Tony Jeffree’s Grinder letter in MEW175

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi Tony

We always refuse Avatars that are someone elses copyright.

Otherwise there would be too many Wallace and Gromit Avatars..

regards David

 

[Tony JeffreeParticipant @tonyjeffree56510]

Posted by David Clark 1 on 21/03/2011 09:20:08:

Hi Tony

We always refuse Avatars that are someone elses copyright.

Otherwise there would be too many Wallace and Gromit Avatars..

regards David

 

Hi David –

 

Its a fair point…

Regards,

Tony

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi, I can’t speak for Terry’s comment about the Emperor’s New Clothes, but I think I understand it. As far as the letter goes, I believe I can associate it with things that I have never got round to finish, but that does not include a Quorn, Stent, Kennet or Worden or any other cutter/grinder for that matter, and not even in connection with Model Engineering.

 

As we are human we have failings, and we can find things complicated and a chore to set up, so go for an easer way. This does not make the more complex thing inferior, as a lot of people will excel with them, because while we are all fudementally the same, we are also all unique.

 

Tony,

in your first installment of your current artical in MEW 174, I’m afraid I lost interest in it when in the second paragraph you were on about the paint job, and started babaling on about DIY stores and the politics about scanners and self service tills ect., I have my own views on these and don’t need to read about them in a construction artical. No offence but I think you should have just said basically what paint you decided apon.

 

Regards Nick.

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 21/03/2011 11:23:12

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

 .

 

 

I’m still having nightmares over that whippet………………………….

 

 

.

Edited By John Stevenson on 21/03/2011 11:38:12

[Tony JeffreeParticipant @tonyjeffree56510]

Posted by Nicholas Farr on 21/03/2011 11:22:02:

Hi, I can’t speak for Terry’s comment about the Emperor’s New Clothes, but I think I understand it. As far as the letter goes, I believe I can associate it with things that I have never got round to finish, but that does not include a Quorn, Stent, Kennet or Worden or any other cutter/grinder for that matter, and not even in connection with Model Engineering.

 

As we are human we have failings, and we can find things complicated and a chore to set up, so go for an easer way. This does not make the more complex thing inferior, as a lot of people will excel with them, because while we are all fudementally the same, we are also all unique.

 

Tony,

in your first installment of your current artical in MEW 174, I’m afraid I lost interest in it when in the second paragraph you were on about the paint job, and started babaling on about DIY stores and the politics about scanners and self service tills ect., I have my own views on these and don’t need to read about them in a construction artical. No offence but I think you should have just said basically what paint you decided apon.

 

Regards Nick.

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 21/03/2011 11:23:12

Nick –

 

I would absolutely agree that “…This does not make the more complex thing inferior…”, and I don’t believe that I have ever suggested different. As I said in the letter, “The Quorn is undoubtedly a very versatile machine…”; all I was pointing out was that its versatility has to be tempered with other considerations, and in particular, whether it is actually suitable for the uses to which it will be put.

 

As for the bit about the paint, that was an attempt on my part to add a bit of humour to what at the end of the day can be pretty dry material; it may not have been to your taste, and that is up to you, but from the comments others have made (both in this thread and privately), I believe that it has raised a reasonable number of smiles and chuckles in other readers, which was precisely my intention. I make no apology for that.

 

Regards,

Tony

Edited By Tony Jeffree on 21/03/2011 17:09:48

[TerrydParticipant @terryd72465]

Posted by Tony Jeffree on 21/03/2011 09:03:31:

Posted by Terryd on 20/03/2011 22:07:50:

 

The story of the Emperor’s New Clothes comes to mind,

 

Hi Terry –

 

Sorry if I’m being a bit slow, but I am failing to see the connection.

 

Regards,

Tony

 

 

Sorry Tony ,

 

You really should understand considering the comments made previously. But if it is too difficult to understand, I’m sorry.

 

Best regards

 

Terry

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

It’s not difficult at all Terry, we all understand the irony of it.

 

John S.

[Tony JeffreeParticipant @tonyjeffree56510]

Posted by Terryd on 21/03/2011 23:11:31:

Posted by Tony Jeffree on 21/03/2011 09:03:31:

Posted by Terryd on 20/03/2011 22:07:50:

 

The story of the Emperor’s New Clothes comes to mind,

 

Hi Terry –

 

Sorry if I’m being a bit slow, but I am failing to see the connection.

 

Regards,

Tony

 

 

Sorry Tony ,

 

You really should understand considering the comments made previously. But if it is too difficult to understand, I’m sorry.

 

Best regards

 

Terry

 

Hi Terry –

 

I can assure you, it isn’t any difficulty of understanding on my part, it is the difficulty of finding anything there to understand

Regards,

Tony

[Tony JeffreeParticipant @tonyjeffree56510]

Posted by Graham Meek on 22/03/2011 17:28:43:

Hi Tony,

Does this mean we won’t get a sequel?

 

Gray,

Hi Gray –

 

I suspect this one will run & run

Regards,

Tony

[Ted 047Participant @ted047]

Could I just add a few pennorth more, to explain that, while I do like articles to contain mainly the salient facts, I am all in favour of the introduction of a smattering of humour, and I agree that it makes for easier reading.

However, I still feel that it would be best limited to, say, 10% or so, and Tony’s otherwise excellent article contains about 75%, together with quite a lot of repetition (‘gathering dust’ etc.).

 

Regards

Ted

[Steve GarnettParticipant @stevegarnett62550]

We need a humour quotient now? Ooh, I hope not – that’s far to formulaic for me, I’m afraid.

[Alex gibsonParticipant @alexgibson50133]

Come on guys, lighten up. This hobby is supposed to be fun. Keep it up Tony, it’s great to be informed and entertained at the same time.

 

kind regards

alex

[Tony JeffreeParticipant @tonyjeffree56510]

Posted by Graham Meek on 26/03/2011 19:33:17:

Hi Tony, Steve,

 

Perhaps some of those who knock the style of the article should show us who struggle to put pen to paper and write an article how it should be done? Sort of lead by example.

 

Gray

Hi Gray –

 

I couldn’t agree more. I will then take great delight in returning the favour by critiquing their efforts!

 

Regards,

Tony

[Tony JeffreeParticipant @tonyjeffree56510]

Posted by Ted 047 on 26/03/2011 14:58:51:

Could I just add a few pennorth more, to explain that, while I do like articles to contain mainly the salient facts, I am all in favour of the introduction of a smattering of humour, and I agree that it makes for easier reading.

However, I still feel that it would be best limited to, say, 10% or so, and Tony’s otherwise excellent article contains about 75%, together with quite a lot of repetition (‘gathering dust’ etc.).

 

Regards

Ted

 

Hi Ted –

 

Are you talking about the letter or the article? I would agree that the letter was about 50% humourous, but I don’t think that applies to the Worden article itself, uness you have discovered a new branch of mathematics. By my calculation, the latter was about 1 column (1/3 of a page) of humour to 6 pages of article in Part 1, and pretty much no humour in the 6 pages of Part 2. Remains to be seen what Part 3 will bring

 

Regards,

Tony

 

[Tony JeffreeParticipant @tonyjeffree56510]

Posted by Alex gibson on 26/03/2011 19:33:18:

Come on guys, lighten up. This hobby is supposed to be fun. Keep it up Tony, it’s great to be informed and entertained at the same time.

 

kind regards

alex

Thanks!

 

Regards,

Tony

[NJHParticipant @njh]

Hi All

 

I agree there should be a balance between humour and seriousness. Now I’ve been taking MEW since issue 1 and Tony’s article was the first to make me laugh out loud. So then, if we were to say that 10% should be humorous, that will mean, Tony, that you need to completely fill the next 17 issues with funny articles to redress the balance! ( In truth it should be more than that as the ads etc really can’t be considered to be funny – although I suppose some of the prices are.)

 

No time to waste – get on with it now!

 

Regards

 

Norman

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Peter G. ShawParticipant @peterg-shaw75338]

Well, for what it is worth, I found Tony’s bit about the stores (MEW174) and the letter in MEW175 very funny indeed.

I thought the word picture painted about the storeman absolutely spot on and I could almost literally see him – I suppose it comes from a lifetime of reading and thus developing a good imagination.

Don’t suppose I should say this, but I ended up with a cross between Arkwright (Open All Hours) and The Two Ronnies “4 Candle” Sketch.

 

Tony, keep it up – it makes the magazine worth buying.

 

Regards, and thanks,

 

Peter G. Shaw

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Seems there are for and against but does no one care for that poor whippet ?

 

John S.

[Tony JeffreeParticipant @tonyjeffree56510]

Posted by John Stevenson on 26/03/2011 21:18:23:

Seems there are for and against but does no one care for that poor whippet ?

 

John S.

Too late for the whippet – he’s gone to the dogs…

 

Regards,

Tony

[Tony JeffreeParticipant @tonyjeffree56510]

Posted by Graham Meek on 26/03/2011 22:55:53:

Hi Tony,

 

There seems to be some truth in your letter after all, I see “Coalburner” has a posting requesting Quorn Castings or some information there of.

 

Now given all these unfinished projects lurking in the dark recesses of numerous workshops, fulfilling Coalburner’s request I thought should be quite easy. Suddenly the penny dropped when I see no replies to his posting, no one will own up to buying the kit and not finishing the project, so you see you were right after all.

 

They do say, “many a true word is spoken in jest”

 

Gray

There you go

 

Regards,

Tony

[Tony JeffreeParticipant @tonyjeffree56510]

Posted by Peter G. Shaw on 26/03/2011 21:04:41:

Well, for what it is worth, I found Tony’s bit about the stores (MEW174) and the letter in MEW175 very funny indeed.

I thought the word picture painted about the storeman absolutely spot on and I could almost literally see him – I suppose it comes from a lifetime of reading and thus developing a good imagination.

Don’t suppose I should say this, but I ended up with a cross between Arkwright (Open All Hours) and The Two Ronnies “4 Candle” Sketch.

 

Tony, keep it up – it makes the magazine worth buying.

 

Regards, and thanks,

 

Peter G. Shaw

Peter –

 

Thanks for the vote of confidence. Perhaps slightly overstating the case to compare my efforts with those of the great R Barker esq, but many thanks for the compliment!

 

Regards,

Tony

[Ted 047Participant @ted047]

Hi Tony

Sorry for the confusion – my fault: I used ‘article’, and should have said ‘letter’ (only).

 

Regards

Ted

[Richard ParsonsParticipant @richardparsons61721]

Tony – I knew such a shop keeper, grey stores, coat forests of pencils and ball points (none of which worked). A stub of pencil stuffed up under a flat cap which looked as if it had been sharpened by his tame ferret. An addiction to ¾” BSW bolts with the nuts as afters, tar butties and tea in a ½ gallon tin plate mug with a ¼” crust of tannin in it. A moustache which looked as if someone had soldered a hedgehog under his nose. I do not know about whippets, there weren’t any in the ‘megalopolis’ (maybe he was reason for that). But he was good at his job. If he had it (anywhere in the building, which was a warren of shelving) he knew where it was and would get it although he hated selling things. He seemed to love all his stock. He would lovingly stroke anything bright and shiny. In 1985 (or there abouts) I bought all his stock (4 of them) of ‘0’ BA hex headed bolts. He muttered “These have not sold too well. Got the last box in ‘47”. He then asked me if I would want more when I said “No”. He muttered “I won’t get any more; Dad said they would not sell”. He was closed down by ‘Compulsory purchase’ and re-zoning’ so now it is only the dreaded B&Q (Buy it -if you can find it- and Queue up to pay).

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Priceless gems of our industrial history.

When I was an apprentice with not much money [ some things never change ] the dynamo went on my trusty BSA, an enquiry at the local motor cycle shop told me to take it to Harry for repair but I was warned to enter the premises with it behind my back, listen to what he had to say and ignore everything.

Then just say “I’ll leave it here and come back next week ” and leave.

 

Now Harry worked out of an old stable block behind his house [ I can see a bit of deja-vu here ] so I walked into this tiny, scruffy, dark workshop with bits of electrical gear strewn everywhere with said dynamo behind my back. As soon as harry spotted me thru dirty cracked glasses he shout “And you can F&*k off and take that Dynamo with you “

 

How did he know I had a dynamo with me ? So after a tirade of abuse which for a 16 year old used to a sheltered upbringing [ Bus shelters, air raid shelters etc ] was very off putting i announced that I’d put it on the corner of the bench and come back next week.

 

“Do what you like, it won’t be done” was the reply so I crept out not knowing what was going to happen.

 

Went back the next week to the same tirade of how hard he had to work on utter crap that people kept bringing him but on the corner of the bench was a repaired and repainted dynamo.

 

That’s thirty bob and don’t come back was the reply, I paid and as I was leaving I spotted a cuckoo clock on the wall, someone had pulled the cuckoo out it’s hatch and tied it’s extending linkage into a knot so it hung down all forlorn with a note round it’s neck that read.

 

“There no tick here” I had to smile. “Tick” being the local term for credit.

 

Over the years I got to know Harry quite well but he never changed, why did he have to ? He was brilliant at his job and I’m sure he enjoyed it but he would never let on.

 

These were what we knew as Characters.

 

John S.

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Posted by Graham Meek on 27/03/2011 13:32:15:

 

My Mate at work has a “Whippet” but because he lives in a Posh area it is called a “Lurcher” , long live the Whippet.

 

Gray

 

 

It’s all in a name.

 

Have you noticed you can buy a new Nissan but it’s only Datsuns that go to the scrapyard?

 

John S.

[Author]

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