Post by misterc on Jun 21, 2023 15:40:05 GMT
I feel now I am sufficiently recovered from the show I can put a few words to paper so to speak.
Visitors to any for of exhibitions and shows only really see the 'public side of the show' the organisation, logistics, travelling, set up and break down are rarely thought about or viewed.
As you know life sometimes throws you a curve ball now and then usually when you need it least, so all was going to plan last week all preparation 100% van fully loaded, fuel sorted, extra insurance tick, hotel places for five people booked and confirmed. Nothing forgotten
Tim & myself left bang on six am on Friday morning, traffic light pleb factor low, and the sun was a shining all looking very positive and conducive to a good journey up. Just passed through the M6 expressway toll, when a rather dill-weed of an individual through it would be 'fun' to remove the front of the van we were driving in simply because he was on the phone while smoking in a fooking Telsa (insert uber bell end comment here).
Upshot was after taking emergency manoeuvres to avoid said rabbit dropping brains so what unorthodox lane discipline, our humble transport did the impossible and stayed upright, phew pull over and change of strides for the day complete we carry on merry way, whilst contemplating how to disembowel him with a rusty church key.
We are on pretty much on schedule at Crange Hall, Chris and and of merry men are one slick operation and soon (like 9.50am) actually off load and equipment in the room
Slight fly in the ointment, the Mr. C special liquid music amplifier is now missing a couple of binding posts due to said Fu_cK whit in a Telsa not just any Telsa but a white one FFS oh for a heat seeking Am-Ram when you need one.
We had both placed the cars across the property to make it difficult for any low lives wishing to attempt item removal from said property, which is great, only we took the keys with us and the good lady while still there had zero access to the stores (oh it gets better I promise)
He hadn’t left for the show yet, he drove for near Blackpool to Gerrards Cross via the show (pick up vehicle keys) and then to GX pick up tolls and parts and drive back to Cranage Hall, he’s back at 8pm, we spend the next 3 hours attempting repairs but to zero avail, its 11.30 and we all ALL absolutely shattered. You can picture the scene not much positivity in the room at that point.
The show had opened at 10am so no music was playing in the room with a technical difficulty sign outside, anyway by 1.30pm we were up and running, the big Tad had warmed up sufficiently to have the room open at this point, not quite as we wished it to be, but way better than a few hours before. Hence why I did look a wee bit frazzled on Saturday!
A great many familiar faces popped in during the weekend, caught up with a lot of chaps, some from way back in the HFN forum days!
Visitors to any for of exhibitions and shows only really see the 'public side of the show' the organisation, logistics, travelling, set up and break down are rarely thought about or viewed.
As you know life sometimes throws you a curve ball now and then usually when you need it least, so all was going to plan last week all preparation 100% van fully loaded, fuel sorted, extra insurance tick, hotel places for five people booked and confirmed. Nothing forgotten
Tim & myself left bang on six am on Friday morning, traffic light pleb factor low, and the sun was a shining all looking very positive and conducive to a good journey up. Just passed through the M6 expressway toll, when a rather dill-weed of an individual through it would be 'fun' to remove the front of the van we were driving in simply because he was on the phone while smoking in a fooking Telsa (insert uber bell end comment here).
Upshot was after taking emergency manoeuvres to avoid said rabbit dropping brains so what unorthodox lane discipline, our humble transport did the impossible and stayed upright, phew pull over and change of strides for the day complete we carry on merry way, whilst contemplating how to disembowel him with a rusty church key.
We are on pretty much on schedule at Crange Hall, Chris and and of merry men are one slick operation and soon (like 9.50am) actually off load and equipment in the room
Slight fly in the ointment, the Mr. C special liquid music amplifier is now missing a couple of binding posts due to said Fu_cK whit in a Telsa not just any Telsa but a white one FFS oh for a heat seeking Am-Ram when you need one.
We had both placed the cars across the property to make it difficult for any low lives wishing to attempt item removal from said property, which is great, only we took the keys with us and the good lady while still there had zero access to the stores (oh it gets better I promise)
So we continued to set up, now we have a North west branch which is run by a rather decent fellow and all round good egg and former record producer Peter Woolliscroft (must rember the two L's as they missed one off on the Def Leppard gate fold sleeve and he never lets us forget that!
I’m blowed if I am wasting 6 months of planning and no small outlay for a twat in a Tesla, so I drove back to base arrived at 2.30am. found a half-completed amplifier board, populated and tested it by 6.15am, picked up the small Liquid music amp (back stop), then drove and collected a Tad M2500 amp, and was back at the show for 11.30am
This year Cranage was superb, not just the weather, but the visitors were buoyant, and chatty and everyone one is good spirits, also I did notice a significant number of ladies present and not just long faced because they we being ‘shown’ around.
We did try the six-million-dollar amp (we have the power to rebuild it lol) after the visitors left, whoa! She fired up and it run zero trouble free for 20 mins, so we left it running over night, if we didn’t come into a steaming pile of bits on Sunday morning, we were on a winner 😊
Well seems I can metal glue a few bits and pieces on a board at 4am in the morning with only 3 hours sleep, all was well although the amp only had 14 hours on its bores so to speak and not at particular useful volume for running in but hey, we were in business.
As with pretty much audio shows the most appealing sound happens in the last 2 hours or so, the amp did go through one or two lean patches though after 1pm had settled down again.
What I did find pleasing lots of interest in the test equipment and what we were demonstrating on how much RF noise was flying around the room @ 2.4Ghz, although onen chap bless him dismissed it as 1 & 0's wouldn't have it that they are conatined within an ANALOGUE carrier wave but hey it made for an interesting 10 minutes. The Scope serial data measrements were often talked about which again was nice to enagage with.
Even the Pink Fishers were very pleasant, so thank you again to all those poor lost souls that dropped in for listen/chat or just to feel mine is better at home. It is appreciated.
