Today I shall be Mainly...

[Stanley]

I always remember going to George Singleton's funeral at a lonely chapel on the moors above Blackburn on a cold, windy and wet November day.... Possibly the most miserable occasion I have ever attended. Such a contrast with the man I knew....



Today I shall be marking time in the shed doing small jobs. I have made my arrangements for the two new engines and am just waiting for my ducks to fall into a row! No regrets about giving the last engine away yesterday, my focus is on the new ones!

[Sue]

Funnily it was a lovely day. The sun came out, all the family were together, my aunty's life was celebrated, she died peacefully. On the way to the cemetery where she was buried with my uncle the cortège drove around Sheffield to all the places that meant something to her, and the places of my childhood. It was a lovely send off. I am glad we made the effort to go from Ambleside even though it took over 4 hours there and three and a half hours back.

[Stanley]

Good! I'm glad you had a decent day.... Nothing worse than a cold, wet funeral!
Today I start on the two new engines. I shall start by making the flywheels as that's the only steel I have in stock at the moment, the rest will be arriving this week when Terry gets his act together.



The first job is to cut two slices of this little lad! Don't worry, I shan't be doing it by hand, Mrs McMaster will take care of it for me.....

[Sue]

Thick snow in the Lakes. Came as a shock after a fairly pleasant day

[Stanley]

We had wintry showers Sue but it never got to be proper snow, very close though!
I shall be flywheel making.... Lots of muck and swarf, lovely!

[Stanley]

Cooking and making flywheels.....

[Sue]

We shall be trying to walk round Grasmere. We went to the Transport myseum yesterday at Newby Bridge. It was a beautiful day with no snow. Today we were meeting a university friend who lives in Egremont but he can't get here. The closure of the Keswick road means a 100 mile detour to Langdale and the snow has stopped that route.

[Stanley]

I still have fond memories of the year I spent in the Lakes digging out water power sites for the old DOE....
You all know where I will be today....

[plaques]

I was in the Nelson library the other day and saw a large book titled "Water Power Sites of Lancashire". I thought Stanley would be interested in that. When I opened it up the author was " Stanley Graham ". I thought 'Damn' I'll keep my mouth shut.

[Sue]

Yet another birthday has arrived. They seem to come around faster than once a year these days. We are going to tackle a short local walk I think, it is too treacherous for anything more, then out to the local pub tonight for a meal. The nearest is the Brittania at Elterwater, not 200 yards from our lodge at Langdale. Back home tomorrow after a good week , excluding a funeral of course which seems so long ago now.

[PanBiker]

If it's yours or Bobs Sue, Happy Birthday have a nice walk and meal.

[Sue]

It's mine. Thanks for the birthday greetings

[Wendyf]

Cheers Sue, hope you enjoy your Birthday evening.

[LizG]

Hope it was a lovely birthday Sue.

[Stanley]

Happy birthday Sue.....
P. That's intriguing! I don't remember writing it! I wonder if someone has ripped off my research I did while at Pendle Heritage....
Just had a look on Bookfinder, can't find it but I note a copy of Bancroft is on there for £420. A snip! Buy now while stocks last!
Not sure what I'll be doing today. Steel hasn't arrived so I shall have to take a view......

[Tizer]

I hope you had a great birthday Sue!

[Sue]

Lovely birthday thanks and lots of cards when we got back home today. There were several inches of snow overnight at Langdale so we came straight home this morning, down the motorway rather than cross country.

[Marilyn]

Belated birthday wishes to Sue and Liz ( I am hopeless at keeping track of birthdays. )

A strange mood has overtaken me and I find myself driven to rearrange a few cupboards and have a bit of a clear out.
I shall start in the linen cupboard.
(Cover me...I am going in...)

[Stanley]

I did a mini spring clean in the shed yesterday looking for a piece of steel.... Nobody covered me Maz and when I got it out it was a quarter of an inch under size!

[LizG]

Belated birthday wishes to Sue and Liz ( I am hopeless at keeping track of birthdays. )

A strange mood has overtaken me and I find myself driven to rearrange a few cupboards and have a bit of a clear out.
I shall start in the linen cupboard.
(Cover me...I am going in...)

Thanks for the birthday wishes Maz.

Did my linen cupboards about a week ago. Everything I hadn't used for a while, and all the mismatched pillow cases I sent out to the shed for rags. Well done me you might say..... now I'm being asked for bedding. Dennis is taking our daughter, partner and our grandson for an overnight adventure on his yacht. So they are taking new pillows, new pillow slips and quilts. Oh well, it was a good idea at the time.

And before anyone asks; I get incredibly seasick and I don't like sailing. I don't make him come to sewing classes...... and I get a night to myself.

[Sue]

Happy birthday Liz.

Well it's the new kitchen this week. We are busy emptying cupboards and throwing things away. Can it really be that dirty, can so many things be out of date. I am keeping the 2015 but I think 2009 had better go!

[Moh]

Sorting through old paper work and shredding loads that are of no use whatsoever - less for the family to sort when we pop off. Starting on photos next, we have loads which will mean nothing to the family and we never look at them, making sure we write details on the back of any old family photos.

[LizG]

I think that's marvelous thing to do Moh, extremely thoughtful. We're still sorting through Mum's paperwork that she's saved since 1983.

[Stanley]

What a good thing to do Moh. I ought to attack the paper, I have tons of it. Not sure what is of interest or not....
Sue, it's always the same when you start to empty cupboards! I don't think I have anything perishable that is out of date. Mind you, some people think that oatmeal is perishable.....



My steel arrived yesterday. All I need is the castings now and I have everything I need to keep me busy in the shed for a year......

[Sue]

I must admit I do tend to throw tins and jars out of date, it's the flavour that can go off. I find packet mixes with thickeners or raising agents cease to thicken as well or rise as well so they should. It's things that hardly get used that lurk in the corners. About 4 years ago my brother stayed with his Thai partner. She did all the cooking and bought all sorts of strange sauces at China town. All now out of date and as I don't know them....or who made them they have all gone. As for oats..never touch them Stanley. I can't abide porridge it makes me heave, and I rarely cook with them. The big problem with packet stuff is gum beetle that can come in with the packets. I had some invested flour once and it got into all my cupboards. I complained to the manufacturer. I fact I sent the flour back to them for identification. They said it had probably come in with card boxes from abroad.