My three months is up! I have finished the labour on my research article. I have also spun out a company ‘Edinburgh Medical Imaging’. The process of securing VC funding has been painful in the extreme, with three founders, five (!) different sets of lawyers etc, etc. But a couple of weeks ago ‘Epidarex Capital’ stumped up a significant investment to achieve start-up.
For the past week I have been convalescing in a remote highland cottage – just me, the dog, two pipes and half a dozen tobacco blends. Oh, and many bottles of wine and port!
I have started looking in to the Forums again. As expected, with the inevitable ebbs and flows of such a website, there are many new members who I am looking forward to exchanging posts with, and I am delighted to see old friends still here – Pruss (for his general piping knowledge, and frank kindness); Sable (what would I do without his Barling erudition?); Woodsroad (what would the Forums be without his cutting yankee humour?); the sardonic wit of Peck; MSO, Pitchfork, Petes, Papapiguy, Fnord, Latbomber and many, many more. Hello to you all!
But some seem to be missing:
- Rothn left, seemingly irretrievably, just before my ‘sabbatical’. His inexhaustible patience and advice, especially to newcomers, was invaluable.
- Rebornbriar was an authority on British and Irish pipes and on pipe restoration in general.
- Misterlowercase was our piping historian – how he dredged up some of his fascinating material will remain a mystery to me. He was unfailingly polite and kind to all.
- The irrepressible Harris I was told has suffered serious medical problems. I hope he gets better and comes back soon – his ‘ding-dongs’ with Peck were a highlight of the Forums.
There are probably more absentees that I haven’t yet spotted.
So last night I raised a glass (actually it was a whole bottle of Ch Beaucastel 2001!!) and drank a silent toast:
“To absent friends: – HASTE YE BACK!!!”
For the past week I have been convalescing in a remote highland cottage – just me, the dog, two pipes and half a dozen tobacco blends. Oh, and many bottles of wine and port!
I have started looking in to the Forums again. As expected, with the inevitable ebbs and flows of such a website, there are many new members who I am looking forward to exchanging posts with, and I am delighted to see old friends still here – Pruss (for his general piping knowledge, and frank kindness); Sable (what would I do without his Barling erudition?); Woodsroad (what would the Forums be without his cutting yankee humour?); the sardonic wit of Peck; MSO, Pitchfork, Petes, Papapiguy, Fnord, Latbomber and many, many more. Hello to you all!
But some seem to be missing:
- Rothn left, seemingly irretrievably, just before my ‘sabbatical’. His inexhaustible patience and advice, especially to newcomers, was invaluable.
- Rebornbriar was an authority on British and Irish pipes and on pipe restoration in general.
- Misterlowercase was our piping historian – how he dredged up some of his fascinating material will remain a mystery to me. He was unfailingly polite and kind to all.
- The irrepressible Harris I was told has suffered serious medical problems. I hope he gets better and comes back soon – his ‘ding-dongs’ with Peck were a highlight of the Forums.
There are probably more absentees that I haven’t yet spotted.
So last night I raised a glass (actually it was a whole bottle of Ch Beaucastel 2001!!) and drank a silent toast:
“To absent friends: – HASTE YE BACK!!!”