Hello from sunny Glasgow :)

[windhoek]

Greetings from a newbie in sunny Glasgow - well, it's not so sunny anymore, but it was earlier :)

I've drooled over some of the gallery pics here and thought it about time I said hello and thanks for the pics if nothing else.

Fwiw, I live in a small flat and have my AV and hifi needs rolled into the one system.

Analogue: LP12 (Denon DL-103)>Teddy Pardo Phono Stage>Teddy Pardo Pre1/MB100s>ATC11s
Digital Discs: OPPO 103D>Lavry DA11 DAC>Teddy Pardo Pre1/MB100s>ATC11s
Digital Streaming: HTPC (JRiver)>Lavry DA11 DAC>Teddy Pardo Pre1/MB100s>ATC11s

I'm not sure what else to say at the moment, but no doubt I'll contribute more very soon :)

[Firebottle]

Hi Derek and welcome>
There's a great vibe on here as I think you have found in your lurking.

A good few will want to know what your music tastes are, so over to you......

:cool: Alan

[walpurgis]

Hi Derek, welcome to AOS.

I see you've told us about your system. Do you have any plans for it, we like to hear what people are doing.


Enjoy the forum,
Geoff.

[windhoek]

Thanks for the welcome :)

As far as hardware goes, I intend to replace my Lavry with a Chord Hugo because unlike the Lavry, it supports DSD. I recently bought an old PS3 and now have a lot of SACD ISO files on my HTPC and although JRiver can convert those files to PCM, I'd like them to be converted from DSD direct to Analogue because from what I gather, it's the best way to do it and something the Hugo can do.

I'm currently listening to the Stomu Yamashta album, Go, on vinyl and earlier listened to Tomita's interpretation of The Planets plus Beggars Banquet.

Indeed, I was born in '73 and most of the music I listen to hails from that decade with 1973 being an exceptionally good vintage!

I dabble with Jazz, like some classical (my favourite symphonies are Mahler's 2nd and Shostakovich's 5th), but mostly listen to music from the '70s, although I do have a soft spot for '80s music because it's the soundtrack of my youth; I don't own any music by Madonna for example, but I invariably feel good when I hear her songs on radio or TV :)

[windhoek]

I meant to say a couple of gallery posts I really like are Tony Trios' with the huge horns in what looks like a loft or dedicated outhouse, and one which shows a mountain range at close view with a lady sitting just outside admiring the view. I think there might also be a cat in the pic, but I'm not sure as I can't remember whose gallery it is. If anyone knows which gallery I'm on about, please let me know because the view is stunning and worth seeing again.

[struth]

Welcome Derek. There are a few of us Scots on this forum, so your not too isolated. Hope you really enjoy the forum and give us some pictures in the gallery soon.....Like a bit of jazz myself

oh and yes, there are some lovely sights in the gallery, so add yours soon.:eek:

[windhoek]

Thanks Struth, will do :)

[Andrei]

Greets from somewhere else. I'm interested in your handle - how did you come by it?

[windhoek]

Hi Andrei,

I spent three months in Namibia in '97 and it was unquestionably the best three months of my life, ever. I chose 'windhoek' as my moniker because even though I wasn't in the capital Windhoek for long, it's a lot easier to type than some of the other places I visited lol. I was in my mid-twenties at the time and was completely blown away by the raw beauty of the Namibian landscape. Sunshine every day (unlike herein Glasgow) and glorious nature = awesomeness unparalleled :)

[Eagle owl]

Hello and welcome Derek.

Geoff. :wave:

[windhoek]

Thanks Geoff :)

I must say the blurb I read when I signed up suggested it was a friendly site and I'm pleased to say it feels like it - thanks to you all :)

[jollyfix]

Hello Derek, welcome to the forum.

[windhoek]

Thanks Dave ;)

[Barry]

Welcom to AoS Derek.

Any reason why you have chosen 'Windhoek' as your forum name? Have you spent time there?

Anyway welcome again and continue to enjoy the Forum.

[windhoek]

Hi Barry,

I spent three months in Namibia in '97 and it was unquestionably the best three months of my life, ever. I chose 'windhoek' as my moniker because even though I wasn't in the capital Windhoek for long, it's a lot easier to type than some of the other places I visited lol. I was in my mid-twenties at the time and was completely blown away by the raw beauty of the Namibian landscape. Sunshine every day (unlike herein Glasgow) and glorious nature = awesomeness unparalleled :)

[Andrei]

Hi Andrei,

I spent three months in Namibia in '97 and it was unquestionably the best three months of my life, ever. I chose 'windhoek' as my moniker because even though I wasn't in the capital Windhoek for long, it's a lot easier to type than some of the other places I visited lol. I was in my mid-twenties at the time and was completely blown away by the raw beauty of the Namibian landscape. Sunshine every day (unlike herein Glasgow) and glorious nature = awesomeness unparalleled :)

The reason I left South Africa is that I got the call-up and there was fighting in the Caprivi Strip at the time. As much as wanted to visit South West (Africa) as it was then known I was not prepared to waste two years of my life - if I had a life. I heard reports that the combination of hot nights and clear air made the stars look so close 'you could reach out and touch them'.

Post some pics when you are ready give Prokofiev's 5th a go.

[windhoek]

If you're from SA you must have seen some pretty amazing views on an almost daily basis; although I suppose if you lived in one of the cities, those views might have been a quite variable! I briefly worked in Waterberg Plateau Park as a volunteer and the head conservation guy, Trygg Cooper, was from SA and he was an awesome guy. He was probably in his early 60s at the time and must have seen a helluva lot of change during the years because as you say, Namibia used to called SWA till it gained independence, but what mattered most to him, was making sure the rhinos were safe and he's one of the most amazing guys I've ever met.

I also met some guys who used to be the SA army who fought to retain control over SWA and am pleased to say there didn't seem seem to be any residue of enmity or anything like that. Was there conscription at the time? Yes, the stars looked amazing. It's the only time I've ever seen the constellation Scorpio in real life and it's uncanny how much it looks like a scorpion! We camped outside most nights and it's views like that, as well as the physical landscape, which makes me think Africa probably has the best vistas on the planet and when I returned after three months, I felt as though a part of me had been left there, or died, and it took me ages to get back to normal as it were. It truly was a life changing experience.

Do you still fly out to SA from time to time and what sort of stuff do you do when you're there?

p.s. Although ATC 11s are in my kit list, they haven't arrived yet, but I'll post some pics once they're on the wall. :)

[Ali Tait]

Hi, welcome. Never been to Namibia, but lived in Zambia and RSA as a child. What a beautiful place Africa is.

We also returned because my older brother would have been due for national service.

[windhoek]

Yeah, Africa rocks! So RSA has National Service (for 18-20 year olds?). I can see why it's not the place to be if you've got kids approaching that age. Thankfully National Service isn't in place in the UK although at 41 years old, I'm too old to join any army, except perhaps, the one that deals in salvation, but again, thankfully there's no National Service for that either :)

[Ali Tait]

It was during the Rhodesia/Zimbabwe saga, and it was 16 then.

Did you ever get to Cape Town or the Drakensberg? Stunning!

[windhoek]

I only spent time in the north of Namibia traveling up towards Angola and NW Namibia. The stunning views in Africa are like rain in Scotland - it won't be long before one passes and another comes along lol

[Ali Tait]

Aye. ☺ There's some nice scenery here too though.

[Andrei]

Was there conscription at the time? Yes, the stars looked amazing. It's the only time I've ever seen the constellation Scorpio in real life and it's uncanny how much it looks like a scorpion! We camped outside most nights and it's views like that, as well as the physical landscape, which makes me think Africa probably has the best vistas on the planet and when I returned after three months, I felt as though a part of me had been left there, or died, and it took me ages to get back to normal as it were. It truly was a life changing experience.
Do you still fly out to SA from time to time and what sort of stuff do you do when you're there?


Yes there was conscription. Every male who was a citizen or even just resident had to do two years. There were few exceptions, I think joining the Police was one. I spent 11 years in South Africa living in Zululand and Durban but have never been back.

[Spectral Morn]

Welcome to AOS Derek


Regards Neil