Hi,

I visited the pharmacy again this morning to collect the prescription; just one lady behind the counter who told me the pharmasist wasn't there could I call back later; she then asked if it was for a prescription to which I replied yes and gave the name; she found the bag and checked our address but although she had the bag she couldn't hand it over.

Regarding asking at the pharmacy regarding a flu jab I didn't want to overload the pharmacy after all they can't even sort out the prescription; I've never known things to be as bad as this.

Still no reply to my online message regarding a flu jab.

Because of the school run I daren't drive up the lane past the school whilst mummy drops off the children who have no legs or feet or seldom use them; I once followed a Range Rover it having just dropped off a child at the school; it drove about 100 yards then pulled into a private cul de sac; my sister; two brothers and I walked to school in all weather we couldn't even afford bus fare but in those days we all lived in real poverty. The lane is steep and narrow making it highly dangerous during school run with wagons and buses often having to drive along the opposite footpath to pass the long row of parked cars; I'll visit the pharmacy again shortly before school  closes; what I used to take for granted is now a fight.

Kind regards, Colin.

Hi,

Thanks Andrew for your reply; it appears I won't be having a flu jab the way things are going; adverts on TV telling everyone the importance of having a flu jab my surgery writing to me offering me a flu jab but I'm fed up of trying to make an appointment; I've not tried smoke signals though. Whoopee on the third attempt I collected the prescription this afternoon.

Will I make it into the workshop tomorrow?

Kind regards, Colin.

Hi,

Thanks @Jim Dunleavy; the difference now to how the violin supplied new is truly amazing; it even sings to me as I lift it out of its case; it's also nice to have four strings that have made friends with me; before Geoff worked the miracle I had a two string violin. I now need to practice a lot but I'm having lots of trouble making time.

Thanks Andrew; I found out the hard way how to buy a violin; Bron generously paid £165 for this Hidersine Vivente after we'd watched a number of YouTube videos showing a Vivente being played but the ones shown obviously not thrown together as my Vivente was.

I can't seem to do what I want to do there are always problems cropping up. Two evenings ago my emails died and I finally got them back up after jumping through hoops with Virgin Media at 10pm; the following day I then spent lots of time catching up on mail.

This morning I was at Morrison's supermarket by 7 o'clock thinking great I can get into the workshop at last. Having a look at my mail there was a message from a member of another fiorum I'm a member of requesting my help. I have a rare copy of a German Aumann coil winding manual but this is in PDF running to 92 pages; yes I like complicated things in my life; anyway I spent a while locating the file and I sent a message back asking for his email address which he quickly sent; I've spent over an hour in frustration trying to send the PDF file to him but it loves me so much it wants to remain home with me so not to give up I've now taken the time and trouble to copy the PDF to CD and I've sent another email asking for his home address; I'll do it the hard way and he's welcome to the manual with my compliments; if I receive his address then it's a car journey to the post office.

I've appreciated lots of members help through a number of forums including this excellent forum and I'll never ignore a plea for help even if it involves hassle and some expense; it makes for a better world.

It looks like I might get wet too if I have to visit the post office; I've just switched on the desk lamp in order to see the keyboard at 11:38am; life is a challenge; I might get into the workshop over the weekend but no doubt something will be more pressing. I'm never bored.

Kind regards, Colin.

Hi,

Thanks Andrew; even with paying Geoff to set up the Hidersine it works out considerably less than your Stentor; I admit I was becoming increasingly disappointed with the Hidersine the more I practiced with it and getting nowhere other than being more frustrated; now Geoff's set it up though it's wonderful. I've just enjoyed a practice session and am becoming increasingly serious about learning to play. I still can't get over the difference now its set up correctly.

Whilst browsing eBay and Gumtree I couldn't help but notice just how many Stentor violins are up for sale; is this because they are so popular or novices are buying them and have difficulty playing as I experienced getting fed up and selling them without realizing having them set up correctly will transform them into a thing of pleasure; I'm just too thick and stubborn to quit.

One thing I did immediately having brought the violin home was to check the D'Addario electronic tuner making a note of each string then I can check; at the moment I can't tell if the violin is out of tune but now at least I can reset if necessary against the tuner until I gain more experience; I'm trying anything which I think might help me.

It's now a real pleasure than a real pain as I practice; I'm making a point of practicing every evening for about half an hour after tea; any longer and my left arn starts to ache but it's not aching as much now as when I first started practicing; I think I'm just getting used to using muscles differently and once I start to ache I leave it alone; I'm in no hurry but now I'm making progress at last.

What a day; at 3 o'clock this afternoon I received a thank you from the forum member who at last had a copy of the PDF manual so he is delighted and it cost him nothing.  It was just another unwanted learning curve for me; had my email sent the PDF it would have been a quick easy job but not with my luck hence I was trying my best to help from early this morning until mid afternoon so another day disappears and without workshop time; it's cold; wet and windy outside and snow is possible; will I get into the workshop tomorrow; I'm not holding my breath but if not I've now got a lovely studio to practice violin playing in.

Kind regards, Colin.

Hi,

Many thanks Andrew for your reply and link. Much appreciated.

Being a raw novice but interested in owning a violin when Bron kindly offered to buy me a violin I thought I'd avoid the cheap brand new £30 violins sold through eBay hence thought as a starter paying £165 for a brand new Hidersine Vivente would be a safer bet especially having seen videos of these Viventes being played on YouTube.

What a shame in my ignorance I didn't think of joining a stringed instrument forum first before jumping in; I had actually browsed the web for forums in the UK but they didn't seem right for me being way above my head; After buying the violin I then browsed the web again for forums and noticed this "Fiddlerman" forum which looked exactly right for me so I'm delighted I jumped in and joined even though I'm in the UK.

I'm still very much a violin novice but during the last two months I've already learned so much and can even play scales on my two violins possibly not correctly but using all four fingers I can distinguish each note; unfortunately I thought I was absolute rubbish because I could only get sense out of the A & E strings the D&G strings didn't want to know; I put this down to my ignorance and although I tried my hardest to play these two wayward strings all I managed was a sore aching left arm; yes I'd watched Fiddlerman's excellent tutorial showing how to get my elbow under giving better access to to the D & G strings which worked but I still suffered no end of frustration.

I browsed the web and found of all the stringed instruments just my luck to select the hardest of all to learn it being a violin with the French Horn the most difficult of the wind intruments to learn.

My life gets dafter; I've just answered the phone to be briefly informed I've been removed from this conference? Your guess is as good as mine.

Looking at all the violins for sale through eBay & Gumtree I was amazed by the sheer numbers available mostly at very low prices; the second hand Rainbow violin I bought was initially posted on Gumtree at £30 and I was dithering but the morning after it was now posted at £10. This Rainbow violin needed new strings so again in my ignorance I bought a full set of Hidersine strings through eBay at £20 delivered, yes I've now realized these new strings are just as bad as the strings supplied on my brand new Hidersine violin; I live and learn though and once I start a project I don't quit until I succeed so here I am still battling on but every day gaining more experience and knowledge of violins.

I'm pleased my violins are proving so hard to get used to and to play otherwise I'd quickly become bored; my Hidersine now after Geoff gave it the kiss of life I find delightful and I can now play all four strings with more confidence; at the moment it might be considered that I'm simply messing around but what I'm doing is not to try playing a tune but to spend lots of time just getting used to using the bow and the fingers and thumb on my left hand; it's highly interesting and in our new studio I can play in peace in warmth and with top class LED lighting.

Like so many violin novices I got off to a bad start and put all the problems encountered down to myself after all a poor workman/woman blames the tools; Geoff sure opened my eyes and now I've got a luthier in Geoff whom I respect and trust.

I didn't make it into the workshop after all this morning; in the early hours of this morning I visited the bathroom and thought there was siomeone in our rear extenision; this proved to be heavy very wet snow dropping from the oak tree onto the roof. Getting up this morning Bron told me there had been a terrific storm during the night with two massive claps of thunder and ligtning which lit up the bedroom also with up to 100mph wind up the valley; what storm I never heard a thing but when I got up I saw the results; I was out before breakfast clearing wet slushy snow from our patio it being highly dangerous and so slippery I was worried about Bron taking a nasty tumble; it's so cold and miserable do I want to venture into the workshop in such an environment; my violin making project is going to be a pleasure not a punishment so I'll wait until our dire climate improves a bit in the meantime it gives me the chance to practice playing the violin more so I'm still happy.

I believe new Covid daily cases here in the UK have topped 50,000 but I'm still visiting places like supermarkets and our local petriol station where business is as normal with just me wearing face covering and gloves; with winter now upon us accidents and flu will take up the remaining hospital beds whilst so many await operations; how long before restrictions are applied. No way will I even consider violin lessons the risk of Covid is too great and once again Covid is spreading.

Kind regards, Colin.

Hi,

The weather is dire as usual with light rain and moderate breeze forecast for today; the forecasters really should look out of the window from time to time; it's a black hole and already at 3:43pm almost dark outside with heavy rain mixed with snow.

This morning I finally completed my first violin making tool it being a purfling tool which cheered me up; I've also made four knife blades so next job will be to fit handles to these then I can move on to other tools I need to make.

I've been spending lots of time trying to find a really good violin solo of "Lara's Theme" I found one but wasn't happy with how it sounded but found others these having supporting music.

I bought two 32G memory sticks intending to copy Lara's Theme but what fun I've had; I downloaded a program allowing me to copy to my computer something I've done many times with movies; I then copied from computer to stick. In the studio I adapted a new car radio for playing music so inserted the stick to find the stick was dead.

Back to the computer to fiind the Lara's Theme to be MPEG-4 but my radio only plays MP3; another downloaded program and I converted the file so at last I can now play this in the studio but ideally I'd just like a violin solo version; I'd even buy such a copy but as yet unable to find one. I tried adding my first practice recording to YouTube but another wall popped up; I need to convert this to video so at the moment I'll leave it alone because it means downloading yet another program to do the converting; every time I try something I'm up against a wall.

I'd now like to add sound recording to the studio away from the computer where I could record my violin practice sessions so I'm looking around for something suitable but I'm a total novice so yet another learning curve.

I've just enjoyed a practice violin playing session; I've been using the new Hidersine which Geoff fully sorted out for me and I'm happy; out of interest I then tried playing the second hand "Rainbow" I'd bought and spent over £20 fitting it with a full set of Hidersine strings; I'd forgotten just what rubbish both these violins were when bought; comparing the Rainblow with the fully set up Hidersine is just unbelievable; I can't make sense at all of the Rainbow; I think it died.

Paying Geoff the luthier to set up the new Hidersine has been money well spent; I'm now finding playing the Hidersine a pleasure rather than the punishment it was when first bought; a poor workman blames his tools but I'd like to have heard anyone get a good tune out of either when bought; I now know just what rubbish they were; I think I must be making progress.

Kind regards, Colin.