I thought I'd move it to blogs for you, so you can add to it ad infinitum.

That looks like a nice workplace, I can think of a lot worse.

That's a good thought Colin.  We are due to install a solar powered sliding electric gate, next, and solar heaters for the pool (like big upturned laundry baskets).  But that roof does beg for solar panels

Manic day today. The home cinema was finally installed. (I have to fit 3 ceiling speakers and do something to stop the sub woofer setting off the windows and glass shelves.)

I've only just noticed there is no AV section on this forum. Too purist perhaps. Maybe this compromises the 2 channel, but I said way back that this is my home, not a shrine to hifi, and some comprises are called for.

Even just 2 channel it was awesome viewing batman tonight. I thought it was a joke when the screen arrived - it's enormous, but not too large. As Mrs S said - just like being in the front row seats at a good cinema.

I'll post some pictures later

No - I wasnt thinking of snobbery Chris.  Just I always post in the wrong forum, cos I only ever look at "recent posts" and am oblivious of the forum I am in.  I'll try to make AV posts separate so they can be cut into a separate thread or forum if needed.  But there probably won't be that many.

Background.  I guess it started with BBC Radio 2 "sight and sound in concert" - when BBC2 would show a concert in colour and Radio 2 FM would broadcast simultaneously in stereo.  You could turn the volume down on the telly and get the sound from FM stereo.  Ever since, I have always been aware how much better telly is if you sort out the sound.  Of course these days there are sound bars and the like, but I have always had some form of Dolby 5.1 set up, even if only with 2 inch square speakers and a sub.

Back in Blighty, with Sue, things arranged themselves so we had the main 2 channel speakers either side of the telly and they served a dual purpose of HiFi and AV front left and right.

The arrangement we are implementing here had its roots in the first house we intended making an offer on in France.  It ticked a lot of boxes, but the living room was too small.  You couldn't extend on the side you would have liked, because the pool was there.  Taking out the huge, but quite attractive, fireplace would have helped.  But you always struggled for somewhere to put the telly.  Until, in a Damascus moment, I thought of having a screen drop in front of the French Windows, and a projector.  To shorten the story lots, even with a bigger living room (much) the fireplace / french window trade off has come into force here, and we have arranged the 2 channel to share with the 5 channel with a screen dropping in front of the French windows. 

We realised this was a bit of a fag if you just wanted to watch the news for 10 minutes in the middle of the day when the room was too bright for a projector, so have also retained a 52" TV in the corner (for now).  .  One Yamaha AV receiver takes the Blueray and satelite boxes as HDMI inputs, and outputs via 2 HDMI routes to the Phillips 52" and the 4 and a bit metre projector.  We have my BK powered sub-woofer and 3 Kef ceiling speakers for rear left and right, and front centre.  (We  had to wait for a dem at a dealer in Maidstone a few years ago, and they sat us down with a cup of coffee in their home cinema room, and we watched a very impressive film - and heard the Kef ceiling speakers for the first time).  The receiver has dual outputs for each of its 7 channels (I only use 5).  It is possible either to plug a speaker in directly and use the Yamaha power amp for that channel, or to plug in RCA line level connections - which I do for front left and right - feeding the Pip 2, which in turn drives the AHB2 and ESL63's.  Last night we ran with just the 2 channel and sub - I have yet to cut the holes for the ceiling speakers.  The AV amp allows all the channels to be balanced by measuring their output - I just have to remember the volume control setting on the Pip for its AV use.

This installation involves some long cable runs.  There are 2 10 metre HDMI cables to the projector from the Yamaha, and a 10m RCA pair from the Yamaha to the Pip, quite a bit of which run parallel to mains cables as part of the "tidy cable management".  The installer was confident 10m was not an issue on HDMI, and I have to say he seems to be right.  Even 5m had caused me grief before on the audio before with hum from ground loops, although very chunky chassis earth connections brought it down to acceptable for home cinema.  I considered using a balanced connection, but so far just have Jenson transformers to break the ground loop near the input to the Pip - and it seems to be fine.  They are not cheap, but very high quality - so much so that I think I would consider using them in 2 channel if needed.

Enough for today.  I'll try to add some pictures next 

You're quite correct Strat.  It was Radio 1 using Radio 2's FM facility.  A rare treat at the time for young people to get proper hifi quality radio for rock music.

'Course - proper radio was Caroline or Luxembourg

I remember both Caroline and Luxembourg. I also remember Capital Radio's Your Mother Wouldn't Like It with Nicky Horne.

Truly inspiring pictures, Richard. I'm no photographer but the composition is really appealing to me. With that subject matter, they are an uplifting sight.

Yep, love that last shot too.

Thank you gentlemen. All my own work Kevin. Mrs pinkie was busy being a mummy, with her youngest about to go to florida for a year. Although she is doing the advanced photography course I bought her, as I confessed to ChrisB earlier about being a reformed alcoholic having just one drink - I have "previous".  I thought you'd be interested in the cars