This morning, I received a wonderful surprise early Christmas present from a member who I consider a friend as well as a fellow collector.

Some time ago, we had both been discussing the FFR modifications available to the Bauer Studio line range of projectors.

As some may know, for us Europeans,they offer various services to these projectors in house so to speak.
Some of these services include shutter cam replacement and claw follower refurbishment.
Another service they offer is to remove the complete shutter shaft and exchange the standard three bladed shutter for a Beaulieu style adjustable 2 or 3 bladed shutter.
These are the very best replacement shutters available as it still allows the projector to be used with 18fps while in 3 blade mode but then by turning a thumb screw within the shutter blade hub, you can place the shutter into 2 bladed mode to gain far more light output from the lamp onto the screen when projecting 24fps films.

Well during this conversation, I remember pointing out that I was reluctant to send my projector to Germany again from the UK as our own UK courier service handling leaves a lot to be desired.
I also pointed out to my great friend that FFR were not prepared to post out the parts for you to fit yourself and that you were forced to send the entire machine to them in Germany to do the entire job themselves as a service.

Imagine my surprise then when my trans Atlantic friend said he had had one sent him and was thinking of trying to fit it to his studio line machine.
I was astonished to hear that if you lived far enough away from Germany to make the transportation of the entire machine non viable, then they were prepared to just send the relevant part.

Now these shutters, I must add are not cheap. They are precision made from aluminium and are machined to an extremely high standard and accuracy including intricate machine work for two tiny keyways etc within the central hub.

All this will become perfectly clear in the photographs I post here later of the said component.

So wind the clock forward some 5 or 6 months and I receive an unexpected parcel which I sign for at my front door.
First off, I wasn't unduly curious as the wife has internet ordered Christmas presents arriving by the hour almost at this time of the year.
But then once brought inside the house, I noticed two things that made me very very curious. The first was that the parcel was an international posted arrival, the second was that it was addressed to me when I clearly wasn't expecting anything??

I opened the parcel with intrigue, and was completely blown aside by the contents therein.
I had been sent the shutter that we had been talking about!

I have to say this is a single act of generosity that brought tears to my eyes. What a lovely surprise and what generosity!

It cannot have been cheap to even send across the pond let alone the high value of the component itself!!

All I can say is I simply cannot thank this person enough ( they know who they are!) and it confirms what I've always suspected deep down, that this hobby of ours allows us all to meet some truly wonderful generous and thoughtful human beings that have ever trod foot on earth.

Thank you that man, from the bottom of my heart, I am sincerely grateful and quite frankly overwhelmed with this act of complete kindness!!


I simply cannot thank you enough for this.

It just shows the generosity on here Andrew, well done you, it couldn't have happened to a nicer chap, someone
obviously is a chairman of the "Andrew Woodcock Fan Club", of whose members are many, myself included.

This guy is a true gentleman Hugh! I simply cannot thank him enough for this.
Sadly I presume, he is doing without himself, but I am certain this won't be the case for long.

People that treat me well in life, I simply never forget!

Just enjoy Andrew, the man mean't it for you, go with the flow amigo, you lucky little devil.