Greetin's everyone

[brianw]

Hello to all FOG members

I don’t usually write these sorts of introductions; I just tend to lurk a bit but having read quite a load on the various boards I thought I better had.

First my truck: it’s a 1997/P Niagra Sport, or in other words a SWB “facelift” A Frontera with a couple of extra bolt (or stuck) on bits to make it a bit prettier.
I’ve not done any major mods to it, just a relay to combine the brake and fog lights, the write up of which is on the appropriate board. The only other mod is an internal/external digital temperature gauge. I don’t suppose that a personal registration plate counts as a mod. All in all it’s just a bog standard Frontera Sport in its road trim … but I like it!
The reason I bought it six years ago was that my old Granada was on its last legs and the Frontera was just low enough for me to get into and high enough for me to slide out of and be upright before I hit the ground. Just one of the perils of getting older.

OK and now for a bit about me:

I’m pushing 60, unfortunately from the wrong side; I’ll be getting my pension in November this year. I retired from gainful employment in 2002 after the medics found a tumour in my spine and took it apart to get it out for me. After that I needed something to keep me out of mischief so I went back to college to do a couple of little courses in web design and internet graphics and finally ended up with a BSc degree in computing (Information Systems). I now fix PCs for “friends” to keep me in pocket money! http://www.dragonseggs.com

I’ve been in the telecommunication/electronics game all of my working life: apprenticeship in the GPO Telephones (when they had little olive-green Morris 1000 vans) then I went to college in London to study radio as a Merchant Navy Radio Officer. I didn’t go to sea, I failed the 20 wpm morse test.
I did get my radio amateur licence though; GW3YSP so to all you young sproggs out there, G3+3 calls are still around!
After “bummin’” around doing odd jobs; a field service technician for Pye Telecomm and 15 years for the Home Office (Police, Fire Service radio and “Government communications systems” which covered a multitude of sins) as a senior technician I eventually found myself working for a calibration service contracted to British Airways where all the guys thought I was a bit odd, well I was the radio and radar specialist so they left me alone!

I’ve also noticed that there are some ATC members here too; I started in the Air Cadets way back in the old days, when Pontius was a pilot, in 2117 Sqdn and during my couple of years in London I was commissioned as a P/O in the County of London Wing. When I returned home I eventually took command of my old squadron as Flt/Lt.

On the motoring front, I’ve done my share, a Morris 100 van, Austin A30, Sunbeam Talbot 90, Triumph TR5, a couple of Minis and a Lotus Elan S3 Hardtop. Now I reckon I’m a bit too long in the tooth for scrambling about in the gutter under a car so I leave it to the local garage, and he’s quite fair.
So there you go; you now know almost as much about me as I do.

Regards, Brian

[Big Dav]

welcome to FOG Brian, hope you enjoy it!

[drinksoptional]

Hi and welcome , I had a niagra sport as my first fronty loved it offroaded it sold it for next to nothing. Most reliable and toughest motor i ever owned

[horses45]

well welcome along to the forum enjoy

[4x4 bobby]

Hi mate and welcome to the forum were a friendly bunch on here!!!!!

[Mr Mud]

Nice writeup Brian thanks for that............I'm an old f**t too so your not alone I'm also an ex ATC boy but I can't remember the squadron, I think it was 406 or something like that.....I'm also a fellow Celt as my dad was from Tonypandy...but I 'spose that makes me a half Celt as mum was English

[Dannyboy]