Today I shall be Mainly...

[Sue]

Morning

It was rather damp underfoot and misty at the cemetery yesterday, much less so at home. We drove in to it as we drove up out of Bacup. After leaving flowers at the grave Bob and I helped Lorraine, the person I was meeting, to find her family plots. No easy task as none had headstones being paupers graves. One amazingly was adjacent to my family plot. Back home I spent an hour following up clues and discovered our common ancestor was an Ellis Nutter from Briercliffe, hence the above image to identify where this Ellis lived. There appear to be three or four of that name, three of them being directly related to each other and from Worsthorne. After a long discussion with Gloria last night it would seem it is possible, even probable that her John Nutter of Briercliffe and my Ellis are close relatives, possibly even brothers. I feel some research coming on into the Nutters of Briercliffe, its hardly a big place

We didn’t get to Wendy’s in the afternoon as new tarmac had been laid in front of the house so it was not possible to park, instead we washed paintwork and generally prepared for painting woodwork and ceilings in the front hall. That will be today’s challenge. We will go to Wendys on Saturday afternoon . One good piece of news is that my blood test results are back and my cholesterol is back into normal levels, which is amazing as I have taken one lose dose statin a week only 3 times. I am hopeful this will work with minimal side effects.

Its the usual weather, cool and cloudy, have a good day all

[Stanley]

Nice to hear good news about your blood results Sue. Long may it continue!
Wendy, how are you going on with the visitor?

[Wendyf]

He was discharged yesterday evening so I collected him from Airedale at 7.30pm. No heart attack but apparently flu affects the heart muscles and there were signs of that happening. He has to have chest and lung x rays again once he gets home. He is talking about continuing his journey this morning, though we have advised against it and said he can stay here for as long as it takes.

[Stanley]

That's kind of you Wendy considering.... I'm afraid I would be letting him go before any bad weather struck!

[Wendyf]

That's kind of you Wendy considering.... I'm afraid I would be letting him go before any bad weather struck!

He has been persuaded to stay until tomorrow. Just had to ask him to stop chatting so we can listen to the news.

[Stanley]

I've lived on my own for so long that I couldn't stand that! Good luck Wendy.
I shall be in the shed as usual hoping to complete the cutting of my third crankshaft blank. So far the old cutter I sharpened has performed wonderfully, better than many brand new ones!



The circumstance of note is that I shall be doing this as I enter my ninetieth year secure in the knowledge that if I get run over I'll be OK as I have my new boxer shorts on. I got ten pairs made in China and forwarded to me from Denmark as a birthday present and they arrived yesterday.
We are promised dry bright weather but cold. I might even have a celebratory shop at the Co-op later!

[Stanley]

This morning I cut the excess metal out of the third crankshaft blank. This is another triumph for my El Cheapo Taiwanese mill/drill. The cutter was just showing signs of distress as I got to the end of these cuts, it has done remarkably well and will get sharpened tomorrow. I am ready now for setting up in the lathe for eccentric turning of the three crank pins.... But at the moment I am after my breakfast!

[Sue]

Morning

I hope your friend is ok Wendy and is able to continue on his way today. I think I would have done the same as you and let him stay as long as needed.

What a day yesterday. We needed to go to the bank but didn’t want to walk as we wanted to get on with painting. Bob was going to do ceilings and I was going to gloss. However Bob was waiting for a phone call from Christies and did not want to start till it came. I started the gloss to find it was completely the wrong colour and not the colour on the lid of the tin. We were wanting a mid grey, this was nearly black. With still no phone call we could not go anywhere so had to sit with a cuppa for nearly an hour. The dining room and the sewing room were now full to overflowing with Wendys stuff from the hall plus coat stand curtain rail, bits from round the toilet and the washbasin, we had to get on with the painting but could do nothing. Christies phoned at 12 about an appointment in the future that Bob had never received so that had to be followed up so at 12.30 we shot down into town and did a very fast circuit of jobs.

Once at B&M for paint we found no undercoat in grey, and only one small tin of the top coat we wanted. We decided to apply a thin coat of that as undercoat, which was needed as we are covering a sort of dark beige . White is inappropriate in our hallway as it faces north, gets all the wind, weather and wear and tear of entry into the house, shopping carrying etc. In the afternoon Bob did the ceiling in the toilet area I did all the first coat of gloss finishing by 4.30. We started putting essential things back about 8.00 pm. And loading the car for today

Today is art this morning, then lunch out with the usual group. We have loaded the car with some of Wendys stuff so before we come home from the Lake we will drop those off but we have to be home for 4.00 for the butcher delivery. Whilst in Tod this morning Bob is going to try and get another small tin of gloss paint so I can do that tomorrow morning, then I can take all the masking tape off and Bob can do the main ceiling.

A hint of blue in the sky but otherwise the same forecast as usual. Oh yes and we had a viewing of our french house yesterday, but no feedback yet. Have a good day all

[Stanley]

I've just had a cheese and onion omelette for dinner and I think it was the nicest one I have ever made! I must remember how I did it.....

[Stanley]

I shall be in the shed as usual for my occupational therapy. I am tempted to get set up for eccentric turning of the crank pins but I think I might exercise restraint and sharpen the 1/2" cutters I dug out which performed so well. Once I start crankshaft turning and get dialled in I'd like to stay in that mode until all three are finished and ornamenting the kitchen table. It's very good for me!
Later I shall be having a short walk and popping into the Co-op for a few necessities.....

[Stanley]

Look after the tools and they will look after you.... So, instead of plunging straight into the glamorous job of eccentric turning on Mrs Harrison, I set to and sharpened the 1/2" cutters I had dug out. I also touched up the everyday 1" cutter in the VM but forgot to attend to the 7/16" cutter that let me down..... I can go back to that another day. Then I took the 3 jaw SC chuck out of the lathe and installed the 4 Jaw independent so I am now ready to set up tomorrow for turning the crank pins.... That was 45 minutes well spent and now I shall go and look for my breakfast!

[Sue]

I've just had a cheese and onion omelette for dinner and I think it was the nicest one I have ever made! I must remember how I did it.....

Morning

I love omelettes Stanley and make them like my Mum did, not a method I have ever seen used by a professional chef. I beat the eggs well with seasoning, a little water or semi skimmed milk and pour them into a pan of hot melted butter , give it a bit of a stir pulling it away from the edges of the pan. When it starts to bubble I put the pan under a hot grill and watch the omelette rise beautifully. Pre cooked fillings are added , at the early stages and cheese as it goes under the grill. Once risen but before it sets completely ( the added water or milk stops that) i slide it from the pan on to a plate with a gentle flick at the end making it fold over. Voila a delicious creamy light omelette.

This morning we are off to the town hall for an open question and answer day with an archeologist. No tickets needed just turn up between turn up between 10 and 4. Whilst in Rochdale we shall call in at B&M to try and get that second tin of paint I need, there was none in Tod. Otherwise its back to the drawing board and change the colour again. This afternoon we shall take more boxes back to Wendy’s, hopefully the last ones.

A typical cool day today, have a good day all

[Big Kev]

I love omelettes Stanley and make them like my Mum did, not a method I have ever seen used by a professional chef. I beat the eggs well with seasoning, a little water or semi skimmed milk and pour them into a pan of hot melted butter , give it a bit of a stir pulling it away from the edges of the pan. When it starts to bubble I put the pan under a hot grill and watch the omelette rise beautifully. Pre cooked fillings are added , at the early stages and cheese as it goes under the grill. Once risen but before it sets completely ( the added water or milk stops that) i slide it from the pan on to a plate with a gentle flick at the end making it fold over. Voila a delicious creamy light omelette.

I use that method here, always a winner

[Wendyf]

That's my way of making an omelette too!

[Stanley]

I use the grill when making a Spanish Omelette but for normal fillings I use only my cast iron pan on the hob and I always use olive oil.
I'm having my second hot drink before venturing out to the C-op....

[Stanley]

I'm back from the Co-op and have another cheese and onion omelette on the go....

[Big Kev]

There are some mushrooms and cheese in the fridge, I may go for an omelette today now I have my appetite back.

[Sue]

Perhaps its the Yorkshire method .Writing that made me so hungry , we had omelette for lunch

[Stanley]

They are evidently infectious.....
Today I shall not be doing any shopping and it's doubtful if the weather is going to attract me to go for a walk. I shall enjoy the shed, setting up for and perhaps turning at least one crank pin..... I find it so satisfying to be making the shafts this way when everyone else is gluing bits together and finishing up with an inferior job. I wonder if anyone in the future will recognise this when they look at my engines.......

[Stanley]

You could be forgiven for wondering if I had done anything at all this morning.... Well, I've spent about 30 minutes in the shed, first in seeking out the 7/16" cutter that failed me and putting it on the naughty step on the T&C grinder to remind me that it needs attention. Than I addressed the blank in the lathe. I spent a long time, using the dial indicator, getting the blank set up and parallel in the chuck. It's a fiddly job but will work for the other two blanks as well because they are all the same. So I am ready for eccentric turning but at this point I came out of the shed to look for my breakfast but only after dealing with a load of washing that has been on the go. I have a straight edge now and so I can look forward to tomorrow.

[Sue]

Morning

Out trip to the Town Hall and talk with the archeologist went really well. At 10.00 we were the only ones there, we stayed till 11.00 still the only ones there though the town hall was filling up as we left. We were shown all sorts of artefacts dating back to the early 17 th century that had been found in the plot of land behind the Town Hall which is being redesigned. This is probably where my Rochdale ancestor worked so I took the opportuinty to ask all sorts of questions relating to that. We were shown old maps, old photos and given lots of ideas. There is probaly going to be another public dig, and they are also looking for volunteers to help research and catalogue find, needless to say i will probable be a volunteer…as if I am not busy enough.

Following the visit we had a coffee in Rochdale, bought more paint ( needless to say we had to buy a different colour) , had our omelette lunch then drove to Wendys to take all the rest of the boxes back. My sewing room is now released, though still containing decorating bits and pieces. We have had no feedback on the viewing of our French house.

Its decorating day today, a second coat of the third grey we have tried. At last we have a colour that we like, and two tins of it. Who would have thought how difficult it would be to find a) two tins of the same colour and b) find a colour that once painted didn’t look too dark. Its the usual grey day, have a good one

[Stanley]

Morning Sue/ I have decided that today's main task is keeping warm! I am sure that advancing years has something to do with this!

[Stanley]

I shall go in the shed around 06:00 and start making chips cutting my crankshafts..... Not sure about the rest of the day, at the moment it's -5C out there and that's not good for old blokes....
I might cook some savoury onions.....

[Stanley]

Straight into eccentric turning of the first crank pin which I left set up yesterday. This is high stress turning as you have almost two inches of throw on the workpiece and as a consequence, almost two inches of stick out on the parting tool that I am using to cut the pin. I gave it the best chance by honing the insert with a diamond hone to make sure it had a keen edge and then only taking 10 thou cuts. So just over twenty minutes of turning and then a polish with emery cloth and hey presto, we have the first crank pin. Then I set up for the next one but that will do tomorrow! I want my breakfast.

[Sue]

Morning

Well that was a busy hour. We woke up late ie 7.45 am and had to get straight up as we were expecting the engineer after 8.00 to do the annual service on our burglar alarm. We had barely made it to the kitchen when he arrived just after 8.15 pm. Now he has gone, we have had breakfast and are sitting down with a cup of coffee.

I have examined the gloss paint from yesterday, and disappointingly its a bit patchy even after two coats. The moral is , never buy B&M paint or more important their own brand paint brushes. Where I changed brushes its considerably better. I haven’t the heart to do another full coat but will just patch up the bits where the dark grey is showing through. Then Bob can do the ceiling and start the wallpapering.

I have no plans for the day, its cloudy and sunny and very cold indeed. Have a good day all