Archive for the ‘Courtney Boots’ Category

Who are you?

Posted: 25/07/2012 in Africa, baby preparations, being dad, Bunny Chow, Courtney Boots, Mr Bunny Chow, ouch, photography, Project 52, Rhodesia, Zimbabwe
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when I first started this blog I’d never even read another blog or even given much thought over to blogging as a means of communication.

My early posts were mostly long rambling complaints about terrible customer service I’d received from a succession of terrible companies and restaurants and I was seething and boiling over to the point of driving my nearest and dearest to distraction so rather than continuing to vent my frustrations on those nearest me, I started ranting, initially on blogger and then shortly after emigrating wholesale to WordPress. Rather than finding a niche early on as my anger faded I began doing a few reviews and even wrote what remains my biggest hit as far as search engine traffic my glowing review of the service provided by the Courtney Boot Company. As a side note, nearly a year on from getting my boots back I’m still wearing them daily.

I also began writing a few posts about becoming a father for the second time and my thoughts and feelings surrounding that as almost everything I read or heard would discuss the mothers thoughts, fears and perspectives, that’s not to put those down it’s simply a comment about the lack or support I could find for us blokes who’re too tough and macho to talk about our feelings with real people, and where there is plenty of support out there for mums there’s not a lot out there for dads.

In the run up to the new year I gained a little fervour for food blogging and launched www.mrbunnychowcooks.com which initially gained great traction but fell largely by the wayside when I managed to stab myself and began my Ouch series, I also began my project 52 at the start of the year, rekindling my long-held passion for photography and bringing another change of focus to these pages.

Anyway what I’ve been meaning to get around to with all of this rambling is what initially brought you to www.mrbunnychow.com do you visit regularly, do you know me personally, do you like reading about me blowing a gasket, do you like looking at pretty pictures, do you subscribe or just pop in occasionally having seen a link or comment on another site.

Blogging success has never been and never will be my aim I’m just a curious geek wondering who my readers are and why you are.

Please do comment below and let me know as much or as little about yourself as you are comfortable with.

alternatively you can always send me a private message via rantingmrbunnychow@gmail.com

I hope you’re all well out there

TTFN

Mr Bunny Chow

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Rupert Murdoch rides again?

Posted: 17/01/2012 in Africa, Courtney Boots, Zimbabwe
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I am infuriated The Sun that most respected and widely distributed newspaper of the ill-informed proletariat has published a ridiculous headline grabbing piece of nonsense about hunting in Africa complete with pictures of hunters and their families posing next to trophy giraffe.

They then go on to say how giraffe numbers are dwindling across the continent and then down the bottom allow a little comeback which brings in as an almost aside that professionally managed hunting is actually paying for the majority of conservation in Africa.

Without big money hunters spending big money to hunt miniscule numbers of animals conservation measures like CAMPFIRE (Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources) would not exist and the wildlife protected would cease to have value to the local population who in turn would cull these animals as pests and for food without any meaningful regulation.

I am a nature lover and hunter and am disgusted that such nonsense can be published and distributed without properly informed or reasoned debate.

Now before you weigh in and say poor pretty giraffe in the Sun’s pictures just stop for a moment and think beyond the headline that this giraffe probably lived a far better life than any domestic animal. He would have been an old bull who had probably sired several future generations and his trophy fee will have helped feed dozens if not hundreds of starving people as well as provided funding for game rangers and education in the very same areas from which the animal was hunted.

I’m going to stop now before my blood boils any further but I urge you next time to read beyond the headline and think.

TTFN

Mr Bunny Chow

P.S. if you are interested in an ethical trip to Africa for hunting or just sightseeing you could do a lot worse than getting in touch with Joseph Nyabezi of Honey Badger Tours 

 

 

 

How service should work

Posted: 11/08/2011 in Courtney Boots
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I have recently sung the praises of the Courtney Boot Company in these pages and wish to continue in this vein.

When I was last home in Zimbabwe my father mentioned to me that the Courtney Boot Company offered a refurbishment service and as my boots had by that stage been neglected and abused for the best part of thirteen years as well as having walked many thousands of miles on several continents this sounded like a great idea and I agreed to leave them with him to organise.

Fast forward nearly a year and my parents are due to visit me here in the UK so I began to chase up my father for news of my precious boots. He didn’t say as much but I gathered he’d done nothing about organising their refurb but quickly informed me that they’d been sent to the factory and he’d had a very reasonable quote of $50usd or £36gpb at the current exchange rate and I gave him the go ahead.

Considering that these boots cost a small fortune when new and that the refurbishment consisted of a full restitching of the tough elephant, buffalo and giraffe leather and replacement of the tough car tyre style soles I think that I’ve made a hell of a deal.

Being the geek that I am I was sitting at work during my lunch hour perusing the Courtney Boot Companies website www.courteneyboot.com/ as well as the websites of the London stockists www.westleyrichards.co.uk/Shop/Courteney-Boots I thought I’d fire off a couple of endorsement type emails of the boots themselves and the service offered. Both came back to me promptly thanking me for my kind words and the response from Gale Rice at the Bulawayo based factory was particularly thankful asking permission to use my email on their website which I of course agreed to and offering to send me a free cleaning kit.

I thanked Gale and explained that my boots were still with the factory and I was holding my fingers crossed they would be back with my parents in time to fly to the UK with them. Gale responded with the simple “I’ll make sure that happens”

Two days later I had another email from Gale again thanking me again for my kind words and informing that my boots had left the factory along with the cleaning kit and were being returned to their Harare Stockists nearest my parents home for collection the very next day.

Now if a small company in deepest darkest Africa can provide that level of service and guarantee a customer for life, even though by making the boots so well in the first place I’m unlikely to need a new pair for another ten to fifteen years. Why is the rest of the world so incapable? Is the old way the best way?

If like me you like the finer things in life and expect them to last for your life, then I would highly recommend you invest in a pair of these simply styled, incredibly comfortable and tough boots, they will serve you well and you never know, in thirty years time you might need a second pair.

TTFN

Mr Bunny Chow

It’s not all doom and gloom here are some products that I love

Posted: 05/08/2011 in Courtney Boots, iPhone, Kindle, Le Crueset
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My Fuji HS20EXR it’s an amazing camera for a keen amateur like me. See the brilliant review on http://www.safari-guide.co.uk/fujifilm-finepix-hs20exr-digital-camera-review.php

http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=mrbuch-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=B004G8Q61E&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr

My Amazon Kindle. I love books I own thousands of them but for convenience it’s a reading experience second to none except maybe a real book but then you’d have to lug it about and be stuck once you finished it miles from home. Seemless integration with the iPhone and PC apps (there is one for Android too) is also a huge bonus.
http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=mrbuch-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=B002Y27P46&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr

My iPhone. I know the android fans out there will rant on and on but for me personally I prefer the interface even if Android has products out there that are technically superior Sense just doesn’t float my boat. I have nothing against Android they make some fine products they’re just not for me.

My Courtney Boots. They originally cost my father somewhere in the region of £500gpb but that was 14 years ago now and I’ve walked literally thousands of miles in them. Mine are the original Courtney model with elephant, buffalo and giraffe hides with Dunlop tyre tread soles. They are currently back at the factory in Bulawayo being refurbished (every stitch redone and new soles) a service for which they are charging only £36gpb. So whilst they may sound expensive they last forever and you can’t say that about much these days. They’re also a lot cheaper than they used to be available in the UK from around £200. All be it with only buffalo hide now available. see www.courteneyboot.com/ for global suppliers or www.westleyrichards.co.uk/Shop/Courteney–Boots if you’re in the UK.

My Tag Heuer Aquaracer. I mentioned in my introduction that we had been burgled this year and of the items stolen this included my grandfathers 50’s vintage Omega Seamaster and Sharon’s Fathers Pierre Cardin watch. More Than insurance although a little slow did not quibble any of our claim and very kindly arranged Vouchers for us to use in Earnest Jones or H Samuel (they would have paid out cash but at a lower value, I assume they get a kick back and this is fair enough) After much deliberation I decided that rather than purchase another Omega Seamaster that I would split the future family heirloom and on the advice of the excellent staff in Croydon’s branch of Ernest Jones chose a lovely stylish but simple Tag Heuer Aquaracer.
Tag Heuer Aquaracer Mens Watch WAF1110.BA0800

My Raymond Weil Maestro 2827. This less well known swiss manufacturer has only been in business for 40 odd years a smidge in comparison to the history of Heuer but I couldn’t resist the elegant simplicity of this watch with it’s open balance wheel and the fact that it actually uses the same ETA (part of the Swatch Group) designed movement as the Tag convinced me to part with the other half of the insurance payout.

My Le Crueset cookwear. I have a large and a small frying pan, griddle, and small pot. There is no reason to believe that my children will not inherit these along with the above watches.

My Swiss Army knife, my personal preferance is for the climber model which I feel has the best combination of small portable size and having enough tools to be useful every day. You will very rarely find me without it in my pocket, in fact flights will be about the only time.
http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=mrbuch-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=B0001GS18Q&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr

I will periodically add more items to this list as I think of them

TTFN

Mr Bunny Chow