Beware Of This Member "dtf".

[MisterrSingh]

I'm not sure what is DTF and what isn't. Is my mother actually DTF?

We're all DTF, like Spartacus.

[JagsawSingh]

We're all DTF, like Spartacus.

I used to have loadsa Sikh books published by a company called 'DTF'. I think they're based on the Soho Rd, Brum. Thats who I thought he was. Thats why I was usually so nice to him. I thought he was the major Sikh book publisher. I thought he'd come in handy when I finally decide to write a book. I'm gutted. :angry2:

[Kira]

Oh my God! It seems so obvious when you put it that way

You're one of the lucky ones... I'm not sure what is DTF and what isn't. Is my mother actually DTF?

You should interrogate her. Trust me, its for the greater good.

[MisterrSingh]

I used to have loadsa Sikh books published by a company called 'DTF'. I think they're based on the Soho Rd, Brum. Thats who I thought he was. Thats why I was usually so nice to him. I thought he was the major Sikh book publisher. I thought he'd come in handy when I finally decide to write a book. I'm gutted. :angry2:

Me too. They published "Saint Soldier" a great account of Guru Gobind Singh Ji's life, as well as many others. I think DTF is still open, but it's a shop selling books and musical instruments. I think they're out of the publishing business now. I could be wrong, I haven't been since I was 11 and went to see family in B'ham.

[JagsawSingh]

Me too. They published "Saint Soldier" a great account of Guru Gobind Singh Ji's life, as well as many others. I think DTF is still open, but it's a shop selling books and musical instruments. I think they're out of the publishing business now. I could be wrong, I haven't been since I was 11 and went to see family in B'ham.

Ah you're lucky. I've had to go the Midlands quite a lot in recent years. I think I must have done something bad in a previous life.

Anyway, I think you might be right, I've just googled them and they appear to have turned themselves into the 'Bina Musicals' of the Midlands. In fact, thinking about it, somethings just occurred to me; Ive been to Sikh neighbourhoods all over the world, from Toronto to California, from Vancouver to Kuala Lumpar, from Southall to Wolverhampton and I've never seen a bookshop in any of them. Are desis afraid of books ? Is the fact that a bookshop turns itself into a music shop not indicative of our intellectual decline ?

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/DTF+Publishers+%26+Distributors/@52.5023481,-1.9294717,3a,75y,207.95h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1soNJj75b_0A0CicyMtCW95w!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x311b7dc4c4299f6a!6m1!1e1

Actually, having said all that, the bottom left of the google maps image does state that they are still book publishers so i take back what i said.

But given that DTF has a business premises on the Soho Road are we not to assume that there must be an adult strip club called 'sheikh yer booty' down the road in smethwick ?

[MisterrSingh]

Ah you're lucky. I've had to go the Midlands quite a lot in recent years. I think I must have done something bad in a previous life.

Anyway, I think you might be right, I've just googled them and they appear to have turned themselves into the 'Bina Musicals' of the Midlands. In fact, thinking about it, somethings just occurred to me; Ive been to Sikh neighbourhoods all over the world, from Toronto to California, from Vancouver to Kuala Lumpar, from Southall to Wolverhampton and I've never seen a bookshop in any of them. Are desis afraid of books ? Is the fact that a bookshop turns itself into a music shop not indicative of our intellectual decline ?

Oh, that's a shame. The last time I visited DTF they had shelves full of the most beautiful hardcover books on Sikh history - in English too - as well as the usual paperbacks, religious paintings, etc. If I'm ever in that neck of the woods I'll pop in to Bina Musicals.

I think the internet probably has a lot to do with the issue you identified. Back in the day books were the only way one could learn about Sikhi in the English language. Nowadays Wikipedia has all that info and more I think. But still, there's something about those DTF books that was special.

There was also the Sikh Missionary* Society in... I want to say Hayes in Middlesex but I'm not sure. They were very active in printing leaflets and booklets about Sikhi in English.

*I should clarify for non-Uk dwellers that the Sikh Missionary Society weren't the type of missionaries that get a bad rap today, I.E Dasam Granth Sahib issue; they were merely missionaries in the classic sense of the word.

[JagsawSingh]

*I should clarify for non-Uk dwellers that the Sikh Missionary Society weren't the type of missionaries that get a bad rap today, I.E Dasam Granth Sahib issue; they were merely missionaries in the classic sense of the word.

Yeah you're right. We always knew their position. And also where they stood on issues.

There was also the Sikh Missionary* Society in... I want to say Hayes in Middlesex but I'm not sure. They were very active in printing leaflets and booklets about Sikhi in English.

Arn't they still there in old southall by the Dominion on featherstone road ?

Yeah look. I just googled them as well (i'm loving this google maps business). They they are, in prana southall next to a bhuddist centre with a muslim girl with a hjab walking past. About as multicultural a snapshot you're gonna find on google street view:

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Sikh+Missionary+Society+%28UK%29/@51.5021982,-0.3828355,3a,75y,350h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sTOdF90IA7c8nmhw8pSHCwA!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo0.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26output%3Dthumbnail%26thumb%3D2%26panoid%3DTOdF90IA7c8nmhw8pSHCwA%26w%3D374%26h%3D75%26yaw%3D350%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D120%26ll%3D51.502198,-0.382836!7i13312!8i6656!4m2!3m1!1s0x487672b138c33edd:0x38410124d41076a0!6m1!1e1

[StarStriker]

Yeah you're right. We always knew their position. And also where they stood on issues.

Arn't they still there in old southall by the Dominion on featherstone road ?

Yeah look. I just googled them as well (i'm loving this google maps business). They they are, in prana southall next to a bhuddist centre with a muslim girl with a hjab walking past. About as multicultural a snapshot you're gonna find on google street view:

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Sikh+Missionary+Society+%28UK%29/@51.5021982,-0.3828355,3a,75y,350h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sTOdF90IA7c8nmhw8pSHCwA!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo0.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26output%3Dthumbnail%26thumb%3D2%26panoid%3DTOdF90IA7c8nmhw8pSHCwA%26w%3D374%26h%3D75%26yaw%3D350%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D120%26ll%3D51.502198,-0.382836!7i13312!8i6656!4m2!3m1!1s0x487672b138c33edd:0x38410124d41076a0!6m1!1e1

Bro u forgot the building nxt to the budh vihara, is the valmiki mandir too.

[Guest]

Ah you're lucky. I've had to go the Midlands quite a lot in recent years. I think I must have done something bad in a previous life.

Anyway, I think you might be right, I've just googled them and they appear to have turned themselves into the 'Bina Musicals' of the Midlands. In fact, thinking about it, somethings just occurred to me; Ive been to Sikh neighbourhoods all over the world, from Toronto to California, from Vancouver to Kuala Lumpar, from Southall to Wolverhampton and I've never seen a bookshop in any of them. Are desis afraid of books ? Is the fact that a bookshop turns itself into a music shop not indicative of our intellectual decline ?

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/DTF+Publishers+%26+Distributors/@52.5023481,-1.9294717,3a,75y,207.95h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1soNJj75b_0A0CicyMtCW95w!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x311b7dc4c4299f6a!6m1!1e1

Actually, having said all that, the bottom left of the google maps image does state that they are still book publishers so i take back what i said.

But given that DTF has a business premises on the Soho Road are we not to assume that there must be an adult strip club called 'sheikh yer booty' down the road in smethwick ?

Toronto has at least three sikh book stores.

[JagsawSingh]

Toronto has at least three sikh book stores.

OK my bad. To be honest whenever I've been there, or indeed anywhere else, I haven't actively been looking for a bookshop so wouldn't have noticed one if it were there.

As it turns out I was wrong about the Birmingham one too because apparently it does still publish and sell books (alongside musical instruments)

And, I was also wrong about Southall because, as we've just seen on the google image above, there is one there.

All in all then, I think we can safely say that on this thread I have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about.