the DAB radio

so we bought the radio yesterday, after months and months of dithering …

we had a Psion Wavefinder at one point – in fact, we still do, somewhere; must dig it out. It worked ok for a while, if you ignore the horrible things it did the XP machine to which it was attached and then, one day, the BBC MUX disappeared. Even adding a loft aerial didn’t fix it. And as that was all we wanted it for, it came down off the wall and was put away Somewhere Safe.

as we were in John Lewis yesterday, we went and had another prod and poke at them. Our current clock radio in the bedroom, bought to replace one so old that I suspect its valves had finally perished, never really endeared itself to us. Its aerial was insufficient for a clear signal, and so it crackled a bit. Its LCD was too bright. Its sound was horrible.

so we spoke to the Nice Man at JL, and he demonstrated various things, and we came home with one of these – a Pure Tempus-1. And very nice it is too.

one of the nicest things about it is that you set the time *and* the station for the alarm, so we can wake to, e.g., the dulcet tones of Patricia Hewitt, or Hazel Blears, but we can go to sleep with Radio 3. We tried this out last night, and set it running for Andy Kershaw. This was delightful, and then when Composer of the Week came on at midnight, we were presented with Sibelius.

now I *like* Sibelius. And they started with Finlandia, which was wonderful, as always. But after that they played “Kullervo and his sister”, which was, shall we say, a tad operatic for inducing slumber. But still – nice radio.

all in all – very pleased with it. Ninety nine of your earth pounds well spent, I think. Now, if I can only find a way to get one running in the kitchen …

weekend


elephant bookmark
Originally uploaded by ramtops.

very quiet really. Saturday, did shopping in Bedminster:

  • greengrocer: spinach, hispi cabbage, four ruby grapefruit, mushrooms, baby sweetcorn, chillis, cauliflower, potatoes, pineapple. Forgot carrots, and we are out of lemons. Arse.
  • little gift shop: clary sage essential oil, satanic rubber duck, elephant bookmark as displayed here, card to send to kalunina, who seems to have forgotten we exist
  • health food shop: organic milk and cream, kidney beans, blackcurrant juice
  • Aldi: (or possibly Lidl – I always get the muddled up) waffer thin turkey for the Tribe, some stilton

brunch in the yuppie café. Home for slumpage. Chilli from the freezer for supper. Too much wine. Lots of West Wing.

Sunday: up to the Mall to return a top to John Lewis because it went all baggy when washed according to the instructions. Accidentally bought a DAB clock radio – thankfully, this works upstairs, where it was wanted, but it does look as though downstairs in the kitchen (where I want another one) is not going to work without an external aerial.

could someone move that hill, please?

cooked roast chicken, spuds, cauliflower, carrots. No wine today, after yesterday. However, drank tea and consumed plain chocolate digestives. More West Wing.

big pot of soup made for the week: carrots, onions, potatoes, lentils, passata, veg stock, spices (cumin, coriander, fenugreek) – smells gorgeous. Want some now.

bed now. Monday tomorrow. Bah.