THE THIRD ALL NEW P.W.B. NEWSLETTER
After a longer than hoped gap, here is the Spring edition of the Newsletter, brimming with life and good feeling. There are the usual tips, ideas and thoughts, and many of them useful. Some are free, some more costly. All have the scope to transform one's perception of sound, and more importantly one's understanding of what good sound is. I will elaborate.
Recently, and for the first time for a while, I went to a concert at the Barbican, mainly because it was conducted by the thrillingly charismatic Russian maestro Valery Gergiev. Whilst there were excellent performances of Rachmaninov's Third concerto and Tchaikovsky's Fifth symphony, I was torn somewhat between enjoying the music and thinking of what the sound might have been like. Whilst I have the benefit of a Photo Folder, it was not enough to remove the somewhat unnatural tinge to the sound, and the glassy tone at certain moments. Now clearly I have been spoilt by Domes and Clips and Foils, but it did raise the issue for me of what a good sound was. Live music does not offer this, as it fundamentally suffers from the problems that P.W.B. has identified with reproduced music, whatever its source. Live music remains an event though, and I mention all of this in a philosophical manner for us to consider – it won't stop me going to concerts. Many hi-fi journalists probably don't know what live sound is like at all, but to use this as the Gold Standard seems to be crazy.
This brings me to the matter of suggesting that we all make more of an effort in 1998 to increase awareness or thinking about the phenomena that Peter has discovered. The issue needs to be dealt with at a much higher level, for the processes to spread into manufacturing, construction and design. Without such steps, no matter how good the new P.W.B. processes are, we will all be fighting the avalanche of awfulness everywhere. Phillip describes the horrors of this well. Part of this could occur in the context of a meeting in which ideas could be exchanged, and views strengthened.
Thoughts on any of this to the usual addresses:
Richard Graham 9.4.98
Address for correspondence
P.W.B. Newsletter
P.W.B Electronics
18. Pasture Crescent
Leeds LS7 3QB
Or for you sophisticates
E-mail – to Newsletter@belt.demon.co.uk
UPDATE
In this post-Modern, post-Dome world that we inhabit, new products seem less likely but updates very likely. It is a pity that those at P.W.B. do not give names to these advances like "Special Edition" or "Valhalla", but then again, we're not really in that territory. So as per usual, you will find me getting excited about wool, wine gums and plastic tweezers, without a letter K to fall back on.
Dome Update
Whilst those of us fortunate to have a Dome or two are still reeling from the delights it affords us, P.W.B. has gone and improved it. As many will remember, the Dome device comes with two remarkable plastic bags, adorned in Gold and Silver, yet containing wood, a penny and other important objects. This much we have come to understand and accept. Yet P.W.B. was coming to understand, or realise, that genetic material from the animal kingdom – and thus our genetic past/history – through the fields that are part of Morphic Resonance, was having a profound impact upon us. The BSE crisis is also linked into this noxious chain, but many other substances enter into the problem, from plant seeds to milk and wool. Many of the items are part of our home environment, and to P.W.B.'s mind something had to be done to halt the adverse influence on our senses.
Kevin and Kenneth were the first to receive the special Bag, which has ultimately become part of the Dome system, containing as it does wool, wine gum and a few other substances. In this way it was first a Competition Prize, and you will be able to read what they made of it later. I don't want to pre-empt their views and comments, but suffice it to say, the bag, even as a stand alone device, just lying on a piece of equipment had a noticeably beneficial effect on sound.
In the context of the Dome system, the Bag of wool and wine gum enhances the overall effect, changing it from exceptional to …better. Always at a loss to describe such advances, I have simply found that the sound has become even more natural. Awesomely so. And don't think you will hear such a natural sound in the Concert Hall, where the lights and wood and people with mobile phones introduce that certain hi-fi quality to the sound. The Dome takes us closer to the real thing, and it is only through hearing its effect does one learn what this might be like. Borrowing from Plato, I would suggest that everything we hear or see on Earth is but a distorted copy of the original, which exists in Heaven, and has a P.W.B. Dome on top of it.
Still expensive, though less than a great deal of Power Supplies, but now better value. Be wary of trying it, as its charms become increasingly addictive. As someone once sang, one becomes "Lost in Music".
Q-Clip Update
Burnt many a time of finger, and developing RSI in my right thumb, my lighter recently gave up the ghost, and I returned it to P.W.B. for attention. To my surprise I received an updated lighter that had a very positive effect, enhancing the Clip in a very satisfactory way. So imagine my surprise when soon after that, the lovely Blue-with-Purple-Magnadisc lighter was replaced by a pair of Yellow Plastic Tweezers !!!!!!
P.W.B. often worries that the visual or physical impact of his products is not commensurate with their effect upon us. Never has this been more so than with these tweezers. I simply could not imagine how a gentle squeeze of the tweezers, on the end nut of the Q-Clip could replace that rather nice new lighter. The tweezers were obviously absurd, and yellow !!! Anyway, truly believing that P.W.B. was not a fool, I squeezed.
Whilst grateful, I was frankly upset by the enormity of change that these tweezers brought to anything that was Clipped. Imagine the shame of trying to describe how they worked, how they activated the Clip. Yet the benefit was enormous. It was like having the Clip again, yet even better. It was crazy.
Having settled into a more normal state of mind again, I still cannot quite believe the effect these tweezers have upon the Clip, and thus the Clip on any object. For anyone doubtful, try treating a few CDs that are just lying around with the Clip, and listen to the effect on one being played. Then start treating all of your CDs. The difference is so extraordinary, to my mind, that I think no one should purchase a Dome unless they have a Clip first. It just treats so much, and we are back to the usual problems of limited time and energy.
Whilst I love the Dome, the Foils (especially the Frosted Foil), the Creams and Liquid, I have always had a special affection for Polarising devices, or in more recent years, the Q-Clip. I like devices that help one treat places where one would never think/have time for/ the Foil for treating, e.g. the Bricks inside a gas fire or cooking rings. I have rather moved away from anything that involves soldering irons, even though I can occasionally brandish one to Smart Metal a wire. The current Version of the Clip, with the tweezers is just so good though, I would almost recommend that other purchases from P.W.B. are questioned if you are not in possession of one. Of course everything else works, but the Clip really does work on EVERYTHING. I'll give some more examples.
The effect on books is astonishing, and windows, keys, cutlery; glasses and carpets do just as well. Meters and boilers and tanks and beams and railings and bulbs and batteries. For the adventurous, opening up a piece of equipment, which has been unplugged from the electrical supply of course, allows one to rest the Clip against every device and capacitor inside to wonderful effect. Still, even if you just treated all your CDs, LPs and tapes, with the necessary passive disc of course, you will have advanced the quality of sound so much. I love the Clip, and cannot be put off by P.W.B.'s perverse use of yellow. This latter statement, more than any other shows just how good this Clip now is!!
COMPETITION REVIEW (1)
Experiment Involving Bag Containing Two Coloured Wools, Piece of Wine Gum, P.W.B. Treated Black Plastic and Other Items.
With Bag on same DAC as Dome Device
a) Schubert's First Symphony
I have always had a problem with symphonic music on my system, especially from my system as a CD Player and DAC. The weight and power, the strength and excitement of a symphony orchestra don't seem to be there.
Today this changed. I felt the presence and expansiveness of the massed instruments as well as the individuality of their groupings, and the contrast in timbre and tone. The dynamic range was impressive, but all these observations are minor compared with the sense of presence and the feeling – somehow the old feeling of hearing "Gramophone Records" and of thinking how brilliant! Not only that, but visually the living room felt and looked more peaceful in its electric light, and strangely it appeared to be larger, wider and spreading out beyond its normal dimensions.
b) I decided that for the next experiment I would select a shorter piece of music. I chose Simon and Garfunkel's "Homeward Bound". With everything in the bag, I played this old favourite of mine.
The sound was delightful in every way. The percussion and guitars coming from separate sides of the room, Simon's voice and Garfunkel's voice interweaving, yet separate; a soundstage with Simon sounding incredibly sweet and secure in the middle (feet away from either speaker). What more could one ask for?
But there was one more important thing! The whole seemed to/was working perfectly, supported by the many parts. The percussion in particular seemed to deliver pleasurable and serene observations, like a commentator on a cricket match on a warm day in July. There was stillness yet a taut energy. Most important of all, the room was still growing!
c) A piece of wool was removed from the bag, and the track was played again. This time the percussion was not so interesting; the connection between instruments and the percussion had fallen away. Only the vocals sounded good, and they seemed by comparison slightly cramped.
d) The wine gum was removed. This time, the instruments sounded muffled and incoherent. The vocals still sounded OK but they were less easily distinguishable.
e) The wine gum, the first wool and now the Black plastic! This time, visually, the room seemed to have got smaller. It looked somehow overcrowded and its previous expansive tranquillity had been slapped out of shape.
f) The removal of the final piece of wool just, by now predictably, resulted in a further worsening of the sound. The percussion seemed somehow feint and dull, the guitar sound was cheaper, and "produced-sounding"; the vocals had become a trifle harsh. And all this in the space of 25 minutes! It was somehow shocking, yet exciting, because it so perfectly matched the confidently predicted effects by P.W.B..
g) Restoring all of the removed items produced an immediate improvement in sound – the sound was approaching its former glory, but the experiment had to be suspended owing to a dinner engagement!
h) Further listening confirmed that the return of the original superb sound. Further experimentation and interpretation is a definite "must" for the near future.
Kenneth Hyam
Getting to Grips with your Clip
P.W.B. devices continue to look more and more baffling, insignificant and frankly quite silly! I recently received the latest upgrade to the indispensable Clip device. What another lighter? Well no, not exactly. A pair of, well, er, wait for it... (Drum roll FX) Tweezers! Not the type you can pick up at your local branch of Boots, but the cheap plastic variety that you can order from RS components by the hundred. Deeply cynical readers might note that the only obvious difference between the bog standard and the P.W.B. variety, is the addition of a large blue pen mark and a tiny rectangle of frosted gold foil on the little yellow grippers. Fortunately aficionados of the Belt variety know all too well appearances reveal nothing. In fact one could even equate a new law to P.W.B. products. Greater superficial insignificance is equal to greater device efficiency. Think about it! We've had water, oil, ties, matchsticks, cream and even bits of fluff! These devices are getting a tad embarrassing to show to strangers!
What next?
The P.W.B. Quantum Paperclip?!! Just slip it onto any circuit board, photo, CD booklet and attain audio bliss !Anyway enough tomfoolery, back to the tweezers. And to be honest, I can't believe them! They don't look like they could be doing anything. They don't even feel like they're doing anything (no Belt buzz).
But they work! They really, really work. Far better than the lighters. Much safer than the lighters too! - No more Christmas Trees bursting into flames!Altogether a gripping audio improvement, it has to be heard to be believed, but the results are obvious; greater definition, dynamics and dimension. But the cost? Wait for it... Absolutely nothing, yep you heard it, nowt, zilch, nil, a big fat zero, they're giving 'em away!! They don't even charge for post and packing! What more could we ask for? A completely free upgrade. So thanks to all at P.W.B. Electronics.Now
If I could only use them without feeling so self conscious!
Phillip Turner (March '98)
COMPETITION REVIEW (2)
Following my encounter with the little demo bags, free with the All New Newsletter No1, I now have the Dome device, and it's not going back to the shop either! It did not take long to hear the difference it makes, which I can only describe as a sort of disengagement of the music from the equipment reproducing it – a mechanised taint has been removed, leaving the music to stand more starkly in its own space. This can produce moments of devastating reality such as the aura of sound vibrations that go into the making of a single chord on a piano, or the interplay between the instruments of a string quartet. There is no hiding place anymore: every instrument stands exposed and all the more wonderful for it as it makes the listening so much easier. I understand little about the technicalities of Classical Music, but I do not think that this stands in the way of my enjoyment of it, and the Dome device has knocked down another barrier to its access.
Noting what Richard Graham said of the Dome and its effect on already well recorded albums, I treated the Emmylou Harris disc "Wrecking Ball" to a little bit of Green Striped (Frosted) Foil and put it on. This disc was produced by Daniel Lanois and what was already a huge and dynamic sound took on a life of its own, seemingly independent of the means of replay; Emmylou's voice never sounded so good. I followed that with the Dogs on Stilts album, which had production stage enhancement by P.W.B. Electronics, and I had to rush for the volume knob several times in a cold sweat, as I thought a JCB machine was making a forced entry through the kitchen! That CD contains some serious percussion.
Picking up on Phil Turner's tip on changing the CD input to another socket, I tried this with very worthwhile results, to the extent that I tried a little experiment of my own. I removed the phono plugs from the phono input (magnetic cartridge) and inserted them in the parallel wired sockets which would normally be used to connect trim capacitors to balance the cartridge input there was a slight gain but nowhere near the effect of Phillip's tip.
Kevin Kehoe
PETER WILLIAM BELT
Does he belong to this world?
First of all I would like to say that, even far from Beltism, we are here in Palma de Mallorca (Spain) up to date with the accurate Newsletters of Dr Graham. All this is possible thanks to May Belt's attention.
Quite many years ago and just the same as many hi-fi and Image enthusiasts, I also read in a specialized magazine Mr Hughes.
He wrote of a Silver Foil strip – Mr Belt's invention – that was put on a LP's label (at this time the CD system was not on the market) and the perception of the audition was increased and improved for the listener.
Since such statements intrigued me, and, up to this moment, I have been a regular follower of Mr Belt's thesis and course. I was also lucky as I had the chance of reading Dr Graham's first studies and analysis.
Of course I have been putting on many of the P.W.B. devices : Spirotube, Silver Foil, Limpets, Foils, Electret Cream, Sol Electret etc, on my own hi-fi and Video equipment, and my family's. Obviously I am still using them.
Exactly; P.W.B.'s treatments create addiction. It is true that when reaching the level of perception of the sound which is provided by his devices, you do not listen to the music without them anymore. You only have to buy a CD and listen to it . What an unpleasant and disappointing sensation when you are mentally remembering and comparing it with other CD sounds in your discotheque that have already been treated. The listening of the new one gets you exasperated and irritated. This sensation is attenuated if the reproduction is carried out through the previously treated with P.W.B's dispositives hi-fi components.
In short, I want to say that since ever where I have been observing specially the best results of Mr Peter Belt's treatments, this has been at the source of the sound level (records, CDs, audio and video cassettes).
Amongst all devices used until now, the one that has produced the most surprising effect on objects has been the Electret Cream (I haven't used Quantum Cream yet).
Peter Belt's devices work exceedingly well and first of all a "taming or mastering" of the sound (the record or CD not treated sounds hard, screechy, with not much or without control). It is as if it dies down itself.
Straight away, and as a consequence of the previous effect, there is a very remarkable mildness and sweetness of the sound.
It all implies reaching a perception level much more pleasant when listening. That is the pleasure of listening to music increases, becoming almost indescribable.
Concluding: As a result of P.W.B.'s treatments through the years, the listener's disposition and state of audition of music becomes detached, different of the standard or the usual.
The consequence of the studies and research carried out for so many years by Peter Belt, bring me to this conclusion:
It is as if existed two fields or possibilities of listening to music: one would be the conventional way and another one is the resulting of putting into effect P. Belt's treatments. For this reason it would be possible to interrogate whether this man does not belong to this world.
Gabriel Martinez Martin
Far and Wide
It is clear, as this and previous letters to the Newsletter have shown, that Peter Belt's influence goes way beyond the borders of the UK.
I would be very interested in hearing from anyone outside of the UK, especially in relation to what the local hi-fi scene is like. We know that in certain countries the approach to sound reproduction is not as dull and apparently scientific as it in the UK. For example, in France it was noted that the colour of ink on CDs affected the sound.
I would hope to reproduce any letters with minimal editing, as I would not wish to cloud some of the cultural subtleties, for as we know from Peter, specific language patterns and configurations have meanings all of their own - way beyond the value of correct English.
So, anyone reading this please write in about your experiences; they will certainly reach an interested audience.
RG
HERE'S KEVIN
I would suppose possessors of the Q-Clip will all have by now received a little pair of yellow plastic tweezers from P.W.B.. This device now takes the place of the treated lighter when activating the Clip. After a quick Clipping session, taking in Gas and Electricity meters, water tanks, hi-fi etc, I played a CD. What a rush of extra loudness and clarity! Exactly like the first time I encountered the Q-Clip effect. It's as though the Clip were a wattage dispenser; a squeeze on the tweezers applied to the Clip nut, and the object takes on a charge of power. All the information required to enjoy music seems to be available at lower setting of the volume control. This also goes for the little radio in the kitchen and the bedside radio-alarm.
Confirmation of just how powerful the Q-Clip still is. Must go now, lots of Clipping to do and lots of music to listen too.
Kevin Kehoe
THE OLD AND THE NEW
I have been recently astonished to learn that in the world of P.W.B., there is no such thing as an old product. I suspect this is something to do with the fact that all products get linked in with newer processes. However, it does mean that, as with the recent tweezers, we are all benefiting from progress at P.W.B. without having to pay for it.
Nowhere is this more striking than in my taking up of Kevin's suggestion of trying the Freezer/White Dome with the Clip again. I had largely given up on this device, but it has been revelatory to try it again with the Clip and tweezers. Trying it on the TV screen, as Paul Benson once suggested was a well worthwhile activity. Updating the Freezer Dome with the Frosted Foil also led to further improvements.
I am not sure why the Dome should still work in this way, but as we know, nothing is obsolete in P.W.B. land, and everything benefits from even the earliest of Foils, Cream etc. Repeated treatments also pays dividends.
Try some of the old techniques and I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
RG
WINDOW PAINS
Where did you put yours? I'm talking about the little bag that was given away with the pre-Christmas Newsletter. You know, the one filled with a ball-bearing, matchstick and penny.
Well initially I followed the recommendations in the accompanying instructions and popped it on the CD player. Mmmm... impressive! Still hungry for more I tried the bag in the empty CD case, even better! Nice spot but impractical. With territorial boundaries in mind I tried the bag on a supporting wall, near a corner, better still!! But the most effective spot I found was stuck to the listening room window pane.
Magnifique!! Even though it looks a little more than obvious on the window, the results far outweighed any aesthetic disruption.
In fact on a whim of inspiration, aided by the intoxicating sounds my system was now producing; I threw caution to the wind, whipped out some 'frosted' foil and set to treating each window pane in the house. Half an hour later I settled down to re-audition the sound.
What a rush, 'pupil dilating, in-the-room sound', with a presence, pace and clarity I'd never heard, nay, even felt before. All this for just half a length of 'frosted'. What a bargain!
The next evening, still on a high from the previous nights session, I set to 'frosting' all the other suspect spots. With glass in mind strips were applied to my mirrors, glass fronted wall units, washing machine door, gas & electric meter windows, TV tube, and the fridge glass shelf. Well 'Roll me over Beethoven and Rock me again' another fantastic leap in sound, this stuff's amazing!
The morphic message labels were next on my frosting list...
Phillip Turner (Feb '98)
PROPERTIES OF THE P.W.B. DOME SYSTEM
Having to move the contents of the hall and some of the contents of the kitchen into the living room was something I had come to dread. Mechanists would have us believe that the new objects would "soak up" the energy from the music, creating "standing waves" etc. P.W.B. on the other hand would predict that invasive energies and unwelcome morphic patterns would block the human ability to perceive (music). Either way, the sooner I got on with the decorating and put the room back to normal the better. This was particularly so as none of the objects had been "clipped": only the hi-fi itself, already in the living room, thanks to the generosity of P.W.B. in lending me the Clip and Lighter for a while in the summer 1996. To sum up then, I was expecting a definite and noticeable worsening of the sound!
Putting on my 'Time Out of Mind' CD (still listening to Dylan's latest) I prepared myself for the worst. The puzzle was this: the sound had not deteriorated at all. CD after CD confirmed that the sound was as crisp, firm, deep, even 'architectural' as before. Before jumping to any conclusions about what the incredible Dome system was doing, I noticed something else that seemed important. It was this that led me to deduce later that the P.W.B. Dome system has properties as yet uncharted.
Some time back, I made the observation that whenever there is an improvement to the hi-fi sound due to P.W.B. techniques in the listening room, the sound through headphones in that room, even on the personal stereo, also gets better. There is no traditional explanation for this, but the connection to P.W.B. effects is obvious, as P.W.B. effects appear to work at a far deeper level than, say, for example a diaphragm going in and out.
On the mechanical level headphones would sort out any problems by having too much furniture in the room. Through headphones the sound waves are deposited neatly in the cavity of the outer ear. Now my observation was that the introduction of the hall contents and kitchen contents to the listening room did make the sound through headphones noticeably worse. CD after CD sounded dull, amphibious, awkward! The P.W.B. Dome device was still in place and the headphones themselves were much Belted. The question was why the headphones was worse, and the sound of the speakers was fine. The answer I give may not be the only one possible, but I believe it is reasonable.
Among the properties of the P.W.B. Dome and Bag system is the capacity to generate sound waves that are somehow self-sufficient. The effect is created not just on the equipment generating the sound but also on the environment, through the sound waves that the equipment is sending out. This is what makes the music from a Domed source cut through all kinds of resistance's like a knife through butter. Perhaps all P.W.B. devices work in this way, but none, I think, more radically than the Dome.
I would suggest that the current and final version of the Dome does indeed enhance existing treatments (see Richard Graham's article Domestic Bliss in New P.W.B. Newsletter Number 1) – but it also operates on its own to remake the listening environment.
The corollary to all the above is that the sound through my headphones gradually improved, even though the extra materials were still stacked in the listening room. And I continued to enjoy music through the speakers. The explanation, whilst extraordinary, presents itself and is very hard to resist.: the energy fields of the objects in the listening room are gradually being transformed by their continued exposure to sound waves generated by a P.W.B.-Domed source. It is clear that the premature use of headphones prevented this, or delayed it happening.
Kenneth Hyam (Jan/Feb 1998)
A WORD OF APPROVAL
Delighted to know that bears appreciate P.W.B. devices (Goldilocks and the Free Breakfast, Newsletter No.2, Vol.1). She took a mighty big risk though as bears can be very aggressive when their territory is invaded – this is especially true when they have baby bears to protect! I would like to add that it is mainly Canadian bears that like Neil Young (Neil is from Canada) – this was discovered when old worn out copies of "After the Goldrush" LPs were found in caves up in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Those bears differ from all other bears because they prefer porridge to honey-coated breakfast cereal.
Kevin Kehoe
TEN YEARS OF P.W.B. ELECTRONICS
Whilst this isn't even remotely accurate, it draws attention to the fact that ten years ago, Peter's work was more widely known, if invariably misunderstood. A number of times, others, including myself have suggested that there is some form of get together to celebrate Peter's work, hear about how it started, and perhaps hear of the newer developments.
In some ways, this is a last call to all those interested, as if something of this type is to happen, then something should happen this summer. May Belt has agreed to play a large part in this, and is prepared to give an invaluable talk about the background to Peter's work.
Please let myself or May know if you would be willing to take part in some sort of meeting, so that the organisation of it can get underway as soon as possible.
I think it would also be a valuable idea for us to be bombarding manufacturers and magazines with requests for more P.W.B. involvement or exposure, or even letters stating how valuable his contributions have been would help. Apart from occasional letters published by a certain group of P.W.B. customers, there has been little change of late, and this needs to change.
In the first instance perhaps every reader of this Newsletter could write one letter to a magazine. I am following the Amnesty International model of "Free Peter Belt's Work".
Let's see what can happen.
RG
Life beyond the Belt?
Contrary to popular belief, I do have a life beyond the realms of Hi-Fi. But, it's while on these excursions to Pubs, Clubs,Gigs, and friends houses, that I endure some of the most distressing noise and shrill Audio systems I have ever fallen prey to. One of the more interesting stories revolves around a Public House I regularly visit in Huddersfield.
You could call it 'my local', although it's not quite within walking distance from home, being 8 miles away. It's quite a cosy, olde worlde place and I know most of the regulars there. But that was before the landlord decided it was time to renovate the pub, and to remain open for business during the process.
Normally the sound in the pub isn't too bad, you can even tap your feet to the music after a couple of rounds. This all changed when the work started. I arrived one evening with friends, to find half the pub boarded up and people standing near the remaining walls. There was an air of tension in the place, a heaviness on the shoulders and the sound was as hard as nails. In fact the music had turned cold, thin, strident, reticent and tuneless. Everyone appeared self conscious, I myself felt rather uncomfortable, even after several pints of muscle relaxant. Friends commented 'It's just one of those nights', 'Hmmm..' I thought, 'let's go'.
The next week, expecting the worst we arrived again, to be greeted by a violent cacophony of sound. Another area was boarded up, and there was a new bar. People were gravitating towards the last remaining untouched corner of the pub, even I felt strangely drawn there, possibly because the noise was slightly more tolerable at this spot. After a couple of bottles, I realised I was standing with my arms folded, staring at an offending loudspeaker suspended from the ceiling. I'd had enough, and feeling stressed out, I left. Stepping out the weight lifted and the drink hit me, like a double Decker bus.
Three weeks later; having been informed the work had been completed at the pub, we ventured out again. This time it was busy, new fancy lighting had been fitted, there was a raised dancefloor and a new decor. The sound wasn't as hard as on my previous visit and people generally looked happier and more at ease. Although they still tended to congregate near the bar, away from the new dancefloor.
The next week, the Landlord, in a flash of inspiration, installed a new sound system. Huge ported loudspeakers were wall mounted near the ceiling on opposite walls. 'What a bloomin' racket', with a top end like knives across a blackboard and one note boom box bass; one wonders why he bothered? It even became difficult to have a conversation with the people next to me.
A lot of my friends stopped going to the pub, saying the place had lost much of it's charm and atmosphere.
Over the following weeks the sound in the pub gradually improved. Even so, the Landlord nearly took early retirement, since over half his regulars had gone in search of pastures new.
Now, nearly two years later, the sound, atmosphere and attendance in the pub is approaching what it once was. I just wonder what happened to all the stuffed animals and flock wallpaper?
Phillip Turner (March '98)
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