On Mon, 14 Jul 2003 21:02:49 +0000 (UTC), "Bob Harper"
wrote:

Dear group,
My Complete Deegam Machin Handbook has arrived - I have not read it yet but
I was so excited I wrote a tongue in cheek pre-review:
This morning our long suffering Postman arrived at the office a little more
bent over than usual.
From his bag he drew out large parcel addressed to me and struggled to hand
it over.
I took it from him and almost dropped it with surprise at the weight but,
noticing that it was plastered
with numerous values and colours of Machins, mainly in blocks, I grabbed it
eagerly and retired to the back office.

The days work prevented me from opening this intriguing box until I left,
deliberately early at 1630.
Once at home, Onto the kitchen table it went and first out was the packing
note from John Deering. "Warning" it said,
do not bodge sharp instruments into this box or you will damage your Deegam!
The packing was phenomenal and I very carefully cut around the sealing tape
from near the blocks of Machins
so as not to damage them when I eventually managed to get it off. Half an
hour later I had just about got the box open.
There, as expected were the two binders in a bright green reminiscent of the
63p Emerald Machin value of 1966- 67- Is this where Doug got the idea for
the choice of colour I wonder.

The pages themselves were shrink-wrapped but that is not all - they were
surrounded by bubble wrap too
so I had to spend another half hour popping the bubbles, as you do!

Finally I got the pages into the binders and very smart they look too. A
piece of card protected the last page in each pile
and I was lucky - mine had one blind perf hole in each card (perfs IIIP &
the gauge of the P side is 4) I will be willing to trade one of my blind
perf cards for one of yours in a different position - post a message if you
got one too! This perf type has not been classified yet by Douglas. A
glaring error methinks.
So there we are - I am already excited and I haven't read a page of it yet.
Oh the ecstasy that is sure to come.
Thank you Douglas!

Now, there's a COLLECTOR!

Tracy Barber