Dear CH
Well, I’m not strictly at retirement age, but my last job was ‘restructured’ out of existence, so I took the ‘early retirement’ package. I wasn’t sorry to go, as the MD is a dickhead. Anyway, I’ve got more time to indulge my interests (satellite, sailing and popular science). My wife doesn’t protest as long as she comes home from work to a clean house and a hot meal. I do what many early retirees do and play consultant. I’m currently working on a £5m film studio project, a £3m library development and a proposal to develop a centre for teaching ‘book arts’ (binding, calligraphy, paper manufacturing, conservation etc.) My main role here is in writing applications for grant aid, mostly for money from European sources. In my spare time, I do some supply teaching, mainly for the pleasure (yes really!!) of it, although the money does help to fund my hobbies.
The satellite, tv repair, popular science stuff is all part of trying to understand how things work. I remember watching the repair-man who used to come (very frequently!) to repair our 13 channel, valve-driven, bakelite case, black-and-white, 12 inch PYE television when there was only 1 BBC channel. I’m sure his ability to swap valves and bring the picture back must have influenced me.
I get really pissed off with the arty-farties who poke fun at the ‘geeks’ and ‘anoraks’ who spend time on difficult subjects (as opposed to the waffly arts side such as history, media studies, English, etc). In any case, who do the arty-farties call on when they want someone to fix the food processor in their designer kitchen? A graduate in ‘Women’s Studies’? I really sympathise with your wanting to work with duplex chains and rear sprockets.
I took my 17 year old son to a lecture on ‘Heroes and Inventors’ by Adam Hart-Davies last Saturday. It was magnificent – lots of table-top experiments with automatic egg-boilers, stirling engines and air cannons and stories about Brunel and Stephenson. Those 19th Century engineers really knew a thing or two. Tim’s going to study aerospace engineering, so we have a lot of common interests.
Given your experiences in tv repair, I’m not surprised you gave up. Anyone who has much to do with the public in their own homes will sympathise with you and the experiences with nicotine and cat pee. The way some people live defies description. My wife is a teacher and my eldest daughter a doctor. I cringe at some of the stories they’ve told me about home visits.
As to the Mitsubishi. Slow progress, I’m afraid. I fit it in when I can, but my main problem is finding spares. I don’t do enough business to qualify for an account with any of the suppliers and postage charges make buying a few capacitors and resistors an expensive proposition. Cornwall isn’t known for its range of electronics part suppliers.
I’ve had fun teaching myself how a bridge rectifier chopper psu work, though. I used my son’s computer program, Crocodile Clips, to make up circuits and, more often than not, blow up the components. Will I ever grow up? I hope not.
wolsty