Today I shall be Mainly...

[Big Kev]

... washing the car. Surprising how quick it gets dirty, I blame the M65 and suicidal insects

[Stanley]

I always thought it was so unfair that wet weather didn't clean the muck off a vehicle....
Working quietly away in the shed on mounting my chuck.

[Sue]

Thought of you yesterday Stanley when we were at the model engineers exhibition in Doncaster. I don’t suppose you get to anything like that. How do you get your parts and metal etc. There were a lot of engineering sales stalls, in fact I bought a couple of things myself. Some hog hair brushes great for oil painting and a metre rule with a handle on it, ideal when drafting out trousers and drawing long lines. It was only £4 , so much cheaper than a dressmaking rule...complete with spirit level in the handle which of course I do not need.

[Stanley]

I was watching a video of it last night Sue. No we don't have anything like that here, good job or i'd be spending a fortune!
I had a problem in the shed yesterday so I'll be sorting that out today.....

[Sue]

The Northern Association ofModel Engineers are putting on an exhibition in Oldham in February. Bob is one of the organisers. You may like a trip over if someone can get you there although it is near the bus station. The venue has been chosen for that.

I shall go for a swim this morning, its ages since I have had a Monday morning free in order to go. My stuff is reading for packing so I may do that this afternoon. Its going to be a very early start on Saturday, leaving home at 3.30 a.m to get to Manchester airport for a 6.30 flight. I see that my long culottes that I made for the cruise are high fashion this summer, even worn by our Eurovision singer. I don’t know how that happened, it was just a thought I had and was not swayed by any fashion magazines etc. Other than that its a quiet day, no French today, but an art class this evening

[Stanley]

I shall look into it Sue......



My chuck is mounted, today it gets a good clean up and polish. It's almost new but has been neglected for about a 100 years.

[Stanley]

After yesterday's upset day I am ready for stripping the Cushman chuck down and giving it every chance. It's worth the effort because even though it's over 100 years old it has very little wear.

[Sue]

Today is a Jeremy Ford painting workshop then pilates this evening. Yesterday was very quiet, I spent a lot of time sitting and pottering, not my scene at all!

The builders arrived to do the roof and will be back again today. I think the job is mainly relaying tiles but there are a couple of non opening roof lights that are to be replaced with new opening velux windows. We have had a leak in the kitchen ceiling where the kitchen extension, built in 1980 ,meets the original bungalow. It started leaking a few years ago but this year was really bad and the builder says the tiles don’t overlap properly. The whole house was reroofed in 1995 and it seems something was wrong with the way it was done! Why do builders or indeed any workman always say the previous job was a bad one! Anyway we trust this one, he is our neighbour , his garden backing on to ours. He wouldn’t do a bad job would he living so near. He has actually done many repairs on the estate.

The greenhouse is finished and its contents that have been lurking on the patio since November have replaced or thrown away. We have new shelving and it looks very good indeed. Unfortunately it is too late to grow any plants in there this year, my remaining veggies are now in pots sunk in the garden awaiting their transport to France. I just have runner beans to sow when we get back from Washington

[StoneRoad]

When it has warmed / dried up a bit ...

Finishing off building the new secondary greenhouse. The instructions leave something to be desired.

Then I can get some things planted. You know, Tomatoes, courgettes etc.

Will probably cut the grass this afternoon.

[Stanley]

Ah, the tyranny of the English Lawn! I always remember reading an article by Roy Strong excoriating the concept of the lawn and I have to agree with him. True, they look nice and neat when mowed but when you think about it we are forcing nature into our mould. A very British thing I always thought but they do the same in the States. I have a maintenance free garden..... (BYW, the mint is shooting out of the ground!)
I shall be mounting the antique chuck and testing it....... No wear at all on the jaws and scroll.

[Sue]

No lawns here. We have Le Crunch. Nice gravel and raised beds full of perennials
and flowering shrubs. Our lawns were just moss front and back . Now France, that is another matter!

Art this morning, hairdressers this sfternoon, yoga this evening.Light lunch out with friends.

[Big Kev]

...winding down at the office (I have handed over all I need to). A nice lazy day with no intention to do anything productive

[chinatyke]

...winding down at the office (I have handed over all I need to). A nice lazy day with no intention to do anything productive

Still another day to go isn't there?

[Big Kev]

...winding down at the office (I have handed over all I need to). A nice lazy day with no intention to do anything productive

Still another day to go isn't there?

Not for me, new job on Monday

[chinatyke]

Best wishes with that.

[Wendyf]

My history society pal Margaret and I took some friends to see the vaccary walls in Wycoller. One is a archaeologist from Harrogate and the other a historian with a particular interest in monastic granges and neither had heard of Wycoller before and both were amazed by the walls.
It was a lovely day for a stroll around Wycoller in the spring sunshine but the cafe was closed for some reason and we had find somewhere else for lunch. The pub at Black Lane Ends beckoned......

[Sue]

They are very like traditional walls in Brittany. We had one as a dividing wall in our garden in France. One of our neighbours took it down when we weren’t there!

[Stanley]

Good luck with the new job Kev.....
I like Wycoller. I also like the village midden at Laneshawbridge. It's just on the left as you leave the village and the back is eroding it, always something interesting in the banks!

[Sue]

All set for the 3.30 am start in the morning, even the roofers have finished repairing the roof.

[Wendyf]

Hope you have a good trip and a wonderful holiday Sue.

[Stanley]

Have a nice one Sue, we will enjoy the good weather.....
Catching up slowly after oversleeping...... Cooking and a bit of shed.

[Big Kev]

...taking my mother out for lunch to celebrate her 80th birthday. I will also be avoiding anything football or wedding related.

[Stanley]

Give her my love Kev and tell her that life begins at 80!

[Marilyn]

Watching the BBC/UKTV coverage of the wedding. Nothing on yet but blah blah blah, so might pop and have a bath! Unfortunately, there is not much else on. Some sort of wedding coverage on every second channel. There is always the football, I suppose.

[Wendyf]

Wedding free as much as possible here too, there will no doubt be plenty coverage in news bulletins later.