<HTML><HEAD><TITLE></TITLE> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content=text/html;charset=ISO-8859-= 1></HEAD> <BODY style="BORDER-TOP-STYLE: none; BORDER-RIGHT-STYLE: none; BORDER= -LEFT-STYLE: none; BORDER-BOTTOM-STYLE: none" text=#000000 vLink=#5= 51a8b aLink=#ee0000 link=#0000ee bgColor=#ffffff> Nigel, I intend to check your list out if they will have me.  Sorry if= we seem so rude.  You might remember your post about your li= st and how "Contributors are mostly experienced tuners - no one wo= uld ever ask the "a client phoned and told me there is a sticking note = - what could it be?" type question!".  I think some might have fou= nd that a little rude.   David Ilvedson, RPT   <DIV style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 5p= x; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 3px solid; PADDING-TOP: 5px"> <HR> Original message From: "Nigel Donovan" <NIGEL.DONOVAN@NTLWORLD.COM><= BR>To: pianotech@ptg.org Received: 10/8/2005 4:08:30 AM Subject: = The PTA again <DIV align=left><PRE wrap="">Hi Michael, I agree with you--however they can be as "exclusive" as they wish. If you are a member--take it up with them. If not--what the heck--let them sink (or swim). I understand that part of the "test" there is doing a "chip tuning" which 99% of all tuners in North America would never do i.e. there would be darn few members! **************************************************** I agree, Don. I knew they existed many years ago = when they tried to get me to join them. Even then I could think up no reason to do so - they were= (and presumably still are) so "cliquey". Chipping up a piano doesn't worry m= e one iota - I did it to my S&S 'A' when I re-strung it just last month. = About fifteen years ago I voluntarily took up a place on a "hammer hanging co= urse" at Heckschers in London - one of a series of courses they (Heckschers) = were promoting and was the only independent tech there. The series, unfortunately, died the death. The PTA made much of this course in thei= r newsletter, though they had, so far as I know, no hand in its preparati= on. It was my presence that caused them to send me this news-letter and inv= ite me to join the PTA. I have no regrets.... Regards from a dark Downland Village Michael G.(UK) </PRE></DIV>Dear List <= BR>I am so surprised and really saddened to receive such hostility towa= rds another nation's piano tuners' organisation - even worse to hear it= from someone whom I presume is English. Such prejudice is totally unwa= rranted. The PTA is neither elitist nor cliquey and does not require a = chip up for the entrance test! The PTA is there as a friendly society f= or tuners in the UK, for their mutual benefit. It seems to me that it i= s the few people out there who have very little knowledge of what it is= about who have the problem - well, stay out then! Your loss guys. <= BR>Yours, disheartened by your attitude, from a lovely sunny day in Cam= bridge, Cheerio, Nigel </DIV></BODY></HTML>