Well back to normal and in Post Potter mode at the moment and all the hoo hah and hype has died down a bit. So lots of other books I have read to write about and will do so in due course.
This week I have treated myself to a brand new stereo system as the CD player part of my old system has gone kaput. It was a cheapo one I purchased when I moved into this flat and money was tight so for a £50 
set which has lasted seven years, it has earned honourable retirement. You can see I really needed a new model.
So off to my favourite electrical superstore and found that they have their usual sale on: buy now pay in a year and a day. Now this is the sort of thing I like. My flat is full of white goods such as fridge, cooker etc that I have purchased this way, plus of course this trusty laptop which I am using to pen this ode (well, you know what I mean...). I am just the sort of customer this firm does not want as I make sure that I pay in full before the due date, thus meaning I have had an entire year of using the necessary equipment without paying for it. However, on chatting to a salesman one day, I discovered to my utter amazement that over 78% of customers do not do this and go on to pay monthly. This is at a whopping great 27% interest rate which I think is downright criminal anyway. They make absolutely nothing out of me, but as I am very much in the minority it does not upset me very much.
So a lovely new stereo set in the sale, marked down from £400 to £250 and free for a year. Great stuff. Home it came and out came the instruction book. 'Place red cable in red slot on the back of each speaker, and black cable in black slot and then clip onto matching coloured slots on the back of the radio/stereo etc'.. Very simple really and as I have set up stereo sets before, no problem. Then I looked at the cable and it was not black or red but pink and white. Working on the premise that red=pink and black = white I duly set it up, plugged it in, switched on and retired to the other side of the room in case of explosion.
None came, instead out came beautiful music, beautiful sound. I found Classic FM which is the station I have on in the background most of the time and then noticed, to my admiration and delight, that there was a little screen in the radio and scrolling up it was not only the fact I was listening to Classic FM and who was presenting the show at the moment, but also the name of the piece of music being played, the artist - everything. I was not informed of the colour shirt the piano soloist was wearing, but surely this is only a matter of time.
I am staggered at modern technology. I now gather that the radio registers which stations I listen to the most and automatically lists them in order of preference so that when I switch on my favorite it is already playing. The usual remote control so I can lie on the sofa and not move if I wish to switch stations and wonderful reception. I am in heaven.
Only problem is I cannot find where to plug the kettle in so that it will make me a cup of tea.....
