Pushy Phones4u

Its that time of year again when I get to change my mobile phone with a new one. As usual, Phones4u gave me a ring the other day and tried to convince me to go with a brand new Samsung G600 mobile phone (the same model as Michelle). Now, Ive been quite happy with my Nokia N80 for the past year and felt that an upgrade to the new Nokia N95 8Gb would be my best bet.

Well, the sales person whom I spoke to on the phone just kept telling me that the N95 is a crap phone and that if I would go with the Samsung model, I could also get £150 cash back - yes, a cheque for £150.

I gave in, and said OK, with the understanding that if I wasn't happy with it, I could return it within 7 days.

One day later, my new Samsung arrived. I opened the box, had a proper look and came to the conclusion that the phone just was not for me - it had none of the features that I've come to expect from a phone, so I rang up and explained to them that I wished to return the phone.

As you can imagine, the sales person attempted to try and change my mind by adding an extra £100 to the cashback offer - yes, £250 cash back. I tried to explain that the phone was not for me.

I was then passed to another 'senior' sales person, and once again they tried to convince me to go with the G600.

Phones4u, get it into your thick heads that I DO NOT WANT THE BLOODY G600. I know that you all have sales targets and that you have to sell a large number of a certain model to reach your targets, but instead of thinking of yourselves, how about thinking about what the person who is actually paying for the phone wants. I know what I'm talking about - just because you sit behind a desk in some office selling mobile phones all day, don't think that you know everything about phones - you don't. I wanted an N95 - I need a phone with the functionality of a smart phone running the Symbian operating system. If you can't get me one, then I will go elsewhere.

Anyway, after threatening to leave them, they finally gave in, and have offered me a good deal on a N95 8gb with cashback (even though when I first spoke to them they said they couldn't offer me any cashback on the phone). Hopefully I should receive the phone in the post in the next couple of days.

All aboard (Part 2)

Not much to report. Michelle and I have been continuing our work on Kierans trainset. The track and ballast are now completely pinned down to the board, and I purchased 3 buffer stops for the end of the lines. I have also added a single line level crossing too. Michelle has built for me the latest building that will stand on the set - a signal box (see picture below)

I've now been constucting one of the tunnels. Using small wooden supports, I have placed some wire mesh to simulate the contours of a hill. Paper-mache will be added later. Once that has dried, we can then add the grass scatter-mats to cover the hill with realistic grass.

All Aboard.......

For Kierans first Christmas, we got him a Hornby Thomas the Tank Engine trainset - we knew he was too young for it at the time, but it was a bargain, and for the past couple of years I have been promising to build him a trainset - At last I bought the materials needed and have indeed started work on it.

First of all though, I had to plan the layout and size of the trainset - I settled for a nice 6ft by 3ft - not too big, but at the same time still a reasonable size for Kieran to play with (and yes, it will fit in his bedroom!!!). I used a fantastic little program called XTrkCad to design the track.

I popped down to our local Homebase store here in Evesham last Friday and bought the bits and pieces needed to put it all together - the wood, screws, joints, etc.

I couldnt get one large sheet of wood, so I had to settle on three 3ft x 2ft boards.

The next thing I started to do was lay the track (with the help of Michelle). Fortunatly I was able to purchase tons of extra track and track-ballast from Ebay several months ago.

Now, in the two days since I started work on the trainset, here is what it looks like now :-

Ignore the bottles of wine - I've been using them to prop things up (like the tunnel portals), and to show me where certains things are going to go.

Kieran absolutely loves it even in its unfinished state - I can't wait to see his face when it is finally finished.

As I progress with the project, I will post here new pictures.

London Transport Museum

Despite Kieran having chickenpox, we still decided to visit my family and friends back in Laindon. Yesterday we took Kieran into London to visit the London Transport Museum. He absolutely loved it, and I have to admit it, so did I...

Kieran driving a double-decker bus

Kieran and Grandad beside Steam Train

Buses

Kieran and Nanny driving an Underground train on the Simulator.

An old 1938 stock Underground Train

Inside an old 1938 Stock Underground train

Kieran driving another London double-decker bus

Holiday Time / Last Ninja Video

Well, the easter holiday is finally here. It's been a short, but very hectic term at school since Christmas but I'm so glad I've got the next two weeks off from work. We're popping down to Essex on Sunday to stay with my parents for a few days, and hopefully catch up with my friends.

Anyway, in the meantime, I'll leave you with a little music video that I have put together (and published on Youtube) for a Commodore 64 remix that I wrote a couple of years ago. Hope you like it.

Future gaming champion!

There are those who would probably moan at me for letting my 3 year old son play computer games.... but I don't care - it never did me any harm!!! Since getting a Playstation 3, it seems that Kieran will not leave me alone without taking the controller away from me and having a game.

His favourite games at the moment are Formula One Championship, Ridge Racer 7, Gran Turismo HD Concept (Demo) and Super Rub a Dub!

Not sure what he is going to think of Grand Theft Auto IV!!!!! (Thats a joke by the way).

Anyway, I hope you like these pictures that I have just taken of him playing Gran Turismo and Formula One.

Kieran's ability at using a game controller (and indeed, a mouse on a computer) has amazed both Michelle and myself. I know that it is important not to let him play on it all of the time, but it has certainly helped in his hand/eye co-ordination development, and of course he finds it really fun too.