Steve

Going Native….

We moved to France last May with a UK right hand drive (RHD) car. Driving it here in France didn’t cause me any real problems as I had driven many miles, or should I say kilometres, here over the years. I’m lucky I can quickly adapt to driving in different situations. I’ve been driving for 35 years this year (eek!) And I’ve driven a variety of vehicles in that time from small cars to 7.5 tonne trucks and things like Land Rovers with big trailers.

Over the years I’ve driven left hand drive (LHD) vehicles, hire cars or vans mainly. Being here full time though has exposed me to more of the hazards of driving a RHD car in France than you would experience in just a holiday.

We are awaiting the delivery of a new LHD car next month, I hope. In the meantime, we have hired a Fiat Punto, which of course is left hand drive. So what is it like swapping over to LHD after years of driving RHD vehicles?

You still do odd things like walking to the passenger side rather than the driver’s side in supermarket car parks! Or going to release the seat belt on the left hand side when you are sat in the driver’s seat rather than the right hand side. But I’ve quickly adapted to driving a LHD car again for longer than a few hours. The other change over for me with the Fiat is that it’s a manual and our previous car which we had for two years was an automatic. So far I’ve only forgotten to use the clutch once when coming to a halt!

One thing I have noticed is how much safer it is sitting on the correct side of the car when you are driving on the right. You have a better view of on coming cars on roundabouts and you can see other vehicles so much better without having to look around the windscreen pillars. Likewise when turning into right hand junctions you have a better view of the road you are turning into.

I have heard people quite concerned about driving on the other side of the road than the one they are used to driving on, but concentrate on your driving, which of course you should be doing anyway, and you won’t have any issues. I use my TomTom SatNav to warn me of speed limits and speed cameras. The French police seem to be pretty active with their mobile speed camera cars in our area, so I suggest you need to stick to the speed limits wherever you are.

Safe and happy driving, which ever side you drive on….

Orfordness

Those of you who like High Power RF engineering in the form of MF transmitters should take a look at this video, that features my old friend Andy Matheson G3ZYP who I first met when I was in Cyprus back in 1983. Andy showed me how to use Wordstar for the first time on a CP/M computer… memories!!

The 648 kHz service is about to disappear at the end of March, never to be replaced. I’m not sure if the DRM service will be continuing from Orfordness or not.

2012 Tribute to BBC 648 kHz Orfordness – The Enthusiast's Version from Jonathan Marks on Vimeo.

Dropbox

I’ve been using Dropbox now for over a year. I don’t know what we would do without it. We have had shared folders on our network for many years, but Dropbox takes this one step further and adds many additional useful features.

Even if you only have one computer Dropbox can act as a useful on-line back up for all your regularly used files, just store them in your Dropbox folder and they will be backed up securely on line. If you have more than one computer, then Dropbox will keep the files on both computers in sync automatically. So you will always have the latest up to date versions of your files with no need to use USB sticks and concerns about do I have the latest one on here or is it on that other machine.

You can also share Dropbox folders with other users which I find extremely useful for keeping up to date information on the Pembury website, people manage their own sub-domains on the site and I just have to upload the files. It saves them having to email me all the files each time there is an update. You can also share photos with Dropbox, privately or publically.

Dropbox works on PC’s, Mac’s, Linux machines, and mobile devices too (iPods, iPhones etc), take a look at the video on the site.

Grab yourself a free Dropbox account, use any of the Dropbox links on this page and you will get some extra storage for free. Let me know if you sign up and I will tell you how to get some more space for free as well.

Birthdays – How are you supposed to celebrate them?

Yesterday was my birthday… Happy Birthday to me etc…

I was born on my fathers birthday all those years ago, and yesterday would have been his 85th birthday, but sadly he passed away back in 2003, so no more shared birthdays for us.

But how is one supposed to celebrate ones less significant birthdays? Going back to when I was 25. It was similar to this year I suppose, I was in a foreign country celebrating my birthday, back then it was Cyprus, now I’m in France.

But there are some common things. I’m most probably listening to the same music as I did 27 years ago, I have Steely Dan playing on headphones as I type this, back in 1984 it would have been an LP or a cassette on my ‘new’ Sony Walkman in my pocket… today it’s my iPod touch in my pocket, how technology progresses. Now I can carry around in my pocket my full music collection, un-thinkable 10 years ago… ok make that 15 years ago. The iPod hit the streets in October 2001, my iPod Touch is my third iPod!

‘What would you like for your birthday?’ I never know how to answer that question, I can always think of expensive things… who can’t!!! But when it comes down to everyday items I get stumped for what to suggest. Even if I want to buy myself something I find it difficult to choose these days, we almost have too much choice in some things. It’s the same at Christmas as well.

The other question I dread is ‘What did you do on your birthday?’ Quite often in the past it’s been a normal working day for me. Yesterday was fairly routine, but I was pacing myself, a bit of work, a bit of relaxation, a bit of work. Listening to lots of music I like too.

I had lots of nice best wishes messages on Facebook, which I suppose is becoming the modern way rather than sending cards. The post being as unpredictable as ever… when do you need to post a card to get to France… 2 days 6 days…. or 3 weeks! I don’t get sad if someone forgets my birthday or doesn’t send me a card these days. Why just have one special day in the year when there are 365/6 days when you can also be nice to your friends and family.

I also had a surprise post by my friend and co-conspirator Laurie on Philofaxy, and even more birthday wishes, so it turned out to be quite a special day in the end.

Thank you everyone for thinking of me, it makes me feel even more wanted, your thoughts and best wishes are better than any birthday present I could ever wish for.

Written by hand – I’ve been tagged

Robin over at ‘So very Robin‘ tagged my friend Laurie at Plannerisms, who in turn tagged loads of us… so here’s my entry in this chain.

I’ve always had problems with my handwriting and until recently I didn’t know why. But I think it’s because I don’t have stereophonic vision(I’m more or less blind in my right eye), so my ability to being able to put the point of my pen back on the page between letters/words is always a bit hit and miss.

I hate filling in forms especially those ones where you have to print in to boxes. My signature is also hardly the same twice, although it’s roughly the same each time.

Like Laurie I will spare your eyesight by supplying you the questions and answers! The following page was written Uniball Eye fine tipped pen on a sheet of fan fold tractor feed Filofax paper, yes it’s old. But without a tractor feed printer I still use the paper! Click on the picture to see it in more detail!

1. Your name/blogger name : Steve Morton aka Temps Perdu
2. Your blog name/URL: Philofaxy http://philofaxy.com as well as this blog and a few others!
3. Write “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.”
4. Favorite quote? ; The radio spectrum is already packed and unfortunately they’ve stopped making any more of it.
5. Favorite song? Peg – Steely Dan
6. Favorite band/singers? – Steely Dan amongst many others.
7. Anything else you want to say? My handwriting has got worse, but I now know why, I think…. see above!

Now it’s your turn! Post your version of this on your blog, and please post a link to it here in the comments.