What are you all up to
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@richardandros Thanks for going to look at the site, hopefully it will be solid enough to get onto one of the H/S pitches without any problems. As you said the site, like many around there, don't open until 1st March so it should be nice and quiet.
It would be good to meet up for a chat during our stay, whenever it suits you. Please contact me using the email address on my profile page and we can fix something up.😊
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@KjellNN hope your van's service goes through without a hitch and the dealer doesn't find anything untoward.
It has been another fine day, quite warm at times too, just right for getting the washing dried outside again, although we have just recently had a short shower of rain.
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@nelliethehooker - your profile is private so I can't see your email address (that should be reassuring!). I'll ask Rowena to send you mine @Rowena
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Cheers, I will look out for it.
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Rather noisy here today.We're having new cavity wall insulation in the old part of the house so they're here today and the noise of the extraction of existing insulation sounds like a very bad nightmare trip to the dentist.😱 The ladies have deserted me and gone for a walk. Why is it that "You're the man of the house" only applies when it's something that they don't want to involve themselves in?🤣
Lovely day for a walk, if only…
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@Wherenext That sounds an interesting job. Can I ask what they are removing and what they are replacing it with? Our house is just over 45 years old and originally didn't have wall insulation but not long after we moved in we had expanded foam pumped into the cavity. Fortunately we didn't have it sprayed in the loft! Never sure how effective it has been? The extension had proper insulation added as it was built and it always seems warmer than the rest of the house. Not sure we can do anything about it now?
David
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We had a pretty decent drive over to Manchester, used the P&R from Ashton West, and then the tram, so it was a lot better than last time. However…………rescheduled footie match saw Man City v Liverpool playing at Etihad Stadium next door, so tram back was like a mobile sardine can🤣 And it was lashing down with rain (Manchester lived up to it’s rainy reputation) so we were wet through. Drive back across Woodhead was a thriller as well, horizontal rain due to high winds. But it was a good afternoon, some great racing. Some crashes as well, we were sat looking over first aid station, and they were picking splinters out of riders for hours🫣 They are so hard. Katie Archibald’s race was fantastic, such a brilliant athlete.
Fencing almost finished as well, enjoyable re planting to do next, best bit.
I hope those ill are recovering well, and things moving on for folks awaiting treatment. Nice to here about folks’ trips away, nothing much of interest happening with us, but we take each day as it comes. Birthday week for me and Mum coming up soon.
Photo from velodrome. Rider in front cheating on a motorcycle🤣
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Hi David
It is expanded foam but obviously technology has moved on a bit in the last 40+ years. The surveyor who came a few weeks ago took samples of the existing insulation and said they didn't use foam that glued itself together when it was first put in, more than 40 years ago as that's how long we've been here. The new foam is going in on Friday. It's a right old mess outside with snow bubbles of white foam blowing around despite their best efforts to keep it contained.
We're going to need a bit of cleaning up to do after they've gone but it looks like it will be as difficult as herding cats.
New boiler going in next week as well.
Edit - Our own extension put in 20 years ago doesn't need the insulation replacing so it's possible your own house would be a part job.
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@Wherenext So the garden looks like a film set filming a winter scene in summer😉 I don't think I will be changing what we have got. We had a new boiler about five years ago so hopefully that will last a bit longer. Its a Combi and more efficient than the previous one.
David
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Just finished my latest jigsaw puzzle. It took a while. The pictures is the LS Lowry "Going to Work" painting. The building part of the puzzle was fine but then you start on the "Match Stick Men" which was a bit of a struggle but perseverance paid off. The worst part was the white areas where you just has to test fit where everything went. The last three dozen pieces soon went into place. I would like one day to get to the Museum in Salford to see more of his works. He got around a bit as he painted the old "Floating Bridge" in Southampton, long replaced by a proper bridge but I remember using it was I was young. The original is in Southampton's Art Gallery. For those that visit the club's Berwick on Tweed site there is a Lowry walk around the town pointing out where he painted different pictures.
David
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we go to Berwick regular @DavidKlyne and always take a walk around the town on the trail also cycle down to the lighthouse where there is an information board about him. Eldest son used to stay in Salford Quays Manchester so we used visit the Lowry centre there often but he moved more than 20 years ago and we haven’t been back since. Will need to put that on our list. I love Lowry’s work. Watched the film about him a couple years ago Timothy spall was excellent playing him
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Quite a pleasant day today and really we've not done a lot apart from walking, but that's one of the plus points of being away - the enforced laziness. Tomorrow is a bit damp but then full sun for a few days. Lovely evening now.
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@DavidKlyne - The museum in Salford is definitely worth the visit.
I've just finished a jigsaw depicting Shakespeare's London in the mid 1600s with lots of his characters depicted in it. Must put a photo of it up on here later tonight. Dinner calls.
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@Wherenext It looks an interesting jigsaw. The Lowry one took me two weeks to complete whereas I usually do most jigsaws in a week. I usually do a bit whilst the local news and the One Show is on and then for an hour after Newsnight.
David
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David, I have never done them before but felt I needed something dexterous for my right hand to do as it's recovery from the Stroke had seemed to reach an end but I wasn't prepared to give up. I have done 2 now and am quite pleased with the way my right hand fingers have performed. Not perfect or easy but there is hope. Also helps with concentration and the ladies love it as it keeps me quiet for a good few hours.
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@DavidKlyne & @Wherenext I really like the photos of your jigsaws, well done on completing them as they both look rather complicated. Are either of you going to frame them?
That is a fine looking sunset @Cornersteady how many of the planets are visible up there?
That sounds like an horrendous drive back home, @Takethedogalong pleased you made it safe and sound and that it didn't spoil your day out.
Another fine day today, some of which we spent loading up what we could in the caravan for our trip starting tomorrow, as there is rain forecast for the morning. Hopefully it won't be too bad and we can get the rest put in without getting wet.
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@nelliethehooker I think I do too many to frame them. Its also a bit of a faff as you have to flip them over (easy enough with some thin plywood) but then you have to apply an adhesive plastic film to the back to keep everything in place. Far from impossible but you really have to want to do it. I have done it once as my youngest son gave me a jigsaw he had made of his two dogs, I put it into a Clip Frame I had.
David
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@nelliethehooker just back from having a look. We think we spotted Mars and Venus. Very clear but cold night now. Ice is forming on cars.
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Did you ever solve the jigsaw, with the missing piece @DavidKlyne ?
David
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Visited the opticians to pick up my new glasses this morning. Then spent quite a while decidingcon dates and booking a cottage and ferry for the Outer Hebrides in the summer. Now just need to book the caravan jaunt around it.... 😀
David
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@Wherenext we have that same Shakespeare jigsaw👍 I did one of the Tour de France peloton riding through Haworth, during the lockdown, and decided to frame it for OH’s cycle cave up in attic. Bit of a faff, but I managed it, and it’s still fine in a big frame. We are hoping to planet spot as well, OH has a good birdwatching telescope that is good for night skies as well.
Fence now almost finished🥳 Two panels need making to fit odd sized gaps, and we are doing hedgehog tunnels, so OH can do these at his leisure now. Garden looks very different, wider. I certainly won’t miss the hedge cutting, the hawthorn was literally, a pain. I got 3/4 of the border dug over and dragged out any nasties I could find. Even managed to re plant a few things, but still got a bit to do, and plan. Brain is buzzing with all sorts of plants at the moment, but I have a lot of pots that I will transfer Ito ground. Tried digging up a Bronze Fennel to transfer yesterday😡 Gave up around 18 inches down, will buy a new one. Who knew their roots went so deep!🤭
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We arrived home on Monday after our first trip of the year. Had 4 nights in Hampshire primarily visiting oldest brother who is still in Winchester hospital. Also managed to spend time with our son and family. We then returned to North Norfolk far a further 4 nights, spent most of the time bird watching.
Might not be able to use the van for a while as during the annual service the dealer found that we had a distorted axle
Finally managed to get my drone flying again after the major software problem, hopefully get to use it over the coming months.
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No luck I am afraid David. I did buy a cheap one on Ebay of the same puzzle to try and harvest the missing piece but although it was the same picture it was cut differently as there was a 20 year gap between the two puzzles. I happens occasionally and you never know if its a manufacturing problem or whether you have just lost the piece, C'est la Vie as they say!
David
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@DavidKlyne It must be really annoying after spending so much time on it.... 😟😟😢
David
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Well what a difference a day makes. After a nice sunny day yesterday it is grey and very wet this morning. However it might have been a lovely day yesterday but it was still freezing cold in the Cathedral. It was warmer out than in! There was a very big funeral at the Cathedral yesterday. Apparently the chap had been the bass guitarist for the Genesis tribute band and the Cathedral was packed. He wasn't that old so very sad. After having been to the funeral of our friend on Monday it hasn't been the most cheerful of weeks.
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Oh no @Oneputt.... so sorry to read about the axle. Not sure what a distorted axle means, in practice.... a new axle or a refurb? Hope you get it all sorted soon. (Some years ago, when Alko were having problems with collapsed axles, a lot of folk used Frazer Brown....
http://www.fraserbrowneng.co.uk/
.... don't know if thats any use.. ?)
Best wishes to your brother, too.…
David
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So sorry to hear that your brother is still in Winchester hospital @Oneputt. I expect he was pleased to see you. Nice that you managed to see you son and family and also spent sometime birdwatching. It sounds like a busy trip. Hope you get your caravan sorted out OK.
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@milliehull yes, we had a lovely day yesterday, t shirt weather for a couple of hours, but it’s raining this morning, due to dry up though. Sorry to hear about your friend, we have one to face in the coming weeks, my dear Aunt finally passed away. Unlikely to be many there as well, as Sis cannot go, she has opted to stay with Mum, our other close cousin will be caring for her adult daughter, who has got to have major surgery on 6th March, and we aren’t sure yet whether or not our half cousin can make it up from London. But we shall remember her, and treasure all the beautiful art works, needlecraft, wood carving she has gifted us down the years.
A long haul for your brother @Oneputt, but good you got to see him again. We are hoping to visit RSPB Old Moor again shortly, it’s on our doorstep, only 15 minutes away, always an interesting walk around. We had a Red Wing in our garden yesterday, checking things out🙂 Hope you get the axle sorted, quickly and not too expensively.
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So sorry to hear about your aunt @Takethedogalong. Always sad to lose someone you have loved for so long. When my OH's mother passed away (age 93) her lovely GP who signed the death certificate said 'the longer your have them the harder it is to lose them' - how true. I am sure that those who can't make the funeral will be remembering her with love. Best wishes.
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