Today I shall be Mainly...

[Stanley]

Morning Sue.... I haven't seen any request. Is it needed and I have missed the notification....?
I haven't heard anything about flu jabs or the Covid Boost. Perhaps I have been abandoned.....
I hope the day goes well for you, I'm off to bed.

[Sue]

I think I got an early appointment because I am asthmatic but arranged for Bob to go as well, i got a text when we were in France but Bob didn’t. I made appointments as soon as we got back. At the same time I got a text about making an appointment at the asthma clinic. I did see the local pharmacist is also giving flu jabs now

[PanBiker]

I received a message for Flu Jabs earlier in the week via the MyGP app that I use. Saturday 30th, 9am onwards Barlick Surgery, no appointment, rock up and get the jab.

No mention yet for Covid or Shingles jabs.

[Stanley]

Thanks for that Ian. I have heard nothing and I have the app as well. I shall ring them next week.....

[PanBiker]

Two walk in clinics on the 30th September and 7th October 9am to 1pm. Vaccines offered on a first come first served basis and the clinics may end early dependent on vaccine supplies. I received the message on the 21st.

[Stanley]

I shall be in the shed as usual this morning with my next job..... I have put out a call for 2" mild steel bar, I need some 6" slugs for my next crankshafts.
As for midday walks, that looks unlikely this morning as the forecast is wet and windy.....

[Stanley]

This is one of two compound marine engines I made to the design of Johnny Pickles (based on a design that had appeared in the Model Engineer but Johnny didn't like that.) I kept one for myself and gave this one to Susan. It is lodging with me now as there isn't room in their mobile home for a lot of stuff so I am taking care of it for her.
I noticed that her engine was very stiff and needed a bit of TLC so in the interim while I am working on the next engine I build I took it in the shed and have spent an hour on it this morning making sure that it is well oiled and cleaner. It is a lot more free now than it was. That was all I was aiming for.

[Sue]

Morning

Jab all done and no side effects as usual. My arm is a little red and slightly tender where the needle went in but not particularly noticeable. My GP surgery may be rubbish at times but one thing they do very efficiently is mass vaccination. We arrived at two minutes to 9 and joined a fast flowing queue, being back in the car before 9.05. We were in Bacup at about the same time as usual. After the market we drove straight down to M&S in Rochdale as we both needed a few clothing essentials. We were home by noon. In the afternoon, I ironed and moved all my smaller geranium pots into the greenhouse, where they will stay in flower for the next month. The bigger pots I will move in a couple of weeks. Later I will move them all into the conservatory where we will enjoy their flowers over the winter.

Today I shall be sewing. I have done my master sleeve block and need to check a fabric version fits the bodice Block I made in June. Then its time to continue with my jacket pattern using the block.

Have a good day all

[Stanley]

That's good Sue. You make me itch to get my flu jab. I shall chase it next week....

[Stanley]

I shall be in the shed for an hour and will probably breathe on my copy of Johnny's marine engine. I might bite the bullet and order the next set of castings! A walk and a sit could be on the cards, we will see later how the weather is.

[Stanley]

This morning I took my copy of Johnny's marine engine into the shed and gave it a quick clean up and lubricate. It wasn't in bad condition so this didn't take long and I returned it to its place in the front room. I decided to do something that's very hard for me, I got down and dirty and brought out a piece of metal from under the 1957 lathe and after measuring it I need to cut it in two to make two slugs that have a crankshaft inside them. I have already put out a shout for some stock to my mate Muthomi but want to get on with the next engine. I put it in Mrs McMaster and after twenty minutes sawing I have two pieces ready for putting in the lathe and refining. I am getting closer to biting the bullet and getting another set of castings.....

[Sue]

Morning

Woke late, after a very good nights sleep. I have had a string of several nights of poor sleep and it caught up with me yesterday, after my usual busy Sunday I was exhausted and in bed just after 10.15 pm. I don’t remember reading so must have gone straight to sleep.

This morning I have pilates, this evening yoga, both online. Otherwise I shall have a quiet day making the toile for the denim jacket I am making, i don’t know the weather forecast, its sunny at the moment.

Have a good day all

[Stanley]

Have an easy day Sue! They can't touch you for it......

[Stanley]

Back from a walk and half an hour on traffic duty at the end of Albert Road. One bloke who was passing recognised my Kromer cap as a welder's hat. Not many people know about them. Turned out he was an old welder....
Nice day out there as long as you are dressed for it.

[Stanley]

I shall be in the shed for an hour as usual and with a definite end in view.
As per the image yesterday, I have two slugs of rusty scrap that need to be reduced to 2.125" diameter X 6" long at which point they become blanks for crankshafts! That's me sorted for the next week and by the time I have done that I shall have my new set of castings. Another Stuart No 9 engine. I make the same engine over and over again and I know this puzzles some people but it's the act of making them and persuading inert lumps of rough metal to join with each other and spring to life that is the attraction. Every one is different and I love being able to ignore the years and do something that is a mystery to most folks. (I have my limitations of course and building the same one cuts down on the chances of age related mistakes....)
Just for interest if you want to build one yourself you can buy a machined set of parts for £1,847 and all you need are spanners, small tools and a paint brush. Or if you are really well heeled, a ready to run engine like the one I have sat on the table for £3,972. (All plus 20% VAT)
I promise I am starting from scratch with a set of unmachined castings at £508 (Plus VAT, I think with P&P it is £633... A small price to pay for a year's extension to my life!

[Sue]

Morning

What a lovely day yesterday, we even sat in the garden in the morning to have a cup of coffee. We took the opportunity to remove three potted tree peonies and take them to the park and plant them in the garden by the model railway track. They had out grown the pots but I had nowhere to put them. I still have two in the garden. They seed and spread like weeds so there are always plenty more if I want them. I then shuffled a few plants around adding manure from my stacked bags that were delivered last week.

This morning we have an opticians appointment, it will be lunchtime when we get back. Rain is forecast for this afternoon, but only showers with a high of 18 degrees. I will be sewing then off to the studio for yoga and pilates. Its the last week there as the studio is moving to a new home in a newly renovated mill. Its the same distance for me but a difficult drive at 5.00 pm. Bob will be at the engineers this afternoon, I think they are starting annual maintenance on the track.

Have a good day all

[Stanley]

Morning Sue. Yes it looks like a rerun of yesterday which was very acceptable here in Barlick as well. I hope you get time for a cup of coffee today!



This morning's task was clear. Start on reducing the two lumps of scrap I rescued from the bin yesterday to 6" X 2" blanks to make crankshafts from for the next engines. As you can see, I have made good progress. I put the original large 3 jaw SC chuck on and I have verified that these lumps are good metal, you never know what you're getting with anonymous lumps of scrap, there could be a good reason why it was discarded in the first place! Notice the colour of the chips. I have taken 50 thou cuts, a very heavy cut for a small lathe but Mrs Harrison handles it easily. No signs of distress at all. I'm very happy with progress and will carry on tomorrow.

[Stanley]

I have been for a walk but no sit as it looked like rain when I got outside.... So I did a circular and am back in the hutch. I am satisfied, at least I have been out of the house!

[Stanley]

I shall be in the shed muck-shifting and then, after breakfast snoozing in my rocking chair instead of going to bed as I am expecting FedEx to deliver my castings. Not a big problem as I can nod off very quickly in the rocker, essential furniture I reckon.....

[Sue]

Morning

Another lovely day yesterday. We walked into Rochdale and back for our optician appointment having a coffee in town before we walked back. We just caught a very short sharp shower but it hardly wetted us. In the afternoon I did my sewing and I am all set for my next session with Maxine next week £500+ for new lenses only…...

This morning we are back in Rochdale again as Bob had a text about getting a covid jab. I haven’t had a text yet but will try and get one at the same time. I have no other plans. Taking it as it comes..

Have a good day

[Stanley]

New glasses are a bit of a pain aren't they Sue. Luckily my eyes have been stable for the last couple of years..... (I should have kept quiet!) That odd shower hit us in Barlick around 14:00 and stopped me having my sit.



Back to muck-shifting. First I cleared up yesterday's chips including the ones on the floor. Then I simply carried on patiently with 50mm cuts until I had one end down to 2". Then I reversed it and cut the other end down to suit. You can see from the image where I ended up, the biggest lump of rusty scrap is now a very attractive 6" X 2" slug ready for making into a crankshaft. I'm an optimist so I am going to process two shafts.... I shall attack the other one tomorrow. This morning I expect FedEx to deliver my castings from Stuarts.....
There was one unexpected hold up. The cutters fell out of my electric shaver when I was cleaning it and I had forgotten how to put them back in. It took me half an hour because I was trying to do it like my old razor but that's wrong. All is well now.

[Big Kev]

£500+ for new lenses only…...

We were both paying similar for complete glasses from an independent optician, tried Specsavers a few weeks ago and, with various discounts and special offers paid just over £300. Went for the higher priced varifocal, extra thin and transition lenses (same as the independent) and all seems good so far

[Sue]

£500+ for new lenses only…...

We were both paying similar for complete glasses from an independent optician, tried Specsavers a few weeks ago and, with various discounts and special offers paid just over £300. Went for the higher priced varifocal, extra thin and transition lenses (same as the independent) and all seems good so far

I tried spec savers once, never again. The glasses were fitted incorrectly and to see anything they had to sit at the end of my nose. The rames were also very fragile and had to keep being repaired so I went back to my usual optician . I have always gone to the same one ever since I started to wear glasses some 50 years ago. It used to be the coop with a branch in Bury so I could be tested at either place and pick up at either place so long as they knew. Its a single person owner though he has retired now.

The service is fantastic. They give good after care and if the glasses for any reason don’t suit they will change them at no extra cost. In the days of working when I stopped wearing contact lessons I had a couple of Gucci pairs. Always very good and nice looking, but the last pair kept falling apart. I had by this time stopped working and could not afford such luxury but the optician fought my corner and I got a brand new pair from Gucci for nothing even though they were two years old.

I shall stick with them. I would not have needed new lenses, as my prescription had hardly changed but the surface had got badly scratched when we were doing all that work on the new room in France. There was fine dust everywhere, and I must have accidently rubbed tge lenses when they were covered with it.

[Big Kev]

I have used an independent for years, just thought I'd give them a go after being referred there for hearing aids.

[Sue]

Hop you have more success than I did. Once bitten twice shy