I have had a few days off to visit with my brother Adam and his missus Tracy. They came down on Wednesday afternoon by bus to Derby. I picked them up and took them home. We went to Burton on Wednesday evening. Miss L picked the venue for tea. She suggested Wing Wahs. It is a buffet style Chinese. It was packed and no wonder at £8.99 for all you can eat. It was packed out which tells you everything you need to know about the quality then onto the Cooper Arms for a few beers. It was quiet in there so we were able to catch up. We had all day together on Thursday whilst H and Miss L were at work and school, respectively. We took in the usual sites and a couple of garden centres. Tracey is a keen gardener.
Friday afternoon I drove Ad, Tracey, H and Miss L up to Manchester partly to drop Ad and T back to Manchester as they were to fly home the Fueteventura on Saturday. And to take Miss L to Manchester Metropolitan University. Man Met, as it is called, had an open day. Miss L is hoping to go there. We had a tour of the accommodation and a tour of the University. It was a bit of a shock for me. The University campus is All Saints which is an area of the city I used to live in when I was about seven. The area is completely different, only the roads remain the same and the occasional building. Although All Saints has been redeveloped twice since my time but was strangely familiar and a very odd feeling. The facade of the Town Hall in All Saints was the first building to have it's facade retained whilst the building plot behind was redeveloped. It proved the concept and was used all over Manchester in the following years.
It was home again on Saturday. I got a text on Friday saying the muck trailer was full. I had to collect the trailer on Sunday morning. H had to go to Donnington le Heath to work at a Medieval re-enactment fair. I went to the lottie after collecting the trailer. I dug up the remaining cabbages, dumped eight barrow loads of muck onto the area and turned it in. The weather has remained calm and relatively warm for October but today it decided to rain, well drizzle. I managed to get the area cleared and prepared before the I was soaked through and retired home for sandwiches and dry clothes. I went back to the lottie later in the afternoon once it had brightened up. The drizzle made very little impression on the soil. It was still dust dry. I planted 70+ white and 40+ red over wintering onions. I am hoping for some more rain....soon. I harvested some more beets. I even had time to weed the Asparagus bed. That was enough for the day. That was it for the day so Degsy and I trundled home.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Sunday, October 04, 2009
Getting Busy
Work has been mad for a while but I seem to have weathered the storm. On Wednesday evening I met Steve at the lottie. I just happened to have a bottle of home made wine in Degsy. We watched the sunset whilst chat over the business of the lottie. 9am Saturday Steve, Perfect and I met at the lottie and waited for lottie member for whom the meeting was arranged. They did not turn up! Then went to Melton Mowbray on Saturday to finish a plumbing job for a friend. On the way way back I went to nursery to pick up some over wintering Onions and Garlic. I got a call from Steve to meet at the lottie as the plot holder was available. It was the usual type of thing. They had not been looking after their plot. We came to an amicable arrangement and we are still all friends.
Sunday dawned clear and bright but for once I had a long and good night sleep. I made a very nice omelette for breakfast. Miss L was off out for the day with the boyfriend so she was hogging the bathroom. Whilst she was titavating herself I bottled up the last of the honey. When Miss L had gone I fitted a shelf in her room. Next up was along outstanding job. The upstand at the back of the kitchen has come adrift. It has taken sometime to figure out how to resolve it. In the end we decided to replace the timber upstand with a tiles. H and I had picked the tiles and the gubbins to fix, edge, space and seal the tiles. I cleared the tops and removed the old upstand. Then was just a question of fixing the tiles remembering the to use the spacer and edging strip. It took a hour or so. I will do the grouting in the week when the tiles are set.
H made a nice light lunch. After lunch and watching the end of the MotoGP. I went out to look at Degsy. Last time a set the ignition timing I did not do a very good job however I did spot a few things that were worn. A tenners worth of bits [spark plugs, distributor cap, points, rotor & condenser] where ordered from the t'interweb a few weeks ago. I popped the bonnet on Degsy and replaced all the bits. I was able to reset the timing more exactly than before. I turned the ignition key and after a couple of pops Degsy fired up. He ticked over slowly as it should. H needed some bits so we took Degsy to Swad. Then onto the farmers from whom I borrow the meadow. I dropped off a few jars of honey, the traditional payment of rent for an apiary, then home. That, more or less, was my day beside running out to pick Miss L up.
Sunday dawned clear and bright but for once I had a long and good night sleep. I made a very nice omelette for breakfast. Miss L was off out for the day with the boyfriend so she was hogging the bathroom. Whilst she was titavating herself I bottled up the last of the honey. When Miss L had gone I fitted a shelf in her room. Next up was along outstanding job. The upstand at the back of the kitchen has come adrift. It has taken sometime to figure out how to resolve it. In the end we decided to replace the timber upstand with a tiles. H and I had picked the tiles and the gubbins to fix, edge, space and seal the tiles. I cleared the tops and removed the old upstand. Then was just a question of fixing the tiles remembering the to use the spacer and edging strip. It took a hour or so. I will do the grouting in the week when the tiles are set.
H made a nice light lunch. After lunch and watching the end of the MotoGP. I went out to look at Degsy. Last time a set the ignition timing I did not do a very good job however I did spot a few things that were worn. A tenners worth of bits [spark plugs, distributor cap, points, rotor & condenser] where ordered from the t'interweb a few weeks ago. I popped the bonnet on Degsy and replaced all the bits. I was able to reset the timing more exactly than before. I turned the ignition key and after a couple of pops Degsy fired up. He ticked over slowly as it should. H needed some bits so we took Degsy to Swad. Then onto the farmers from whom I borrow the meadow. I dropped off a few jars of honey, the traditional payment of rent for an apiary, then home. That, more or less, was my day beside running out to pick Miss L up.
Bros
Last weekend my brother Adam flew in from Fuerteventura. Another brother was in Coventry for a reunion on Saturday night. He came over to my house on Sunday morning and then I drove him up to Manchester. Wet up my other brother Derek's house together his family and Mum and Dad. Derek has discovered a new talent....cooking. His son is a chef so I thing he has been having lessons.
Mum and Dad went home in the early evening but the rest of us stayed on for a few drinks. Then a few more and then a few more. Very much later we went to bed. Luckily we had all booked the Monday off work. We all pitched up at Mum and Dad's and spent the day. It was the first time the six of us had been together for years. Sitting round the living room of the house we grew up in it was noticeable how much room four grow up lads take up.
Early Monday evening Alan and I drove home. H had tea waiting for us. Then the long drive home for Alan, back home to Devon.
Mum and Dad went home in the early evening but the rest of us stayed on for a few drinks. Then a few more and then a few more. Very much later we went to bed. Luckily we had all booked the Monday off work. We all pitched up at Mum and Dad's and spent the day. It was the first time the six of us had been together for years. Sitting round the living room of the house we grew up in it was noticeable how much room four grow up lads take up.
Early Monday evening Alan and I drove home. H had tea waiting for us. Then the long drive home for Alan, back home to Devon.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Cool of the night
This week I had to go to a corporate Golf day sponsored by the company I work for. The past few weeks of practise has been killing me. Golf is not my natural game and just add a bit of pressure there was everyone looking on and the scoring. It was a wonderful day to be out in the countryside, manicured and clipped. Sunny and bright with a cool breeze. I finished in the bottom third but near the top of the third. So not too shabby.
When I got back to the hotel after Golf and taking the clients out I sat out on the veranda with a glass of red wine at two in the morning of a very clear night. The sky was black, no Moon, but punctuated at regular intervals with the flashing strobes lights of distant aeroplanes. From the veranda I was able to see the planes moving in and out along the flight paths of two centres just over the horizon. One was Stanstead and Gatwick.
When I got back to the hotel after Golf and taking the clients out I sat out on the veranda with a glass of red wine at two in the morning of a very clear night. The sky was black, no Moon, but punctuated at regular intervals with the flashing strobes lights of distant aeroplanes. From the veranda I was able to see the planes moving in and out along the flight paths of two centres just over the horizon. One was Stanstead and Gatwick.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Landys, Landys Everywhere
I got up early on Sunday last, which is unusual enough to report. I made a couple of bacon butties and a brew, one of me and one for H. The reason for this madness was a show that was staged at the East of England Showground in Peterborough. I was at the showground about quarter past nine. As I pulled into the vast, well organised and appointed car park. The content of the car park was a clue to the reason for the event. Nine out of ten vehicles in the car park were Land Rovers of one sort or another. The event was the Land Rover Owners Magazine autumn show.
Having been mugged at the ticket office I went through the showground gates. I was very impressed with the facilities at the Showground. The event was quite small or was it that showground is so vast. In any case there must have been a thousand Land Rovers. I only saw four vehicles that were not an LR or one of the derivatives. There were stalls and clubs in attendance. Some of the stalls were more like an auto-jumble. You really have to know your stuff to identify one piece of grubby metal from another. It was all scrap to me. There were army surplus stalls. Lots of things you never knew you needed and all painted green. Then the specialist stalls, off road suspension and all the individual parts. Others stalls with special stainless steel panels and exhausts. Yet other suppliers of touring tents that fold into roof racks and yet others with storage solutions to fit out the back of the landy.
Then there were all the clubs. One for every marque and interest. Individual clubs; for Series 1, 2 and 3, Defenders, V8s, Forward control 101s, Paris Dakar, Lightweights, ex-military, Freelander, Range Rover, G4 and Camel rally and monster land rovers. Then clubs based on districts or geographical areas, off roading, green laning and over landing.
Later in the day, and on another part of the venue, there was a proper auto-jumble called the Sodbury Sortout. It was a bit of a disappointing turn out. However I did get a wheel brace for less than half price. I had a list of things to buy but it was as if the list was written upside down. The things I really needed, at the top of the list, were not to be had. The low priority items were found, a hasp for the filler cap, spring clips for the trailer and, of course, the wheel brace. I just need a length of scaffold tube to be a extension handle to the wheel brace.
In the main arena there was the usual parades, a bike stunt rider and bird of pray flying display. I went round lots of times, this way and that. Everything got a good coat of looking at......twice. Perhaps the best thing I got was not a Land Rover item. One of the stall sold tools. One of the gadgets was a "finger ratchet". Imagine a the ratchet that you use on sockets then saw off the handle. It is the handiest thing. There are lots of times when the room to swing the ratchet handle is restricted or you just need the spin a nut with a socket. the finger ratchet is just the job and cheap as chips. Coming across the finger ratchet just about clinched the day to justify the cost and getting early on a Sunday.
Having been mugged at the ticket office I went through the showground gates. I was very impressed with the facilities at the Showground. The event was quite small or was it that showground is so vast. In any case there must have been a thousand Land Rovers. I only saw four vehicles that were not an LR or one of the derivatives. There were stalls and clubs in attendance. Some of the stalls were more like an auto-jumble. You really have to know your stuff to identify one piece of grubby metal from another. It was all scrap to me. There were army surplus stalls. Lots of things you never knew you needed and all painted green. Then the specialist stalls, off road suspension and all the individual parts. Others stalls with special stainless steel panels and exhausts. Yet other suppliers of touring tents that fold into roof racks and yet others with storage solutions to fit out the back of the landy.
Then there were all the clubs. One for every marque and interest. Individual clubs; for Series 1, 2 and 3, Defenders, V8s, Forward control 101s, Paris Dakar, Lightweights, ex-military, Freelander, Range Rover, G4 and Camel rally and monster land rovers. Then clubs based on districts or geographical areas, off roading, green laning and over landing.
Later in the day, and on another part of the venue, there was a proper auto-jumble called the Sodbury Sortout. It was a bit of a disappointing turn out. However I did get a wheel brace for less than half price. I had a list of things to buy but it was as if the list was written upside down. The things I really needed, at the top of the list, were not to be had. The low priority items were found, a hasp for the filler cap, spring clips for the trailer and, of course, the wheel brace. I just need a length of scaffold tube to be a extension handle to the wheel brace.
In the main arena there was the usual parades, a bike stunt rider and bird of pray flying display. I went round lots of times, this way and that. Everything got a good coat of looking at......twice. Perhaps the best thing I got was not a Land Rover item. One of the stall sold tools. One of the gadgets was a "finger ratchet". Imagine a the ratchet that you use on sockets then saw off the handle. It is the handiest thing. There are lots of times when the room to swing the ratchet handle is restricted or you just need the spin a nut with a socket. the finger ratchet is just the job and cheap as chips. Coming across the finger ratchet just about clinched the day to justify the cost and getting early on a Sunday.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
25 things in 21 days
It has been a while since I blogged. I just have not had time since came from holidays. So here is an an abbreviated catch up.
- I had to do an all nighter at a client site, implementing a new server. It's a big deal.
- Stayed at a odd, but nice place, in the West End
- Took a look at the lottie. French Beans and Squashes have gone mad
- The Potatoes where blighted whilst I was away and the weeds have gone berserk
- Checked out the bees. Huzzah the new queen is viable and busy
- Checked the other hive. It will die off.
- Harvested the onions and shallots
- Harvested some Honey and extracted it
- Outing to the Railway Inn to organised the summer bash at he lottie
- Started to lift the spuds
- Attended the Summer bash. Very good if a trifle staid
- H and Miss L had to go a Brownies bash. 100 years of Girl Guides.
- Went to Steve's after the summer bash, much better
- Went to a seminar in Manchester then went to see Mum and Dad
- Checked out the bees. One hive is thriving and one is dead
- Cleaned up the dead hive
- It was our 23rd wedding anniversary at the end of August, so we had a nice meal
- Went Fencing on the 1st Sept. It was the first day back after the summer break
- Saw the farmers and now have permission to have a few more hives in the meadows
- Went to the lottie to weed, tidy up and to harvest the last of the onions and the garlic
- Cleared out the greenhouses. Lots of Toms
- Went to the Land Rover show in Peterborough
- In between times I have getting out on the bike whenever I have 35 minutes spare
- I have to go to a corporate Golf day in few weeks so I have been getting out on the driving range.
- I got a sun burned back on Saturday whilst digging the spuds
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Holiday time
I have been on holiday for the past few week. Week one of the holiday was H and me walking the Cumbrian Way [click HERE] for a information courtesy of Dik. H will update her blog in due course. Miss L spent the week in Manchester being spoilt rotten by the grand-parents. The second week we spent together in a cottage in Cornwall. It was a classic journey. Solid traffic from a hundred miles out, eight hours sat in the car.
We toured about checking out the towns of Cornwall. We have never been in that neck of the woods before. We went all the way down to Porthen Leven which is right on the very end of the Cornwall, next stop America. We found a smashing restaurant called Kota [Click HERE] Very fresh food in stylish surroundings. Most of Cornwall seems to be pub food and Fish & Chips. Kota was different. Another evening we got the makings of a picnic, a nice bottle of wine and went to Trebarwith Strand. We sat on the cliffs and watched the surfers in the tide as the sun slowly sank in the west. It was a moment. I long moment but a moment. H wants to go back, that says it all.
At the end of the week we dropped Miss L off in Tiverton with her cousins to spend a week. H and I went back to work. Just before I went on holiday I decided that I needed to get aerobically fit and maybe lose a bit of weight in the process. Work has been getting in the way of Fencing and it has been telling. Whilst away I ate smaller portions and lots of fish. Well Cornwall is the place for fresh fish. I got a push bike just before my hols and whilst away bagged some cheap cycle shoes, pedals and cleats. When I got home it only took quarter of an hour the fit everything to the bike. I go out every evening for a six mile circuit. The first circuit was a killer. Luckily I need to stop to adjust the cleats, "a hem". Since then it has got a little easier.
Wednesday evening was the first warm evening with free time since I got back. H and I went up to the apiary. H installed herself by the river in the shade of the Willow tree with a book and left me to the bee fettling. It has been weighing on my mind whether or not the new Queen, introduced just before the hols, is viable. I happy to say she is. I was really chuffed. The other hive is in poor shape. I had put the clearer boards on to isolate the honey in the super before the holidays. I was able extract the honey and with a bit of luck there might be some more.
I had to go to Bournemouth on business on Thursday and was treated to lunch on the prom and to watch part of the air display of the Bournemouth air show. I was able to get back in time to meet Steve and Dave P to meet them in the Railway for the chat and a pint.
Saturday was a drag. We had to collect Miss L from Devon. We were to meet my brother and sister in law at Gardano services, on the m5 at a Avonmouth, to pass over Miss L. Brover and Ali were going to see U2 at Cardiff so it was should have been straight forward. However on the way down we discovered the M5 was suffering heavy traffic south bound due to an accident. We changed plans via the mobile to meet at Magor services on the M48, just a few miles from Newport. Our drive down the M50 was easy but the "A" road from Monmouth to Chepstow was beautiful. H was moved. The journey that should have took brov and Ali 45 minutes took more than two hours. The M5 was suffering from holiday makers going and returning from Devon and Cornwall, the "V" festival and 80,000 folk going to U2. The drive home from Magor was in heavy traffic but it was at least it was moving. We set off at 10am and get home at 18.00 so another eight hours in the car. As an antidote to the travelling we had been invited to a "do" at our neighbours Sheila and Graham on Saturday evening. Miss L's young man was invited too so the "love birds" were inseparable all evening, sweet really. We had a great time. I caved in at 1am. H came home much later but paid the price the next day.
On Sunday afternoon I had decided to exchange the contents of one the hives as it was on loan and has to go back soon. Fettling the bees on Sunday meant driving Degsey. It is a treat every time I have a spin in it but thank god I don't have to travel in it all the time. Max speed 40mph and vague steering and we will say nothing about the fuel consumption.
A quick thanks to Steve for watering the Toms whilst I was away.
We toured about checking out the towns of Cornwall. We have never been in that neck of the woods before. We went all the way down to Porthen Leven which is right on the very end of the Cornwall, next stop America. We found a smashing restaurant called Kota [Click HERE] Very fresh food in stylish surroundings. Most of Cornwall seems to be pub food and Fish & Chips. Kota was different. Another evening we got the makings of a picnic, a nice bottle of wine and went to Trebarwith Strand. We sat on the cliffs and watched the surfers in the tide as the sun slowly sank in the west. It was a moment. I long moment but a moment. H wants to go back, that says it all.
At the end of the week we dropped Miss L off in Tiverton with her cousins to spend a week. H and I went back to work. Just before I went on holiday I decided that I needed to get aerobically fit and maybe lose a bit of weight in the process. Work has been getting in the way of Fencing and it has been telling. Whilst away I ate smaller portions and lots of fish. Well Cornwall is the place for fresh fish. I got a push bike just before my hols and whilst away bagged some cheap cycle shoes, pedals and cleats. When I got home it only took quarter of an hour the fit everything to the bike. I go out every evening for a six mile circuit. The first circuit was a killer. Luckily I need to stop to adjust the cleats, "a hem". Since then it has got a little easier.
Wednesday evening was the first warm evening with free time since I got back. H and I went up to the apiary. H installed herself by the river in the shade of the Willow tree with a book and left me to the bee fettling. It has been weighing on my mind whether or not the new Queen, introduced just before the hols, is viable. I happy to say she is. I was really chuffed. The other hive is in poor shape. I had put the clearer boards on to isolate the honey in the super before the holidays. I was able extract the honey and with a bit of luck there might be some more.
I had to go to Bournemouth on business on Thursday and was treated to lunch on the prom and to watch part of the air display of the Bournemouth air show. I was able to get back in time to meet Steve and Dave P to meet them in the Railway for the chat and a pint.
Saturday was a drag. We had to collect Miss L from Devon. We were to meet my brother and sister in law at Gardano services, on the m5 at a Avonmouth, to pass over Miss L. Brover and Ali were going to see U2 at Cardiff so it was should have been straight forward. However on the way down we discovered the M5 was suffering heavy traffic south bound due to an accident. We changed plans via the mobile to meet at Magor services on the M48, just a few miles from Newport. Our drive down the M50 was easy but the "A" road from Monmouth to Chepstow was beautiful. H was moved. The journey that should have took brov and Ali 45 minutes took more than two hours. The M5 was suffering from holiday makers going and returning from Devon and Cornwall, the "V" festival and 80,000 folk going to U2. The drive home from Magor was in heavy traffic but it was at least it was moving. We set off at 10am and get home at 18.00 so another eight hours in the car. As an antidote to the travelling we had been invited to a "do" at our neighbours Sheila and Graham on Saturday evening. Miss L's young man was invited too so the "love birds" were inseparable all evening, sweet really. We had a great time. I caved in at 1am. H came home much later but paid the price the next day.
On Sunday afternoon I had decided to exchange the contents of one the hives as it was on loan and has to go back soon. Fettling the bees on Sunday meant driving Degsey. It is a treat every time I have a spin in it but thank god I don't have to travel in it all the time. Max speed 40mph and vague steering and we will say nothing about the fuel consumption.
A quick thanks to Steve for watering the Toms whilst I was away.
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