Ice Cream

Gosh...now I am looking back to the times when ice cream was fun!

"HAPPY times spent at an ice cream parlour which was a Bolton institution will be recalled later this month.
Sabini Brothers’ ice cream shop and cafe was a feature in Churchgate from the 1940s, until the family turned it into the Sandwich Inn in 1970.

The family firm served lunch to shoppers and town centre workers until 2002, when the business finally closed and the building was taken over by the Edwards estate agents.
Now the family plan to decorate the former shop front with photographs dating back to when the three Sabini brother’s first took over the site, in the 1930s.
The display is scheduled for the Midsummer festival from June 19 to 28, in and around Bolton Parish Church and Churchgate.

Dorina Green is Valentino Sabini’s daughter. She used to run the Sandwich Inn with husband Peter and brother Bruno Sabini.
She said: “I’ve always kept scrapbooks and diaries since I was a child. I’ve got quite a few old photographs so I thought I’d put them on display for people to enjoy when they go to the festival.”

Mr Green added: “We were keen to take part in the festival because Sabini’s was at the heart of this area for a very long time and during the heyday of Churchgate. We are really looking forward to it.”
The trio still live above the old shop.
The Sabini brothers came to Bolton before the First World War and started an ice-cream business in Little Lever.
They moved the business to Churchgate in the 1930s, running No 33 as an American Temperance Bar."

Summer Daze!

The one thing that digital technology has not changed...the ice cream van!

Hot sunny days sitting in the garden sipping on an ice cold beer and listening to that AWFUL sound of ice cream vans!! When I was little the ice cream van was a lovely sight, the sound of that soft jingling told you to go and ask mum for some money. In my street, I remember two ice cream vans...Manfredi's and Mr Softee, I like Manfredi's best! But they only came around once, usually about tea time.

Nowadays we have 120dB distorted square waves sounding out all day long!! The same tune playing over and over again that can be heard over a mile away. I'm sure there must be a law that limits this noise. In my daughter's street there are a lot of children that live there...result...ice cream vans twenty times a day and sometimes two in the street...not one of them are Italian, or English....and they are all called Mr Softee! Surely in the days of digital technology there must be a better way of selling ice cream?

How about ordering on-line, or order by phone? Get rid of this awful din that drives us all mad during those Summer days!

I remember the happy days of ice cream parlours in Bolton...Sabini's Manfredi's and Tognorelli's...them were the days!

70cms Portable Operation

Last Tuesday evening was the 70cm UK contest. So guess what I did?

After years of lying in my shack I unplugged my Yaesu FT817 and decided to go portable! All I needed now was a suitable 12 volt connector to plug into the car...surely I must have on somewhere. After scrapping around in the attic on my hands and knees I finally found one that I could use. I brought down my multi-band vertical from the attic as well. Next I connected it all up in the car and listened to the contest...

Then I thought that I would go up to Matchmoor Lane on Winter Hill and try it out up there, maybe work a few stations...so off I went!

I was amazed at how many stations that I could hear on 70cms with just the multi-band vertical!

My only disappointment was when I tried to work some stations, when I pressed the PTT the radio turned itself off...why was this? I then realised that the power adapter was originally from a mobile phone charger and possibly had overcurrent protection built in. I was right! When I came home I managed to find another adaptor with a direct connection, this one worked a treat!

Gosh...its a long time since I took some equipment out for some portable work, now I want to make some beams for portable use along with my existing HB9CV for 2m.

Record Deck

Yesterday I had a JVC Record Deck delivered. I bought it from e-bay at just £15! Now I can listen again to my old vinyl LPs and singles. A nice deck...magnetic cartridge, anti-skate, cue lever and pretty solid metal turntable. I'm sure that people like me are now beginning to think about their 'vinyl' past. My LPs are all in plastic covers and like new...I am proud of them!

Also yesterday I received the CD I ordered 'The Old Grey Whistle Test - 40th Anniversary' It came in a cheap and nasty cardboard case and actually looked 40 years old! The songs are great, but the thing I bought has no value to me at all. I loved buying LPs, you felt like you had bought something special, great artwork, nice and big to hold and even lyrics that were big enough to read. CDs have no personal value, I have lots, but I don't have anything attached to any of them.

Today I looked through my LPs and each one had a personal memory, I even remember saving up and going to the shop to buy them!

What will the kids of today look back on? Do they have anything personal to music or are they just digital memories!

Easter garden project

Gosh...what an Easter! Bolton Wanderers at Wembley, Royal Wedding, two Bank Holiday Weekends and amazing weather...oh and they found Bin Laden!

I had some decorating to do inside if the weather was bad during my two weeks holiday. Instead I worked in the garden and built a new patio area at the back of the garden. Today it was finished!

Royal Wedding

I watched the Royal Wedding live...I didn't intend watching ALL of it especially the service, but I just couldn't move away from the television, it was compulsive :-) I think it was sooo good for people in our country. All we have seen on television are bad things, this was amazing watching so many people enjoying themselves instead of protesting and fighting.It was fun reading the comments on fb, especially the ones about Prince Harry (Williams's brother) and the chief Bridesmade, the bride's sister!

Fantastic digital HD coverage, the last Royal Wedding relied on 625 line analogue colour television. The strange thing about all this is that the technology gave the whole world satellite HD coverage. Many millions of people aroung the world are watching...but the production remains the same. It looks the same now as it did in the 1950's!

Sweden covered their Royal Wedding last year, but the coverage was much more intimate including coverage of the reception. Maybe it is time for us to be a bit more liberal and less reserved!

Barbeque weather...in April?

What a fantastic Easter Holiday! Super weather and now another holiday....the Royal Wedding and then Mayday! The weather has been unbelievable, wall to wall sunshine for over two whole weeks...never seen it like this...and its still April!

Gosh...I remember going to Drayton Manor Radio Rally this week many years ago it started off sunny, then as we drove down the M6 it snowed and the motorways were blocked. Drayton Manor Rally had marquees for the outdoor events and most of the dealers got stuck in the snow!

Yes...we have had lots of barbys in the last few weeks...now what about Summer?