Today I shall be Mainly...

[Sue]

It was raining when we arrived in Rochdale and 9 degrees at 10.00 am. The garden was a wilderness. However after unpacking the sun came out and it was a very nice day all day, no more rain. We got three quarters of the backgarden cut back and it looks almost normal now. A good days work.

It's back to normal activities today, craft group at 10.30 followed by an extended lunch with Wendy and Keith.

Tonight I will have to go through my "CONVICT" talk as I am giving it again on Tuesday evening to a local club. This time I will donate my fee to cancer research as at this moment the disease has hit Bobs family very hard indeed. His sister is in a critical condition after two years of fighting the disease. It's a horrible thing and research needs all the support it can get.

[Stanley]

Give Bob my commiserations on his sister. You know I have been there.....
I had an easy day yesterday, no shed, I cooked and plotted the removal of the hob, washer etc. next Wednesday. In the process I realised how filthy the tops of the units were and had a spring clean!

[Sue]

Will do Stanley. She is holding on at the moment but it's only a matter of time.

Having a well needed hair cut and colour. It was mid June when I last came, I usually have my hair done every 5 weeks as it grows really quickly and very thick on the right hand side.

[Stanley]

It's a terrible process Sue...... Death is a release.
I shall be enjoying the shed and having my last battle with my bum washing machine on free leccy. The new one comes on Wednesday, roll on!

[Sue]

Yes it is Stanley. No news except they are hoping to get Jean into the local hospice rather than be in hospital.

This morning we shall have a visit from Claire and Erin, Adam is working today. We haven't seen them since they left France on July 13 th in the rain! The start of the poorer weather. I am really looking forward to seeing them, Erin is such a love and 2 months is a long time to a three year old. This time next year she will be starting school! I shall be starting my Chinese brocade jacket when they leave later. Bob will be back at the model train track in the park at about 1.00pm. Life returns to its normal pattern of things

[Stanley]

Hospice is good. I can understand Jean preferring it. Janet hated her time in hospital, she said all those poorly people depressed her......
Back to normal is good, you just have to keep buggering on.
I'll be in the shed making my cross head slide.....

[Stanley]

Later, the situation has changed.....



I am well in front of myself this morning and the mood took me.... I had always intended to ease the load on the fitter on Wednesday when he installs the new equipment and this morning seemed a good time to start. I am so pissed off with this washer I want it out of my sight!
So I dragged it out and set to to disconnect the drain, the leccy and the water supply. It and the cavity are of course filthy! Don't tut too much, if yours has been in situ as long as this one it is the same! I soon had the power cable and the drain done but hit a problem with the water supply. It's supplied through one of those piddling little cocks with a plastic handle. I managed to almost close it but it was still leaking so I opened it again. A bit of thought is needed. I decided to leave the cock alone because trying to force it closed leads to worst case, a broken plastic handle. I have decided to clamp the pipe to stop the flow, disconnect it and on Wednesday when the fitter comes we can turn the water off at the mains, drain the system and fit the new supply pipe without touching the cock again. Not tidy but safe, we shall get a connection without any damage.
A good clean up first, clamp and disconnect the water pipe and get the washer outside at the front ready for it's last journey to scrap! Shed later if I have time left and feel like it!

[Stanley]

Mission accomplished.... The washer is in the front garden and I have cleaned the hole out to the best of my ability. The water pipe is pinched shut with Mole grips, cushioned with tape and lead sheet to avoid cutting the pipe because of the pressure you can apply with Mole grips. The last move was to mop the kitchen floor with boiling water and Dettol. Before you ask, I was very sensible while shifting the washer and don't think I have damaged my back.....

[plaques]

I don't think that these type of pipes are designed for such rough handling. I've seen pipes split and flood the kitchen through misuse. Far better to have a proper on / off switch fitted. A short extension pipe could be helpful in gaining easy access.

[PanBiker]

Have you an arrangement with Garlicks for a plumber on call as well Stanley? The installation lads normally expect a properly terminated and tap controlled cold water supply. Looks like you definitely need a bit of tidying work there.

[Stanley]

I solved the problem of the temporary clamping P. I had a new connector pipe so I put it on between the hot and cold outlets and it works perfectly. Bone dry under full mains pressure.




Ian, the cocks are standard washer connection cocks and have never given any trouble in service. I shall not be entering the installation in any beauty competition. Just so long as it works!

[Sue]

BOB gone to Anglesey on business. Leaving about 5.30. I got up before 7.00 to make a cup of tea to find the kitchen floor wet and a leaking ceiling from the heavy rain! It used to do this but after a repair it hasn't done it for years. It was the wet feet that got me.

Today I am having a new sewing machine delivered, one that is designed particularly for stretch materials which is the way so many fabrics are going these days. It does those fancy seams and hems you find on sports wear and T shirts. I should be going out for lunch with my sewing group but it depends wether my delivery has arrived.

I am giving my MY AUSTRALIAN CONVICTS talk again this evening. This will be the fifth time. The fee will go to Cancer Resaerch. I haven't been able to add any new information this time. I have started work on another talk..John Widdup my political activist ancestor.

[PanBiker]

Friends of Clarion House meeting and working party for maintenance today. I don't think we will be doing much outside! We will be taking lunch.

[Big Kev]

I solved the problem of the temporary clamping P. I had a new connector pipe so I put it on between the hot and cold outlets and it works perfectly. Bone dry under full mains pressure.




Ian, the cocks are standard washer connection cocks and have never given any trouble in service. I shall not be entering the installation in any beauty competition. Just so long as it works!

Would you like me to swap out the faulty tap? It's only a 15 minute job, a replacement tap is £3.32 from B&Q and I will be going there after lunch (unfortunately I just gave away a box of pumbing spares).

[BillHowcroft]

My contribution to the washing machine installation - make sure you invest in a new cold water flexible hose. The better machines will be supplied with one.
I enjoyed the link to the white goods site. One of my work colleagues had a spell at a test house where they took all the popular washing machines and tested their water extraction at different spin speeds. This included motor speed controls that enabled them to eventually speed up to terminal velocity. The conclusion was that there was little benefit in standard diameter drums at rotational speeds greater than 800 rpm. Pretty much what this guy says:
http://www.ukwhitegoods.co.uk/help/buyi ... ed-debate/

[Stanley]

Kev, thanks for the offer but I have only just read it. I have a new hose fitted and tested under mains pressure for 36 hours so I am hoping he can use that. If not he can use the one that comes with the machine. We can turn the supply off at the stop cock while we fit it. I have warned Garlick's that they may need a plumber.... All will become clear in a few hours because the fitter comes first thing.



I took the hob out yesterday afternoon..... Don't worry Ian, I isolated it from the mains and tested it before doing it! Wiring in A1 condition......
I've just done some more, the microwave is out in the front garden as well. All the orifices are clean and I am ready for the lads. They ought to be impressed, I'll bet they have to deal with some sad cases, at least I am clean and ready for them even if Ian doesn't like my plumbing! Not up to standard I know Ian but at my age all I ask is that things work and look OK!

[Stanley]

Thanks to my preparations the fitting only took 90 minutes. The washing machine is reprocessing Sundays bum load and what I have dirtied since then on the hottest wash just to try it out. It's so quiet you can't hear the motor. The hob fitted the old aperture and looks very smart. All old fashioned cased elements, none of the halogen ones. The new Panasonic microwave is a bit bigger than the old one and has a stainless steel interior, the paint broke up on the old one which is why it had to go. The Sony wireless headphones are fine and a great improvement to the sound. All told, a successful morning and I can go for a sleep now!

[chinatyke]

Who's a lucky bunny then?

When is the hot water tap handle arrivng?

[Stanley]

The fitter asked about that and told me it was a brilliant idea, he has an oil-fired boiler and he says it really annoys him as well. But he has a wife..... Besides, cold water is good for the complexion. How do you think I stay looking so young?
Today I shall be avoiding home improvements and getting on with life and the shed.
By the way, I'm not too sure about luck. Janet bought this house for me and when she was dying set up a trust fund to ease my old age, she said it was pay-back for everything I had done for her. I've always said that the best way to find out if you made a good job of rearing your kids, note how they treat you when you get old.... On that basis Vera and I must have done something right somewhere!

[Sue]

It has been a sewing week. Few activities have restarted yet, barring pilates last night. I have therefore progressed well with my Chinese brocade jacket, which this time fits unlike last years attempt which is wallowing in a drawer somewhere

The basic jacket is finished and the lining three quarters done. Today I shall tackle the gold piping which is between the facings and the lining. That's where things went wrong last time ( not counting the sleeves being too small) . My sewing lessons start again next Wednesday and I want to make progress so we can start my next venture of drafting a pattern for a coat. I have opted for just one lesson a month rather than two this year.

Two days ago I took delivery of a new machine...a Coverstitch machine which I first saw on the TV programme THE GREAT BRITISH SEWING BEE. It does the type of hems and seams on t shirts and sports wear but is now also common on other clothes too. It gives a bit of a professional finish to everyday clothes. At first attempt it seems pretty easy to use.

Another grey day . I think Autumn is arriving at a pace. I see leaves changing colour all around.

Yesterday was a visit to the GP, well actually our excellent nurse practitioner as my ear is still not right after the infection last April. Everyone thought it would clear up when I got to the drier atmosphere in France. Well it didn't but then the atmosphere wasn't that dry anyway . It's back to antibiotics as there is evidence of an underlying infection. I hope they are right and that the antibiotics aren't being used un-necessarily .

[Sue]

Singed the jacket when it was nearly finished. Agh! Managed to cover it with a 'MADE BY.....' label. I was gutted!


Art class this morning, wine tasting this evening. I can't believe it is only two weeks since we were sat out side at 10.00 pm at Giverny, ready for our visit to Monets garden the next day!

[Tripps]

Forgot to ask - did you enjoy the Bayeux Tapestry? I saw it once, and used my O level Latin for the first (and probably last) time. I was impressed.

[Stanley]

"Singed the jacket when it was nearly finished." It's horrible when you do something like that right at the end of a project isn't it Sue. You'll have to stop smoking the fags while you're sewing.....



I was at Bancroft yesterday for the inaugural steaming of the Eastwood engine, it went well and is a credit to them. I managed to avoid speaking to Stephenson the MP who was there for his photo opportunity. Standards were maintained!

[Big Kev]

I managed to avoid speaking to Stephenson the MP who was there for his photo opportunity. Standards were maintained!

Be interesting to see if he gets involved with the 'surface water charge' issues.

[Sue]

Forgot to ask - did you enjoy the Bayeux Tapestry? I saw it once, and used my O level Latin for the first (and probably last) time. I was impressed.

Loved it. I have seen it three times now and each time see something new. Yes about the Latin a good opportunity to get those memory cells working