Sometimes, when in a nostalgic mood, I have melancholic thoughts about the time when you could cheerfully ride your bike to the electronics shop on the corner to buy parts for a small project. In the past everything was better, it is sometimes said, but the hard reality back then was nevertheless a little less rosy. How often have I defied atrocious weather and strong headwinds only to return home bitterly disappointed. Unfortunately the electronics retail business is as good as dead and ordering online is now the norm. These days (out of necessity) I order everything from any of the well-known 'wholesalers'.