Today I shall be Mainly...

[Stanley]

I shall be in the shed as usual this morning but at some point will be cutting up a slab of pork belly and putting it in the slow cooker to argue with itself. I think that may be before I go in the shed.....
We have a good forecast, I think a walk and a sit at the end of Albert Road is indicated.....
Later.... I have my pork belly cut up and sitting in the slow cooker with the usual suspects. I love the SC.... once the ingredients are in you can walk away and leave it to its own devices!

[Stanley]

Just one task this morning, bore the crank pin brass and fit it to the flywheel. Plenty of scope for a disaster here, 3/8" is a big bore for a small brass like this. Very carefully done and remember to back off the drill to stop it grabbing! All went well, the brass is a good fit and only requires the sides reducing slightly but that can be done when I am fitting it to the connecting rod. I deserve my breakfast!

[Sue]

Morning
It was a good trip up with no hold ups arriving in Edinburgh just on 3.00 pm .It was a bit of a nostalgic trip passing through my childhood home town of Chester le Street which I left to go to uni 56 years ago this weekend and Mum and Dad moved to Burnley the next day. Burnley being my Dad's childhood town.

Edinburgh was very busy indeed there being rather a lot of American and oriental tourists. We are staying in the Radison blue hotel but decided to eat out last night. After deciding against 'chain' Italian food and pub grub we found a French restaurant in the French Consulate building. Fabulous French cooking but with Scottish portion sizes. It hit the bank balance though so tonight may be that pub grub.

Today we have another City Mystery to complete which no doubt will involve a lot of sight seeing too. The weather forecast is occasional light showers I think. Have a good day all

[Stanley]

That all sounds good Sue, even the bank balance! The forecast looks good for the east side of Scotland so I hope you get lucky.
I shall improve the shining hour by going back to bed! It's overcast here at the moment......

[Tripps]

Sounds like a great break.
Thanks to the Interwebthingy I can follow you both, and take a good look at the Radisson Blu and Le Bistrot. I'm a bit envious of the whole thing - you have good taste - perhaps not the bill though.
Enjoy. . . .

[Stanley]

I shall be in the shed as usual for my hour of occupational therapy with my engine. Not sure after that as it looks as though it's going to be a gloomy sort of day. I find the best way to get them behind me is dadnaps! (I take more and more as I get older.... and do not feel guilty!)

[Stanley]

This morning I concentrated on making the connecting rod. The stock provided by Stuarts is 1" X 3/4" and much too long so there has to be sime very careful mounting in the lathe and then even more careful measuring. Measuring and marking to decide my cuts is my hardest task as I get older because I find it so easy to make mistakes..... So that's why it took me 45 minutes to get to the stage you see in the picture. Marked and ready to start cutting tomorrow. But now the focus is on breakfast and then second sleep!

[Sue]

Morning

Lovely day yesterday in fact in the afternoon we didn't even wear our coats. We did our murder mystery search and walked over 5 miles in the process. Another two were added when we went out to eat at night. We went to a Turkish restaurant that we had been to last December. For you Tripps it was the Bistronomy 176.

Our Mystery walk took us all over discovering some fascinating stories and sites. It was the best one ever. It stimulated our interest in the history so today's task is to try and find a book in Waterstones and perhaps go back to some places we visited yesterday. It's due to rain this morning and dry this afternoon

We meet up with our tour at 6.30pm and dine in the hotel after initial introductions. Have a good day all

[Stanley]

Morning Sue, that sou8nds like a good day! I'm glad, you deserve it after the last few month's shenanigans! I hope today's is just as good.
(Will Waterstones be open on Sunday?)
I looked them up and answered my own question..... They open at 10AM.

[Tripps]

For you Tripps it was the Bistronomy 176.

Another good pick from the look of the Tripadvisor reviews. Rare to see so many 5*'s.

Vicarious dining. . . .

"experienced in the imagination through the feelings or actions of another person.
- these reviews brings vicarious pleasure in luxury living"

[Stanley]

Not if you are an odd-ball like me David. I dislike luxury dining, Give me fish and chips any day....
I shall be in the shed doing useful things to my engine. It's con-rod manufacture this morning..... I shall wait until later to see what the weather gives us before deciding on a walk. At the moment it's cold rain.

[Tripps]

You're up late / You're up early? Welcome to the night shift.

This looks pretty luxurious to me.

SG troughing.jpg

I've just been watching this Hot Pot Don't tell me you'd turn one of them down.

[Stanley]

That was a full English David, I class that with fish and chips. I suppose what I meant was fancy dishes.....
Yes, I misread the clock and was up four hours early! I went back to bed eventually....

[Sue]

Morning

Its an early start, suitcases to be outside our rooms for 7.20 am. We leave the hotel at 8.30 for a coach trip to Glasgow where we catch a train to Fort William. That is a 4 hour trip followed by another coach to Glencoe to our hotel. No posh meals last night Tripps , it was a buffet reception at the hotel. I am not that impressed with the meals here and to be honest the standard of the cooked breakfast is better at the Premier Inn. The atmosphere was good though with 22 of us on our trip of which at least three are called Bob or Robert There was also a big party of Americans doing another trip covering both Scotland Ireland over 13 days.

The forecast is showers and 12 degrees I think. Have a good day all

[Sue]

Not if you are an odd-ball like me David. I dislike luxury dining, Give me fish and chips any day....
I

Not so much luxury but well made tasty food in a homely environment. Nothing pretentious but very good.

[Stanley]

That would do me Sue.... I hope your sea trip is out to the Small Isles..... A lovely journey with lots to see.



This morning I finished cutting the connecting rod out of the stock. As you can see, it was a lot of metal removal to get down to a small component. The problem being of course that I need the full 1" X 3/4" at one end for the foot that connects to the bearing. Quietly away and no mistakes. Now for breakfast!

[Stanley]

I shall be in the shed with my engine for an hour at 06:00 and after that will do very little I suspect. I find it very easy these days to have a nap! This doesn't bother me, just a natural consequence of getting older, but I'll admit to feeling a bit guilty at times for not walking more...... (But I soon get over it!)

[Stanley]

I started the day by very carefully marking the centre of the con-rod foot in the lathe and then cleaning Mrs Harrison. Then I removed the brass from the crank pin and did some more careful measuring and marking before drilling the con rod foot to accept the bolts that join the two halves of the brass. Then I married the two and tomorrow I shall cut the foot and the brass to be an easy fit on the crank pin. But today's task now is breakfast!

[Sue]

Morning

What a fabulous trip on the West Highland Express from Glasgow to Fort William. The weather was perfect and the views stunning. Before that we had visited the Kelpies at Falkirk, the 100 feet high metal horses. We arrived at our hotel about 5.00.pm which is situated at the head of a small loch with views of Ben Nevis. It was a quick unpack and change before a talk about local history and the area, followed by a simple but tasty three course meal. We slept like logs last night

This morning we have a trip to see the flight of locks called Neptunes Staircase on the Caledonian canal, then a short visit to Fort William for a look around and have some lunch. In the afternoon we have a two hour cruise down Loch Linnhe with documentary.

Have a good day all. The forecast here is mainly dry and 13 degrees

[Sue]

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[Wendyf]

It looks like the weather was perfect Sue!

[Stanley]

I am almost envious..... I'm so glad Sue and Bob are having such a good introduction to some of the delights of the area.....
I wish you another good day.....

[Gloria]

Sue, the second time we stayed in Fort William was at the Alexandra Hotel, very nice, good location. There’s an old fort, and quite a nice walk along the front, there’s also what we were told was a very interesting museum, but it was closed when we were there.

[Sue]

We have ever been a here a number of times over the years but always there us something new to see. The old Fort is what it is Al about. I recently read a trilogy of books about the jacobite and the fort and lochs featured substantially I will have to read the books again

[Gloria]

Oh they sound interesting, I’ll see if I can dig them up. Who wrote them?