Just realised this is rather damning with faint praise - the highlight of my week has been the receipt at work of a large shipment of bearings from Japan, giving me more than enough timber from the packing cases to deck my new workshop trolley and, as far as news goes it was all bad until you post as I heard that Barnes Wallis's son Chris (a family friend) had died.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I was at the auction (and know Jonathan Minns the owner of the collection and manager of the Engineerium). It was very dramatic. The auction was due to start at 10:30. At 10:20 they announced a 30 min delay due to technical difficulties - we assumed they meant phone lines/internet or somesuch. At about eleven the auctioneer stood up and said he had never had such a dramatic announcement to make. After through-the-night negotiations the entire colection and site had been bought by a local man. Cheers went up and everyone except the vultures beamed from ear-to-ear. I really think three-quarters of those present were very happy not to be able to buy anything. Our local rag has more details:
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under: 'Tycoon's £3 million museum deal by Sara Wallis', if this is no longer the lead story) A very happy ending to a nearly sad story. Anyone who has an interest in this forum should make a point of visiting the Engineerium if they are in the Brighton area. The (fully working) workshop is one of the last with large machines still running and doing real work from overhead line shafts. I am told the Lancashire boilers which supply the beam engine are the oldest continuously working boilers in the world. It's a wonderful place for anyone, but especially for steam people.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ You can see what was nearly sold at
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Air & Engines start around 400. Be carefull not to drool on your keyboard!
Hot Air & Engines start around 400. Be carefull not to drool on your keyboard!
Keyboard duly wiped down - what a treat! Mind you I think some of the estimates on the more common IC stuff would make all of us feel rich, on which point see new post.
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