What's the coolest thing you own?
Discussion
Mr-B said:
I was thinking what do I have that's cool and couldn't think of anything, but I have one of those! Still with the original box and all in working condition as far as I know. Must dig it out.
Products of Mamod. I had a stationary engine and later, the steamroller. The showman's engine was better. My grandfather gave me a Steiff bear when I was born and my grandmother knitted him a scarf. I only own two things that I'd be devastated to lose, the bear complete with scarf and my grandmothers hideous engagement ring that she left me, literally everything else is just material. The bear is not cool in his own right but the story of why my grandad loved bears and bought the 3 of us them is:
In 1938 at 18 my grandfather joined the RAF, in 1939 he was called up and served 3 tours with bomber command. He had 3 older sisters and one gave him a small bear as a good luck charm. On every sortie he carried the bear inside his jacket except one day during his first tour he forgot it. On that day due to a technical fault and a large amount of stupidity he found himself clinging on by one hand to the bomb hatch of the aircraft he was flying in high over enemy territory, he was hauled back in by his colleagues and never forgot the bear again. 1 tour with bomber command was a pass to the pearly gates, to survive 3 tours without death, capture or life changing injury was almost impossible. He claimed the bear was his saviour. Obviously I don't believe a stuffed bear can keep a man safe but he sits on my bedside table and watches over me, he will until the day I die, a reminder of how remarkable my forebears were if nothing else.
To the chap with the medals, when my grandfather died we gave his flight logs etc to a museum, I'm rather ashamed to say I don't know which one. I must ask my dad next time I speak to him. We still have his medals, much as the bear is my treasure the medals are my fathers, a reminder that his father wasn't just an ordinary man but truly someone special.
In 1938 at 18 my grandfather joined the RAF, in 1939 he was called up and served 3 tours with bomber command. He had 3 older sisters and one gave him a small bear as a good luck charm. On every sortie he carried the bear inside his jacket except one day during his first tour he forgot it. On that day due to a technical fault and a large amount of stupidity he found himself clinging on by one hand to the bomb hatch of the aircraft he was flying in high over enemy territory, he was hauled back in by his colleagues and never forgot the bear again. 1 tour with bomber command was a pass to the pearly gates, to survive 3 tours without death, capture or life changing injury was almost impossible. He claimed the bear was his saviour. Obviously I don't believe a stuffed bear can keep a man safe but he sits on my bedside table and watches over me, he will until the day I die, a reminder of how remarkable my forebears were if nothing else.
To the chap with the medals, when my grandfather died we gave his flight logs etc to a museum, I'm rather ashamed to say I don't know which one. I must ask my dad next time I speak to him. We still have his medals, much as the bear is my treasure the medals are my fathers, a reminder that his father wasn't just an ordinary man but truly someone special.
So many of the generation born just before or after the turn of the 19th century were hero's even if they never thought of themselves in that way.
Many paid the ultimate price, but those that survived never thought of themselves as a hero. They did what was required but were lucky to live through it.
My maternal grandfather fought in the army on the Somme, was injured, hospitalised in the UK for almost a year and then returned as a member of the RFC working on observation balloons.
None of this he ever talked about!
Many paid the ultimate price, but those that survived never thought of themselves as a hero. They did what was required but were lucky to live through it.
My maternal grandfather fought in the army on the Somme, was injured, hospitalised in the UK for almost a year and then returned as a member of the RFC working on observation balloons.
None of this he ever talked about!
djc206 said:
My grandfather gave me a Steiff bear when I was born and my grandmother knitted him a scarf. I only own two things that I'd be devastated to lose, the bear complete with scarf and my grandmothers hideous engagement ring that she left me, literally everything else is just material. The bear is not cool in his own right but the story of why my grandad loved bears and bought the 3 of us them is:
In 1938 at 18 my grandfather joined the RAF, in 1939 he was called up and served 3 tours with bomber command. He had 3 older sisters and one gave him a small bear as a good luck charm. On every sortie he carried the bear inside his jacket except one day during his first tour he forgot it. On that day due to a technical fault and a large amount of stupidity he found himself clinging on by one hand to the bomb hatch of the aircraft he was flying in high over enemy territory, he was hauled back in by his colleagues and never forgot the bear again. 1 tour with bomber command was a pass to the pearly gates, to survive 3 tours without death, capture or life changing injury was almost impossible. He claimed the bear was his saviour. Obviously I don't believe a stuffed bear can keep a man safe but he sits on my bedside table and watches over me, he will until the day I die, a reminder of how remarkable my forebears were if nothing else.
To the chap with the medals, when my grandfather died we gave his flight logs etc to a museum, I'm rather ashamed to say I don't know which one. I must ask my dad next time I speak to him. We still have his medals, much as the bear is my treasure the medals are my fathers, a reminder that his father wasn't just an ordinary man but truly someone special.
Hats off to you grandfather. In 1938 at 18 my grandfather joined the RAF, in 1939 he was called up and served 3 tours with bomber command. He had 3 older sisters and one gave him a small bear as a good luck charm. On every sortie he carried the bear inside his jacket except one day during his first tour he forgot it. On that day due to a technical fault and a large amount of stupidity he found himself clinging on by one hand to the bomb hatch of the aircraft he was flying in high over enemy territory, he was hauled back in by his colleagues and never forgot the bear again. 1 tour with bomber command was a pass to the pearly gates, to survive 3 tours without death, capture or life changing injury was almost impossible. He claimed the bear was his saviour. Obviously I don't believe a stuffed bear can keep a man safe but he sits on my bedside table and watches over me, he will until the day I die, a reminder of how remarkable my forebears were if nothing else.
To the chap with the medals, when my grandfather died we gave his flight logs etc to a museum, I'm rather ashamed to say I don't know which one. I must ask my dad next time I speak to him. We still have his medals, much as the bear is my treasure the medals are my fathers, a reminder that his father wasn't just an ordinary man but truly someone special.
We did the same with my grandpas medlas and memorabilia. Better they are in a museum than a box in the loft.
djc206 said:
My grandfather gave me a Steiff bear when I was born and my grandmother knitted him a scarf. I only own two things that I'd be devastated to lose, the bear complete with scarf and my grandmothers hideous engagement ring that she left me, literally everything else is just material. The bear is not cool in his own right but the story of why my grandad loved bears and bought the 3 of us them is:
In 1938 at 18 my grandfather joined the RAF, in 1939 he was called up and served 3 tours with bomber command. He had 3 older sisters and one gave him a small bear as a good luck charm. On every sortie he carried the bear inside his jacket except one day during his first tour he forgot it. On that day due to a technical fault and a large amount of stupidity he found himself clinging on by one hand to the bomb hatch of the aircraft he was flying in high over enemy territory, he was hauled back in by his colleagues and never forgot the bear again. 1 tour with bomber command was a pass to the pearly gates, to survive 3 tours without death, capture or life changing injury was almost impossible. He claimed the bear was his saviour. Obviously I don't believe a stuffed bear can keep a man safe but he sits on my bedside table and watches over me, he will until the day I die, a reminder of how remarkable my forebears were if nothing else.
To the chap with the medals, when my grandfather died we gave his flight logs etc to a museum, I'm rather ashamed to say I don't know which one. I must ask my dad next time I speak to him. We still have his medals, much as the bear is my treasure the medals are my fathers, a reminder that his father wasn't just an ordinary man but truly someone special.
What an uplifting story - wonderful.In 1938 at 18 my grandfather joined the RAF, in 1939 he was called up and served 3 tours with bomber command. He had 3 older sisters and one gave him a small bear as a good luck charm. On every sortie he carried the bear inside his jacket except one day during his first tour he forgot it. On that day due to a technical fault and a large amount of stupidity he found himself clinging on by one hand to the bomb hatch of the aircraft he was flying in high over enemy territory, he was hauled back in by his colleagues and never forgot the bear again. 1 tour with bomber command was a pass to the pearly gates, to survive 3 tours without death, capture or life changing injury was almost impossible. He claimed the bear was his saviour. Obviously I don't believe a stuffed bear can keep a man safe but he sits on my bedside table and watches over me, he will until the day I die, a reminder of how remarkable my forebears were if nothing else.
To the chap with the medals, when my grandfather died we gave his flight logs etc to a museum, I'm rather ashamed to say I don't know which one. I must ask my dad next time I speak to him. We still have his medals, much as the bear is my treasure the medals are my fathers, a reminder that his father wasn't just an ordinary man but truly someone special.
I think the Sweet Potato field that I bought last weekend might be the coolest thing now ......
Had to climb a tree to get to see what the eventual view will be like when we put something other than spud's on it, but i thought cool
apologies for getting all arty farty with the black and white filter.....
Had to climb a tree to get to see what the eventual view will be like when we put something other than spud's on it, but i thought cool
apologies for getting all arty farty with the black and white filter.....
Volcano, not hill .... drainbrain said:
Doofus said:
Are they electric? Which part is electrified, and what happens if the battery goes flat?
The 'knees' are microprocessor controlled. But the whole prosthetic is a system of 'intuitive' sensors and gyroscopes etc. The pic shows them 'on charge' which lasts about 5 days. Plenty of warning beeps and flashes if the batteries are running low. And if they were to die in use I suppose I'd just fall down on the pavement and phone someone to come and get me.
Here's a link to data about them:
http://www.ottobock.co.uk/prosthetics/lower_limb_p...
Zod said:
scherzkeks said:
Zod said:
Either my car or my ski goggles. The car speaks for itself.
The goggles have GPS and a HUD that shows speed, elevation, vertical, piste maps. It can control my GoPro and show replays, show and control the music on my phone. It displays text messages and keeps a record of every day's skiing, as well as lifetime stats, like highest and longest jumps, fastest speed, longest continuous descent. The HUD was a bit buggy when I first bought the goggles, but subsequent updates have resolved the bugs. The battery lasts all day. My best ever gadget purchase.
The goggles have GPS and a HUD that shows speed, elevation, vertical, piste maps. It can control my GoPro and show replays, show and control the music on my phone. It displays text messages and keeps a record of every day's skiing, as well as lifetime stats, like highest and longest jumps, fastest speed, longest continuous descent. The HUD was a bit buggy when I first bought the goggles, but subsequent updates have resolved the bugs. The battery lasts all day. My best ever gadget purchase.
What an epic dork.
All very subjective and a lot of the replies are sentimental, mine included.
I have a signed picture by Jonny Herbert and Zanardi (with legs) next to their 1994 F1 Lotus. Dad knew a few people in motorsports, and as I was mad on cars he got this organised and framed for me. It's not massively important in F1 history but it was pride of place in my room when I was growing up for many years. I'm waiting to move into a house with a garage before I put it back up.
I have a geniune WW2 vintage U.S army tyre pressure guage that my dad also gave me, it was given to him as a child. 100% solid unlike modern cheapo ones, works like a charm, and always makes me wonder about what sort of vehicles it was used on and what stories the men using it had.
My 'coolest' though is probably a brass porthole from SMS Markgraf - one of the German battleships currently sat on Scapa Flow seabed. It's pretty heavy, and was raised up a long long time ago. It went from Scotland, then to Wales, and has been passed to me.
In terms of cars, Dad has had many, many cool cars but always has to get rid for various reasons. Currently he has a G-Wagen and a R53 Mini GP, but now wants a 190e Cosworth. I have always coveted his cars but I never get too attached thinking I may have one passed down as he continually changes them. The only object of his that I have mentioned to him I would like as we get older is his Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch as I am a huge fan of the Apollo Program. He got it 20 years ago for his 40th. It's never been worn.
I have a signed picture by Jonny Herbert and Zanardi (with legs) next to their 1994 F1 Lotus. Dad knew a few people in motorsports, and as I was mad on cars he got this organised and framed for me. It's not massively important in F1 history but it was pride of place in my room when I was growing up for many years. I'm waiting to move into a house with a garage before I put it back up.
I have a geniune WW2 vintage U.S army tyre pressure guage that my dad also gave me, it was given to him as a child. 100% solid unlike modern cheapo ones, works like a charm, and always makes me wonder about what sort of vehicles it was used on and what stories the men using it had.
My 'coolest' though is probably a brass porthole from SMS Markgraf - one of the German battleships currently sat on Scapa Flow seabed. It's pretty heavy, and was raised up a long long time ago. It went from Scotland, then to Wales, and has been passed to me.
In terms of cars, Dad has had many, many cool cars but always has to get rid for various reasons. Currently he has a G-Wagen and a R53 Mini GP, but now wants a 190e Cosworth. I have always coveted his cars but I never get too attached thinking I may have one passed down as he continually changes them. The only object of his that I have mentioned to him I would like as we get older is his Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch as I am a huge fan of the Apollo Program. He got it 20 years ago for his 40th. It's never been worn.
As has been said, what is cool is different for everyone.
A couple of my Meteor engines I think are cool (my wife doesn't!).
One I purchased from a Danish armed forces ex-tank commander. It is one of the most desirable models with roller cams, government fresh rebuild and to add to my 'coolness', I drove to Denmark with a trailer and collected it. I have had it running.
The other is an earlier model (Mk III) that saw service in WW2. It needs rebuilding but I will do it at some point. Rare now.
Some will think my Ultima GTR and Cerbera cool cars. The Ultima seems to attract attention.
I purchased some land earlier in the year and am in the process of building a new site for both of my businesses on part of it. We also hope to build an energy efficient upside-down house in the woodland to make the most of a great view to the south.
Probably the coolest things I have are memories, but of course they are only cool to me.
A couple of my Meteor engines I think are cool (my wife doesn't!).
One I purchased from a Danish armed forces ex-tank commander. It is one of the most desirable models with roller cams, government fresh rebuild and to add to my 'coolness', I drove to Denmark with a trailer and collected it. I have had it running.
The other is an earlier model (Mk III) that saw service in WW2. It needs rebuilding but I will do it at some point. Rare now.
Some will think my Ultima GTR and Cerbera cool cars. The Ultima seems to attract attention.
I purchased some land earlier in the year and am in the process of building a new site for both of my businesses on part of it. We also hope to build an energy efficient upside-down house in the woodland to make the most of a great view to the south.
Probably the coolest things I have are memories, but of course they are only cool to me.
djc206 said:
My grandfather gave me a Steiff bear when I was born and my grandmother knitted him a scarf. I only own two things that I'd be devastated to lose, the bear complete with scarf and my grandmothers hideous engagement ring that she left me, literally everything else is just material. The bear is not cool in his own right but the story of why my grandad loved bears and bought the 3 of us them is:
In 1938 at 18 my grandfather joined the RAF, in 1939 he was called up and served 3 tours with bomber command. He had 3 older sisters and one gave him a small bear as a good luck charm. On every sortie he carried the bear inside his jacket except one day during his first tour he forgot it. On that day due to a technical fault and a large amount of stupidity he found himself clinging on by one hand to the bomb hatch of the aircraft he was flying in high over enemy territory, he was hauled back in by his colleagues and never forgot the bear again. 1 tour with bomber command was a pass to the pearly gates, to survive 3 tours without death, capture or life changing injury was almost impossible. He claimed the bear was his saviour. Obviously I don't believe a stuffed bear can keep a man safe but he sits on my bedside table and watches over me, he will until the day I die, a reminder of how remarkable my forebears were if nothing else.
To the chap with the medals, when my grandfather died we gave his flight logs etc to a museum, I'm rather ashamed to say I don't know which one. I must ask my dad next time I speak to him. We still have his medals, much as the bear is my treasure the medals are my fathers, a reminder that his father wasn't just an ordinary man but truly someone special.
Your story has reminded me of a story (about the only one I know of) my grandfather told that his wedding ring nearly got him killed! He married his sweetheart before leaving for war and always wore his wedding ring (a gold band with a single diamond). One day, under fire from the japs, it got caught on part of his armoured vehicle's bodywork as he was trying to close the door. He just about managed to free his hand and close the door up before being shot.In 1938 at 18 my grandfather joined the RAF, in 1939 he was called up and served 3 tours with bomber command. He had 3 older sisters and one gave him a small bear as a good luck charm. On every sortie he carried the bear inside his jacket except one day during his first tour he forgot it. On that day due to a technical fault and a large amount of stupidity he found himself clinging on by one hand to the bomb hatch of the aircraft he was flying in high over enemy territory, he was hauled back in by his colleagues and never forgot the bear again. 1 tour with bomber command was a pass to the pearly gates, to survive 3 tours without death, capture or life changing injury was almost impossible. He claimed the bear was his saviour. Obviously I don't believe a stuffed bear can keep a man safe but he sits on my bedside table and watches over me, he will until the day I die, a reminder of how remarkable my forebears were if nothing else.
To the chap with the medals, when my grandfather died we gave his flight logs etc to a museum, I'm rather ashamed to say I don't know which one. I must ask my dad next time I speak to him. We still have his medals, much as the bear is my treasure the medals are my fathers, a reminder that his father wasn't just an ordinary man but truly someone special.
He didn't wear it again until he returned to England. I've worn the ring since it was given to me by my mother on my 21st birthday, so it ranks up there with the medals in cool factor for me.
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