How you doing fella? Fill us in on what you're up to nowadays..you still doing your bit for Queen and country?

Hiya mate,

Yeah still a STAB and it's just about taken over my life these past two-three years. My Regiment (Royal Green Jackets) was merged with three others earlier this year, so we're now called the Rifles. I've ended up doing a lot with recruitment and recruit training and whilst it can be really rewarding (and I genuinely mean that) it does drain you some times. It's quite demanding in both time and effort, but some one's got to do it I suppose. I've got my Junior Brecon, i.e. Section Commander's Battle Course for wannabe full-screws, in February (winter Brecon is THE hard mans course!!) and am already bricking it. Am nowhere near fit enough or slick enough with orders, so some intense training ahead!

We just had a Battalion Section competition and my section (yes, I got dicked to lead a section on top of everything else) were only pipped to the No.1 post, because we missed an entire stand altogether (map reading skills were somewhat deficient!), so I was dead pleased with the lads' performance especially as half of them were brand new bods.

I'm slotted to go out to Afghanistan some time next year, probably the Autumn/Winter tour. Our whole Battalion (7 Rifles) has been hit really heavily over the last couple of years with continual mobilisations. Not only do we as a Bn have to supply a Force Protection Company to either Herrick or Telic, but we're constantly being asked for augmentees to backfill for our regular Battalions on tour as they are habitually under-manned. The whole unit has become a sausage factory churning people out for tours, but our army's fighting a war on two fronts. I'd feel a bit of a fraud if all I did was turn up on Tuesdays and wore the same uniform and capbadge as lads fighting and dying every day.

So yeah, I got one more tour in me I reckon and then I'll think about calming down and being a good boy. I'm 36 now mate and can't see my self infanteering beyond 40. I've always said that when I can't hack it any more, I wont hang around the mess bar with a beer belly boring the young lads to tears with bullshit war stories. I'll hang up my boots, happy with whatever I managed to do and just be content to wear the old regimental tie on Remembrance Day or whatever.

Work-wise, things are actually going quite well. I've got a regular stream of work coming in from a couple of the local papers in the west London area, which helps support the wife and I in our extravagant lifestyle in the broom closet we call home! We're flying down to the Boer Republic next Easter to visit her family, and am really trying to work up some enthusiasm for that! Two weeks stuck on a farm where the in-laws only break from yabbering in Afrikaans to lecture you on the evils of the British Empire in South Africa, ain't in my top ten ideas for a fun time. Ho hum.

Well that was my life in 5 minutes! Hope you and yours are well.

Jack

Jack, glad your doing well.

Quick question,

Our Wedding pics came back from the Pro and I think they are terrible. Should I moan to her or to the MPA. She gave us the proffs, called two days later to see what we thought, I said they were crap. she ain been in touch since, and I shelled out a grand for 40 pics.

Still not got the full pics, just her crappy album which is sealed. I have been determined for her to contact me first. but its been over two months now. Cow!

Stay safe. Please. x

Jack,
Glad to read you are doing so much and seem to really be enjoying your time.

I am sure those you are working appreciate,and learn from, your past experiences both in and out of the military.

I wish you and the people you serve with much Success and Safety in All you do.

Lassen,

Bloody hell mate, I think you've been hosed. First of all don't wait for her to make the next move, you are owed goods which you have paid for and you are entitled to demand them post haste! Lets take this one at a time first.

Did you discuss what pictures you wanted from her before the wedding? Did you guys have a signed contract with her and if so, what did it stipulate in it?

What was crap about the pictures? Were just amateurishly posed (not in keeping with the standard you saw in her portfolio etc.) or shoddily printed/reproduced?

Mate £1000 is a healthy wack to pay and you should have got prompt and extensive service for that price. For almost half of that I would usually cover the entire day (no limit of images, but usually average around 60) and would have a CD and Wedding Book (either a traditional album or a printed book with captions) in about 4-5 weeks. Was the photographer a member of MPA or BIPP (British Institute of Professional Photographers)? If so, definitely lodge a complaint with them if things aren't satisfactorily resolved after your next meeting with her. Regardless of the quality, she still owes you an Album and not just a proof book and you want that as soon as possible.

As to the here and now of it, what you really want to do is salvage a decent Wedding Book from whatever images you've got. I've done salvage jobs for a couple of mates of mates before and it can be done, but does become a bit of a labour of love. What I personally did, was to have the couples pose in various locations recreating as much as we could as portraits (churches and registry offices are usually OK with this if you explain all), and then printed these in a book with a mix-mash of images taken throughout the actual day by family and friends. I usually sepia tone those ones to mask any inferior quality that amateur cameras sometimes have.

Mate, feel free to email or call me if you don't get any joy from the photographer.

Jack

Jack,

Her pics she showed us very decent.She looked the part and seemed the part. She did explain we would only get 40 pics in a very nice Album. As for the other pics we have to sell out for the rest. We paid 875 and she wants a further 130 for the rest of the pics.

Many probs include, out of focus, eyes shut, shit location, hair across the face.

I asked for a group pic at the church guests, everyone all around the door way, So she had us all at the road, for the picture.

see below.



Drress not even laid out. Not a happy man at all. Poor me.

Hmmmm.. I see your problem. As far I'm concerned you most certainly have grounds for complaint, but unless she's a member of MPA or BIPP then I think you may have to cut your losses. Depends how much you really want those remaining photos. If they're anywhere near as bad as that group shot, I really don't see the point in paying for them. I mean lets be honest, that shot could have been taken with a compact by the church organist.

Jack

She is a member of the MPA, I have already paid 875, Had to pay upfront. but she wants more if we want copies of all of the pics, not just the 40 we pick for the album. Shes wanting another 130.

Hello mate, thanks for the brief, looks like your doing some splendid stuff with your regiment, good on ya mate, bet your bosses are proud of you. Glad to see you're still enjoying it too...and still a lot of years in you yet!!

Also nice to hear that things are good for you work-wise and on the personal side.

Take it easy and good luck to you and the missus.

Mick

It may not help Lassens immeadiate problem, but it could protect all and any ones future pics, especialy the lads in the sand and dust at this moment in time. regards ferret.



Rick Maybury deals with your techno traumas

Q. I use several memory cards in my digital camera. How can I keep them in sequence so that when I want to view the images I know when they were taken?
Gordon Pointing, via email

A. I have to say that's a slightly odd question because most digital camera owners re-format and re-use their memory cards, after the images they contain have been copied to their PC or preferred storage medium.

advertisementIn fact using flash memory cards for long-term storage really isn't a good idea. They are physically and electrically fragile, easily lost and they have a finite life. There's also a question mark over the longevity of the data they contain. Manufacturer's claims vary widely and 10 years is typical but I have a couple of cards where images have mysteriously degraded or become corrupt for no apparent reason after just a few months. Flash memory cards can also develop a nasty case of amnesia if they are removed from a camera or PC whilst a read/write operation is in progress, or whilst the camera is switched on. There are countless ways they can let you down so the best thing to do is download images to your PC as soon as possible after they have been taken.

But to return to your original question, if you must use them for storage, only use around 75 to 80% of their capacity (filling them to the brim may corrupt the data or filing system). Avoid handling your cards when they're removed from the camera or computer and keep them in their protective storage cases in a cool, dry environment and away from sources of heat, strong light, and magnetic and electrical fields. To identify them write the date or subject on a sticky label attached to the storage case, not the actual card.

Q. OI have been sent a Gedcom file and I cannot open it. The computer tells me to 'Make an association of unknown file types'. I do not know what it means or how to go about it. Any hints would be gratefully received.
Audrey Campbell, via email

A. Gedcom (Genealogical Data Communications) is a standard file format used by a number of genealogy programs, for exchanging family tree data. As a matter of interest it was developed in 1985, by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (The Mormons), who are into genealogical research in a really big way!

But I digress, the error message tells you, in a typically convoluted way, that Windows doesn't know what to do with it because you don't have a suitable family tree program on your PC. Although the file format is widely used there are number of versions so it is best to find out which one was used to create it, and get hold of a copy. Alternatively you can convert a Gedcom file into HTML format, so the data can be viewed as a web page. You'll find a list of freeware and shareware converters and much, much more on the subject of genealogy and the Internet on the excellent Cyndi's List website.

Q. Following your instructions in a reply to an earlier query, to send images as email attachments, when I select a picture and right-click I get the 'Send To' option but the menu does not contain the item 'Mail Recipient'. Is it possible to add it to the list?
Ron Whitby, via email

A. Mail Recipient is a default entry on the Send To list so it's absence is a bit of a mystery. It may have been removed accidentally, the list is accessible by typing 'sendto' in Run on the Start menu, from where you can add and delete items.

There are several ways to put it back but the easiest method is to first un-register then re-register a file called sendmail.dll. All you have to do is go to Run on the Start menu and type the following: 'regsvr32 /u sendmail.dll' (without the quotes and carefully observing the spaces before and after /u). Click OK and you should see a message saying that unregistering has succeeded. Now go back to Run and repeat the exercise but this time omitting the /u switch, so it looks like: 'regsvr32 sendmail.dll', click OK again and Mail Recipient should be reinstated.

Q.I run XP home edition and am currently experiencing a problem with the Add/Remove Program facility. I decided to weed out some programs; when I opened Add/Remove I was told that that the list of programs was being populated. That's fine and it began to display the list in alphabetical order, but it only gets up to the letter 'E'. It is as if there are no more programs after E. Have you any ideas how I can solve this minor irritation?
Duncan Bright via email

A.It's almost certainly a Registry problem and it can be due to Service Pack 2 not installing correctly, programs not uninstalling properly, leaving Registry entries behind that gum up the works, or the last entry on the list generating a large blank space beneath it. If it's the latter you should find the rest of the entries by scrolling down the past the blank area. If so it may be fixable, by editing the program's uninstaller Registry entry, but I would leave well alone...

If the rest of the entries are not being displayed there are couple of things you can try. The easiest one is to reset the Add/Remove Registry components. Go to Run on the Start menu and type 'cmd' (without the quotes and this will open a DOS type window. At the flashing command prompt type 'REGSVR32 APPWIZ.CPL', and see if that does the trick. If it doesn't then I'm afraid you'll have to manually edit the Registry, and this is not a job for novices. It's also quite long-winded but all of the steps are outlined in Microsoft Knowledgebase Article 266668, but I repeat, only try this if you know what you are doing.


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If you have a computer problem write to: fff@telegraph.co.uk

just a thought jack,that whlst in darkest afrika,you could be out in the bush becoming one with nature.you know doing the ray mears thing,
ps,like the joke you sent.
scooter.

Scooter,

The worst thing about it mate, is that I'm not even going to be there for the World Cup (nothat England stand a chance of even qualifying at this rate!). As for surviving in the Bush, I'm going to see if we can't visit some Bushmen in Namibia. I know there a villages there that show visitors basic bush-craft etc. Am well up for it personally and the wife doesn't mind too much. She's got used to my Ray Mears addiction!

Mate are you still with 4 Para or have you called it a day yet? Hopefully we'll have an opportunity to pass by your end before too long. Will try to make it a weekend this time so you can indulge in a drink or three!

Jack

yeah still serving mate,only need a tour with 1para then i will have served in all 4 battallions,actually mate was thinking about this cyprus tour,it could be my swan song,and got to run it past the ball and chain and i dont think she will be too pleased.4para is a great set upaleays think if leaving then i cant bring myself to do it.
you take care of yourself and you lovely wife hope to see you soon mate with or without pics of you going all african on me.
scooter.
ps.love from wife and kids too.