Living in the Past

[Refugee]

I have had a situation where several electrical faults appeared at once.
The classic digital gadget fix worked.
It was over to the hard shoulder. Switch off. Switch on again. Continue journey.

[Murphyv310]

I agree with Peter.
Before all the lockdown the number of two and three year old cars that I saw broken down on the hard shoulder were as high as I can remember. For the number of electric vehicles on our roads on two occasions I saw Nissan Leafs with the drivers standing on the embankment waiting for recovery.
The issue is now of course the reliance on electronics.
One article I read last year was modern vehicles that have been driven in floods, if the car is at or close to the maximum wading depth there is a big possibility of water ingress to the cabin. Some vehicles have ECUs under carpets or low down. Apparently water can still enter these modules and then be many hundreds or more pounds to put right.
These days cars are scrapped due to electronics rather than rust or mechanical failure.

[AdrianPH]

I can remember having to replace several valves on a long trip whilst parked out side a friends house in my then Moggie Minor, it was doable. To modern times having to await recovery due to a engine failure as the ECU failed. But that's progress, cars are built with more safety features today, better emissions etc. It still does not stop me having a fun car that I built myself from a recycled Sierra. No power steering, servo's complicated management systems etc. Perhaps also being into Vintage technology I am a rose tinted person at times, I like to keep old gear running and build new gear with valves rather then DSP code on the PC.

If lucky we have a choice with the way we live, we can furnish our homes in what ever style we like. I tend to think one comment about the drab greys was correct, I think we all need more colour. As to were the old times better than today, well my mum when she was alive said 'No, but we were in the same boat so there was a sense of community'. Perhaps it is that that seems to be missing today.

I found the article a good read, especially as some are not a million miles from here.

Adrian

[Panrock]

I don't think people really change. For all my life the older folk have been talking about "how it was better in the old days" etc. When I was a nipper, it was "during the war, we..." etc.  I've always lived alone (wouldn't have it any other way) with Parkinson's (it isn't that bad) and I have been bowled over with the unsolicited support offered by my neighbours, especially since Covid.  The sense of community is alive and well here in Sedgeberrow.  And these days, thanks to web sites like NextDoor, it may even be more effective.

The UK is a great place to live (yes, I have travelled widely), though the media focus endlessly on what's wrong, encouraging a spoiled, complaining mindset.  Contrast that with a place where the media mostly report what's going right, like North Korea.

Steve

[Nick]

Bit like you, I've lived and worked in many countries, most recently in the Middle East/Gulf, but including North & South America, and several places in the Far East. Oh, and several countries in Europe & elsewhere.

Always happy to be back in Blighty, though at times it seems very small and equally small-minded...

[AdrianPH]

Travel is one thing I wish I had done a lot more, unfortunately my mind stopped me travelling, after a planned work trip went terribly wrong. It was to Georgia meeting up with some Granger Telecom guys back in 98 to complete a Fylde Trunked radio system being carried down the country. Now after some 20+ years I am hoping to start my travels again, COVID allowing. Up to that point Just European holiday/work places.

Back on subject would we not have these forums if we did not prefer the old gear and look back to the era's with fondness? My main reminisces were of the radio gram with radio/record deck and a sort of drinks cabinet in the side cupboard, tech was part of the furniture then and had style, to me at least!

Adrian