I have a plan to plug a webcam into my sexy new telescope. I spoke to the nice man in the telescope shop who suggested that I got a webcam that I could unscrew the lens from, and then brought that into the shop on Saturday so’s he could supply the correct adaptor.
So I needed to get a webcam that I could unscrew the front off of. Easy enough, eh?
Rather than having a lunch break today, I went shopping. I went to PC World and asked if they had a webcam that had an unscrewable front – ToUcam or something like that, maybe? “Young Spotty” started at me as though I was speaking in Chinese. He referred me to one of the “Tech Guys” who had obviously memorised the manufacturer’s spiel on webcams. He couldn’t answer any questions whatsoever; he just repeated what he’d read (verbatim). I looked around the shop, and having determined that everyone who seemed to be working there was actually on work experience; I gave up and went to Comet.
I couldn’t see any webcams in Comet, but I thought I’d ask. I waited at their counter whilst their staff officiously bustled past me, intent on their own self importance. After fifteen minutes I gave up waiting and walked out. One of the staff, who’d made a point of studiously ignoring me, called to me as I neared the door to ask if he could help. I called back that he’d had his chance and blown it.
GZ computers are usually very helpful, so once back at work I got their phone number and gave them a ring. The phone rang. And rang. I tried phoning several times during the afternoon, but to no avail. So being on an early shift I thought I’d pop into town after work to see what GZ had to offer. They had nothing. Nothing at all. GZ computers have closed down – the shop’s windows are all whitewashed. The staff in the toy shop next door told me they’ve gone bust. That’s a shame – I’ve always had a soft spot for Cheesey Computers - “My Boy TM ” did his work experience there.
The woman in Jessop’s (the camera specialist shop) looked down her nose in a very patronising way when I mentioned webcams. Interestingly I overhead a customer in that shop asking if he was entitled to any sort of discount because he was spending a squillion pounds on camera gear. He was rather rudely reminded by the staff there that they were running a business and not a charity.
So back to the car park where I paid two pounds for ten minutes parking. I shan’t be driving into Ashford again any time soon.
Curry’s was on the way home so I popped into there to see what they had. I knew I’d be wasting my time, and I was. So I went home and tried eBay. I got a ToUcam webcam and change out of seven quid.
It probably won’t arrive by Saturday, but then again, neither will my laptop….
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