Any less than usual hobbies?

[Kalacs_Orthopedic_Shoe]

Morning guys and dolls,

 

Was just wondering if anyone had any unusual hobbies? I don't know what defines unusual, it's a bit subjective. I guess beyond football and drinking?

 

I took up up birdwatching in my mid 20's and it's nearly dominated my free time since then. Off the back off this I got into butterflies and moths and more recently wildflowers this year. Just love being able to put names to things.

 

Was a real positive thing for me. Met lots of great people and formed some brilliant friendships. I now travel more, spend less money on crap and am outdoors all the time, in all weathers.

 

Anyway, find it really interesting hearing folk talk about their passions, so thought I'd see if there where any fellow anoraks and geeks lurking round the forum..

 

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

 

 

[Benguin]

I got to the driving range every Thursday night, there is one near Dundee but I go to one near st Andrews as I like the drive. I get 50 balls, smash them as hard as I can and then listen to classical music, chain smoke and drink a latte in the car park next to the beach. Its my little escape and always do it alone.

[Crinklyfox]

I play bowls.  I know that it's not particularly unusual but I'd be surprised if many folks had actually tried it.  The majority of players in my club are retired but you'd be surprised how many younger players there are.  Some of our best players are in their twenties and thirties and our current men's champion, although in his fifties, has been playing for over twenty years.

 

It's an easy sport to play but a difficult one to play well.  Give me twenty years (please) and I might get good at it.

[Footballwipe]

It is football related but I guess it's also quite unusual...(?)

 

I collect football matches. I'm not as prolific as I used to be several years ago, but since I've been about 10 I had a real urge to save matches on video and then DVD and now hard drive. (first matches were the Euro 2000 semi finals)

 

It's meant I've got pretty every WC and Euro finals match since 2004, UCL finals, Europa Finals, FA Cup finals etc. I even had a couple of seasons where I collected every UCL match, that is hard work. Also got the continental tournaments too, so AFC, Copa America, Gold Cup. I think I have about 2250 at last count.

 

Recently I've focused my efforts on Leicester and the major international tournaments, as some people have seen with my posts on LCFC-related footage I have, so I won't drone on too much about that.

 

It's probably really sad and such a nerd thing to do, but like most people it's a great little escape for me to just detach from the world and hark back.

[Rocket-Ron]

I like Beer, football and Music. I'm such a boring Cliché.

[Julian Joachim Jr Shabadoo]

1 hour ago, Benguin said:

I got to the driving range every Thursday night, there is one near Dundee but I go to one near st Andrews as I like the drive. I get 50 balls, smash them as hard as I can and then listen to classical music, chain smoke and drink a latte in the car park next to the beach. Its my little escape and always do it alone.

Used to love nipping down the driving range and smacking 50 balls into oblivion. Trouble is I'm a terrible golfer, more often than not I used to swing and have zero control over where the ball went. I went a couple of times in a row and completely embarrassed myself (hit the ceiling of the range a couple of times) and stopped going. Something I want to get good at before I retire

 

I'm a drummer, not that unusual a hobby but I think it's pretty much the only thing I'm good at. Me and the missus are looking into getting a new house, I plan to build a sound-proof annex building and start up drum tuition for beginners at weekends, think I'd enjoy passing some knowledge on and I wouldn't charge anywhere near the going rate of £25-30 per hour

[Parafox]

5 minutes ago, Julian Joachim Jr Shabadoo said:

Used to love nipping down the driving range and smacking 50 balls into oblivion. Trouble is I'm a terrible golfer, more often than not I used to swing and have zero control over where the ball went. I went a couple of times in a row and completely embarrassed myself (hit the ceiling of the range a couple of times) and stopped going. Something I want to get good at before I retire

 

I'm a drummer, not that unusual a hobby but I think it's pretty much the only thing I'm good at. Me and the missus are looking into getting a new house, I plan to build a sound-proof annex building and start up drum tuition for beginners at weekends, think I'd enjoy passing some knowledge on and I wouldn't charge anywhere near the going rate of £25-30 per hour

I'm 61 and I have had a drum kit for 12 years always having the intention to learn. I haven't had any lessons yet but I can play along to a few simple songs. I'm kind of self taught from books and t'internet but I get frustrated when I can't do a decent fill. 

[chrisfox]

Archery.  Started a few years ago as a way to help with some mental health issues I was having

[Julian Joachim Jr Shabadoo]

Just now, Parafox said:

I'm 61 and I have had a drum kit for 12 years always having the intention to learn. I haven't had any lessons yet but I can play along to a few simple songs. I'm kind of self taught from books and t'internet but I get frustrated when I can't do a decent fill. 

 

It's good if you can teach yourself - I had 4 or 5 years tuition with 4 different teachers when I was young (2 great ones, 1 boring robot and 1 chancer I don't think could even drum) and taught myself ever since, think it was good to get the variety of styles from different tutors

 

Depends what you mean by "decent fills" - got any examples? Technique is hard to teach yourself as you don't know if you're picking up bad habits, but it's always best to start slowly and you'll find you get more comfortable playing each beat/fill a bit quicker over time. The key is co-ordination, before a gig sometimes I'll warm up playing a beat where every limb is doing something different (ride cymbal/right hand, an off-beat hi-hat stomp with the left foot, doubles on the kick and snare/tom accent with the left hand, with some open hi hats thrown in on the left hand). 

 

One fill I like that stumped me for ages is at the start of this song:

 

 

Don't know what it is about it but I couldn't get it right for ages before it finally clicked

[lifted*fox]

I've got more hobbies than I can think of tbh. I have a short attention span so often get into something very quickly but get into it 'in a big way' buy all the gear and then move on from it when something else comes along. 

 

Long term hobbies: DJing / Music production, Running, Squash, Gaming, Collecting vinyl / records. 

 

Short term hobbies: Netrunner, Kendama, Yo-Yo, collecting G-Shock watches, cycling. 

[yorkie1999]

26 minutes ago, Parafox said:

I'm 61 and I have had a drum kit for 12 years always having the intention to learn. I haven't had any lessons yet but I can play along to a few simple songs. I'm kind of self taught from books and t'internet but I get frustrated when I can't do a decent fill. 

I've heard you at the ground.

[Carl the Llama]

I bowl a fair bit, I guess that counts as unusual in this country.

[Nick]

I do mountain marathons, adventure racing, boxing, weights, doctoral research and gin drinking. 

[Lovejoy]

Squash. Not that uncommon really but I can't believe more people don't play. Brilliant sport and great for the fitness.

[Nick]

Just now, Lovejoy said:

Squash. Not that uncommon really but I can't believe more people don't play. Brilliant sport and great for the fitness.

I can explain why more people don’t play.

 

its because some massive **** invites you to go play when you are a complete novice and serves the ball to you so it lands perfectly in the corner behind you without bouncing. Irony is that when rallies actually get going you find yourself being competitive but then it goes back to that serve again and you end up smashing your racket or your mate in frustration.

 

Squash wankers.

 

I shit em.

[lifted*fox]

You need to attack that ball before it gets to that point though. If you watch some professional squash on YouTube you'll see how you can counter that. 

 

Don't get forced into playing someone else's game in squash, you have to force someone to play your game. 

[Benguin]

1 hour ago, Julian Joachim Jr Shabadoo said:

Used to love nipping down the driving range and smacking 50 balls into oblivion. Trouble is I'm a terrible golfer, more often than not I used to swing and have zero control over where the ball went. I went a couple of times in a row and completely embarrassed myself (hit the ceiling of the range a couple of times) and stopped going. Something I want to get good at before I retire

 

I'm a drummer, not that unusual a hobby but I think it's pretty much the only thing I'm good at. Me and the missus are looking into getting a new house, I plan to build a sound-proof annex building and start up drum tuition for beginners at weekends, think I'd enjoy passing some knowledge on and I wouldn't charge anywhere near the going rate of £25-30 per hour

Ha I don't really do it as a skill and I'm not very good. There's just something really satisfying about it. I used to go at around 5 and it's busy so you get a bit self conscious but I go later now. 

[RonnieTodger]

I've just stopped playing squash and started boxing. I never played competitively, but enjoyed playing against mates and it really is a great thing to do. I've only stopped because I've since moved and Desford is too far away now. 

 

The one thing I will say about squash is that it's like running, in that a disproportionate amount of regulars are just ****ing obsessed with it and bore you to tears talking about it. 

[Samilktray]

I'm a bit of trainer enthusiast (who isn't these days) and I collect pop vinyl figure and read comics. I buy a lot of records also but that isn't remotely unusual now 

[AlloverthefloorYesNdidi]

I play a bit of music and have taken on learning the trumpet far too late in life, enducing both personal suffering and the suffering of those around me

[Nick]

Just now, AlloverthefloorYesNdidi said:

I play a bit of music and have taken on learning the trumpet far too late in life, enducing both personal suffering and the suffering of those around me

 

All over the floor Sonia eh?

 

[AlloverthefloorYesNdidi]

Just now, Swan Lesta said:

 

All over the floor Sonia eh?

 

 wtf! Amazing.  I'll stick this on my wall as a source of constant inspiration

[Nick]

11 minutes ago, Samilktray said:

I'm a bit of trainer enthusiast (who isn't these days) and I collect pop vinyl figure and read comics. I buy a lot of records also but that isn't remotely unusual now 

 

I had to get me a pair of these the other day.

[TiffToff88]

2 hours ago, Crinklyfox said:

I play bowls.  I know that it's not particularly unusual but I'd be surprised if many folks had actually tried it.  The majority of players in my club are retired but you'd be surprised how many younger players there are.  Some of our best players are in their twenties and thirties and our current men's champion, although in his fifties, has been playing for over twenty years.

 

It's an easy sport to play but a difficult one to play well.  Give me twenty years (please) and I might get good at it.

 

I used to play bowls with my dad quite a lot until he had to sell his equipment to pay for a vasectomy.

 

He hasn't been since, he just doesn't have the balls any more

[Fox92]

Not unusual but my hobby outside of football and music is diecast / models. I used to have a Hornby train set but no longer had the room so that's on hold until I'm older and hopefully have my own house to set it back up and start rebuilding. I've always been a train enthusiast.