Another Lifetime to go

5th October 2019

I tackled the repair to Rob’s lamp.

It was a standing Angle poise design, where the anchor point of the spring has broken, meaning the lamp had no adjustment, it was facing straight up or facing down.

The anchor point was a plastic moulding that held a steel pin that the spring hooked over. The plastic part had cracked and no longer retained the pin.

In the many hours of “down time” I had watched many YouTube video, some of which dealt with the repair and restoration of Matchbox model cars. Yes I agree it is sad, but I learnt many things from that, one I don’t want a house full of restored toys, but the other was the use of superglue and baking powder.

This combination makes a material just like concrete.

So this was the solution I used to repair the plastic part.

It took about five minutes to do, and with a bit of trepidation I stretched the spring over the repaired part and it held.

I dressed the repair with a small file so that it looked good, and patted myself on the back.

I dropped in on Ryan and Louise to deliver the wooden bunting pieces and came away with a broken chair to repair and some empty gin bottles to turn into lamps, so my weekend was set.

4th October 2019

Today I got to see what a cubic metre of logs looked like.

My school friend Rob asked me if I would help him collect them from a place along the Warminster road.

We drove to Bassett Farm, up a steep track to a collection of industrial buildings that housed an oak frame manufacturing business.

We drove into one building, and in front of us was a steel cage filled with logs.

“It’s quite big, and bloody heavy” I said, as we started loading the back of the truck.

Very quickly I realised that we wouldn’t get it all in one trip, so we headed back to Rob’s place to unload.

He had been prepared, and bought a wheelbarrow to transport to logs to his back garden. Unfortunately the tyre was flat, and we had no means to inflate it. “Shame it’s not flat at the top” I said flippantly.

We had no option but to use it, but it all felt wrong. I made about five trips with the tyre making a disgusting squelching sound.

We then drove back to the farm to collect the remaining logs.

I was shown round the place. The guy was making the oak dowels for the joining of the oak frames together. The method he used was very crude. I thought there would be a machine to churn the things out, instead he forced the wood pieces through a steel tube to ream the required diameter. He then had to taper them using a double handled rip plane.

I can’t imagine what these dowels cost.

They also make lathes for old plaster in the same labour intensive way. Everything starts with the timber being split, rather than cut.

The place was an example of the old fashioned methods of crafting wood, using minimal investment, and no wonder renovating listed buildings cost so much.

After a lunch of Masala Dosa at Indian Temptation we headed back to off-load the remaining logs.

We had been planning to go to Ikea as Rob wanted to buy a new floor standing lamp.

His old one has broken, and he wanted a replacement. I looked at the damaged part and said I could repair it.

Now Kelli, the EBay Queen had asked me the previous evening how far Bristol was from Bath. This was ominous, I could feel I was being drawn into a quicksand.

She explained that she had bought some Free People jeans (her favourite brand) from a girl in Bristol. They had been texting each other to agree a method of delivery. To send them direct to the USA would have cost over £20. Option 2 was to send them to me which would have only cost £2, but if I could collected them, it would be free (apart from the cost of fuel)

I had agreed because the seller lived close to Ikea so it was convenient.

However as I was going to repair Robs lamp we had no need to go, but as everything had been set up, I had to go.

Rob came along for the ride, and the buyers address was really easy to find, but I was shocked how much she knew about my situation ( is there anyone that doesn’t?)

She wished me luck at getting my visa, and we headed back home.

3rd October 2019

Just as I got my workmate and saw set up, it started to rain. It happens every time, regular as clockwork.

I had a bit of cutting to do, making more pieces for Louise’s wood bunting project.

I would get started, the rain would start, I would pack things away, it would stop, I would set it up again, I guess you could call it a rain dance.

o

2nd October 2019

I wanted to pick up some leaflets from the bicycle hire place to put in the folder that we leave in the cottage for the guest to look through.

My friend Dave was over, so after lunch we took a walk to the bicycle shop. When we got there there was a sign on the door the read, “Just popped out for a few moments (possibly launching a canoe) back soon”.

We hung around for about twenty minutes, but no one came back to re-open the shop.

Dave had to catch a train, so we walked back to the train station.

I then returned to see if the Bike-man was there.

The answer was still no. I waited a bit longer, but no one came back, it must have been some canoe they were launching.

I was a little annoyed, at wasting my time, but it’s their business, and, if that’s how they choose to run it, so be it.

1st October 2019

This was a clean up/ laundry/ ironing day, just the sort of tasks I love, other the biting my own fingers off.

The washing and drying cycle went on for ages, but eventually I was able to start on the ironing.

The towels and pillowcases were a doddle, but the fitted sheets and duvet covers were absolute hell. It took me over an hour to do, which was the same time I was on the phone to Kelli. She couldn’t understand why I was bothering with the fitted sheet, as it would be stretched over the mattress, so any wrinkles would be pulled out. As I had already started, I persevered, the next challenge was to fold it.

I went on YouTube, and found a couple of tutorials on how to do it.

It made no sense to me, I watched them several times and I still didn’t get it. Both videos were demonstrated by women, who with a twist of the wrist here, and a fold over there, and it was done. This was sorcery, I could get it no matter how I tried. Men must be wired differently when it comes to folding fitted sheets, and mine was short-circuited.

I eventually found my own way of doing it, but with the whole evening gone, I needed a rest.

30th September 2019

Back in the cottage after my week long hiatus, and it feels good.

The drive back was uneventful, I didn’t make any unplanned diversions, so a pleasant run in the autumnal sunshine.

The place was clean and tidy, and the only signs that it had been occupied were the plates on the drainer.

The last couple left a nice comment in the book, so I’m glad they enjoyed their stay.

All three of the guests praised the welcome pack, which Louise had put together, it looks like the other “stays” around here doesn’t offer anything like that, which is good unique selling point for us.

It took a while to get used to the place again, I felt like I was a guest arriving with my bags, I couldn’t wait to get the kettle on.

The first job was to wash my bed linen. It always takes longer than I think to do this stuff, but whilst that is going I stripped the bed, and collected the towels.

In the bathroom, I laughed at how much toilet paper had been used. When I left last Friday there were two and a half rolls in the holder, when I returned there was less than half a roll. What do people do with it? Fortunately I had some left in the cupboard.

I may have to buy a different kind, rather than my quilted soft brand.

I unloaded the logs I had been carrying around in the back of the car, and carried them up the slope in my little cart. I was pretty knackered after the four trips, and I still had to carry them up the path and into the log store.

I packed all the good ones into the store, but decided to burn the crappy ones in the evening to condition the potato oven.

The fire was roaring away, Satan stuck his head up and asked me to turn it down a bit, as I was competing with his hot place, now only if I had some potatoes, it would have been perfect.

29th September 2019

I took Nicola and Colin our for a Sunday lunch. We went to the Eagles Nest on the A303 that we stopped at a few days before. Colin wanted to reserve a particular table by the window, because he does like a view when he eats. So with the table reserved we looked forward to a good meal.

As we pulled up outside, the car park was full, including a coach. I made a joke about the place being filled with old gits, and sure enough it was.

I could see Colin craning his neck looking for the reserved table, but it was occupied.

I could hear him moaning, and Nicola was protesting, we were told the coach had arrived early, so they had to give away our table. We were consigned to the upstairs skittle ally where tables had been set up, so the only view he had was through the skylight.

I could see Nicola was seething all through the meal and most of the afternoon, as she composed an appropriate response to the management of the establishment.

28th September 2019

I had a report from Louise that our second guest had left the place spotless. It didn’t look as if he stayed there at all, she added.

“How many takeaway boxes were there in the rubbish bin?” I enquired.

“He even changed the bag in bin, and put in a clean one” she replied.

Now that is odd, from experience, men do not change the rubbish bag, unless instructed to do so, or they want to hide something, so one can only wonder what was in it.

I just have the weekend to go before I get my house back, then I can get back to doing something useful.

I went out for a drive because Nicola and Colin were having friends visit, and I didn’t want to be seen as the senile old git sitting in the corner. So I drove to Curry Rival, a village a few miles up the road. I particularly wanted to visit the Sandpit, a shop that sells all things for log burners. I was interested in a cast iron potato oven that cooks from the heat of the stove.

I am partial to the odd baked potato, and I thought it might be novel for the Airbnb business as well.

I went for lunch at the Firepit, a pub/restaurant opposite the log burner place. It seems a lot places in Curry Rival have “ Pit” in the name.

There is the churchpit, corner storepit and the garagepit, I guess this village is the Pits.

I decided to go for the vegan option, this was a chickpea burger with a beetroot pickle, lettuce and tomato on a bun, and a side of skinny fries and coleslaw. Normally I don’t like beetroot, I would rather eat a handful of mud, however this was quite nice. It was not a meal I would dream about, but adequate.

27th September 2019

There are many dramas occurring in Barrington, if it’s not the length of the grass on the verges, it’s the disruption caused by the visitors to the Court. Nicola and Colin have a particular issue at the moment concerning the recently opened children’s day nursery. There had been a school in the village many years before they moved there, but that had closed, and left the area much quieter. Now, starting at eight thirty in the morning the sound of young children in the playground drifts across the garden. My opinion is that is not intolerable, but it is eating into Colin. Their next door neighbour, Malcom has suggested an acoustical fence could be added to the top of the dividing wall, and they held a meeting to discuss the logistics and also the cost, something that Colin is particularly concerned about.

There is also the knock on effect of the parents dropping off their little cherubs, and the extra traffic that it creates.

Now as I walk through the village there are chains across every driveway, and even Nicola and Colin have one. I have been asked to put the chain across the drive when I leave. It must have been a bumper year for chain suppliers.

It is not my place to criticise people for not liking noise or blocking their property to stop others reversing into to it, but it saddens me to think we cannot tolerate just a little outside intrusion. Next we’ll be gaging our children to stop them making the sounds that makes us happy, as parents to hear.

26th September 2018

I drove to Damian’s house at Blissford near Fordingbridge, to cut up some logs for my new log store. He has a barn full of timber dating back to the time of the building of the Mary Rose, I think.

He asked me to help him assemble the log splitting machine he had bought a few months before. I was looking forward to it, and set off bright and early.

When I arrived, we walked towards the barn, he mentioned that the front of the barn had been pushed out due to the weight of the logs leaning against it. When I saw the condition I was a little shocked. The front right hand side of the front had fallen off the foundation, and had dropped about six inches causing the roof to sag in the middle.

The first job was to assemble the log splitter.

Damian does not have much patience, and that was evident by what he had done. The cardboard box had been opened, the machine, and leg frame components had been removed, and that was it.

The stables where the machine had been stored was about five minutes from the main house, we had brought a socket set and spanner’s with us for the assembly.

The first step was to remove the wheels from the main body of the unit where they were attached for transit, and re-assemble on to the frame. It entailed removing a circlip to remove the wheel, but we needed a flat blades screwdriver, that was at the main house. Off Damian walked to get the screwdriver. That enabled us to remove the wheels and fit them on to the frame axles. Then we had to assemble the main body to the frame, which meant removing a transit bracket held on with Allen screws. Damian then walked back to the house again to find Allen keys. This must have been the most walking he had done in weeks.

Finally the log splitter was complete and ready for its first log to split.

I pulled a few from the barn to test, and wow, that is a powerful piece of kit, and made the job so much easier than using an axe.

We split up enough logs to fill the back of my truck, we then looked at shoring up the front wall.

With no lifting gear we had to resort to primitive methods used by the Egyptians. Using pivots and levers we managed to lift the walls the eight inches needed to get it to rest on the footings. This will need additional work to make it more secure, but I can do this next time.

The final part of the day was picking up the MR2 from Bournemouth where it had a service. We set off in Damian’s Porsche which scared the shit out of me. I put on a brave face, but the speed of the thing is outrageous.

It was great being behind the wheel of my old car again, it had a good burst of speed, but it was a fun car to drive, and a memorable day.

I drove back to Barrington with a load of logs in the back and the smell of cedar wafting through my nostrils.