SNC 036 and-a-bit!

Oct 25, 2006

Hi Folks

I'm afraid that for the first time I'm going to have to miss a show.

Our phone lines are all out except for the house line which which sort-of works from time-to-time and I've configured to use when I can for dial-up internet access. It seems that the main cable has been rubbing against a tree for some time. In fact, since our telephone company stopped trimming trees to prevent the problem.

With a bit of wind and a lot of rain on Monday/Tuesday night the inevitable happened.

So here we sit, within a ten minute drive of BT's gleaming and huge research centre at Martlesham Heath where they research and develop the telecommunications systems of the day after tomorrow and the local engineer thinks it might be a week before the necessary work order paperwork is completed and they send a big lorry with a hole digger to put a new dead tree trunk into the ground then send a brave soul up it to connect the new cable. I ask you, what a way to run a railway!

I've spent all day chasing the jobsworths at BT to no avail but I'll find a way around the problem for next week.

In the mean time I'm gently steaming at the way that high-tech wheels can sometimes grind so slowly. (For pity's sake the engineer has to FAX his written report to BT's work planning department when he gets back to the depot.)

However, if you, fragrant listener can draw some satisfaction (however smug) from the fact that you still have a usable connection to the world, I'd say "Go for it, it proves what you know already: You're Suffolk 'n' Cool!

I'll catch up with you just as soon as I can.

Peter