Today I shall be Mainly...

[Stanley]

Yes, I got both versions to work. It reminds me of some of the perpetual motion machines I have seen.
Today I shall be putting my castings back together. I can't complete that without having the base ready so as soon as we have a dry spell I shall attend to that. Walk could be, on if the light rain that's forecast lets up. I shall take a view after second sleep. I want to go to Town Square and do some light veggie shopping if possible.

[Stanley]

The paint had dried so I started building the engine. I can't put it on the base until I have made the wooden plinth that the base sits on. The good news is that now I have fitted the piston and rod connected to the Connecting Rod I have been able to turn the shaft over to prove that I got the measurements right and the stroke doesn't foul either end of the cylinder. Quiet careful work. Very satisfying!

[Sue]

Morning

Busy day today. I have art this morning at Haslingden, then its a quick lunch before Maxine comes for the demo and practice use of the machine she is buying from me . The washing repair man is due this morning between 8.30 and 11.30, and the burglar alarm is being service between 11.00 and 2.00. That will fill the day!

Have a good one

[Stanley]

You can say that again Sue! You won't have a dull moment. I hope it all goes well.....

[Gloria]

Packing boxes, we are supposed to be moving two weeks tomorrow so we are up to our necks in boxes of stuff. We’ve taken quite a bit to the charity shop, and some to the tip. Why do we keep stuff we never use, and have never used, it just takes up space in the loft?

[Wendyf]

Are you moving far Gloria? I am always trying to cut down on 'stuff' and buy very little new but Colin is just the opposite and refuses to get rid of anything. The thought of clearing everything out keeps me awake at night!

[Gloria]

We are moving to Longridge, about 30mins from here. We’ve no horses, dogs or cats, so don’t need the land and buildings.

[Sue]

Are you moving far Gloria? I am always trying to cut down on 'stuff' and buy very little new but Colin is just the opposite and refuses to get rid of anything. The thought of clearing everything out keeps me awake at night!

Bob’s a hoarder. I didn’t used to be but seem to have become one. There is 50 years worth of stuff in our loft which we are slowly trying to tidy out. I swear we put as much in as we clear out

[Tripps]

We are moving to Longridge,

Very good choice I'd say. Uncle JIm lives near there - but I've not been for a long time. They've got a Booths too.

If you want to join the bowls club I could put a good word in for you.

[Gloria]

Booths, Sainsburys and Aldi, not to mention the co-op, and numerous independent shops.

[Tripps]

That's impressive in that size town. Full choice.

This is bringing back a few memories of thing long gone. Sadly you've missed the Palace Cinema which was unique, and probably survived longer than many others.

I'm a bit jealous really. Enjoy your new home.

[Big Kev]

That's a good selection Gloria, there's a butchers, bakers, 3 hairdressers and a Chinese takeaway here in Foulridge.
Colne isn't too far away though, Sainsbury's, Aldi and Lidl are an easy walk away.

[Gloria]

I’ll be glad when we are finally in, it’s a feeling of being in no man’s land at the moment.

[Cathy]

You won’t know yourself Gloria with so much choice on your doorstep. Enjoy, I’m sure it will all go well.

[Stanley]

Big life event is flitting.... I don't envy you Gloria. Best of luck with it. Do Singleton's still have a cheese factory there? I used to deliver milk there regularly. Good Lancashire cheese and whey butter.
I am not flitting, I shall be in the shed working on the engine and praying for fine weather so I can make the base for the engine. I refuse to use the router in the shed, it makes too much mess! Early doors shopping at 07:00 and then I shall see what the weather brings. At the moment it looks like gloom and drizzle!

[Sue]

Morning

Good luck with the move Gloria, and hope you get settled quickly.

What a day yesterday. The washer is fixed, but the burglar alarm has a faulty sensor in one room. We suspected it as it kept going off randomly. It will be fitted in two weeks . Recently I had arranged for someone to come and look at the top of the dining room table which was looking rather distressed. He phoned during the morning when I was at art and said he would call in the afternoon. ( Bob had a very busy morning) It was a restoration or a new table and as we didn’t fancy forking out for the latter we were relieved to here it can be repaired. Unlike many people we use the table a lot, but being dark wood that is not fashionable it would have been difficult to match up with the rest of the furniture which is also ´brown’ as antique dealers like to call it. Not that any of our furniture is antique but it did take us a long time to afford matching pieces. Anyway the table has been removed to be re polished. On the whole another expensive day. The washer repair of course was under insurance. We were told it was not a moment too soon as it was starting to leak oil.

Poor Maxine never got here yesterday. They took their little dog for a routine vet appointment as it had a long standing heart problem, but whilst in the waiting room it had a heart attack and died whilst Ian was holding him. They were both distraught so cancelled
Oir meeting. I went up to see her and took some flowers. Ian had retired to bed to recover from the shock. She was thankful for a visitor and a chat to relieve the distress. It was decided that she would look at the machine next Thursday instead. As it happens it was a good thing she had cancelled otherwise we would have ben using the table when the restorer came to look at it. I came back from Maxine's to find the table gone. Our demo will have to be on the kitchen table next week now. Not as much room but handy for the coffee, tea and biscuits

Today is art followed by lunch out with Wendy and Keith. Barbara and Bill are house sitting for their son in Southport. We are trying The Summit today which is at the side of the canal. A nice pub that has featured on canal programmes on TV several times, and on our way home from Todomorden if we go via Littleborough rather than Bacup. This evening we are back in Todmorden for a u3a wine appreciation cheese and wine social.

Have a good day all, it looks like we have another busy one

[Stanley]

I am back indoors after shopping and everything is put away, I shall be doing some heavy duty veggie shopping later this morning.



Here's where I finished this morning. Ready to start on the eccentric, valve motion and the valve.

You posted Sue while I was online. That was a busy day and poor Maxine and husband, what a horrible thing to happen! I couldn't help wondering if the vet charged them for professional attendance.... Forgive me, it's my black sense of humour.....
Every now and then today, sit down and have a breather!

[Sue]

No charge Stanley, in fact he rushed out of surgery and tried to resuscitate the poor dog. I should imagine everyone in the waiting room was in a state of shock

Art is relaxing, lunch is relaxing and so is tge cheese and wine social. No chance of over doing it, but still busy, mainly travelling from one place to another

[Stanley]

Back in the world after second sleep and now I start cooking veggies..... This counts as exercise!
Later.... at 15:20. Cooking finished for the day and I have a pizza for tea. I know, streng verboten but I fancy it....

[Stanley]

Roasting my chicken first and then into the shed. The forecast is for a dry day so I might get out into the yard to put the fancy edge on my wooden plinth later. I shall not be making shed overtime a habit!

[Stanley]

I am aiming to get in the yard this morning to put the moulding round the base board. So I detached it from the castings and filled in the time by re-finishing the flywheel after painting.

[Sue]

Morning

Enjoyable day yesterday. Today is Bacup market than no particular plans. I have a bit of sewing to do, but if it is dry I may spend some time in the garden tidying up mushy dead leaves on plants. Already I see new shoots and removing the dead leaves will help them . I won’t do much as I don’t want to put the plants at risk from the next cold spell. I think a bit of tidying in the conservatory would be good too. The cacti ave all finished flowering so I shall move them to where the geraniums are and vice versa. The latter are still in flower from when I brought them inside in October but they need cutting back and the soil refreshing a little ready for new Spring growth

So a pottering day, have a good one.

[Stanley]

Morning Sue.... All is going well here, my chicken is in the oven and I am ready to go back for second sleep. With a bit of luck I shall be in the yard using the router on the engine base plinth.
Have a good potter in the garden....
Later.....

It stayed dry.....

[Stanley]

I shall be in the shed as usual for an hour and will be putting the engine back on its base board and starting on making and fitting the valve, motion and eccentric. The weather forecast is good and I think I might be a good lad and have a short walk and perhaps even a sit! A better day than of late.

[Stanley]

I started the morning by gluing the protective rubber to the bottom of the baseboard so as not to scratch furniture! Then I started on the bronze casting for the steam valve and started the process of transforming it into an accurate valve. I have made a good start but there is still an hour or so's work in it. That's for tomorrow! A nice hour and a quarter....