A derelict iron works and lunch with friends. That sounds like a nice day out to me....
Today's hour and a half is these two. If you're wondering how a bloke could waste and hour and a half, have a read of shed matters. These things are never quite as easy as they look. All that matters is getting the job done with no mistakes!
Looking at a sleep now and then veggie shopping. Someone has to do it!
Stanley Challenger Graham
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net
"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
As Bob put in shed matters the iron works were very interesting indeed, but the weather was hail, rain , wind, later we even had some sleet. We only needed snow to complete the winter weather. We had a lovely lunch with Bobs work colleague and wife and a pleasant drive there and back. In the evening we went for a walk in the woods behind the site we are staying on. They are criss crossed with paths which we navigated with the FOOTPATH. App on my phone. At one point we thought we were being stared at by some deer but it turned out to be a family of boar. We suspected they were around as you could see where they had turned the soil with their snouts and they smell appalling. Whilst sitting later I did more research online and probably found where my ancestor lived. His son was living at a farm called little Whitfield in 1841 to his death in the 1870s just across from the church. He was described as a farmer. I should think its a strong chance it was his fathers farm before him. It is near a big manor house called Whitfield so he was probably a tenant farmer. More research needed there.
Today we are meeting an old school friend of Bobs at Chepstow for lunch so will take the opportunity to walk round the city too . This evening perhaps we will walk in the woods again before packing and home tomorrow.
Our Mother’s Day this Sunday, so getting the guest room ready for son’s visit later today. He is only staying one night, is bringing his bike, so Saturday morning we will be doing a ride before he heads home. He is working on Sunday.
Another good day yesterday, the rain held off and although cold for the time of year it was sunny . We had our lunch out sitting by the side of the river Wye , and on the way back we went down to Lydney harbour where we had a short walk and a sit in the sun to watch the tide come in on the river Severn. In the evening we had another short walk in the forest but saw no wild life. We also did a lateral flow test as we shall be seeing Julia and family later today. It was negative as expected
This morning we shall pack the car after breakfast. We have to be out of the apartment by 10.00a.m so driving to some National Trust gardens in Warwickshire to spend a couple of hours before surprising the grandchildren with a visit when they come home from school. The plan is to have tea with them before they go for their swimming sessions and then drive home arriving back about 8.00 pm.
Sounds good Sue and from the look of the forecast you're doing exactly the right thing. We are promised a wet windy day tomorrow, just the day for doing the washing!
I've had a good 2 hours in the shed and here's the result...
We go slowly forward and I'm enjoying it, that's the main thing!
Stanley Challenger Graham
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net
"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
Going to the election count. Sally's count for the Coates by-election is at Nelson & Colne College as is the the Borough Count. Not sure where the County Council is being counted, I think it could be in Colne.
Today I have poo picked in the pony paddock, had a haircut at long last, cut the grass before the wet weather arrives and looked after Col's every need.
I've caught up with some major tasks and think I might be able to get on with the veggie garden next, better late than never!
Yes, Minnie the mini cob drama queen is still with me and will be stopping as long as Sparky is still around needing a companion! She needs a lot of attention which I don't have time or energy to give her right now but her owner comes up once a week to brush and plait her flowing locks. As soon as the weather warms up she will be getting her tail and feathery feet shampooed!
You sound like a woman in control Wendy. Nice pic of Minnie.... I shall send it to Margaret and Susan.
I shall be in the shed and then I suspect cowering indoors, unless there is a break in the wind and rain!
Stanley Challenger Graham
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net
"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
I shall be going to Nanning this afternoon to sort out a reported leak at our rented out apartment. Quite often these leaks are in the common service shaft and water dripping from above in the service shaft causes the walls to become damp. Then it is a case of tracing the leak to the offending floor and getting them to repair it. Then sorting our collateral damage! I hate poking around in the service shaft although it appears to be clean. I could be lucky and the leak is from one of our pipes to the kitchen. Then it is a case of digging out the concrete wall around the leak and repairing it and patching the wall up afterwards. The workmen have plenty of experience at these repairs and are reliable and good. The cost last time was about 45 quid including reinstating the wall to its original state.
We haven't inspected this apartment for 19 months so it will give us a chance to see if anything else requires attention.
Then tonight we'll stay in our little bedsitter and I'll get an opportunity to go out on the town!
About 120 km, ~70 miles. Takes 40 minutes on the high speed train or 80 minutes on the "express" normal train which we usually use because it costs less than half the price, about 2 quid, and my wife books the tickets.
I've now arranged to meet 3 friends by a bar on the lakeside tonight, so it will be a pleasant 2 mile walk home at 1 or 2 am on Sunday morning. The route crosses the main river on a cable-stayed bridge and is very scenic.
Sounds like the leak is a weep from one of our pipes. My wife collects the rent so she will pay for the repairs, landlady's duty!
It was a pleasant drive back yesterday. We spent a couple of hours at the National Trust gardens, then drove to Coventry to surprise the girls. What a delight their faces were, Shocked, tearful , happy ; mine as well. They have grown so much . We had tea with them
even tough it was early but it meant we didn’t need to think about food when we got home which was about 8.30 after a lovely sunny evening drive through the Derbyshire countryside.
This morning we shall be battling with the rain on Bacup market before I tackle a few loads of washing. We are at Claires for tea today . I think it will be cold and wet . They do have somewhere where we can shelter, thank goodness. I see we are in for a wet May, lets hope that brings a warm sunny June! Sometime I need to plan a quick online art session for Briony for tomorrow. She is still keen to have our chat even though we saw them yesterday. I also need to get my rather chilled geraniums back in the greenhouse to recover from this weeks battering.
Son challenged me to a 22 km bike ride without using my electric battery power today. Bit of a challenge, but I took him up on it.
( hubby refused to come).
So, I accepted the challenge! ( 42 year old son and 61 year old Mum) We made it and both had grins from ear to ear when we got home. It was a fabulous ride too, and we both thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Gosh, it gives one an adrenaline rush....
Marilyn wrote: ↑08 May 2021, 08:27
Son challenged me to a 22 km bike ride without using my electric battery power today. Bit of a challenge, but I took him up on it.
( hubby refused to come).
So, I accepted the challenge! ( 42 year old son and 61 year old Mum) We made it and both had grins from ear to ear when we got home. It was a fabulous ride too, and we both thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Gosh, it gives one an adrenaline rush....
We used to do that a lot when we first bought France, the lanes were lovely to cycle on but now they are like Devonshire lanes, with fast cars and locals thinking they own the road. I love a good cycle, but the bikes lie in the garage in France redundant now. We are going to give them to our lovely neighbours who have 4 energetic children. Though the eldest is 18 this year I think the others may be interested .
Torrential rain here, it was a quick visit to the market , I did two stalls and Bob did the other two. At least they all have awnings . The plants I bought are now sheltering in our greenhouse till the rain becomes lighter
We had grey skies, early showers and coastal mizzle ( though it was pleasantly warm)...so it kept a lot of tourists off the dedicated bike and walk way, that stretches all the way up the coast in both directions ( up hill and down dale.) we had a couple of stretches on the road to get there, had to go under a bridge etc.
on the last leg of the journey home, we got quite a spurt on and I think I ended up back in the garage about 10 seconds after him. We did a high five.
At one point, passing back under a road bridge on the way home, we could hear sounds of an argument. It was on a bend, we could see one child, aged 5 or 6 years, on a little bike. We slowed down to walking pace, not knowing what was ahead, as an adult male was screaming at the top of his voice. Turns out it was a Dad on his bike, screaming at his little daughter, though there was a young boy on a bike too. Finally sorted, we followed the three under the rest of the bridge slowly. The kids finally went on ahead a bit and so did my son. I was riding alongside irate father as we exited the underpass. I said to him “ you have to have the patience of a saint these days, don’t you?”
“No” he said, still angry “ the boy is ok, but my daughter challenges me at every step”
I replied “you will miss all that one day”
“No” he said” I won’t! “ I hope I get Alzheimer’s and forget the lot.”
“Well...you will miss them being young”. I nodded towards my adult son up ahead and said “ He was my little boy once”.
His jaw dropped! He almost fell off his bike. I think I got my message across.
I shall be in the shed again. Susan and Mick called in for a cup of tea and to check on me. We had a good laugh about the fact that I am convinced that as long as I am building engines in the shed I shan't die and so will live long enough to claim my legacy from my brother which has been in probate now for almost a year (One legatee has died already). I'm going to live long enough to collect the loot and give it to my daughters. (It was a badly drawn will and in effect is a Tontine.)
Stanley Challenger Graham
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net
"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
