Good time had
Went for a long weekend away, visiting friends in Shropshire and Wales. I tried to find a B&B but anything under £100/night long gone, as it was the last weekend of the school holidays. A reasonable self-catering place came up, not far from one friend, so I booked.
Well, eccentric seems to be the word: a strong smell of joss-sticks in the hall of the cottage, magazines about permaculture everywhere, a "vegetarian kitchen" with a gas hob, electric oven but no saucepans over 4" diameter, about 40 plates and bowls but no drinking glasses. No microwave or electric kettle. The bedroom (ad said "sleeps 6") had three bunk beds in it, and a shower/toilet off. The sofa in the sitting room had elderly white loose covers which had seem better days. But I was only there two nights, and I can put up with most things. I did have to ask for a bath towel and kitchen washing up towel. There was also no TV or radio, but - and for this I was grateful - a builder's tranny surfaced on request. However, it could only get a signal when on the radiator with the aerial parallel with the top of it. Bearing in mind we were about 3 miles from the nearest mobile signal, my inquiry about "wifi?" was a little optimistic.
To pass the evenings I had taken my laptop, the portable Minidisc player and some Minidiscs to transfer to computer MP3 files. This has to be done in real time, so with over two hours recordings on each MD, it's time consuming. Got everything set up. Fired up the laptop. No "line in" socket. Damn. So, shut down the laptop and put everything back in their cases.
I had a good trip, though. I visited two sets of distant friends, and with one a five-hour conversations seemed like two. Couldn't believe the time had gone so fast.
Well, eccentric seems to be the word: a strong smell of joss-sticks in the hall of the cottage, magazines about permaculture everywhere, a "vegetarian kitchen" with a gas hob, electric oven but no saucepans over 4" diameter, about 40 plates and bowls but no drinking glasses. No microwave or electric kettle. The bedroom (ad said "sleeps 6") had three bunk beds in it, and a shower/toilet off. The sofa in the sitting room had elderly white loose covers which had seem better days. But I was only there two nights, and I can put up with most things. I did have to ask for a bath towel and kitchen washing up towel. There was also no TV or radio, but - and for this I was grateful - a builder's tranny surfaced on request. However, it could only get a signal when on the radiator with the aerial parallel with the top of it. Bearing in mind we were about 3 miles from the nearest mobile signal, my inquiry about "wifi?" was a little optimistic.
To pass the evenings I had taken my laptop, the portable Minidisc player and some Minidiscs to transfer to computer MP3 files. This has to be done in real time, so with over two hours recordings on each MD, it's time consuming. Got everything set up. Fired up the laptop. No "line in" socket. Damn. So, shut down the laptop and put everything back in their cases.
I had a good trip, though. I visited two sets of distant friends, and with one a five-hour conversations seemed like two. Couldn't believe the time had gone so fast.
Have found a whatsit in the Broadwater Computer Shop that corrects this with a USB thingy with Mike in and Speakers out. It silences the internal speakers, though.
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