Shades of Autumn

HAMPSTEAD HEATH - AUTUMN 2015


Well I can't say that I've been out on the Heath very much this Autumn what with being
so involved with my Console/Cabinet project. Maybe there's still time to get out there
and snap away a few seasonal pictures before the trees are stripped of their colours.

The above image is one of my favourites and was taken in late October 2015.

Bonfire Night and Fireworks!

Held a little late this year was a local firework display at one of the local Hampstead
Schools on what must have been one of our first cold evenings.
Even my fingers felt cold to the bone after hanging around while there was a
delayed technical start to set things off. But at least it's one local event that's still
going strongly. We were hoping that it would be arranged for Saturday 4th November.
Instead it was held a week later on Saturday 11th.

And looking at my local Ham & High newspaper I was thrilled to read that our very own
once annual Hampstead Christmas Fair and Light switch on is back on this year after the
event got so big that no sponsors were brave enough to take it on. So that should be
something to look forward to in a couple of weeks. Lets hope it wont be too cold wet and windy
like in 2015 when several of the canvas Christmas food stalls were partly blown down.
Yes folks I'm afraid that Christmas once again started very early here in the UK. And once
Bonfire Night was out of the way things literally kicked off on Monday 6th November with
the early Christmas store sales and blanket tv coverage of festive commercials and several
Christmas tv movie and music channels. I wonder if we'll be plain burnt out by the time it
really arrives.

Above and below are a few pictures as well as a few gifs I made after filming a few bits on my phone.

A Touch of Chrysalism!

Chrysalism     n. the amniotic tranquility of being indoors
during a thunderstorm.

Above gif image via the excellent  AUTUMN COZY tumblr.
My recent posting on Autumn Cozy can be found HERE.

MY CABINET/CONSOLE BUILDING PROJECT COMPLETED AT LONG LAST!

So here it is. My Cabinet Console project now finally completed. It seems almost
like I've been working on it for nearly a year. In fact I actually started
the cabinet transformation over two months ago. Prior to that I spent quite
a while gathering up all the knick knacks and materials needed. Things like
timber parts, suede material, metal beading and some vintage speaker cloth,
eventually purchasing a 19" flatscreen tv as well as a TEAC Stereo hi-fi unit.

I've been buying up quite a little collection of vinyl LP's over the last year
so I'm finally enjoying them at last. Particularly vintage music like Jazz and
1950's Rock n' roll, music that was first heard on those old original Consoles.
I particularly like the feel and look of the record player section. And as
you line up the arm to play the record, your hand automatically brushes against
the plush suede lined side panel.
And the tv sounds good as it is permanently connected to the TEAC Stereo
unit via the AUX plug giving it an almost cinematic sound. And that hi-fi unit
also has a CD and Radio player.

Just sitting under the tv is a Panasonic hardisc tv recorder and dvd player.
Last night I was watching some old tv shows like 'Bilko' and 'I Love Lucy.' They seem
so suited on this updated version of a Console.
Thankfully I kept an old (non HD) Sky tv receiver so we can watch many
channels on it, and record them if needed.

I managed to use all of the front panels and draws from the original cabinet
so as to keep in with the cherry mahogany wood theme. So yes, I'm thrilled
with the way it all turned out. And of course it's now my favourite piece
of furniture in my flat.

I hope to do a youtube video of it very soon. I might just send out a few
links to some of the many youtube Console hi-fi enthusiasts. Maybe then I
might break that truly bizarre deadlock of only having 2, yes 2 subscribers on
my new youtube channel.

Below: More images of the console hi-fi cabinet. 

It was when I first saw this image above of an original vintage
Console that started the whole thing for me. I kept thinking
that maybe I could just make a contemporary updated version 
of the same thing.
Amazing how just that one image fired me up and got all
my creative juices flowing.
I first saw it posted up on Evan's tumblr PUBNAVE, who
appreciates all things vintage.

Above: This was from a few weeks ago when I started work
on the right hand side of the cabinet having stripped out
all it's draws and panels.
It was here and then that I was fixing in the right hand side
speaker cover. Just making that itself was a time consuming
job as I had to make it the exact same size as the speaker on the
left side.

Above: This is where I started to line the cabinet sections with some
tan/fawn suede material, giving the panels a nice plush feel.

Above: This was the last piece of the puzzle, trying to fit the Alba
19" flatscreen into the cabinet. It required making a perfectly
measured frame lined in suede to fit onto the tv then the whole
thing is attached into the cabinet.

Above: The tv is finally and successfully attached from behind
using metal corner brackets. I was worried that the tv would be
lop sided but it worked out perfectly. Yet at that moment it
felt almost climatic, like shooting the last scene in a film.
It was a great moment. And it was the end of a long project.