Today I shall be Mainly...

[Stanley]

Another quiet hour in the shed working slowly and carefully, this is not the time for silly mistakes, too much effort has already been invested. I started by making sure that the bottom brasses were a snug fit in the horns of the bed and then starting on drilling and tapping for the fastenings of the top brasses. The usual drill, fasten the brass down with one fastening before drilling and tapping the other end. I have Almost finished one side.

[Sue]

I'm afraid I would be thinking about biting the bullet and getting a new machine Sue. I don't have enough confidence in the initial build quality of modern machines to believe that they are capable of accepting repair.

Morning

That is one heck of a bill Stanley. I hope you get it sorted.

We won’t have much choice on that Stanley. The agreement is a new washer if the old one can’t be repaired. We don’t think it can be , but if it can that is all that matters. Its been a good washer, and despite a couple of repairs it has served me well. I have no complaints. Eventually it will be a new one. I am now up to date with my washing having collected towels, jeans and other big items from the laundrette yesterday . I also managed to get our wet weather gear reproofed , ready for our week in the Lakes next week, by doing very small loads . At pilates last night, someone offered me the loan of their washer, if I need to do a load at the end of the week. I should be ok. We have plenty of towels and clothes and I can do underwear and socks by hand. Anyway the repair man is due between 10 and 8.00 pm.

This morning I have to sort out what sewing project I am going to do with Maxine as this afternoon is a a two hour session with her. I shall pick up our prescriptions on the way home. I may do Pilates this evening online, although it is not one of my regular classes. I did the session last week and enjoyed it. Otherwise it will be a quiet evening. I am getting bored with all this continuous rain. I desperately need to get out in the garden to uncover my pots of Spring bulbs which will be beginning to show now. As we have a major squirrel problem ( because I feed the birds) I ned to recover the pots with netting or indeed I was thinking of large polythene bags which will allow better growth.

Anyway , another wet one today I think. Have a good day

[Stanley]

"That is one heck of a bill Stanley. I hope you get it sorted. "
You're right Sue and that doesn't include the double charge for the gas. But I have all my ducks in a row now and can prove that they are not only incompetent but dishonest. Many people my age would simply pay what looked like a genuine honest bill. I intend to go got their throat!
Good luck with the washer. I shall go to bed and gather my strength up for later this morning!

[Stanley]

I fired off my complaint and updated my Resolver file. (Thanks again to Wendy and Kev for putting me on to them....)
This morning I shall be in the shed working on my bearings. Not sure about later. Normally it would be some light veggie shopping to take the weight off tomorrows weekly shop at the Co-op but from what I can see it is going to be bitter cold and raining. Perhaps better to stay inside in the warm!
PS. The £530 invoice for 3 months gas and electricity could well be accurate and is not excessive on a monthly basis.

[Stanley]

This morning I continued with the pedestal bearings and finished fitting them to the bed. I ended up marking for the boring of the bearings which is the next job but that's for tomorrow. Another nice quiet hour in the shed with good progress.

[Big Kev]

The £530 invoice for 3 months gas and electricity could well be accurate and is not excessive on a monthly basis.

I wouldn't consider that excessive either, gas and elec at Chez Kev was just over £300 for December.

[Sue]

Morning

This morning I am at the dentist to replace the filling that fell out before Christmas. Its minor but a front tooth leaving it a bit fragile. Sadly the dentist went down with covid the day of my last appointment then it was holiday time. I shall park at Dunelm and walk up the hill to Drake street as it is always difficult to park up there. Afterwards I shall pop into B&M across the road from Dunelm as I need some fatballs for the birds, and they also have a soup maker on half price offer that I want for France. Its the same as the one I have here and the one I have in France is broken . I make a lot of soup and this soup maker takes all the hastle out of it.

After a successful aftenoon with Maxine yesterday I shall be starting my new project this afternoon,and this evening we are out for our ´pre Christmas’ meal with our friend Kath, the retired hairdresser. We were both ill before Christmas so postponed it. We have found a nice little old world pub in Milnrow which does very good food, a bit more than pub grub, but not too fancy or expensive.

So thats my day. Have a good one. We are forecast a dry morning, with rain from mid afternoon. Its thick fog at the moment and 6 degrees

[Sue]

The £530 invoice for 3 months gas and electricity could well be accurate and is not excessive on a monthly basis.

I wouldn't consider that excessive either, gas and elec at Chez Kev was just over £300 for December.

I have no idea, I just asked Bob. We are on an old fixed price contract at about £1500:a year. It expires in August then things will go up I have no doubt

[PanBiker]

Today we were mainly attending Uncle Joe's funeral at Carleton. It was a traditional type event with the funeral cortège starting off from outside Joe's and his wife Ivy's old house on West Road. Joe's youngest daughter Gail now lives in the house.
Bearers either side of the hearse with family members walking behind through the village and up to the church. It just started raining as we set off and most folk were soaked, despite brolly's etc by the time we got inside the church. The church was already rammed when we got there and took up our places in the reserved seats up near the front. It was a traditional service with a couple of readings and hymns, the eulogy was delivered by his eldest daughter Anne. Sally as one of Joe's nieces read a poem. The funeral service was followed by interment in the churchyard, it was still raining. He was laid to rest with his wife Ivy who pre-deceased him by a good number of years. A reception was held up at Carleton Working Men's Club.

RIP Joe.

[Stanley]

Hard luck Ian. A January funeral with wind and rain is definitely not good news!
I shall be in the shed for an hour before early doors shopping at the Co-op at 07:00. Then, after second sleep I shall be veggie cooking, from the look of the forecast there will be no incentive to go for a walk, wind and rain!

[Stanley]

The job was to set up the bed to bore the pedestal bearings to accept the flyshaft. You can see where I finished. It fits perfectly but at the moment is too tight which is how it should be. I shall ease it to a proper running fit tomorrow but that's enough for this morning. I have to go for early doors shopping.

[Sue]

Morning

Yes I agree, funerals are never good but in the winter they seem ton emphasis the sadness of the occasion. I am still waiting for information on my friend Lindas funeral, which is now looking like it will not be when we are in the Lakes next which I was concerned about.

This morning we are off to Burnley market, where sadly it seems my friend Jon is going to have to close his patisserie. There is inadequate footfall and interest up in the market. I feel so sorry for them. It was a bit of a dream of his and his french wife to run a small shop/ tea rooms but he needed to get the market stall going first. He has tried tgree markets now. He gave up a good career in industry as a french translator to train and do this but it has not worked out.

After Burnley its lunch with Barbara, BIll, Wendy and Keith at the Italian at Hollingworth lake. At last after 4 weeks we all seem fit enough to resume our Friday eating custom. In fact its going to be a busy eating out week, hopefully balanced with some walking in the Lakes. My birthday, meeting up with Claire , Adam and Erin and later old friends in the Lakes being the cause of this foodoverload

It will be late afternoon today when we are back home . Have a good day all.

I forgot to say, the tooth repair was a few minutes of a job, I joked and said he used epoxy resin. And the washer, well we await a new drum so hopefully it will be available when we get back from the Lakes

[Sue]

Oh yes I took my sewing machine in for a service, its going to cost £150 this time. The sale of the other one has fallen through as she has bought locally. I ned to get it advertised when we get back

[Stanley]

Gad the tooth and the washer look as though they are solved Sue
I am just back form the Co-op and have put this weeks £33 shop away. Mostly vegetables of course, a healthy basket.

[Sue]

. The sale of the other one has fallen through as she has bought locally. I ned to get it advertised when we get back

Sold it to Maxine which was my original idea

[Stanley]

So that went well also Sue! Good. I am in the last throes of veggie cooking, about an hour to go before I can call it finished. I haven't even considered a walk even though it is still dry. Far better to get this lot done and dusted!

Later at 14:00. I've finished veggie cooking and all the pans washed and put away. I shall treat myself to some snooker....

[Stanley]

I shall be in the shed where I shall devote as much time as is necessary to adjusting the fit of the flyshaft in the engine before addressing the crosshead. At the same time I shall be roasting my chicken and will deal with that after second sleep. The weather forecast is deeply depressing, wall to wall rain all day. I am not even thinking about a walk.
There is one bright spot on the horizon, My young friends Vicky and Mick are visiting this afternoon. That will be nice.....
05:40. The chicken is in the oven and I am gearing up for going in the shed.....

[Stanley]

This morning was all about fitting the crankshaft in the new bearings. I reamed the bearings and then lapped the shaft in using a very fine lapping compound. Then I polished the bearings in the lathe and at the same time reduced the length of the crankshaft on the flywheel side. I had deliberately left it too long. The shaft is now a perfect fit and turns easily with the bearings tightened down. That took over an hour and a quarter but was time well spent. Another useful step forward.

[Sue]

Morning

Rain here too but subsiding a little between 12 and 3. Its Bacup market this morning, followed by packing for our week away, there are no other plans. I will probably prepare my pattern ready for sewing when I get my machine back after our holiday.

Have a good day all

[Stanley]

That forecast turned out to be accurate for us as well Sue but it came back later....
I shall be in the shed starting the process of making and fitting the crosshead.
A walk could be on the cards later as we are promised dry, cold and sunny weather. I'll take a view when I have had a sleep.

[Stanley]

This morning I built the engine up so I could check all the fitting before going on to the con rod, crosshead and the eccentric driving the steam valve. It looks like an engine now doesn't it.....

[Sue]

Morning

Off to the lakes for a week, the weather forecast is not too bad until Thursday although the usual snow is forecast mid week overnight . We are calling in to Claires on the way up as we are all going out for a pre birthday lunch. If its not pouring with rain we will probably do a scenic drive up to Langdale.

Have a good day all

[Stanley]

Morning Sue! If you start late enough you could have a dry journey.... Good luck with it, apart from the cold it's a good forecast for the next week. Certainly more sun than we have seen for a while in the next few days....

[Big Kev]

Taking grandchildren to the pantomime at the Muni.

[Sue]

Lovely drive up, light till 4.40 pm.

It must be near the end of panto season now. I used to love a good panto, especially when Les Dawson was in it.