Sunday, 23 September 2007

A great weekend at Lichfield CC

More about phone connectors:

First off, to carry on from last time on the subject of mobile phone connectors: I emailed Boaters Phone Company with the text of what I said about the Velcro connector, and this is the reply I got this morning:

I don't think we are recommending this as an ' Optimum Buy' its just that it is the only one available for phones without an antenna socket unless one of our Cradle adapters fits.

Regarding signal strength, we have found that customers are assuming that the indicator on their handset is accurate, it is not, especially with inductive adapters. The only true test is to let the phone go out of range, turn it off, connect the antenna adapter ( of whatever sort) and then turn the phone back on, if you can make and receive calls, then the adapter works.

Regarding the Velcro, we will look into that and see if we can source a better quality, we do supply replacement patches Free of Charge. Perhaps you would include my reply on your next entry.

if you want a refund send the adapter back, of the few that have been returned, none have been faulty when we have tested them, its just that they don't work as dramatically as plug in adapters, how about you contacting Nokia, we have been trying for years to get them to listen to our feedback.

Regards

Mark


This is fair enough. I’ve replied to say that we don’t want a refund, but a better bit of Velcro would be good. It’s apparent that the induction coil systems don’t work as well as the plug in connectors, so it’s a great pity that fewer and fewer phones have an aerial socket. I’ll have a go at Nokia about this and the short backlight time (10s), but I’m not holding my breath for the sort of prompt and courteous reply I’ve had from BPC.

22nd & 23rd September

We woke to a misty morning yesterday, and after breakfast went and wandered round the show field. It was just 10 o’clock, so things were still being organised, but it soon came together. Like the Lichfield Cruising Club itself, there was a pleasant mix of informality and organisation that made you feel very welcome. We bought some more paperbacks (we’ve just about finished the ones we bought at the National, and passed them on to Elanor), and were just about to wander back to the boat when Graham and Beryl off Priscilla turned up. That gave us an excuse to go round again and check out the stalls that hadn’t quite been ready last time.

By the time we’d done all that, it was lunchtime, so we popped into the clubhouse for a quick one before getting a burger from the barbeque. Des and Gill from Farne joined us, so we had another quick one, and suddenly it was two o’clock.

There was, however, still quite a queue at the barbie – they hadn’t got a lot of fire going, despite it being a good big brick built job, and a rush of customers seemed to have caught them on the hop.

No matter, whilst waiting, Sheila went off to talk to Barbara of Braunston Pickle, the folk group scheduled to entertain that night. We know Barbara from working with her at Nationals and the Little Venice Canalway Cavalcade; her partner Malcolm is also a long standing volunteer with WRG. Whilst this was going on and the queue was edging its way forward, Elanor and Stuart rocked up. They went off to check out the show field whilst Sheila and I ate our finally obtained burgers and sausages.

After mooching round with them for a bit, we fell back on the boat for a cup of tea and family chat.

Elanor and Stuart went off for an evening on their own, and Sheila and I got ready for the night’s festivities. These consisted of a baked potato and choice of filling, followed by gateau. Then we all went into the marquee and were entertained for about three and a half hours by Braunston Pickle (folk with bits of other stuff) and Bernie Howdle (country and other stuff).

Both were very good. If I wanted to be picky at all, I would have liked more canal folksongs from BP – we were in a cruising club after all, and the two they did were excellent. Bernie was better in his second set than his first, when he did less bubblegum country, and more oldies and humorous stuff. Throughout he was a bit loud for my ageing ears, too.

We finally got back to the boat a bit before midnight, after a good evening with good friends.

This morning we made a leisurely start, and went to the clubhouse at about half eight for breakfast at nine. This was a great communal meal, thirty of us at the table for the first sitting.

After, it was time to leave. We had asked about getting diesel at the club, or rather Des had said he’d ask for us, but it seems the Revenue rules mean that they can only sell to club members, and being a member of an AWCC affiliated club won’t do. No matter, we said, we’ll just have to pay Streethay prices. When we got to Streethay, though, despite their nice new services mooring, it was very hard to see how they expected a visiting boat to get in. They’d got a part fitted boat tied on half the services mooring, a trot of four on our approach to it, and another boat just off the far end. All this on a tight bend and in a fresh cross wind. Added to this, they only show the price per gallon (is this legal these days?) and it’s pretty steep, at 57.2 pence per litre.

We decided that they could do without our custom, and we would either fuel at Fradley if Geoff’s got his diesel supply sorted, or else go down to Barton Turns tomorrow. Andrew Denny always has a good word for Streethay, but to us they seem that bit too interested in getting your money off you rather than providing a good service. Scarweather has just left there to go to a cheaper mooring at Weedon, which considering that’s a good bit nearer London makes you think a bit.

On arrival at Fradley, we moored near the water point on the end of the Coventry. It seems that the diesel supply is sorted here, but they ran out on Friday. There’s a fresh delivery due tomorrow, so we’ll probably sit tight here until it comes.

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