Hi Sid,

Sorry to be OT again but to be brief , it is the combo of quotation marks and closing parenthesis that is code for the smiley, there are several of these combinations which can be found on the internet if you are bothered!

I promise, no more OT comments.

regards

T

My copy was dispatched on Friday and received this morning (Wednesday). Unremarkable, but I'm in Wellington New Zealand. I've had a quick skim and it's brilliant.

I've lost control for the time being as SWMBO has taken over as she reads the Crofton article. We visited it on our last trip to blighty.

Pete

I've got it penciled in at one and a half times what he made it at which should be a nice size. Also need to look at the valve gear as I have heard that as drawn it won't work.

J

Well I suppose pre-ordering applied to those like me who ordered it 6-8 weeks ago before its publication. Plain ordering would therefore be if anyone wanted to order it now.

J

Many thanks to all who have taken time to post a comment … especially the positive!

Thanks Andy for your honest comment too. In my defence, all I can say is that I wrote it all myself (apart from the Crofton article and Boilers) and proof read it all myself with no help or input from anyone else whatsoever. As anyone who has written professionally will substantiate, this is a dangerous practice, bound to lead to errors but I had no alternative. I spend all day every day correcting other people's spelling mistakes but it's completely different correcting your own. The eye simply doesn't recognise them. I'm sure if I picked it up and read it again now I would see them all (…. the very thought…. ouch!!!)

Diane

I must live near Clive as WHS told me again today that they have not yet received it and don't expect any more deliveries this week. Ho Hum.

Hi Richard Mullard 1

It is available from Smiths.
They insist on Exclusive rights to Specials.
It should be available in all Smiths that are stocking it.
Ask them to check the stockroom.

It may not be in all Smiths stores though.

regards David

Dear Diane and David,

Another grouse about Smith's, which can't be laid at your door. Being 'prudent' I'd rather spend my pension on the workshop, not on postage. Ever since this thread started I've been pestering my local Smith's – Diss, south Norfolk – when I had occasion to be there. They do stock ME and MEW, however yesterday they admitted that they have not been allocated any copies of '300 Years …' and can't order any! Having phoned round, this applies to other small branches locally. Happily someone has been into Norwich, where they have a grown-up branch, and bought copies for me and a similarly awkward friend. First impressions – I'm delighted, but haven't read enough yet to be troubled by the spelling mistakes!

If you publish something similar in future, I'll order it direct and hope to cut out Smith's.

If either of you ever make a pilgrimage to south Norfolk, do come to the Forncett museum. We'd love to meet you.

Bill.

I notice in this thread that a subject that appears on occasions has once more surfaced, that is spelling and the command of English language. For one who finds both a nightmare, I find it difficult to understand why an engineer has to have a command of these, when one who has, is not expected to be an engineer, and I have first hand experience of them trying.

When I was called up at the age of 21 to do my national service. The military had a severe shortage of electronic engineers and almost anyone who had a degree was placed in the electronic trades on a crash course of 8 months theory and 4 months practical. Due to my having an electric/electronic HNC I found myself, at the age of 22, teaching, classroom fashion, some areas of the theory of electronics to graduates, some made the grade, most did not.

For me, my writings have only been made possible by the advent of the spell checker, and should I have to complete some document in front of another person it would be absolute torture. As to my command of the English language, I have on occasions been castigated for it in reviews of my books on Amazon and the like, and to letters sent to the publishers. Does one really need to write perfect English to explain how to make a dividing head? It would seem not, for a much greater number comment on how easy my instructions are to follow.

If I may pose a question to Andy which may at least eliminate one of my problem areas. If I walk upto my bungalow and step into it, I know that in one case of, upto and into, it is a single word and in the other two words. As they, to me, have similar intention, and not being able to remember which is which, what is the logic behind the necessity for them being different to enable me to work out the answer?

I will close by requesting those who find the English language less problematical to have sympathy with those of us who find it totally confusing. Please accommodate those of us who have problems with the language as we acomodate those who struggle with engineering. O dear, my double letters have caused me problems but I am sure everyone has understood what I mean.

My spell checker is now in need of a rest, so I will sign off.

Harold Hall

Smiths

Some Smiths do not get the specials, I don't know which.

The best way to get a special is to order it from MyHobbyStore. That is how I have done it in the past with the specials I wrote. I get it as soon as it is in print, no waiting and no queing in Smiths. This was important in case a reader had a query and I needed to look at the magazine.

When living in Scotland, it was 120 miles to the nearest Smiths so that was out of the Question.

This time the office promised me a copy and as it was not my special I decided to wait for it rather than purchasing a copy. It arrived promptly with no problems.

The only problem I have found with ordering specials, and it may not happen now, is that when you pre-order from My HobbyStore the office cleans down the database which automatically sends out an email to say it has been dispatched even though it has not. I know this happened because I have had emails before I had even sent the magazine to the printers.

I rarely buy magazines from a newsagent anymore because the cost of parking and the hastle of going to a major shopping centre is not worth the effort not to mention one publisher who can't get their act together and publish their magazines on time. I have been to Smiths on four seperate occasions to buy a copy of their magazine after it was suppose to be on sale and each time is was not available although it did eventually come in.

The magazines I buy now come on subscription, far easier and cheaper.

regards David

The Pre-Order Your Copy thing bugs me. It's like saying you Pre-thought something, or you Pre-knew an event would happen. 'Pre' is pointless in this context.

Martin.

This poem must be correct, it was written using a spell checker in a word processing program:

(Read it out loud!)

Eye halve a spelling chequer
It came with my pea sea,
It plainly marques four my revue
Miss steaks eye kin knot sea.

Eye strike a key and type a word
And weight for it two say,
Weather eye am wring oar write
It shows me strait a weigh.

As soon as a mist ache is maid
It nose bee fore two long,
And eye can put the error rite
Its rare lea ever wrong.

To rite with care is quite a feet
Of witch won should bee proud,
And wee mussed dew the best wee can,
Sew flaw's are knot aloud.

Eye have run this poem threw it
Your sure reel glad two no,
Its letter perfect awl the weigh
My chequer tolled me sew.

-Sauce unknown

Regards

T