What's your hobby?


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Starting back when I was a lad I got a circuit diagram of a crystal set. Managed to scrounge up the parts and built it in an old cigar box. Strung a length of wire outside for an aerial and earthed it to the kitchen tap. It was amazing to a kid to hear the light program and the third program on the head phones with no need of a power supply. Went on to build valve sets and eventually into hi-fi which has lasted me all my life.

Got into playing music at age 67 and love it. Wish I'd started as a kid. Expect to keep on with that until my demise.

So what are hobbies with the rest of you? I mean apart from the pub. :-)

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Starting back when I was a lad I got a circuit diagram of a crystal set. Managed to scrounge up the parts and built it in an old cigar box. Strung a length of wire outside for an aerial and earthed

Dolls houses are my hobby, had one as a child then just forgot about it 4years ago as a joint mothers day present my children gave me a 5 story Edwardian house. Fell in love again now have 9 houses !

My latest hobby is chief taster, east mid region for Hobgoblin !

I built a few crystal sets in my younger Dave, plus one and two valve TRF valve sets built with parts from University Radio Store on Shakspeare Street, all contributed to me taking up Ham radio as a hobby.

Wood working, reading, drinking beer!!, repairing electronic stuff, just too many hobbies to list..

On the two valve TRF, when my Mum took the Lady Bay Cleaners shop managers job, we lived above the shop on Alfred St South, next door was a house made into flats, all filled with "West Indians" I found an amusing hobby using that two valver, anyone who has radio experience knows a TRF receiver will act like a transmitter if not tuned right.

Well these West Indian fellers used to like to listen to the radio a lot at night, I'd off set the tuning on the two valver so it would go into oscilation, I could hear their radio "howling" just to make them think their radio had a problem, I'd up and down tune my two vlaver a tad in frequency. I'd hear someone banging the radio and cursing, so I'd switch off. I'd do this several times a night, I often wonder if they took their radio in for repair....

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Good one, John. I'd forgotten about those reaction effects in the early valve sets. We need a few digital equivalents today. Like you I used to hang my nose over the window of University Radio on Shakespeare Street. At that age I mostly couldn't afford stuff on my pocket money.

Rog. You reminded me of cycling. Even joined Sherwood C C in the early 60s, but it was a passing hobby. Had a few of those over the years. Wine and beer making, which I had forgotten, and vegetable gardening which I still do. Video photography and editing. Still doing that too.

Edited for spelling.

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You make a good point Ian. The difference between a hobby and an interest. I guess we all have a lot of interests, but I suppose a hobby is really something we really like and are prepared to spend some hard earned cash on.

Yes it was across from the fire station. Doubt it would still be there now.

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I agree Loppy,Peveril has made feel guilty (joke!) that I have been to lazy to fish lately.buses and trains I have always liked,but the scene here is all up the north!!

Nottm people should stop moaning!,there is Buttetley, Crich,old railway lines/cycle paths and halls and castles...here ..zilch!!

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Yes cliff,the shop with the pictures in the window,was the courtyard between the radio shop and the newsagent called Shakespeare court? The newsagents on the right was ran by an old misery.. he was always down the cellar.. we got our own back..when decimal currency came in..charity shops sold bags of old coins for 10p..the old halfpennies resembled the new 2p and machines had not yet been adjusted.. a certain person filled his Beech nut machine and PK one with old coins.. Moons garage became a home for the Police Traffic Dpt.That was always a chippy on the left,but went down hill in the 70's The Clinton....has been mentioned!! BTW Cliff I have found a photo of Syknner Street,off Peachey Street,hassling my son to post it!! Only one in existence?

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Dolls houses are my hobby, had one as a child then just forgot about it 4years ago as a joint mothers day present my children gave me a 5 story Edwardian house. Fell in love again now have 9 houses ! Am fortunate in being able to make all soft furnishing and clothes for this very expensive hobby, anyone else as daft as me.

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'Taint daft if you enjoy it Gem. We all need an interest.

Thanks for posting that, Cliff. As Ian said, I think it was the shop with the pictures in the windows. Seemed to have just about any radio part you might need.

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I built a few crystal sets in my younger Dave, plus one and two valve TRF valve sets built with parts from University Radio Store on Shakspeare Street, all contributed to me taking up Ham radio as a hobby.

Wood working, reading, drinking beer!!, repairing electronic stuff, just too many hobbies to list..

On the two valve TRF, when my Mum took the Lady Bay Cleaners shop managers job, we lived above the shop on Alfred St South, next door was a house made into flats, all filled with "West Indians" I found an amusing hobby using that two valver, anyone who has radio experience knows a TRF receiver will act like a transmitter if not tuned right.

Well these West Indian fellers used to like to listen to the radio a lot at night, I'd off set the tuning on the two valver so it would go into oscilation, I could hear their radio "howling" just to make them think their radio had a problem, I'd up and down tune my two vlaver a tad in frequency. I'd hear someone banging the radio and cursing, so I'd switch off. I'd do this several times a night, I often wonder if they took their radio in for repair....

The TRF receiver story takes me back! I was lucky enough to get an "HAC One-Valver" receiver kit. "Hear All Continents" it said in their adverts but all I ever seemed to get was the powerful stations in what was Commumist East Europe! Those tuning signals they used, a few musical notes repeated endlessly, still give me ear-worm.

Thanks to my late dad, I graduated to a "Wireless Set No 52" real radio receiver, which I doubt I could lift off the bench nowadays but which opened up the radio world and started me on what will be a 50 year hobby next year. I still tinker with the old valve sets and the HAC has become a collector's item at ebay prices. My grounding in radio and electronics provided me with a 45-year career in the oil and gas industry.

The mention of war surplus shops also brings back memories; I still have a nice ex-RAF brass Morse key I bought at Charles Town, near to the Midland Station, anyone recall them? Also Arkwright St had a couple of similar shops and of course every city and town had surplus shops, I believe Birketts in Lincoln are about the only shop left? Anchor Surplus always used to be a call-in for me until recently but they seemed to have gone away from military surplus.

Whilst on the subject, whilst fiddling with my HAC receiver I managed, as you do, to blow the heater in the valve, a PM2 I think? My dad hauled me along to Bill Redgate's radio shop on Mapperley Plains where Bill has able to find me a replacment valve for a few pennies. Turned out my dad had worked for Bill prior to dad being called-up in 1940. I wonder if anyone recalls Bill's shop?

73

MB

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Jukeboxes are my hobby,have a beautiful Wurlitzer and a rockola.Loads of records to go in them.People have said to me get an iPod,I don't want one,where's the beauty or wonderful sound with an iPod?

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My first real hobby was electronics thanks to the fine people at the ROF during my apprenticeship. I went on to build several audio amps from scratch including the cases, one I still have now 40 odd years later.I was fortunate enough to have a best mate who was was service manager for IBM in the East Midlands who guided me from Dragon computers to IBM PC's in 1981. He was also a radio ham which I also got involved with and got my 'A' licence in 1983 (callsign G4XMH) Since then I've DJ'd (dance/house music not weddings) and been involved in lot's of electrical/electronic shenanigans since. I've recently gone back to playing guitar after a 40+ year break. I also got in to spending money which I've now put a stop to.

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I had never realized what a joy actually playing an instrument rather than just playing a record could be. The are times when my efforts do not seem very musical. As a kid the idea of music lessons for any instrument always seemed like just an extension of school, which I did not like. So I refused to take any. Could kick myself now.

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I studied for my three guitar grades at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, which was nice. I got fed up with the instructor keep asking me where notes were on the fret board, I explained I could do that all day and I wasn't learning anything. In the end I found I learnt more jamming with may mates. So much for my twenty quid twice a week, all the lads want is a can now and again.

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Nice Mick,I have similar feelings as Loppylugs, I had guitar lessons on Canning Circus and Nottm Rd. But felt them restrictive.. thought I knew it all!! Had a notion of wowing the world..I only dipped my toes in the learning and playing of guitar..which I regret..my son is a very good drummer and I wanted him to go and pursue percussion properly.. he loves Bill Bruford..will he do it??..NO!!

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Like you I used to hang my nose over the window of University Radio on Shakespeare Street.

And me, I loved that shop and the guy (or the lady?) used to give you your parts in brown paper bags like you'd bought sweeties. I remember one project I had on the go I needed hundreds of resistors, caps, transistors and a couple of 555 timers and a 741 op amp or two. We used to get an enormous amount of spare parts at the ROF as they used to bring experimental projects in to be smashes on the forge presses. We used to bribe the lorry driver so he would clear off for ten minutes and then we used to go skip diving :happy:

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I was forced to have piano lessons for five years, when I'd rather have been train spotting at Nottm Vic. I passed two exams, but never regretted quitting until I saw the Nashville Teens play and was in awe of their pianist.

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I really can recommend jamming. I have several mates who are at different levels but they really do bounce off each other when playing. I showed two of them how to break down a tune and how to work out what the recommended chords the rhythm and lead guitarists should be playing and they are great at it. Simple things I was taught years ago still work today. I tend to let them get on with it and noodle in the background.

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