Michael Watts
offers
Two Words of Caution
— Care and Patience!
Michael writes:
A challenging mix of science, engineering, and art, with a bit of design thrown in — that’s me!
I take advantage of this cross curricular mix to support my teaching/acting activities to develop
the artist-craftsman skills in those willing to listen and learn. They now say I am, essentially,
a teacher of practical stuff, especially modelling of boats, planes, and trains, but earlier on it
was mostly planes. In all this, planning is important to me – initially to establish the prime concepts,
then set out the fine detail, and finally get on and do it.
Born on the southern edge of London back in 1941, the war and the effect of all that was mediated
by my parents who had very broad interests from walking and maps to theatre, from experimental cooking
and ladies’ tailoring to fine art. In all this I was routinely and regularly bathed in spite of the dour
circumstance – the consequences of bombs, rationing, and limited income. Music of the 1920s, 30s and 40s
was the regular diet, that and listening to the Proms on the BBC Home Service, or was it the Third Programme?
As someone of similar maturity recently said to me – I don’t bother to tell the young ones what it was
like back then, there is absolutely no possibility that they will understand. But that is probably true
for every third generation.
I’ve been a postman, baker, semi-conductor engineer, research physicist, instrument maker, teacher,
trainer, administrator, marketing manager, editor, and writer of technical articles. I now collect
fine art, cook, and model boats, planes, and trains, but now mostly trains.
Take care when buying online
Readers may be interested and learn from my recent experience when using eBay …
combined with PayPal is a wonderful tool, and I have successfully bought a considerable
volume of model railway models and materials over the past six years, in addition to many
other household, motor, and personal items. However, I recently made my first serious mistake
although, because of the excellent facilities and service offered by all concerned, the matter
was resolved even though the fault was entirely mine.
Never-the-less, I encourage you to take great care when researching and ordering items on eBay,
and elsewhere on-line. This will save you time, expense and, not least, embarrassment!
The caution I encourage in you is not to become too enthusiastic about an apparently new or
rare item such that you miss an essential piece of directly relevant information.

A Brawa model of a Bavarian express passenger locomotive class S 2/6 built in 1906 © Brawa
Previously I have always reflected for a day or so before committing my order, such that I have noticed
the key piece of data in time to realise that the item is, in fact, not suitable for my needs. In this
particular case I was ordering a beautiful new Brawa model of a Bavarian steam locomotive from a German
retail shop. It was a rare item at an appropriately rarefied price! I did not reflect of the purchase, and
hit the Buy it now button. All was well until, a week or so later, I unpacked it for the second time to
admire the exquisite detail when I noticed the long electrical pick-up skid between the driving wheels.
Oh, I thought, its intended for 3-rail pick-up rather than the modern 2-rail design. Worst still, on
checking more carefully, I discovered that it was for an a.c. electrical power supply rather than the more
common analogue d.c. – oh dear – a no-go item on two counts then.
I then checked thoroughly, and discovered that this same model was indeed also available for a d.c. analogue
power supply but with a very slightly different catalogue number. An e-mail to the retailer resulted in a
very quick and totally positive reply – send it back and we will replace it with the model you want. Of course,
I did have to pay the return postage – a relatively small penalty.
Model of an eighteen century gazebo made from a paper kit for a Bavarian railway model
© Michael Watts
Be Patient
If you are tempted, take care, do your research thoroughly, read all the data, and order only after
careful consideration and having fully checked catalogue numbers for example. The really big danger
arises when you are bidding on eBay with the time running out …
So, ALWAYS take care to do your research, decide precisely what you need, what is the maximum price
you are prepared to pay, and be extremely patient, especially as the bidding-seconds tick away to zero.
Experience has taught me that, despite apparent rarity, the chances are that another one will be available
sooner or later, and did you really need it right now anyway?
POSTSCRIPT
Never under-estimate the effect of the wireless in its early days. Even with the short broadcasting
hours of the BBC, the programmes were informative, educational, and entertaining.
They ranged widely – ITMA, Much-Binding-in-the-Marsh, The Brains Trust, The Critics, Football
Results, SOS Messages just before the News, Children’s Hour, Bow Bells, and the ever present BBC Theatre
Organist Sandy MacPherson. Add to this the individual performers like Flotsam & Jetsam, and Spike Milligan.
Many of us owe a great deal to this early rich public provision for our thinking, appreciation, and activities.
Model of an Austrian branch-line railway © Peco Studio
Michael Watts
COMMENTS
Please address any comments you may have about this article to:
louise.lloyd@kvoice.co.uk
KIDLINGTON VOICE ONLINE
MORE ARTICLES
• 13 Henrietta Ussher, The Children's House
• 12 Tony Bennell, Party Time!
• 11 Giles Woodforde, Magic Bellringing
• 10 Lynn Pilgrim, Heart to Heart
• 09 Marita Ferrett, Kidlington Macular Support Group
• 08 Sue Honoré, Who Were My Accestors?
• 07 Ryan Rushton, Daybreak's Fun Run
• 06 Ella Gauci, Applying for University
• 05 Robert Bullard, Using Email
• 04 Michael Watts, Two Words of Caution - Care and Patience
• 03 Alan Sowden, Keeping Your Books
• 02 Ella Gauci, Hidden Value in Kidlington's Charity Shops
• 01 Giles Woodforde, Colin Dexter's Memorial Service
YOUR ARTICLE
Become a Kidlington Journalist
— and publish your article on KV-Online:
• Are you a writer? A story to tell?
• Publicise your community group or local business?
• Write about your own special interest?
Here's what to do.
(1) Download the KV article framework from
here.
(2) Contact the advertising editor: louise.lloyd@kvoice.co.uk.
(3) Get your article published on Kidlington Voice Online — online locally and to the world!