Today I shall be Mainly...

[Stanley]

Going dark and a touch of mist in the air here Sue. I have just finished tidying up after veggie cooking. I never went out but have done good things!

[Stanley]

I shall pop my chicken in to roast around 06:00 when I go in the shed to make a piston rod and whatever else there is time for. Susan is visiting this morning to update me on Oz, have a catch up and change my duvet covers with me. I doubt if I will have a walk it won't fit in with the day and besides, it could be icy, we have had a shower of rain. (I have a swede and a cauliflower that need dealing with as well, left over from yesterday.)

[Stanley]

The piston rod has been accurately made and fitted. Quite enough for one morning...

[Sue]

Morning

Well we certainly have snow this morning and more to come. It isn’t of any great depth but as we are going to Bacup market we will have to watch the roads. We won’t be going any where else today. It will be shopping and sewing

Have a good day all, stay warm and dry if possible

[Stanley]

No sign of any here yet Sue. Having said that I thought I'd better have a look and bugger me, we have had a light fall of snow and it still looks threatening... Kitchen is warm as apart from the CH I have the oven on to roast my chicken.....

[Sue]

No sign of any here yet Sue. Having said that I thought I'd better have a look and bugger me, we have had a light fall of snow and it still looks threatening... Kitchen is warm as apart from the CH I have the oven on to roast my chicken.....

Its also thick fog here. It was much worse in Bacup, of course. There is hardly any down Whitworth road. My sewing room is always warm because the machine is quite warm and I always have the fire on. However we managed to keep the mixed fuel stove going all night last night, its toasty in the lounge, sat with my latte that Bob made whilst I was freezing in the garden topping up the bird feeders.

[PanBiker]

Hoping to go to Unity Hall in Nelson today, (former ILP Institute). It's the AGM of the Friends of Clarion House and an opportunity to renew subs to the group who do the maintenance of the building and the Clarion grounds. Subs are not expensive but the monies raised go towards events that the friends put on. The group runs in conjunction with the ILP Land Society and committee who own the site and finance capital projects etc. There will also be a talk by journalist Chris Moss on "A Radical Sense of Place", Belonging, Biography and Buildings. The AGM is normally held at the Clarion House but has been moved to Unity to allow more members to attend.

I say hoping as I am expecting a Yodel delivery which I am currently tracking, the driver may get to us before I have to set off. I think the parcel may be too big to have dropped off at our local Collect+ store which is Singh Stores on Gisburn Road.

[Big Kev]

I say hoping as I am expecting a Yodel delivery which I am currently tracking, the driver may get to us before I have to set off. I think the parcel may be too big to have dropped off at our local Collect+ store which is Singh Stores on Gisburn Road.

I had an Amazon delivery before 10 this morning, most unusual as they're usually around 4pm. There must be more drivers on taking up the extra work.
The package was 3 new microfibre 'mops' for the steam cleaner, nowt exciting

[PanBiker]

Mine is a dual bin Air Fryer

[Big Kev]

Mine is a dual bin Air Fryer

I have one on my Christmas list so have resisted buying one, hopefully I won't get socks instead

[PanBiker]

A dual bin air fryer at under £200.00 took a bit of finding. Found and settled on a Daewoo from Robert Dyas online.

[Stanley]

I did my bit for the local economy as well, I ordered two new duvets off Silentnight and some socks.....
"It was much worse in Bacup, of course."
Speaking as one who has lived in Bacup I had to smile when I read that Sue. I always said it was the arsehole of the Empire and Deerplay top is possibly the worst micro climate I found anywhere in Britain and that includes the far North of Scotland!
Today will be quieter than yesterday. Susan came and we changed bedding and she gave me a pedicure. We were that busy we never got round to discussing Oz and slagging Margaret off. That's for the next visit.
Today there is nothing apart from an hour in the shed and a walk and a sit later. I shall have a quiet day.
Hard to believe it's Xmas day in a fortnight. Doesn't feel at all like Xmas to me..... Probably just me.

[Sue]

Morning

Up and out early this morning, we have to be at Claires for 9.50 am. We are going to the local church carol service which Erin is singing in, in the school choir. Then its back home for 1.00 pm. Bob and I are going to our local pub for Sunday lunch as Bob isn’t at the park today. It will probably be about 3.00 when we are back home. Then I have my Santa to finish but it is full of errors as the fabric I chose has frayed away at the sewing lines. I am most disappointed. I may make him again in felt but it is such a challenge , it has taken me days to do.

No more snow forecast for a few days. Have a good day all

[Stanley]

Morning Sue, Hard luck with the material that let you down. I am struck by the fact that what you do is so similar to my shed work where occasionally I have the same problem, faults with materials.
I've had my hour and a quarter in the shed with slow careful work machining a complicated little shape. It all worked out OK, no mistakes and the material didn't let me down.....



Here's where I ended up. Quiet progress.

[PanBiker]

I going to cook some sausages in our new air fryer as a test.

It was delivered while I was away at the Clarion Friends AGM of at Unity Hall. Luckily Sally was back with the grandchildren by then so was able to take the delivery. AGM was a nice event with tea and cake before the short meeting then the very interesting talk from Chris Moss who related his past adventures and observation from living in Argentina for 10 years. Chris is the bloke that did the nice article in the Guardian on Clarion House, he is currently living in Downham so visits regularly.

I got into a bit of bother after the event and was glad of the help of another Clarion friend to save me. Anyone who knows the environs of Unity Hall on Vernon street will know that it is built on a hill. I drove and parked in my usual spot about 50 yards above the hall on the street. I had gone in from the top so the car was pointing downhill. It was OK when I got out, there was a bit of melted slush on the road from an earlier light dusting so I walked down to the venue on the road.
After the event I was retracing my steps back up to the car and got about half way when I started to slide backwards, the road was covered in black ice! I couldn't make it onto the pavement either which still had a light covering of snow! Fortunately Hugh Lawrence came to my rescue, he had his walking boots on and noticed my predicament, even he was sliding about on the gradient but we reckoned that as a double act we could make it to the pavement which was probably a better bet on the hill. It turned out that way on the pavement and I managed to walk up past the car, round the back and use the door handles to steady me back to the driver door. I asked where Hugh was parked and he said he had come on the bus so I gave him a lift home. Of course we put the world to right on the drive back to Barlick.

[Stanley]

Black ice was one of the things I hated most when I was driving Ian. There was one bend on Shap as you came down this side which was in a gully that channelled cold air down from the top of the moor and it froze any water on the road there before anywhere else was affected. Nasty sneaky stuff and I'm glad you and your mate got away unscathed.
I shall be in the shed working slowly and carefully on my castings. I'll think about a walk later but at the moment my knee's playing up, I'll see how it is then. (Old Age isn't for cissies!) Otherwise keeping warm and mentally active!

[Stanley]

Not every day in the shed is a triumph! Everything went well at first. I started by marking the gland and drilling it clearance for the 5BA studs that will retain it. I then Transferred those hole positions direct from the gland to the lid and drilled for tapping the stud holes. The first was as usual but on the second the tap broke in the hole. I was doing nothing different and was deliberately being careful. I have come to the conclusion that there was a flaw, perhaps an inclusion in the casting. I tried for about 15 minutes to get the broken bit out of the hole but I haven.d done any good. I shall cut my losses and remake the lid in either steel or bronze. I shall decide on that tomorrow. Not my finest hour but these things happen. Onward and upward!

[Sue]

Morning

Yes the ice was very bad yesterday. Hope you are ok. We drove up to Claire’s where we found there was much less snow but the roads were really bad. We walked to the church for the service but struggled to keep upright. Adam had taken Erin in the car as she needed to be there earlier, so at least we did not have to walk back. When Bob and I left at noon initially our car just slipped forward and would not grip. We were very close to their bedroom wall and I had visions of hitting it. We were glad to get off their estate as by this time there was some melting and water lying on top of the ice, the road itself being solid snow and ice

This morning we have a new internet provider and we were not sure if it would have connected overnight, but it has. Thus I will be able to have pilates and yoga this evening. Bob has a hospital appointment this afternoon at Salford Royal as he has a small suspect patch of skin. As it is near his eye it will probably be a plastic surgery job to remove it. Today is just the consultation. He will drop me off in Rochdale on the way so I can deliver one of my embroidered Christmas trees to a friend who works at one of the shops. I will walk back.

I have had to stop taking the statins the Dr put me on 5 weeks ago. The side effects have been worse than the last ones I tried 5 years ago. I have tingling in my feet, blurred vision and my restless leg syndrome is worse than ever. I shall have to try and get an appointment but don’t hold your breath. I do know which days I can book online next week so will try that if all else fails by the end of the week.

Sunny and cold today I think. Have a good day, take care on the roads and pavements

[Stanley]

Morning Sue, please give Bob my best regards, I hope there is a quick resolution for both of you. As I said somewhere else Old Age isn't for cissies. I'm not for one minute suggesting that you are old Sue..... ( ) but advancing years do tend to bring complications....
I'm glad I haven't got a car now. I always hated black ice when I was driving. It doesn't matter how good a driver you are it is deadly.... I have some stories.....
Breakfast now and I shall lick my wounds!

[Gloria]

Stanley, could the tap have broke because of the extreme cold weather, being a contributory fact?

[Stanley]

I can't rule that out Gloria but I doubt it. The temperature in the shed was 12C so I don't think it was a major factor.
I shall start again and make a new front lid using the scrap bronze bar end I had in the treasure chest. Better than pissing about attempting mission impossible getting the broken tap end out of the hole..... I have even considered making a new gland housing and threading it into the lid but just as easy to make a new lid.
So an hour in the shed and then second sleep. Then a walk to the post box to send off my cheque to clear my Visa card for the end of the year. And before anyone says it I am so glad that I am in a position to do this! After that it's keeping occupied and warm, what I call 'looking after myself'!

[Sue]

Morning

I too have started again Stanley and redoing ny embroidered Santa in a nice stable red felt. I will not finish the damaged one but treat it as a learning curve. There are 7 separate pieces which are constructed and joined together with an embroidery stitch on the machine. Each piece takes at least 45 minutes to sew not including the cutting out etc. Its a long haul for it all to go wrong. So that is todays plan plus washing the bedding.

This evening my Tuesday pilates group, about 15 of us are booked in for a meal in Rochdale town centre. Its what you might call a private party. The big pilates do including all classes was a couple of weeks ago, but the Tuesday group have really gelled together and this is one of the many evenings out they have had. So no pilates and no yoga today.

I shall try phoning the Dr at 8.00. No chance yesterday as our change in internet provider meant we had no phone till late morning, and I did not want to use my mobile for a 25 minute wait.

Thats it, have a good day.

[Stanley]

Morning Sue, I hope you have as good a journey in the remake as I have had.



Straight into making a new lid. First I sharpened my HSS cutter and checked it for centre on some scrap aluminium. Then clean the lathe so I can harvest the Non-ferocious chips. Then straight turning and I finished up with a clean and useful piece of brass stock and a lid which is ready for further work. A good hour and a half.

[Stanley]

Into the shed for an hour and more work on the new front lid and associated castings... Then a walk after second sleep I think, we are promised sun and it's important to get out into natural light at this time of the year.
I have just noticed that the temperature in the shed is down on 10C. I shall make sure to keep moving!

[Stanley]

I have done useful things like turn the register on the lid and break the edges. I have also marked the PCD for the stud holes and am ready now to take both lids into the front room and divide them on the 1927 lathe. That's for tomorrow.