WTF-Beta

What a handsome machine. I'd love to see it leave a station with the theme tune from Murder on the Orient Express playing

Formal, perfect, if we lived in it without a housekeeper and gardener it would soon be less so.
Bit too big for us, but it is close to Northallerton, a really nice market town. Everything about it is what I'd love.

Recordings inspire me to have a go at learning. I mean nothing (or very little) comes from nothing.
And once partially learnt I'll find my favourite version for timing & musicality. I've done this for Tom Lehrer and Rachmaninoff and Art Tatum.

Far more reasonably priced and simply lovely is this home, only a short drive south from us

https://www.struttandparker.com/properties/great-smeaton-1

My answer would be no to pretty much anything more than 30 years old.
There's always an exception, in my case a 1920 Bosendorfer upright, totally refurbished which in 2002 had just sold for £22k. However the original parts you could count on the fingers of one hand... ornate case, iron frame, soundboard, keys and pedals.
So it played like new, and cost the same as new; they let me play it, a richness of sound in a beautiful wood case.

As for your comment "wasted on me", I was given the following advice from an American nearly 30 years ago:
Buy the best you can afford because a better instrument will encourage your practice, and, can always be more easily sold on if you upgrade.

Looks nice, exquisite.

Do you like/prefer the 'old piano sound'?
Do you like the 'feel of an old piano action'?
And old piano keys?

Used is a great way to buy, but how old?

Earlier this month the local RSPB area was unexpectedly visited by a young white tailed Eagle (sea eagle) presumably having a trip south from Scotland hunting or territory scouting.
I never saw it but someone took a great photo when a common buzzard was nearby.

Now buzzards are one of our larger birds, so look at this, like a flying barn door

Thanks, though the first thing you'd notice is that 'indefatigable collie blight' has turned our lawn into brown powder

The guilty blighters l-r
Nero Neptune Tiberias Venus

Come on guys, that's pretty impressive.
But I could take it

Our garden has suddenly come to life; looking left to right:

First daffodils, then yellow fields of oil -seed-rape, now joined by verges of golden dandelions

Lovely piece, thank you

I'm keenly awaiting next year's trip.
Makes the news worth watching

You don't own a pair of shoes?

At a small funeral last week (she was a month short of 103), everyone was showing respect in dark clothing; and all men wore ties. Yet noticed I was the only one wearing leather shoes (Hugo Boss).
Guessing cheaper synthetic uppers with rubber soles must account for over 90% of the shoe market.
And trainers now 90% of footwear. This modern way is not only due to prices from asian production, it's much about fashion and style.
My son in law has Nike trainers costing £700, the price of a pair of shoes handmade by elves in Nottingham.

Looking on Amazon that's an interesting book you authored. MrsA likes knitting squares for patchwork and will love it (a forthcoming anniversary gift).

Here's her craft/knitting books, which again I can't imagine on kindle

Talking to a brother in law last week, we realised we are often the only people in a collar shirt (when not at work).
I went to a busy local food festival last weekend and everyone else was in t-shirts.

I need to make a list of places to see in Japan when we visit our daughter there