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programmes emerged from a small base-camp in Hemel Hempstead. ASTRA UK began campaigning for the satellite cause. They saw the CAI as commendable partners in ensuring the right standards were in place to see that dishes were installed correctly aligned and discreetly. The anti-dish police became a noticeable force - a scourge on the whole process of spreading a dish rash. There is still considerable prejudice against our ‘mini-mesh woks’ that adorn south facing walls. On the Norfolk Broads there is still local legislation that forbids dishes being hung that face the waterways. However, this dish lark was a doddle for weather-beaten aerial riggers used to braving all weathers on chimney stacks. Four rawl-bolts, an alignment meter, a run of nice coax and, hey presto, 50 channels or more lit up the living room TV. A stakeholder partnership emerges The CAI owes a considerable debt to SES ASTRA’s UK operation. Not long after being appointed as a salaried staff member of the CAI, I was invited to tour the UK with the, then, incumbent Technical Services Manager at ASTRA, Bill Collins. The now infamous BS EN 50883 part 2 had arrived on UK soil in 1996 - its intention to solve the never-ending saga of how to make a shared dish system safe now that back-powering voltages were needed in order to control polarity switching. Up until the arrival of satellite, MATV (terrestrial) signal distribution was isolated at the outlet – ensuring nasty currents couldn’t appear at the rear of the TV set. Bill had come up with a cunning plan that he and I should tour the country talking to housing managers, electricians, dish installers – in fact anyone who would listen – about how to make a coaxial network safe by bonding the cable to the building’s main earth point – as specified in the what was to become one of the most debated documents in cabled distribution history – BS EN 50883. (Now superseded by BS EN 60728 part 11). The first of many tours met with debatable success – but ASTRA picked up all my expenses. Travelling with Bill Collins was to be one of the most memorable experiences of my life with the CAI. I can honestly say he taught me most of what I know about addressing large and small crowds of decision-makers. (I still call in on the, now retired, William A Collins who is now living a peaceful life in Epsom Downs.) CAI training programme develops One of the reasons the CAI picked me to serve on the staff was my past life as secondary school geography teacher. Obviously the ‘geography’ bit was not a massive bonus, but having a qualified teacher on board who understood education processes and classroom techniques saw us in good stead to develop what was until that point just a distance learning course and some regular distributor seminars on new product. Before joining full-time in 1994, I had already employed my wife’s typewriter and my artistic leaning to produce the first ‘Basic Aerial & Satellite Installation Course’. I hand drew the diagrams and pictures of aerial rigs in felt pens and physically ‘cut-n-paste’ – using scissors and a glue stick to produce a training manual. I nailed together the boards from an old MFI bookcase to form a false chimney and armed with lashing equipment, aerials and a Promax meter embarked on various jaunts around the UK. CAI member distributors (Labgear, Antiference and Blake UK) had rooms that could host the first basic training days. From acorns grow mighty oaks. The old picture here 32 CAI Feedback Spring 2018