Good Night Possums. Xxx
This instrument was actually invented by Benjamin Franklin and is known as the Hydrocrystalophone. It features several glass bowls rotating on an axis which produces different sounds when touched. It was first introduced in 1762, but quickly became popular in Europe after that.
https://i.postimg.cc/fL7rbnRQ/10-strange-and-unusual-musical-instruments-6.jpg
These are the hands of Seamus O’Flaherty, the only man left in Ireland who can master the Hydrocrystalophone, if you’re ever in Connemara in the month of July you can catch Seamus in action in his cottage every week day from 2pm -4pm. I believe his playing of Danny boy on the Hydrocrystalophone is to die for, God Bless your hands Seamus me boy!
If your wondering what this rare instrument sounds like just imagine a pack of starving Hyenas in a cage whilst a side of bacon is tantalisingly waved in front of them, sort of high pitched laughing and crying at the same time, and some folks wonder why it never caught on worldwide.
I believe George Harrison had a go at it when he was over here a few years before he died, couldn’t get the hang of it at all, but I’m sure it would be no problem to our Pug.;-)
I bet Pugsy could play anything Jem.
Rather like one of my twins.
I wanted to know what was your first car.
I learned to drive in an old Hillman Imp.
I recall the battery was where the boot is in other cars. I would have to bang the terminals with a hammer to get it started.
I noticed RJ hasn’t rode in lately, I hope he’s OK in this terrible weather.
Or should that be rowed in?, Pug is on an Island, he rows in regularly.;-)
Never wanted a car so I never bothered to learn how to drive Sweetie, trains and busses were fine for me, funny enough my 50 year old son doesn’t drive either, his wife does it all, but the daughter is a good driver, somehow all the women in my family seem to love driving, and why should us men complain about that, it’s always handy having someone to drive you home when you’ve had one over the eight. :-)
I’m sure Spitty and Pug went through a lot of vehicles in their day and will have fond memories of their very first car, or perhaps not so fond of memories, as P.G. Wodehouse said.
“Memories are like mulligatawny soup in a cheap restaurant. It is best not to stir them.”
Probably owned 40+ cars, 30 brand new ones, another one on the way, besides the workhorse. May retire, and keep this new one.
You can tell me more tomorrow Spitty.
Good Night Possums. X
A young Lady who cleared the tables at my local Social Club, once enquired, “Spitty, every time I go into the Public Bar, the men in there make sexual advances to me, why is this?”, I said to her, its quite simple!
Guys always make passes
At Girls that C’lect glasses
Your mind would be Boggled
Watching you through Beer Goggles
Its hard to defend, both hands on a tray
Against those male lechers making making a play
The only advice that I need to expound
When collecting the glasses, “Stick to the Lounge”.
© Spitty.
Now Spitty never mind that, tell me about your first car.
Who taught you to drive?
OOH we posted at the same time.
Love it. x
I was mainly self taught, aged 16 I got a job a the local Ford main dealer in the car preparation department, they weren’t fussed about licences etc, coz we were paid a pittance, it was fun driving round the equivalent of Asda car park in a 3Ltr S Capri.
Sounds like fun, my hubby taught our son to drive at our local Airport inner road, it is unused in the evenings, so we got permission and it was perfect.
It was fun, did a bit of damage though.
My hubby used to drive the import cars onto the ferries in Dover, they had a smashing time.
As soon as I read that a vision of the episode of “Some Mothers do have Them” sprung to mind, when Frank Spencer’s car is hanging over the cliffs and the song
“I’m going over the white cliffs of Dover…”
Funny how the mind works.
Guys always make passes
At Girls that C’lect glasses
Your mind would be Boggled
Watching you through Beer Goggles
Its hard to defend, both hands on a tray
Against those male lechers making making a play
The only advice that I need to expound
When collecting the glasses, “Stick to the Lounge”.
© Spitty.
[/QUOTE]
My oh my, you are on top form with that one Spitty, full marks there, eat your heart out Gummy. ;-)
On the subject of cars, I’m afraid I’m not qualified to attest to the wonderful workings of the combustion engine, all I know about motoring is from what I hear, and all I ever hear from drivers is moaning, moaning about the traffic congestion, the other lousy drivers, potholes, cyclists, busses, pedestrians, the cost of petrol, road tax, break downs, to name a few, indeed it has been known for one raging driver to get out of his car and strangle another driver in the middle of the road, you don’t see any pedestrians getting up to that sort of thing now do you?
If dems the joys of motoring you are welcome to them.
The man in the car feels he’s King of the road
As he squashes a hedgehog and flattens a toad
Singing and listening on his bluetooth speaker
And sipping Red Bull from a plastic beaker.
“I’m in a hurry, get outta my way!
Or you’ll be lying six feet under the clay”
As I toddle off whistling “The Esso sign means happy motoring, the Esso sign means happy motoring…”
I haven’t been out for a good while with this cold of mine, but I’m much better today so I’ll toddle up to the local and make an appearance, just in case they think I’m dead.;-)
Cars have just been a financial transaction for some while now, the pinnacle being around the mid 90s, one 1995 transaction went like this.
We benefit from a employee discount, at the time 25%, so we purchased a vehicle with an RRP of £20,000.00, the discount took it down to £15,000.00, at the time the employee received all the incentives that retail customers benefitted from, so we got £4000.00 cash back, and free insurance (worth £300.00). We were obligated to keep the car for nine months, so paid 8 payments of £320.00 (if I remember right) = £2560.00, which on the face of it gave us a profit of £1,740.00, but, the icing on the cake was the residual value (trade in) on a nine month old example, with 5000 miles on the clock which was £16,000.00. The settlement figure on the car was £13,500.00, so gave £2,500.00 deposit on the next car, plus the £1,740.00 nett profit £4,240.00.
Needless to say, the retail benefits a couple of years later were withdrawn to employees, and, the percentage discount became variable, dependant on the model but, not typically 25%, but, we had had 10 years of free motoring by this point, and, nothing good lasts for ever.
I remember the first car my brother in law bought, in was back in 1968 and it was a very old and battered light green ‘Baby Austin’ He bought if from my Northern Ireland Boss who had it so long I think he was born in it. I was the mediator and the price they settled on was £17.
As it happened we used to have to work a half day on a Saturday back then and when we finished work at 1pm the handing over ceremony took place. Old McDonald, my boss, actually cried when he handed over the tax book and keys and as he familiarised Mick, my in law, with the ins and outs of the car I headed for the pub on the corner to inform the lads that Mick had bought a ‘new’ car. It was a warm sunny day and they all left their drinks and came outside to watch the arrival of Mick in his new car.
They all clapped and let out an unmerciful cheer as the car pulled into the kerb outside the pub, you have to realise that this was in the very heart of Dublin city with hundreds of shoppers passing by, Mick got out of the car and made a bee line for the bar, his face was so red you could light a fag from it. Mick was always a shy lad.
Funny enough he got a few years out of the old crock, finally the floor fell out of it from rust and he had to part with it, even today he still talks about that old car, “My baby” as he used to call it.
For younger folks who wouldn’t know what these old cars looked like, here’s an Austin A35 just like it only in much better condition.
Fantastic stories.
Sorry I am too tired to add another.
Good Night Possums. X