edition Silver-Grey Sets, I have sold 3, so number 4 is the next to be printed.
Anybody who wants an owner's name or tractor serial number printed in their book is welcome.
Now that I have printed all trqctor manual orders, I am going to get on with developing my new range of wedding sationary. I had some wonder samples of special card turn up today. This is getting quite exciting!
Tuesday 9th December 2008
I have been printing Workshop Manuals for Fergson tractors for ages now. Nobody has ever told me that they would rather have a ring-bound version till yesterday and Sunday. Well, I do listen!
I am making ring-bound manuals available from today! I will print them on white gloss 115gsm paper. The price for the Workshop Manual will be £45.00, for the Parts Manual, £22.50 and for the combined Workshop and Parts Manual, £65.00
For a little while I have been making a bit of profit shipping little A5 booklets and loosing a bit posting Manuals. I have adjusted shipping prices accordingly. International shipping is still a problem, so I will continue to adjust them as needed, once the order comes through.
I am very much looking forward to response on these new Ring Bound Manuals, as I was a bit shocked to hear fom 2 different sources in only 2 days that I have been loosing sales because these ring-bound products were not on my list. I have to admit that I like the hard-bound version far more than the ring-bound versions, but the customer has to be king on these matters. You can have your ring-binders. You really are very welcome. I will still prefer the hard-bound versions.
As to pricing of these books, I have wrung my hands over it a bit. I don't think they are worth as much as the hard-bound books, but they cost me almost as much in materials and will take more time to produce. I have reduced the price for them, but with reluctance. I still claim that my books, either hard or ring-bound, are the best on the market! It's all in the quality of the printing!
If anybody wants to make a suggestion regarding the printing on the cover of the ring-binders, please give me a telephone call. Two or more folk with the same suggestion win the day. Otherwise I will use my own judgement.
Christmas Last Post
It's the 20th December for 1st class UK delivery, so you've got 9 days. Please give me 1 full working day to get your book in the post for you. My postman collects at about 10am and these books take me about 2 hours to produce. They are all printed on demand. If you are concerned, you are welcome to telephone to check that I can get it out for you.
Monday 8th December 2008
Over the weekend I had a call from a buyer of my manuals. He expressed concern that when he opened the package, the paper in the books had a "wave" in it. It is my guess that this must not be an isolated incident. This morning I have been on to the paper merchants and have their guarantee that the "wave" will settle out provided that the book is not left directly over a hot radiator. They cannot promise how long it will take, and say that it could possibly, be as long as two months. That, they say, will depend upon how deep the air-borne moisture has gone into the paper and upon the relative humidity of the room in which is it kept. Paper is made of natural fibres, which will expand and contract with changes in temperature and humidity. At this time of year, they leave here flat, and are posted into a damp vehicle and may even be in that vehicle overnight. The paper may absorb moisture from the surrounding air and will then change shape. Since the book is of some considerable bulk, the damp will only get into the outside edge. The paper then expands around the edge, whilst remaining as it left here in the middle. It is probably not just a function of travel, which must exacerbate it, but also of any difference between the fairly dry air in my print rooms and the different (but by no means wrong) humidity of the air in a person's home. The "wave" that results is an inevitable function of that difference in relative humidity within the book. It will even out and stabilise in due time.
Sunday 7th December 2008
I have spent most of the past few days working on a series of sets of wedding stationary, in readiness to offer this product as part of our normal range. It's staggeringly complex, what with all the different styles, type faces, card types, databases of guest lists and loads more besides. I hope to be ready to launch in the Spring.
In the mean time, I have some excelent orders for Ferguson tractor books and have some more brochures nearly completed for our friends at Opies ... The Stove Shop.
Wednesday 3rd December 2008
I had not realised how long it had been since I had written on this page. Sorry all!
I have printed the 1st three Limited Edition sets of Manuals and I have printed the covers for the Workshops Manuals and am now warming up the press to print the covers of the Parts Manuals and Sales Manuals to match. No doubt those 1st three orders will leave here tomorow.
I had a day off yesterday, as I was tired and a little irritable. It's never good for me to work when I feel like that. I usually work every day of the week, so I feel perfectly justified in having the odd day off in a month.
Mark is off with Steve to Hertfordshire to collect an electric guillotine, to replace our hand rotary model. That will be a lot safer and much lighter work. I hope it will also be a little more accurate - not that te old one is bad, but any improvement is always a good thing. Not having to wind the thing 8 huge turns for every cut will be a real luxury. Many thanks to the man who has given it to us. He has also given us a gallery camera, which will improve things in the plate-making department; alnog with a larger replacement for our little vacuum frame/exposure unit. Woopie! No doubt photos will appear as they become available.
Lest you forget
And finally
Friday 31st October 2008
Today I have brochures and printed staff shirts going out for Opies ... The Stove Shop and brochures also going to Belinda Opie for her exhibition in Pall Mall
On top of that, I have two Workshop Manuals ready for the postman, in the morning and one of our little Maintenance Books on how to repair the governor and carburettor on the spark ignition Ferguson TE 20 series tractors. Finally, for today, Mark has taken away 100 Tri-fold leaflets for delivery to the Hill House Inn at Happisburgh, where he now works.
We have here a Trade Magaine for The Print Industry, which has done a write-up on the type of machine I bought a few months ago. They describe it, in rough translation, 'Looks like an office printer but the similarity stops there', 'Wolf in sheeps clothing' and 'The future of short run printing'.
I have been nagging the chickens, for ages, about laying eggs. Mark found a huge clutch of them this afternoon under a bush in the garden
Wednesday 29th October 2008
For most of this year Mark has driven a wonderful Jeep, which he has really enjoyed. However, it is a simple truth that it uses a great deal of petrol and is not one jot green. Mark knows that and has faced up to the fact. Today he is getting an MOT on my old Vauxhall 1400cc estate car, with a view to changing to that as his general run-around. In the mean time, I have been using my electric bike for most of my journeys and borrowing Mark's Jeep if I need to go further than the electric bike's range or my comfort zone (rain etc.)
Yesterday, Steve arranged for me to be given a 1969 Morris Minor Travellor, by a friend of his, who was letting it go due to it gettting very little use. Thank you Steve! This rather suits me, whilst I am using the bike for the main part, because with free Road Fund Licence, I pretty well only get's to pay for the miles I do, which are very few. It seems daft to pay as much for Road Fnd as someone doing 50,000 miles when I am doing less than 1000 miles a year. Even the Insurance is distance-dependant regarding price. 1500 miles a year is the lowest option, which can be raised in stages as far as I like, seems very sensible to me. Mike Chamberlain at Cherished Car Insurance (telephone 01252 713 148) covered my Ferguson TE P 20 Industrial tractor for years and is a very helpful and honest chap. He is now going to be insurinng my Morris. His prices are fair and he is a very helpful and honest chap.
Driving the Woodie home was a wonderful experience. We meandered sedately along the road, with familiar exhaust note, which only a moggie can produce, with a huge steering wheel grasped in hand (designed to give leverage in the absence of power steering), The simplicity of the controls is such a joy for someone who rarely drives (you know? Where's the windscreen wiper switch when blinded by the plash-back from a puddle, how do I turn the lights on using the Christmas tree of sticks from the column etc.). Yes, I am sure it would do 70 or more at a push, but now I have an excuse not to. I hate travelling at speed, and folk can now either overtake or travel behind with a similar excuse, if they prefer. The Morris McM is not expected to tear around the place. It looks the sort of gentile utility vehicle that an ageing excentric might drive! I quite like the idea of being seen as an ageing excentric!
I'm not going to say "I told you so" about the cold weather. so let's move on from there.
Back to ecology for a moment!
Talking of debt!
Saturday 25th October 2008
for all vehicles.
anything outside or in a shed which may have water in it or on it
outdoor water pumps.
Thursday 23rd October 2008
I am a bit confused. I have a few orders, which are unpaid. They are from Ireland, Australia, the USA and England. I have tried e-mailing the customers, but have had no reply or only an initial reply to say they want to go ahead, followed by me making a PayPal payment request. All these came in within days of each other, the IP addresses are completely different, so there is no connection between them that I can see.
Anyway! Just to say that your books are all here, ready to send out by e-mail when you pay.
For those of you interested in Mark's latest escapades, see him at this web address
Wednesday 22nd October 2008
So far this morning I have foil printed a few hundred business cards in Green, Blue, red and gold foils. They all look really very taseful.
I have also seen off a pile of boxes of Ferguson Tractor Books of various titles.
I am looking forward to my first order of books for printing and publishing. I can print any books in A4 or A5 portrait. It is best if the author types them up on a PC, so that I can pop them into my machine and do the layout work. Then we print a few for the British Libray and others and issue an ISBN. They can then be produced on demand as buyers want them. They will go on my web site, where buyers can obtain them over the Internet. Royalties are then sent to the autor, direct.
Tuesday 21th October 2008
Mark has been into Norwich for me to the paper mercant's. He has brought home another 10,000 sheets of paper for the Ferguson Workshop Manuals and Ferguson Parts Books. It is a new type, which is even nearer to the original paper used back in the 40's and 50's. I may be able to get another 10,000, buut then it is likely to run out. The mill has ceased production. Paper of this type and quality, they say, is no longer in demand. However, let's make hay whilst the sun shines. It's wonderful!
I shall now be spending the evening printing books, so that they can all (well, all those which are paid for) can leave with the postman in the morning.
Sunday 19th October 2008
The past couple of days have been busy with Ferguson Tractor Workshop Manuals and other books. There were two parcels posted yesterday and two more on the doorstep, awaiting the postman tomorrow.
Added to that, I have one order from Germany and another from Ireland, for which I await payment.
Saturday 18th October 2008
Today I completed this week's run of Brochures and Mr. Opie collected them from here. Often, I drop them off using my electric bike. Mark and I also printed 5 rather nice shirts with the Opie company name and URL.
A pack of three books went out this morning, from the post office, to Flintshire
Later, I produced a proof of a business card for JBS Elecrical. I now await his response. It is likely to have to have a different e-mail address as I have suggested that they get their own domain name, as it looks rather more professional.
Friday 17th October 2008
I have printed more brocures for Opies ... The Stove Shop today and intend to guillotine, collate, fold and stitch them in the morning. I have printed a Ferguson Tractor Workshop Manual, a Parts Manual, and a Sales Manual. I just need payment for those and they can go out in the post. I am still hoping to meet the person who ordered a couple of books, for collection this week. They are all here for him, ready to collect.
I have an order to print on 4 worksuit-shirts tomorrow. That's a job Mark and I will do together.
I had a curious call about a TE 20 tractor which was still straining to lift when the lift-arms are at the top. I am hoping to hear back from the owner about how he got on with that one.
Thursday 16th October 2008
Following a three week lull in Ferguson Workshop Manual Sales, yesterday I sold 2 Workshop Manuals, 1 Sales Manual and 1 Parts Manual. It's a funny old world!
I am still hoping to see the appearance of the person who phoned last week to say he would like a couple of Manuals towards the later half of this week.
I thought I'd post a photo of my old Ferguson TE P 20, when it was maroon.
Oh! and that was me in the driving seat, when I was 4 1/2 stones heavier than I am now
Tuesday 15th October 2008
I had an interesting call from someone who has had a challenge with his TE A 20. The point of contact was that the tractor has a sloping oil filter and is a TE A 20 with an 80mm engine. The point is that the vertical oil filter was changes mid 1948 at engine number S26000E to the sloping type.
Mark is collecting coated paper for leaflets today, from Norwich.
I am expecting a customer to come to collect a Workshop Manual and a Parts Manual. I am looking forward to that.
Before Mark goes to Norwich, I may pop out on my bike to collect a soldering iron, from Steve, who is kindly lending it, so that I can make myself a new head-lam for my bike. I keep wrecking the real ones, so I must make one which is better suited to these rough roads and which I can charge with a Solar Cell.
I had a new image drum in the big pronter yesterday. I printed some business cards, which I foiled in gold. One of the materials Mark is collecting is more high quality card stock for business cards.
My brochure is now completed. I will print them as needed (on demand as always, even for myself) and send them out. They are very expensive, so not to be treated flipantly. I have no doubt that more new products will need to be added every week. This is just the basis of my work. The only real limitation is the imagination.
Saturday 11th October 2008
Heron Attack!
I've heard it the past 3 mornings. They have a very distictive SQUARK as they take-off and land. This morning I got to see it. The thing stands 4 feet tall! Yesterday I covered the pond with a huge wite trellis, we had barring the way to a side alley, between our house and the one next door. It sort of disguises our gas bottles. It seems to have discomigerated the beast a little, but this has to be the most ancient-looking creature I have ever seen! It is ENORMOUS! It's like something out of Jurassic Park!
These Ferguson TE 20 manuals, I sell, have not been going like hot-cakes for the past 3 weeks. Books, one of which I usually sell every day, have sold 2 in 3 weeks. Hmm! Nothing changed my end!
I see on ebay this manual for only £29.50. That's no-where near what it costs to produce the real thing, which is around double the size. It's around 1/2 the number of pages and is not original. Furthermore it's based on the American machines )watch out for the word "GAS" instead of petrol, it's a give-a-way), not the ones from Banner Lane. Half the book, half the price!
Oh! and will the vendor provide telephone support to his buyers? I think not. I will though. I always have! Once you have one of my manuals, all you have to do when you get stuck is to pick up the phone and ask me.
The other thng is the postage. Hipperson is sending out his much lighter books for £3.70. How does he do that? I don't know. Mine are costing more than I charge for postage as it is! My hard-backed books weigh over 2kg! Half the book, half the price!
He witters on about VAT. There is no VAT on books of this kind! He talks about being "genuine UK VAT registered business you have the full protection of UK consumer legislation". When you buy from me, you have mY word! Don't get me wrong, they are really great people and if you really cannot afford the real thing, this IS the second best. It's actually quite good - just not good enough for me!
Oh well! The customer is ... It's a shame!
I have a new brochure coming out soon, for my general printed wares. The range has grown so much now that I had to do something to get the information stuck firmly in my head. It's harder to remember all this stuff than you might think. My only problem, though, it that they cost a lot of money to produce, because they contain a great deal of information, and people have a terrible habit of asking fro a free brochure and then not buying anything. What is one supposed to do?
In the past I have used a web-shop for sales. With this media, not so many customers use the web. I tend to sell more to folk nearby. Added to that, I've not been able to design a web shop which will do costing and estimating for printing that works properly. It really is a specialist task and is hard to do. A customer would have to know quite a lot about printing to do a self-rogrammed estimate.
The one sad thing is that I will have to print the brochure on low-cost copier paper, with a card cover. That's the only way I can cut my cloths according to my cloth.
Hm! I seem to be whittering on a bit. I don't meant to! Sorry! It just helps me to think.
Friday 10th October 2008
Yesterday was very quiet. Today I have printed a Vaporising OIl Trac Onstruction Book and that is ready for the postman. This evening I have printed another little batch of A3 fly brochures for my friends at Opies ... The Stove Shop. I intend to trim, perforate, fold and stitch those tomorrow. I hope to have them ready for when they go back to Essex, later in the weekend.
Wednesday 8th October 2008
09:38
Well! They've done it again. But his time it has cost every taxpayer in the UK about £10,000. It is now clear to me that despite trying really very hard not to borrow money - and that has been darned near impossible, and I have failed once or twice in my life - I now owe (as a tax-payer) tens of thousands of pounds, which I cannot hope to repay over what remains of my working life-time. You may ask how I feel about that. The answer is; not too keen! I have to ask, "for what am I paying this?" my answer is "other people's greed!"
Don't quit your job till your laid off
The key is save up and only buy what you have enough cash to buy.
I had no overnight orders when I looked this morning. Everybody is skint. What a surprise!
Short answer; the wealthy people in the world are changing places with the poor people in the world and we won't like it much.
I had a delivery of supplies for my big printer today, so that is all up and running. I shall now print the calendars for the local Post Office/Shop
From whence is our Government borrowing the money it says it is going to make available to the banks?
Really?
Who has 1/2 a trillion for the UK and 0.7 trillion for the US?
When we have the answer to that, I want to know how that organisation/person/nation earned it?
Tuesday 7th October 2008
08:45
18:31
When building society goes bust, the Government guaruntees the depositors' savings
If, at that stage the tax-payer is going to be dragged in, why not nationalise the outstanding mortgages, and in the hope of getting the investment back, just ask the home-owner to pay ONLY the capital sum. That makes it an interest-free mortgage. Or, alternatively, how about BASE RATE interest? We all know that the interest is much mmuch of the cost of the repayments, surely the remaining capital sum will be manageable plus 5% (or maybe not) The chances of default are dramatically reduced.
I am fully aware that doing this will benefit every mortage holder who has a mortage with a BS which has gone down the drain, but why ever not? If these were ordinary businesses, the receiver would take posession, flog off the easily realised assets, extract temselves from the liabilities, under existing bankruptcy law, just like I suggested, and spread the remaining assets amongst the creditors (taxes, staff wages, suppliers and so on) in an orderly manner. It happens every time any business goes down. Several times every day!
I see that some jealous types would want to make a condition, of the new re-payment plan, that the property could not be sold until the capital had been paid of, and that other conditions may be applied out of the terror that any re-distribution of wealth is "not fair". Indeed, such churlish nonsence could become conditions of acceptance of the beneficial arrangement. Would it be SUCH a terrible thing if a few tens of thousands of people, who were, on average, unlikely to be able to afford their own little bit of a home, were to get that bit closer to their aspiration (the ownership of shelter for themselves and their families)? Are we so terribly jealous that we would, in all concience object to a little bit of good fortune for some poor people? If so, it's a wonder that Inheritance tax is only 40%!
What about the poor investors who have lost all their investment?
Why should the tax-payer pay for privately owned housing?
Why have these banks and building societies got into such a fix?
The receivers get the family home and the couple, with child, get split-up and go into B&B at public expense. The 21-25 year-old boy (this all took a year or two) looses his job, for being distracted and useless at work due to worry and financial misery and another baby is ill-raised. Is that not worth trying to help to prevent?
Lest we forget, the B.S. shareholders have lost the lot already, and Gvt. has backed private savings, anyway! No change there Just blessed relief to the fortunate mortage-holders.
PS
Listen!
Monday 6th October 2008
Today has been another very quiet day on the telephone. I did have a call from Austrailia asking about oil changes and flushing for a Ferguson TE A 20. That went well, as far as I can tell.
I have printed a delightful photograph, taken at Disney World in America, to be framed and hung.
Sunday 5th October 2008
It would seem a time to remind people that I can, not only, print your personal and business stationary, books, brochures, leaflets, clothing and all manner of other things, but that I can also deal with your web site. There are plenty of folk out there who would like to have their own web site, but just don't exactly know how to do it. There is no reason on earth why your business or personal "corporate identity" should not carry over into your web site. If you need help with it, the cost of my time is £10 per hour (recently halved in response to global economic conditions).
The cost of a web hosting and domain name registration is very low. I am very happy to teach as well as to do the job for you. That way you can become independant of me quickly, if you so desire.
Saturday 4th October 2008
I've got three book advertised on ebay. The prices are the same as on my www.Fergusontractor.co.uk web site for books. The only difference is that it costs me more to sell them. Anyway, the first of them is about to end, so I have printed all threee, for want of something else usefull to do. I'm not sure why people put a "buy it now" sale in their "watch" list, but they all have watchers. I don't auction these books. I just retail them on ebay on a 'buy it now!.
Earlier I printed some more brochures for Opies ... The Stove Shop. That took me most of the morning.
Friday 3rd October 2008
This mornings orders amounted to one Corwood Saw Instruction Book and one Mouldboard Plough Instruction Book. They are both ready for the postman, when he calls.
I've got a doctor's appointment later, so if I don't answer the phone, please leave a landline number so I can call you back. Mark is going in to Norwich to collect wide format printer paper, between shifts at The Hill House Inn. That will mean I can print the Wall picture tat has been ordered. It's a very colourful one of a child at Disney World. Quite an inovative gift, I reckon!
I'm cold in the study, here, so I hope to get some goey stuff to seal the window frame near my desk. A draught has opened up and I don't like to be quite this cold in ealry Autumn. It bodes ill for Winter.
I have had a lot of enquiries about diaries and calendars for Christmas time and a lot of interest in Tee Shirts and Mouse Mats for use as presents. But no orders. I hope that doesn't men I have little to do now and too much to do cum the run-up to Christmas.
I heard today from the caller with the carburettor problems. He has identified some rubbery particles in the system and has fitted an in-line filter to prevent them from getting to his new carb. The tractor no linger floods, but is still not running well. I led him through some pointers to do with setting the Main Jet, Slow Running Jet, Butterfly Stop and so on. Then I introduced the possibility that some of the poor running might be to do with ignition timing. I expect he will be buying a couple of the books, which Mark & I have written, which will describe the solution to his problems in great, step by step, detail.
Thursday 2nd October 2008
Over the past few days I have had one or more books or booklets about Ferguson tractors or Ferguson tractor implements to print. Those orders should now all be with their customers.
I have also printed the 1st mouse mat for another customer, and a few Tee Shirts.
Tractor enquiries have been interesting. One in particular has fired my mind. On the face of it, it is a simple leaking carburettor float valve. What is odd is that the caller said the he had tried installing a brand new Zenith Carbuettor from Sparex an
Good stuff! Sam is on his way down from The Hill House Inn. At last! Something interesting to do!
We have just completed proofs for The Hill House Inn's new menus. Sam seems delighted with them.
Time - 09:34hrs
Wind speed now - 15.2mph
wind direction now - NW
Temperature now - 1.7C
Humidity now - 83%
Wind chill now - -6.9C
Air pressure now - 988.2mb
Rainfall last hour - 0.04 inches
Rainfall last 24hrs - 0.92 inches
I hope it will arrive on Monday. The birds are to be collected Sunday.
Wind speed 24hr max - 14.6mph
Wind direction now - SE
Temperature 24hr max - C
Temperature 24hr min - C
Humidity 24hr max88%
Rainfall last 24hrs - ? inches
nt size=-2>(which is about 10m above mean sea level, I think)
Mark has arrived in Welsh Wales Land, at a lovely place called Penygroef. He phoned from inside a cloud. Dyfrig's mother is putting the kettle on.
Mark left the buyers' place in Wales at about 3:30 and said it will take him 7 hours to get home. With a following wind, if that's the case, he may be home in time for a pint. It turns out that the thing is of a size which has allowed it to fit into the van, so instead of being 10ft, it's 8ft) and therefore he didn't need the trailer. Hm! That's 2ft smaller than the ebay ad and 2ft less of a machine! Oh well! Such is life! It'll do for what we need it for! The seller was still unable to say it is single or three phase. Either way we would have made it single phase.
Wind speed - 12mph
Temperature - 2C
precipitation - None
Conditions underfoot - Mainly dryish
Sky - Cloud cover 30% and high
Sun - Keeps peeping out from behind the clouds - and grinning.
Wind speed - 2mph
Temperature - 1C
precipitation - Snow
Conditions underfoot - Soggy
Sky - Cloud cover 100% and high
Sun - Keeps peeping out from behind the clouds - and grimacing.
Wind speed - 5mph
Temperature - a bit warmer
precipitation - None
Conditions underfoot - Mainly dryish
Sky - Cloud cover 100%
Sun - Behind the clouds.
Wind speed - 23.6mph
Temperature - 1C
precipitation - None
Conditions underfoot - Some white, mainly dryish
Sky - Cloud cover 55%
Sun - Not up yet.
Wind speed - 28.9mph
Temperature - 1C
precipitation - Occassional snow showers
Conditions underfoot - White
Sky - Cloud cover 35%
Sun - Patchy?.
Wind speed - 8.8mph
Temperature - 2C
precipitation - Hail and sunny in turns
Conditions underfoot - Dry
Sky - Cloud cover 50%
Sun - Patchy?.
Wind speed - 23.8mph
Temperature - 0C
precipitation - Light snow
Conditions underfoot - wet
Sky - Cloud cover 100%
Sun - What sun?.
Wind speed - 0mph
Temperature - 3C
precipitation - mistty
Conditions underfoot - wet
Sky - Cloud cover 100%
Sun - What sun?.
Wind speed - 0mph
Temperature - 5C
precipitation - None - mist rising gently in the hollow
Conditions underfoot - Frosty
Sky - Clear and sharp
Sun - Delighted.
Wind speed - 8.7mph
Temperature - 5C
precipitation - Tipping it down
Conditions underfoot - Squelchy
Sky - Overcast
Sun - Back in hibernation.
Wind speed - 0mph
Temperature - 4C
precipitation - None
Conditions underfoot - Crisp
Sky - Overcast
Sun - Still a bit dozy at this time.
Wind speed - 1.1mph
Temperature - 0C
precipitation - None
Conditions underfoot - Crisp
Sky - 100% clear
Sun - Golden yellow.
Wind speed - 5.7mph
Temperature - 4C
precipitation - Big rain drops
Conditions underfoot - Muddy puddles
Sky - 100% cloud cover
Sun - Away in Australasia.
John Smith started the day early having set his alarm clock (MADE IN JAPAN) for 6 am.
While his teapot (MADE IN CHINA)
was brewing, he shaved with his electric razor (MADE IN HONG KONG)
He put on a shirt (MADE IN SRI LANKA),
designer jeans (MADE IN SINGAPORE)
and tennis shoes (MADE IN KOREA)
After cooking his breakfast in his new electric skillet (MADE IN INDIA)
he sat down with his calculator (MADE IN MEXICO)
to see how much he could spend today. After setting his watch (MADE IN TAIWAN)
to the radio (MADE IN PHILIPPINES)
he got in his car (MADE IN GERMANY)
filled it with petrol (FROM SAUDI ARABIA)
and continued his search for a well-paid job.
At the end of yet another discouraging and fruitless day, checking his Computer (made in MALAYSIA),
John decided to relax for a while. He put on his sandals (MADE IN BRAZIL),
poured himself a glass of wine (MADE IN FRANCE)
and turned on his TV (MADE IN INDONESIA),
and then wondered why he can't find a well-paid job in England
But if we don't pay tax at these rates, we will have to do without army the navey, the air force, weapons and vehicles for them and cut quangos, dob-your-neighbour-freephone-lines and other useful things.
The choice is ultimately up to the electorate! That's YOU!
Not I, you would shoot me within the year!
Wind speed - 15.7mph
Temperature - 0C
precipitation - None
Conditions underfoot - Plain white, very thin snow
Sky - bright and sunny with a little cloud
Sun - Chearful, if a bit wrapped up against the cold.
Wind speed - 5.8mph (I really coundn't handle those foriegn units. Sorry!
Temperature - -2C
precipitation - None
Conditions underfoot - Stiff
Sky - Clear, bright and sunny
Sun - Relaxed, warm and chearful.
Wind speed - 3m/s
Temperature - 0C
precipitation - All over
Conditions underfoot - White
Sky - 10% overcast - 90%bright and sunny
Sun - Vwet happy and rested, after his holidays, thank you!
Wind speed - 9.6m/s
Temperature - 3C
precipitation - rain
Conditions underfoot - Very soggy
Sky - 100% overcast
Sun - In another country
Wind speed - 7.6m/s
Temperature - 4C (but darned cold in the wind
precipitation - Very cold shards of rain
Conditions underfoot - Sqidgy
Sky - Bright but rather overcast
Sun - Popping in and out
Wind speed - 3.1m/s
Temperature - 0C
precipitation - Damp air
Conditions underfoot - Frozen mud. It's been -4 overnight.
Sky - Overcast
Sun - Missing
All orders printed, packaged, stamped and ready for the postman!
Wind speed - 15.8m/s (over 40mph)
Temperature - 4C
precipitation - I'm not going out in the rain to find out!
Conditions underfoot - Yuk!
Sky - Black
Sun - Asleep
Wind speed - 1.4m/s
Temperature - 0C
precipitation - None
Conditions underfoot - Stiff mud
Sky - Bright, pale blue with a little high cloud
Sun - Rising a red/gold disc
Weather observations
Wind speed - 2.4m/s
Temperature - 2C
precipitation - None
Conditions underfoot - Stiff mud
Sky - Bright, blue
Sun - Gorgeous
Wind speed - 2..2m/s
Temperature - 4C
precipitation - None
Conditions underfoot - Stiff mud
Sky - Overcast
Sun - Missing
Wind speed - 0m/s
Temperature - 0C
precipitation - None
Conditions underfoot - Stiff mud
Sky - Overcast
Sun - Not yet risen
I did start the day, despite not wanting to. I have just completed the typesetting of the first of the four columns. It has left me with little 14pt Times left. Fortunately, Mark is just about to buy some more in Wilthire. He should be back by about 6 this evening. I could use 12pt, but I am not too keen on that, as I want it to be eay to read by everybody; even if their eyesight is not too hot.
Wind speed - 4.3m/s N.W.
Temperature - 1C
precipitation - So misty that it feels like fine rain
Conditions underfoot - muddy
Sky - Bright but completely overcast
Sun - In hiding
Wind speed - 5.1m/s S.E.
Temperature - 1C
precipitation - only slightly misty
Conditions underfoot - A little bit muddy
Sky - Bright but completely overcast
Sun - in hiding
Alex just emailed to say he's not coming today. I suppose I can now begin to plan to do something for myself now!
The first copy of the header of the Happisburgh Heckler is printed. What fun! Maybe I'll set type for the 1st front page tomorrow.
Lungs pant
Dry air
Quaff a pint!
Wind speed - 2.4m/s
Temperature - 4C
precipitation - misty
Conditions underfoot - Muddy without puddles
Sky - Bright but completely overcast
Sun - in hiding
Wind speed - 0m/s
Temperature - 2C
precipitation - mistier than yesterday
Conditions underfoot - Muddy without puddles
Sky - Bright but completely overcast
Sun - in hiding
Webcam a waste of time and money! deleted!
Wind speed - 2.1m/s
Temperature - 2C
precipitation - a little misty
Conditions underfoot - Muddy without puddles
Sky - Bright but completely overcast
Sun - in hiding
Wind speed - 2.8m/s
Temperature - 4C
precipitation - none
Conditions underfoot - Muddy without puddles
Sky - Bright
Sun - Round and yellow
Wind speed - 4.5m/s
Temperature - 4C
precipitation - Heavy rain
Conditions underfoot - Muddy with puddles
Sky - Rain cloud
Sun - No
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I read in the paper today taht Crown Estates has agreed to allow the construction of some 6000 wind turbines off the east coast of the UK. Brilliant! Now let's see it happen! All we have to hope then is that the designers have done their jobs right. Already I have heard 3 people asking me how ships are supposed to navigate. My answer is that they caqn drive between them, as far as I care, if they can or they can drive round them. I really don't mind to much. I sincerely hope no-one is going to try to hold things up over such things. That's a matter for the planners. Not the public! e.g., whay would a shopkeeper in Stalham even ask the question as his first volley on the subject. Has he vaid opinion about the principle, without thinking up possible problems to shipping.
5 nukes
6000 wind turbines 5 miles off-shore
Not enough trickery to go round
Wave power
Tidal power
Sun power - it's all the same
The pain in my mouth has subsided now. I took pills! Thank goodness for pills!
I just listened to a BBC R4 programme about The Royal Society. No wonder scientists have trouble being believed or being respected. Some of those on this programme are being to patronising and talking such contradictory rubbish, that any intelligent, educated non-scientitifc person would just thing they are having to micky taken. Pull yourselves together, scientists! Drop the universtity rubbish and eletism and talk to people as though there is half a chance they might believe you WANT to communicate.
Hello Graham, I was very pleased with the vinyl stickers you made for me just before Xmas, they were made very well and just as I asked, thank you.
Graham, Just to let you know books have arrived all ok today, very pleased with quality and content. No excuse now !!.
The staff are fantastic (They work so hard and with such care and kindness)!
The NHS is fantasic (I still wonder at the fact that it is free at the point of need)!
The new aneasthetics are fantasic (techical developements since I had the last I had are beyond belief)!
It's 16:30hrs, I'm home, had the operation and feeling great
Thank you to the N&N Hospital, the staff and the NHS itself.
Our health service is something of which to be rightly proud! Don't forget it and go easy on the critisism in my hearing. I'll defend it to my last breath.
The shirts are very high quality, with a wide variet y of colour and size from which to choose.
The designs are an inspired set, edited from Ferguson's own original photo's by Norfolk artist and photographer, Alex Grainger under my (licenced) instruction. Maybe we can see now where Henry Ford got his "any colour you like as long as it's black" line. Actually, I don't think he ever said that. Ford cars were certainly available in many colours except black. But Ferguson certainly never saw a need for coloured tractors. He said "It's what the implement will do that sells the tractor" and insisted that there be "no unecessary embelishment".
Credit to NCC (Norfolk County Council). I reported a couple of large potholes in our road yesterday (from their web site) and they had them filled in today. Wow!
Golf Ball Boxes
Oil fired central heating........
1ST FLOOR
1 x large cottage style bedroom
Ample walk-in cupboard space.
En-suite with twin his'n his/hers wash basins, airing cupboard, shower and loo.
GROUND FLOOR
Large living room
L-shaped kitchen
Downstairs loo
Downstairs bathroon
Utility room for washing machines, photographic dark-room or whatever
Dining room/2nd living room/sunroom/playroom
Large study/bedroom
with a little room in which we keep our clothes-driers and a freezer.
in a remote and friendly little community.
Yesterday I produced proofs for WEVA (Walcott Sea defence people) for their fund raising books and had a meeting with the local RNLI people about their calendars. The proofs for them are ready this morning, for their meeting this evening.
We have completed the tickets for the club, with printing, perfing and holographic foiling.
I have completed the job that was on the press when I left.
I have coated the screen for The Closed Shop t-shirts and am just about to make the film with which to expose it.
Mark has printed the Closed Shop t-shirts and they now just need 90 minutes or so to cook.
The internet is a real miracle! I sit here, 150 miles away, log-on to our home PC by remote, open a file, send it to the printer and all Mark has to do is knock it up, drill,staple or bind it, pack it and post it. Brilliant!
Thank goodness I have covers ready-guilded!
Still no sensible answer from the machine suppliers, so I have cancelled the order. I'll buy what I want somewgere else; of a different make.
Just back from voting. Wheren't there a lot of candidates? Only one cross though! I really feel sad that I had no idea who most of the candidates were. If only there were some method, by which the electorate could be informed in advance; other than by flyers sent by those candidates who can afford them!
This has been a hard-thinking time for me. All my readers know my predudices and I have to admit that they are well dug-in. However, I do like to exercise my mind and think carefully. As I am getting older, I am beginning to realise that some of my principles are based on a failure to understand that not everybody thinks as I do
I have never been apethetic through this. I don't think most other people have either. I think the majority of people are confused and think these politicans are all as bad as one-another. We must all vote in the forthcoming EU elections if we are to influence the EU. I have thought about this very carefully, I have challenged my own demons and admitted where I have been wrong. I recommend voting Lib. Dem.
We began printing of t shirts for The Hill house Inn Solstice Beer Festival. The screen is made and the 1st 10 have been printed.
We are being led astray! Beware the googly!
We really have had our eyes dragged off the ball!
Our problem is not the politicians, it's them bankers!
Wristbands are being produced as we speak.
I just heard on TV, just now, that the interest alone on our current National Debt is £22,000,000,000.00. Thats about £350 for every soul in Albion, from newborne to elderly pensioner. That is just on what our Government owe. If we were to then add in what businesses owed, and then charge us on the cost of the goods we buy, it would be no stretch of the imagination to double that. How wasy would it be to re-assess that by adding in personal debt? Go on, multiply that up! We're talking £66,000,000,000.00 (£66bn) just in interest! It all goes the the bankers and money lenders and amounts to some £2,640.00 p.a. or £220.00 p.c.m., per household, if a household averages 2.4 people.
I love printing! I really do get joy from it and have personal pride in it. If you took away all the money and supplied me with paper for any job that anybody asked for and fed me, I would still do it. Just because I like it. I wonder how many other people are like that? You see? That we we actuall could take that toy away from the bankers. Have whatever you need and do whatever you can and see what happens then? Work for the pride and joy of it! Some folk wouldn't work eh? Then don't let them have any more than basic needs! If they want to share in the good times, then let them work for it. If they cannot, then, we will have to find another way, but most can and, I think, most would!
Everybody gets water, shelter, food and fuel.
Everybody who works gets anything else thet want.
Anybody who fills their home with stuff, runs out of space.
Anybody who eats too much gets fat and dies.
Anybody who cannot work due to a trip or fall anywhere is assessed to discover if they can work, and if so, how many hours and what type of work. If they are totalled, they get everything, if not ... well, pro-rata That'll do away with them legal sleezes and insurance rippoffs!
If the disabled can work some, then let them do so to achieve anything they want; otherwise give it all to them
Anybody who wants to work, but cannot find anything useful to do, asks the HMCustards and Excorsises for something useful to do and then HMCE gives them a task (of the worker's choice) and sells the resulting product or service abroad, thus earning foreign currency with which to buy what we can't make, grow or mend for ourselves.
If a foreign nation wants to engage in our new game, let them and give and take from each other freely.
Nobody can be made to do anyhting they don't want to do
Nobody can have luxury goods unless they work for the right (doing whatever they want to do).
What about incentive?
Who would want to steal if they can have whatever they want for the asking? That's the prisons better off then!
I can see that some people would worry that other have more than they do. Tell them to ask for what they want, till they are stuffed! Alternatively, have a teer system whereby the more hours you work, up to a maximum, the more goodies you can have. Work it out! I wouldn't need any more incentive than to be the best in my area, and in demand as a result. then I wouldn't have to do Government work, would I?
Encourage social concience!
Wouldn't it be nice to have to say "Sorry, mr. customer, I cannot do your job for 6 weeks because I am so good at what I do that I am booked till next year. I will put you on the waiting list if you like" There's the incentive! To be in demand and highly respected in your chosen field! When you get good enough, maybe you could become a leader in your own industry, representing others like you? That would be a perfectly honerable way to earn your living. High position would then not depend upon one's abiltiy to afford it. That sounds like a good thing, don't you think? Anybody who can get elected could even becomoe an M.P and there would be no expenses to worry about; becasue there's no jolly money! That would be novel!
I know, all this sounds like I have become an ageing hippie. I never was a hippie when I was younger, so why not now? You don't have to read this.
I do hope, you have enjoyed it though, even if you have had a little laugh at my expense! You're welcome!
If we want a hope of electing better politicians, we must wait patiently for them to organise themselves into position, ready for the next election. It will not benefit us to hold an election right now, in the panic of the current situation. The entire system needs to re-align for a while. maybe some individual politicians need to change sides. maybe new politicians need to go before local party committees and get themselves to the top of the list, where the old crooks used to be. For goodness sake, let's try to make this an orderly transition. On the other hand, a transition, we must have.
I have had to re-stock with another 13,000 wristbands today. They will arrive tomorrow.
It is 8.8HP two-stroke petrol and built in the late 70's or early 80's, I think.
If all the recourses in the world were distributed between all the peoples of the world, according to need, could every person on the planet have:-
Plentiful and clean Water
Shelter according to need
Food according to need
Clothing according to need
Transportation according to need
Power according to need
I am not suggesting that I think the above is a solution, but I do think it's a small series of questions that need to be answered before we go further in our thinking. I am not unaware that a lowest common denominator would form before we can say boo to a goose. I am also aware that a good deal of stock-piling would go on and that the quality of whatever is suopplied would suffer very early on. In short, I know this thought is not the solution. it is just a thought.
Baby
Mummy
What a difference a day makes!
There seem to be 2 little blackbird chicks left.
I guess you all expected me to have a word this morning about Identity cards. So, not to disappoint, here is the word.
"B******s!". Now for the reasoned argument:- Well! maybe not. You have all heard it and any of you with half an eye to
personal freedom will agree. The rest of you are my, personal, enemies. I am bound to ask whether the good people of
Manchester are considered particularly gullible, by Government. If they are not stupid, they will simply save their cash.
That might be the end of the problem. Anybody who thinks that a voluntary scheme now will remain voluntary is naive! No
chance! At £60 each, that's around the 3.6 billion mark in carges for the damnable things and at that they will make a loss
and charge the balance from our taxes. How often will I put up with being approached in the street by a policeman with
the demand "ID Card!"? Nunce! DO not even begin to think they will not ask. If they didn't, there'd be no point in having
them. No they will not be useful for anything else. There are far too many ways to try to discover whether I may have
something to hide. We are, non of us, without fault and as a result we will all be prosecuted sooner or later.
There was a wonderful article in our local paper yesterday. I saw it at the Hill House Inn, our local boozer, in Happisburgh.
The headline went something like "Crackdown on Rogue Street Traders!" Er? What rogue street traders? Will that be the guyz
who sell fruit and veg. or eggs or flowers and suchlike in lay-bys (how the heck do you spell lay-by? Don't answer that, I'll
look it up in a bit.) up and down the county? Er yes! Apparently they cause an obstruction and are a danger. NO! It's drivers
that manoeuvre at the last moment to swerve into the lay-bys that are the danger. Why do they do that Aha! Because the nice
people selling things in lay-bys are not allowed to put up a sign 100 yards before the lay-by to advise drivers they are there. Did you know that? it's true. It's a flaming crime, for goodness sakes! These law makers are raving idiots! Anyway, there's to be a crackdown on it in North Norfolk. That will, of course, put a load of people selling in lay-bys out of business and on the dole. Then there are the people who grow the produce etc etc. ... As I see it, these are simple, honest folk, who just want to earn a living. Their biggest enemies are the shopkeepers who say that they are unfair competition, because they don't pay rates. For that bit, I will start a new paragraph.
An idea for rural communities hit me the other day. You know the way that a few people still like to sit with their arms
raised and spread to left and right, holding a newspaper - whilst the rest of us read what we want on s computer screen or
listen to radio or TV? Well! If a newspaper were to actually encourage Print on Demand printers to print papers from their
web sites (complete with the adverts - to pay for the process from the newspaper's end), then little remote villages like
ours could have a printed newspaper in the mornings. Wouldn't that be nice? What's the chances? No a Scooby! Why? In case
someone get's something for nothing or in case a van driver doesn't get to deliver to the nearest town, or in case a
newsagent goes bust ... the possibilities are endless! Never mind if it's a good idea! The powers that be will never run with
it! Never mind!
We applied a panel of "frosting effect" to our front window yesteray. It looked great!
This is done on our signwriting equipment and can be applied in the form of logos and general frostings in any pattern, more or less, to any glass.
Very blackbirdie thank you!
... of such a size and design "that he who runs may read"
Told to me by Irene Barker
I just had a cold-call from s very nice foreign man (I judge that he was foriegn by virtue of the fact that his accent was broad and unintelligable, whereas I can understand most English accents) who wanted to sell me something or another. I have no idea what he wanted to sell me, but he insisted that if I am running a business from home I must pay business rates for my electricity. The "B" word came to mind again. As a result I said "byebye" and hung up. Why do these things irritate me so? I think that part of it is that they put me off my guard by knowing more about me than I have told them and then that they lie to me. I simply don't want liars to have any information about me. In fact, I want them to f**** off and leave me alone. Actually, I would rather that they would eitehr stop lying to me or vanish off the face of the planet. If truth realy be known, I don't actually wish them harm, but I do not wish to tollerate their intrusion into my sphere of existance. There's so very much bad change going on these days that when someone tells me something that makes no sence, in order to check that the information is b*******, I have to actually look it up. that's time consuming and upsetting. Hang on! I just realised the sub-concious thinking in this. There is an implied threat in the word "must". What if one doesn't? What will someone else do to you? See? No wonder I'm cross!
Not that there has been nothing going on this week. Indeed, I have been quite busy. To start with, here is a photo of the baby blackbirds, in the garage, taken yesterday.
Complete Ferguson TE Pick up Hitch Assembly with t bar - SOLD
Genuine original Ferguson Top Link with ladder rack - SOLD
Genuine original Ferguson Top Link - SOLD
Ferguson Flat bar top link ladder rackSOLD
Dump skip to fit Ferguson TE tractor - SOLD
All we need now is the set of screens, which we bought separately. We already have the necessary chemicals, inks etc. to get on with the job. Added to that, I have bought a large creen-tank, for treating the creens in a suitablely safe and mess-proof environment. We already have the exposure units and other photographic equipment we need to make the screens. We expect to run our first screen printing job in a very few days. The first is likely to be t-shirts for The Hill House Inn Solstice Beer Festival.
We await the arrival of Tweet, Cheep, Pip and Gerald
clear reflective vinyl sheets - Yes
design your own embossed wedding stationery - Yes
gloss vinyl 24 inch - Yes
tyvek wristbands blue fireworks - yes
wide format vinyl cutting in etched glass - Yes
tyvek printers - Yes
child relief tax 2009 hopw much - No
sign vinyl pastel - Yes
34 inch vinyl cutter - No
event wrist bands - Yes
wristbands tyvek full color - Yes
wedding stationery to fit standard envelope sizes - Yes
t-shirt printing in norfolk - Yes
vinyl from your designs - Yes
t shirt printing north norfolk - Yes
a4 light blue transparent vinyl uk - Yes
ferguson cordwood saw bracket - Yes
what is the value of my ferguson tractor? - Sort of.
I forgot to metion the 2 taxis we did the signwriting for this morning.
The day is finally hotting up. We have moved the new guillotine into place and are jsut about to test it.....
We have 3 year-old hens and one older one. Byrony had the others.
At this time of year we get 1 or 2 eggs on one day and 2 or three on the next. They are always a nice light brown in colour. That's great for us!
Look at this morning's surprise clutch.:-
One is very small and one is very white and there are 4!
it's a funny old world!
This morning we find that we are the proud fathers of millions of quirmy little tadploes. Their names will be as fillows:-
Only joking! We don't name our pets. This is the 1st birthing. There appear to be millions more about to hatch - all wriggling away in their little, clear, eggs. I would take photo's but they are so small!
Anybody who has bought a manul from me is welcome to telephone to ask my advise. If I can help, I will
For those who have not yet bought a manual, you are welcome to one trial phone call to dip your toe in the water, so to speak. If you like what you get, then I will be pleased to print you a manual.
I would urge the airports to be more plain about what it costs to fy with them. I'm not terribly in favour of flying (or
long-distance travel come to that) in general, but they should, at least, be clear about what it really costs and not creep
the cost up for travellers on the day. If it's going to be £50 or £100.00 to use the airport, then just say so! Airport
charges £XX.xx. £3.00 to drop a passenger at the door indeed! £3.00 to Fast-track you through passport control! It's a
nonsense! You are all getting on the same plane! It's £3.00 to be nice you and do their job properly! I know who will end
up paying the drop-off tax! It will be the volunteer friend or family or the taxi driver, if I know anything about it. Will
the passenger accept that they have to walk from the toll-booth to the entrance? That's not a very likely choice, is it?
I just heard the following argument, in their favour, "People are monitored 350 times a day. in London, on average, what's
once more?" WHAT! Put simply, this is a world in which I would prefer not to live! I did know that
when they introduced the "going to London tax", that effectively banned me from our capital city; but THIS! I'M OUT OF MY
PRAM WITH INCANDESCANT FURY!
Answer:-
Because there are so many folk out there who are too fearful that someone on the dole might get a freebie, "so let's give them something useful to do"! But your jealousy has brought you down! You now swim in the mire of it! Like any country, we need a pool of people who are "available for work" for any number of reasons. Why not acknowledge that and treat the with civility and humanity, and pay them to live unemployed. Effectively it's your Government and mine which is denying them work, on our behalf; and for very good reasons. Just don't - and I mean it - DON'T be so fearful that they may be as well off as you, that you make them do silly things. Remember the "ministry of silly walks" by Monty Python? This one is departments within most of the ministries, "for deceitful and highly manipulative tax collections". If you think "it'll never happen to me, I don't break the laws", you're MAD! They'll get you, and when they do, remember it's your jealousy that drove them to do it. Mark my words!
You will see from the photo above that there are spaces for 4 Time Lords, one at each Station, prining in up to 6 colours, which can includes metallic, dayglow etc.
I was intending to go the Museum of Printing ths morning. I am very glad I didn't, as I have had a number of useful and interesting equiries. So I am not going out this morning.
Click here to see one working
Click here to see a Heidelberg Cylinder working See the diffence?
While I am at it, it would be a shame not to show you a platen pritnting machine running on you tubeClick here for a Heidelberg Platen
The thing about these presses, compared with their more modern counterpart, the Heidelberg Cylinder, of about the same size, is that on the Miehle the bed AND the cylinder go up and down, against each other, as compared to the Heidelberg, on which the bed flies back and forth, under the stationary cylinder. The effect of this is that the Miehle uses far less electricity to drive it, makes far less noise and has a far smaller footprint. The speed is not bad either, being nominally the same as the Heidelberg, but as a result of a simpler paper-path, it can go faster, whilst retaining good registration. The last time I used one, I printed a 4 colour set for a greetings card as an examination-piece at college and passed the exam 'with credit' in the practical.
Last night, at about 8:30pm, I went for a pint at The Hill House Inn, where Mark works at his day-job, so to speak. He took me into the garden where he showed my a deep excavation, revealing brickwork tunnels and all sorts of strange things. More excavation is to go on today, in preparation for the opening of the gardens for the summer, in a few days time (Easter weekend, I thnk). As yet, no-one knows what these tunnels are all about, so it is the bigiings of an investigation, which will, in all likelihood, turn into a job for some local archeologists. It looks to me like soemthing freom WWII. Then again, I am no expert. At any event, I know Clive, the landlord, hopres to feature it, rather than to bury it again. All this turned up whilst they were working on the formation of a stage, behind the old signal box, and in front of the garden, for acts to perform at The Solstice Beer Festival in June.
My 1st intent is to print, foil and despatch some beautiful wedding stationery to customers who approved a proof last night. After that, I suppose I shall have to make a couple of cold-sales-calls. I truly hate that with a real passion; but it's part of the daily round of tasks necessary to the successful running of a small business. if customers do not know I am here, then they cannot buy from me and I will get bored.
I am getting less and less sure that democracy is the way to go. It seems, to me, to be failing! Why the heck should I pay for Government to do things, which I think are stupid and wasteful, just plain wrong or immoral or financially catastrophic. I have elected our local MP. I am responsible that when I argued a case with him, and won the argument, by his own admission, he then voted in Parliament against me as a result of his own prejudices or as a result of pressure from elsewhere (I don't know which!). I do know that I cannot elect him again. But I also know that I cannot sack him for it, which I am minded to do. I am, therefore, as a direct result of democratic process, prohibited from properly affecting Parliamentary decision. How am I expected to respect Parliament and honour it's directives? There is no way I can so do! I cannot escape the conclusion that democracy is flawed! the best answer I can get to that is "well now! You name a better solution!" Sadly, being a bear of little brain, I am unable so to do. Therefore I press on with what we have, but with the greatest reluctance!
Because it helps me to think!
I have just heard of a local authority who are arming their litter wardens with money and charging them to leap out from their hiding places and damand "Is that your litter, that you just put in that bin?" Whereapon they give money to the resposible citizen, by way of reward for a good thing done.
We have a very good chat, for the 1st time in years and I hope we will continue to stay in touch.
I spoke to a very nice man at Snetterton race Course about printing TyvekTM wristbands in full colour, this morning and hope for a good result from the call. I shall wait and see. Watch this space!
Poor postman!
I wonder what they are up to? NO emails please!
Proud? You'd understand if you'd seen what he's been up to all day. NO emails please!
Mark has squeezed a few minutes (Pah!) to clean the bar-b-que NO emails please!
At least they keep themselves to themselves. NO emails please!
We love to talk!
just be NICE to me. it's been a long day!
Guests gone!
3 Workshop manuals and 2 Parts manuals for ferguson tractor owners.>br>
Final proofs for Wedding invitations.
500 compliments slips for our tee shirt suppliers
26 peotry books (waiting for materials on Tuesday for covers)
I am just about to print a Protop Topper Instruction Book
That is ready for the postman in the morning.
I have won A3 the scanner at auction! Hoorah!
Some years ago I worked with alcoholics and street people in a voluntary capacity. I did that for quite a time. As a result I do have some insight into the lives of these people.
Is it the case that the monies I have contributed toward MY pension have been used to pay someone else’s pension and that there is not one penny in the pot for MY pension, until you rob a young person in the same way?
This is a very difficult matter. The whole country is deep in the mire, because of the cost excess borrowing. The only reason Catseye Press are not in the same position is that we have avoided borrowing, using our own hard-earned cash to fund the projects that we have undertaken. That has, without pulling our punches, led to personal hardship, of a sort. We have not led the lifestyle expected in the UK in this century, whilst we have been building up our equipment and stock.
Are for shifting money about, not for long term loans.
Never allow the borrowed sum to go beyond the payment day. the interest is crippling!
Use Debit Cards which cannot be used to incur debt, instead.
Run themselves into debt by lending money.
Please don't try to force them to lend you money by refusing to do business with them unless they extend you credit.
These people are not qualified to be money-lenders.
Please don't try to force them to lend you money by refusing to do business with them unless they extend you credit.
These people cannot afford to be money-lenders
Please don't try to force them to lend you money by refusing to do business with them unless they extend you credit.
Have proven themselves, recently, not to be good money-lenders
Do yourself the great service of refusing to borrow money from them.
All they have to do is to withdraw the facility after a little while, and then they own all that for which you have worked so hard for so long.
Banks are places to store money likely to be needed in the short term and to convey money from place to place.
Expect to pay for that service! It is of value to us all, as non of us wants to have to travel around collecting cash, especially in this day and age.
If used sensibly, for the purpose for which they are intended, they can be a very valuable asset.
Qualified and experienced at money-lending, who charge (a lot) to lend money.
You then have to pass that cost on to your customer/employer in order to pay the price of the money you have borrowed
Then your product or service is uncompetitive, when compared with the one one saved up to avoid borrowing.
Oh! and/or your profit margin is much smaller as you have to pay for the money you borrowed.
The new, additional, printer is now installed. That brings the printers on this PC alone to 12. Mark has other on his PC
I printed a Ferguson Plough Manual and a Potato Planter Instruction Book. I proofed some business cards for customers who visited from The Limes at Catfield and spoke at length to a number of people from companies selling TyvekTM wristbands. I also completed the greetings cards, which I proofed last week. There is a big pile of printing waiting for the postman.
By contrast, today I printed a couple of hundred "proof" cards for another printer.
Mark took just 2 seconds to correct the settings I had wrong on the camera.
Gold can be a bit difficult to photograph, but you can see the idea here!
TyvekTM and other low-melt-temperature sub-straights simply cannot be printed using conventional toner technolgies. Modern digital presses simply run too hot and melt these very clever polymer products. Catseye Press now ownes the technolgy to undertake this very specialist kind or work.
It's nice to know we all now own a share in Lloyds banking group, as well! Well done us! may it make us all, pots and pots of tax-free profit!
I have sent off the business cards and the proofs now.
The only down side to this glorious mould-made paper is the price. The difference between lined and unlined mould made envelopes is £21.90. The difference between plain white and unlined mould made envelopes is £51.02. The difference between white card and mould made card is £57.38. All these prices are based on 100 cards and envelopes.
Then I made some improvements to my Weddings page.
I have just spoken on the phone with BT who tell me that YES, 0844, 0845 0870 prefixed numbers are all free in the new scheme for pre-paid calls (check your service contract). BUT 0871's, which are also national rate numbers ARE NOT included.
Here's a little sallutory story for my diabetic friends. As I am sure you all know, I am diabetic. A few months ago, when I saw my GP, she asked me how much Metformin I waas taking, I told I took 4-5 x 200 tablets a day. She said I should reduce that, so I reduced it to 3-4. Since then I have been nodding off in my chair again in the afternoons, not bothering much with checking my blood/sugar levels and generally not being my usual self. Over the past couple of days, Mark has pointed out that my moods have been swinging more than usual so I have been checking blood/sugar to apease him. Woops! Not that it is very high! 8-9's are where I am at. Not over ten though! But never below 5. I shall take myself for a test in a couple of days and see what the long-term result is. Anyhow! I have now upped the metformin again, to 4-5 x 200's and will see what happens. I have to say that I feel better already.
Fortunately, Plantronics, who supplied this headset have a very good Technical Support Department, which may have solved the problem for me. Thank you, plantronics!
We are still waiting for the publication of our advert in "Cosmopolitain Bride", which is due out towards the end of February. Our advert at Yell.com generated a couple of hit this morning. Woopie! Maybe it will work!
I have just had an e-mail from a friend. It tells of God's latest request to Noah, to build a new Ark; and of the problems he experienced with the authorities in executing God's request. To sum up, God shelved his plans to destroy life Earth again, on the grounds that the UK Government had done it for him.
Great Britain with 97 sessions
Switzerland with 4 sessions
France with 2 sessions
Netherlands with 2 sessions
Romania with 2 sessions
Sweden with 2 sessions
Bulgaria with 1 session
Germany with 1 session
Norway with 1 session
United States with 41 sessions
Australia with 1 sessions
Guam with 1 sessions
That's a fairly typical Monday. And, it's only the www.CatseyePress.co.uk web site.
Iran with 6 sessions
China with 3 sessions
Russia with 1 session
Thailand with 1 session
Great Britain with 95 sessions
France with 9 sessions
Netherlands with 5 sessions
Sweden with 5 sessions
Bulgaria with 3 sessions
Ireland with 2 sessions
Belgium with 2 sessions
Switzerland with 2 sessions
Finland with 1 session
Germany with 1 session
Lithuania with 1 session
Luxembourg with 1 session
Norway with 1 session
Portugal with 1 session
Croatia with 1 session
United States with 90 sessions
Canada with 1 session
Argentina with 1 session
Uruguay with 1 session
Australia with 6 sessions
Guam with 1 session
New Zealand with 1 session
Mauritius with 1 session
The one thing I think Mr. Ferguson got wrong, was the suggestion that farmers would grow rich and the world would all be well-fed if farmers bought Ferguson tractors. It was not a whimsical fancy of his. It certainly aught to have been the case, all other things being equal. Sadly, all things never are equal. The whole world always grows to fill the availability of needs. There will never be enough as long as the population grows faster than mankind's ability to produce. Add to that the seemingly inexorable need. that people constantly display, to reproduce as fast as they can, and we have a real dilemma on our hands.
Here come that snow again! And what thick and windswept snow it is! It's that Russing snow! Rushing snow is always the coldest. Then we has to buy our gas from the Rushings. Pdd that! Didn't they aught to give it to us by way of compensation for not keeping their own air to themselves? Surely? That would be the better way to think of it in this age of fault and blame?
Then I did some work on my search engine links, slipped an advert into Yellow Pages and then, I couldn't help it, I just had to fiddle with my web site's heading.
I have an order for a Ferguson Multi-purpose Blade Instruction Book. Assuming payment arrives as hoped for, I expect to get it out with the morning post on Monday at 10am ish. It should be with the customer by Tuesday.
I have been printing simple security logos using holograhic foil. It goes on the Tyvek wrist bands, well and looks very good on plastic business and ID cards. In fact it will print well on most card and paper as well. Secuity printing involves an understanding of a number of issues. In this modern age, a lot of things need to be increasingly secure. We have a robust, common sense approach to our code of practice with regard to any secure product production.
That's exciting!
Recession is when I earn a decent living.
For me, that is as much my identity as my name has ever been. It may be silly, but in plain and simple terms, that's how I feel; a shopkeeper!
Let it be known that we don't want to pay bankers. So would the people setting up to make the things we need, please do it without borrowing from banks. As soon as you borrow, it becomes cheaper to buy from abroad and have it shipped in. Businesses in debt have to pass that debt to the customer and the customer cannot afford it. If that means that you have to make your product by hand, then start of doing it by hand. Use your profits to buy your machinery after you have saved the money.
We have been printing on plastic business cards today. They look great!The ones we most like are black, overprinted with a transparent logo design, and then overprinted again with silver. What a gorgeous job!
I have just had an order through for a Ferguson tractor Workshop Manual, to go to Eire. I'll get that printed ready to send by Air Mail as soon as payment arrives.
Having to pay for calls to 0845 and 0870 numbers can be a source of irritation for everyone. Whilst BT customers have always benefited from cheap calls to these numbers, we’ve now decided to go one step further and as of 16th January, make calls to 0845 and 0870 numbers FREE within your inclusive call time.
Depending on the type of calling plan you have, these calls are FREE during the weekend (with Unlimited Weekend Plan), evenings and weekends (with Unlimited Evening & Weekend Plan) or any time (with Unlimited Anytime Plan) - That's us. So now you can make the calls you need to make, without worrying about the cost.
Today I got the final permission needed to print the second edition of Erik Fredriksen's 'The Legendary Ferguson LTX Tractor'. That is now on my web site at £6.43. I have decided to number them.
Isn't it a good thing that the driver of this machine, which lifts many scores of tons at a lift, is overseen by 3 highly educated people (seen here in the foreground) and a surveyor (in orange)? I do hope they have all had a proper university education! That's so very important these days, for special 'standing and watching men work' skills.
Control
The UK is coming further under the control of legislative direction every working day! We have all heard the number of new laws and directives foisted upon us since the present Government "came to power". Then we all raised our hands in horror and promptly forgot the number. Me too!
The day has gone well, really. The electronic ciggies seem to be working OK. No doubt they will take a little getting used to, but I have little complaint except that the batteries seem to run down very quickly. I have no doubt that this is due to the fact that I am using them quicker than they are charging. I have ordered an additional charger, which will help and, added to that, one battery will get a full charge overnight, which will be a very good thing.
I'm back!
Matt & Kerry have placed their order for invitations, place cards, thank you cards and orders of service. I hope and expect to get their order ready for them by tomorrow evening. It will be good to have delivered the first order even before the official launch target, which was to be Thursday.
I have the first complete mock-up of the new Wedding Stationary Catalogue ready. Well! Having said that, I think there are a couple of additions I would like to make. That's OK! There are plenty of days between now and New Year!
Yes! I know! Thay've messed it up, but if you order by tomorrow, Tuesday, I can post by Wednesday and You should have your work by Thursday. If I were you, I'd order today. I've plenty of stock of materials and nothing much, pressing, to do.
Over the weekend, I have perfected the art of blind embossing wedding stationary with hearts, knots, bells and whistles. My samples are progressing well. I want to have them all ready for the New Year.
Don't borrow on them. Load them up with money and use them to spend frugally), when you have to shop over a distance. Buy from small traders, whose reputatation is important to them. All other times, turn up and pay cash in exchange for the goods. Inspect them carefully before you pay and once you've bought them, they're yours. Pulling a fast one isn't clever, it's shameful. No-one likes a barrack room lawyer. If an item is bought and arrives in good condition, that's the end of the transaction. A polite "thank you" is alway appreciated and usually reciprocated. If good arrive damaged, a decent trader will always offer to replace or refund. See what is said before issuing threats. They never do you any good in the end. Never try to make a claim unless it's an honest one. You'll never live it down. We are moving back to a time of honest and decent trading. Maintain your reputation with care, and be careful with that of others. Wait until you have simmered down before being too criticle. Complaining has grown into a very nasty habit, that needs a little self-control and manners attched to it. no-one likes a moaner!
Click here for the Post Office Web Site
Owners of my manuals are always welcome to telephone, if they get stuck, with technical issues. It's a service I rather enoy providing. I am also hapy to help anybody else who has problems with their Ferguson TE 20 series tractor, but I might suggest that buying a manual is a good thing as part of the conversation. that's partly because owning a manual always helps in the conversations, because I can say "tirn to page 347," for instance "where you will see" etc. It always majes the explanation over the phone easier. I have to admit that iI really don't much like answering technical enquiries by e-mail as it is not possible for me to cross-examine the caller with questions, which my epxerience leads me to know will bring the true issue to light - and hence the solution. E-mails also seem to take much longer.
Those amongst you with normal powers of observation will have noticed that I have just split the news into "old" and "new" pages. I have done this to ease loading time.
Oh, one more thing on that! Draining water from the spark-ignition engines is NOT the answer. The dirt built up in the water jacket retains water, which freezes and brings on the crack. For those who don't yet know The Crack happens below the carburettor and wrecks the engine block for good. It is very expensive to repair as it is not easy metal to weld.
I just saw a piece on BBC TV News this morning, which tells of the population of Earth consuming 1/3rd MORE than the planet can replace. That sounds very familiar to me. We all seem to be in increasing financial debt, however hard we try to avoid it. Now we are getting into ecological debt. Whatever we 'borrow', we have to pay back, usually with interest. That means that someone has to go without for years to make up for our profligacy (shameless extravagance). Please don't get me wrong! I know I am far from perfect too. I have to keep trying, just as everyopne must. I am certainly not sitting in an ivory tower looking down. This is hard it is very hard!
I also heard on BCC TV News that there are come companies who are at risk of going bust due to betting that VW would loose share value by selling shares in them, with a view to buying back later when prices dropped due to something they have done. Instead, prices share prices rose. I thought 'short selling' was now banned?
Picture by Steve Toomey. Thanks Steve!
Pay off any debts you can
Start working in your spare time in some private business
Don't borrow to fund that private project
Save up and buy another wooly jumper.
Whatever you do, don't borrow a penny more from the bankers!
I caught the postman this morning and sent out a Ferguson Tractor Worshop Manual, which was ordered by abay last night.
For it to go bust, investors must have valued it at zero, as evidenced by the fact that no-one will buy the shares.
Therefore the shareholders have lost their investment.
The the receiver comes in and sells the very risks and assets which drove it bust.
One would hope the buildings belonging to the business must have some value. So, fine!
From the fact that no-one wanted the shares, it's fair to assume that out of the billions on loan to home-owners, the shareholders and everybody else must have all thought that the likelyhood of getting their monies back were zero, on average throughout the business. NO LOSS THERE THEN
My point is that so-doing will reduce the risk, thus rendering the asset of some useful value to the tax-payer.
They've lost them anyway!
Look at it this way, Bank of England (that's the tax-payer) lends money to Mortgage companies for 5%. Said Mortgage Companies (hang on! MORT=death GAGE=measure!) lends it to would-be home-owner for 15% (profit 10%). Home-owner renaiges (due to earning too litle to afford to own a bit of shelter as well as food and heating at mortgage company rates) and the whole thing falls apart.
I suspect them of borrowing "funny money". "A" Building Society lends money to "B" Building Society who lends it to "C" Building and "C" Building Society lends it to "A" Building Society and they all lend what they've borrowed from each other to 3 young couples aged 18-23, just married with a baby on the way. The mother has to have time off work to give to and subsequently mind the baby, the father can barely earn enough to pay for food and nappies, let alone the mortgage interest and there you have it! Remember, there wasn't any money there in the first place. It's all just numbers in a book. What's happened now is that the banks have been been found-out!
I am not a mortgage holder. I'm one of those renters and wouldn't gain a penny from this. That does not mean I'd begrudge it for those who would benefit! Added to that, I would feel my invested tax were safer if it were more affordable for the kids to have a mortgage.
Some people inhertit a home and never have to have a mortgage.
The family home of other people is split between 3 siblings, leaving only enough for deposit.
Some people never inherit a bean and their only hope is a mortgage or the same amount as a motgage in rent.
Does that sound fair?
It's not about fair, it's about accident of birth.
This is about accident of Bank-ruptcy. What's the difference?
