Roll your own Part 2

How to make your amps sound better without all that dangerous soldering: Cover them in tweed.

Black is so old school, but everyone knows that tweed amps sound better.

Roll your own part 1

Oh dear me, I have been overtaken by another addiction.

I have entered the seductive and slightly shocking world of valve amplifier modifications. 

You thought those old noisy valve guitar amps were dead didn't you. You thought it was all done on computer these days. 

Well, yes it probably is, but there is a growing group of individuals who stick to the old fashioned ways in search of that elusive and perhaps unobtainable tone. So, after a summer spent modifying Leo Fender's commercial valve amplifiers, I decided to start from zero and build an amp. This has now reached the point where the next step will be applying power. I think I will check the circuit carefully, twice, before I do that. 

If you are interested, this will be a dual 6V6 version of the 5F2A with my own tone stack and pre-amp modifications. Oh, you aren't interested.... :-)

New Clear Deterrent

We can't afford to buy a squadron of the new F35 Lightning II jet, so we have to press some of our old faithfuls in to service. 

These will soon make Ivan back off a bit.

Cold war

Finally and at last* they have done something useful with the Greenham Common ex-airfield. It's great if you want to walk a dog. It is great if you like cow-spotting or have a leaning towards rabbits. 

It isn't great for bikes and it will be decades before trees grow there properly. There's plenty of gravel.

However, and after an eternal delay, they have converted the control tower to a tea shop. That is such a  good idea on a cold and windy day. May it last forever.

*Yes it really is five months since I posted anything. 

Cut backs

Or is that "Cuts back"?

Anyway, the Internet era combined with falling literacy levels have allowed Dorset county council to downsize their Libraries. 

If you have an urgent need to contact someone by Telephone, then a pile of burning books may summon help.

Old and new

Ancient lights over Corfe Castle and street lights over the Swanage road.