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From: Alan Badmington (to Angela)
Date: 17 Oct 2005
Time: 16:34:27 -0500
Remote Name: 84.67.153.133
Hi Angela, The Edinburgh Masker comprised a throat microphone that I affixed below my Adam’s apple by means of an adhesive disc. I could never wear an open-neck shirt, even in the heart of summer. A length of tubing ran from the microphone to a control box that I concealed beneath my shirt (in the small of my back) on a leather belt. Further lengths of wiring (and rubber tubing) connected the control box to transparent moulds that I wore in each ear. In order to conceal the latter, I wore my hair longer than regulation length, although I constantly needed to adjust my hair to ensure that nothing appeared in view. The effectiveness of the device appeared to wane over the years, although I continued to wear it because it afforded me the confidence to venture into challenging situations. I felt ‘naked’ without my mechanical crutch and the accompanying buzzing sound that it emitted every time I spoke. If others spoke while I was speaking, then I was unable to hear them because of the loud noise. Due to this, some people thought that my hearing was impaired ;-) In order to keep the Masker activated, it was necessary for me to speak in a somewhat unnatural manner by prolonging sounds. This method of speaking sometimes attracted quizzical attention. I was the first bionic policeman ;-) Thank you for your interest. Kindest regards Alan