Took me ages to remember how to write a post on this blog - the GT6 picture got in the way!
Had a most enjoyable time with Lee travelling to Denmark to collect my restored Beolab 5000 system. First day was a little strained as some muppet drove into the back of me, breaking not only the Prius bumper but also the Sat Nav which we were relying on to get us to Venø. I was also relying on it to get me to my mother's house as she has moved to an obscure village in Norfolk. Luckily the iPhone has a basic Sat Nav function so arrived eventually. Very kindly, she lent me her Tom Tom which had Europe on it.
Met up with Lee in Harwich and then sampled the delights of our Commodore class cabin and not a bad meal on the trip. Drove straight up to Struer, impressing Lee with the complete lack of movement of the fuel gauge on the Prius. I do love Denmark and particularly the Danish people but the country is really rather flat and Jutland is not the most interesting scenery I have seen. The architecture is also mainly modern and, dare I say, a little generic. Lots of wind turbines though and very well mannered drivers.
We arrived at the Grand at Struer early afternoon - a clean and comfortable hotel if a little plain - though my room did have a BV8 in it - Lee was relegated to a room with just a BV1! Glad rags donned, we set off for Venø. Frede lives on a small island just to the north of Struer accessible only by ferry - though the ride is about 200 yds at most! A short ride away and in amongst the trees we found a most exquisiste thatched house right on a sandy shore by the lake.
The warmth of the greeting and the hospitality were wonderful and the experience will live with me for a long time. Suffice it to say that we were royally wined and dined and Frede's wonderful audio system demonstrated. He had also prepared a surpise with a black Beolab 5000 system being now part of his collection - he had also restored a Beomaster 4401 for me and knew that I had liked the black finish.
We had brought a few bits and pieces with us - Lee seemed to have cornered the market in Beolab 5000 components in the UK and we brought a selection for Frede to work his magic on. We also imported a pair of Beovox 3800s for Martin as we knew he didn't have a pair!The time went all too quickly and we just made the last ferry back to Struer.
The next day was set aside for a trip to the B&O factory and for some meetings with the marketing department. We were shown an Aston Martin DBS with B&O audio system. Very nice though it would appear that almost all the content is made elsewhere - the motorised tweeters always raise a smile though. Whilst Lee had his demo, I wandered through the carpark - noting a rather fun customised 30s Ford V8!
Lunch in the Farm followed and whilst Lee was interviewed for BeoNews, I was taken around the factory - though kept away from the new products (already knew about them anyway!) We were supposed to get a couple of BeoTimes to review and give as gifts to BeoWorld but unfortunately they had gone missing. Being honest, the factory trip was not as fun as the last trip I had had with Ronny. It was holiday time so maybe the lack of activity was more due to this.
Our final morning saw us meet up with Frede and take a trip around the new Struer Museum. This is wonderful - lots of exhibits and a few surprises - and our guide was wonderful (Frede!) Highlights included the system made for the Danish Royal family and the newly restored Hyerbo 5 RG Steel - finally with the correct knobs and with a B&O working system rather than the CD Walkman it had before.
In addition to the extensive and well laid out B&O display, there was a good display of local artefacts and industry including some wonderful Struer Kayaks. The coffee shop was excellent and the gift shop stacked with Tim Jarman's book!
We bade Frede a fond farewell before wending our way back to Esberg. Plenty of time to buy gifts for those left behind before boarding the ferry home. Plenty of time to work out what the next Beoworld trip will be like before retiring to bed!