On Sat 7 Sep 2002 (13:47:09 +0100), [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
> I must agree that many people are surprised at how accurate a sundial > can be BUT..... plus or minus FIFTEEN MINUTES! With due respect that > seems more like a calendar than a sundial. > If you aren't charging VAT on your stated turnover it would be a good > idea to contact H.M. Customs & Excise without delay or you may end up > designing windowsill sundials which have a number of closely-spaced > steel gnomons! Once again, it seems I find myself in the unenviable position of having to defend my own business from 'sniping' comments, when I have only responded in an honest way to remarks or questions from others on this mailing-list. As far as I am aware, it is not a crime to run a profitable business, plus I am not in the habit of making inflamatory remarks - though it looks like several people think that a 'flame war' would add interest to this thread. To respond to Tony Moss's latest message, regarding the seeming inaccuracy of my "Sunclock" - bear in mind that they are used only as HUMAN sundials using a person's own shadow, so I can only claim the 'nearest 15 minutes'. Why? - well just think about it. The distance between the Hour-markers on the Daylight-saving ring is typically 0.5 metres (say 20 inches). Compare that with the width of a person's head shadow (say 6 to 8 inches), and you will see that we could not possibly claim any greater accuracy than we do. If we did so, then we should clearly be laying ourselves open to 'customer complaints'. Remember too, that most of our customers are Junior Schools, who are only looking for a playground feature, and not a heliochronometer! Due to the physical size of a person's feet, obviously they can't stand at exactly the correct point on the Date-scale - again limiting its accuracy. We just give people what they seem to want - a 'novelty' feature, designed for their own location, plus meeting their 'expectations' of time-telling. I am quite sure that Tony Moss has better things to do than scour our Web- site, looking for 'nit-picking' things to lengthen this thread. I have no intention of being so rude as to question the working or income of his own sundial business, and yet he now implies that I may be acting 'illegally'! You are quite correct, Tony, when you say that we do not charge any 'VAT'. Why? - since the "Customs & Excise" have classed our thermal-bound sets of "Sunclock" Plans as an 'educational book', and which is then 'zero-rated'. Our overseas sales are obviously classed as exports, which are VAT-exempt. Perhaps Tony would like me to put my Annual Accounts on this mailing-list! This will be my FINAL message on the subject of my business operation, and I shall simply ignore any further remarks. I shall leave it for others on this mailing-list to judge whether I have acted unreasonably in any of the responses I have made, in the past week. It was not my intention to annoy or offend anyone - but maybe some other people should think before writing comments in a 'public forum', when they could have used private E-mails to ask questions before jumping to conclusions on the subject of my business. Whether any such comments were fueled by jealousy, I don't know. I didn't even start this business with the intention of it turning into a full-time operation - it was originally just a hobby, which has grown all by itself. However (when I retire), I shall have something to pass-on to my children. As a final comment - I hope that this mailing-list can return to being the knowledgeable, helpful and 'friendly' place I previously thought it to be. Douglas Hunt. -- "MODERN SUNCLOCKS" - 'Human Sundials', using YOUR OWN SHADOW to tell time. Looking for a useful, decorative, yet UNIQUE feature ? - you've found it ! For further details and photographs, see our Website at: www.sunclocks.com Mail Address: 1 Love Street, Kilwinning, Ayrshire, Scotland, KA13 7LQ, UK. Tel & Fax (UK): 01294 552250. International Tel & Fax: + 44 1294 552250. Send E-mail to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] OR [EMAIL PROTECTED] -
