Had a lie in this morning - regretted it with a backache. Shopping in Leek for fruit, forgot the cream. Washed a carpet tile, it seemed to work.
Floor tile dried and fitted. Checked new pump, seems OK. Shortened and weighted cratch curtain. Took elastic out of fitted sheet and put it in to soak.
Cut wood. Engine checks - re-positioned header tank pipe and secured it. Unusually excellent TV reception with the aerial lying down on the roof. Everywhere else TV reception has been iffy at best mostly none at all.
Played about with new reamer, cut some willow for making things with - need a smaller reamer.
Went to Leek market, got a saw blade for a new smaller reamer. Fitted two new legs to shaving horse.
Played about with splitting lengths of timber and the reamer. Let Richard know where we are.
Collected withies, made a woodman's clamp, bound withies.
Writing this several years later I did a search on the internet for a "Woodman's Clamp" and as many variations on the theme as I could think of and can find absolutely no reference to the craftsman's tool. A woodman's clamp comprises a couple of sticks about three feet long with a piece of stout string tied about four to five inches from the end of each stick, a bit like a diablo throwing string. It is used by wrapping the string around a bundle of withies, locking the short ends of the sticks that protrude beyond the string into the bundle on opposite sides and tightening the string by stretching the long handles of the sticks. Works a treat.
Made a deer, moved to where Richard can get to us. He brought along a couple of bags of coal.
Up at 7:30 - Richard off at 8:15 to collect his hydraulic pumps and still get back to Whitney for the afternoon school run. Checked out Ash by the railway under the road bridge - too difficult-. One load of washing.
In to Leek - sorted updates on tablet and phone (in Leek library). Got another Model Mechanic. Farm to Shop has no logs till next Wednesday. Ordered logs from Talon. Changed cassette.
Got my spectacles adjusted. Got my phone 'emptied'. A little shopping.
Doctors on Monday. Waited in for a bag of logs. The coal that Richard got for us is rather smokey.
Bumped into a guy who knows a guy who has blacksmiths tools for sale. He is closing his glazing business and has some blacksmiths tools for sale. John, Datum Glass, Hillcrest St Hanley.
Doctors at Endon 9:00am. Prescribed Montelucast and inhalers. Then off to Etruria.
Walked; into town. Found 42 Hillcrest Rd, not here. Found 42 Hillcrest St, Wrong. Got directed to 42 Hillchurch St - wrong. Found Datum Glass at 42 Upper Hillchurch St. Rang telephone number on door, left a message. On the way back to 42 (Forty Two) got a phone call - explained why I was trying to contact him. We have arranged to meet tomorrow about 9ish. Got rid of rubbish.
Walked into town to look at blacksmiths tools. Agreed to pay £30 for the lot (45 items). Got 20kg potatoes and a sack f onions. Went into Tesco for long life milk.Left prescription there so went back again. John delivered blacksmiths tools.
Moved to Westport Lake and collected some wood on the way. Topped up with water, changed cassette and got rid of rubbish.
Nearly lost a solar panel in Harecastle tunnel, scraping it along the tunnel wall. I find it really difficult to keep straight and narrow in tunnels with Forty Two. Don't know if it is the boat or my failing eyesight. Left a message with the guy at Red Bull Boatyard re blacking Olive. Checked out busses into Kidsgrove, every 20 minutes.
Did a bit of shopping, couldn't get the fan belt I need.
Shaped leg for shaving horse.
Collected and sawed some wood for the fire. Re-tapered the dogs for the shaving horse.
Collected wood on the way, some from a woman's back garden(ish), A bit of an altercation.
I ran out of diesel. Ann-Marie delivered 80 litres of diesel by car but that didn't work. It looks as if when the tank runs dry the system develops a big air lock that can only be cleared by filling the tank at least 3/4 full, at least that is what I thought. It turned out the my lift pump was broken, hence not getting the fuel through.
Brian (Renaissance) filled fuel tank. 3 attempts to bleed the system before I got it right, Got into Macclesfield. 240 litres diesel, 13 kg gas.
Shopping in Macclesfield. Cannot get the table and chairs that I want on-line. Silk-men at Gateshead today, the next home match is on Monday.
Found the greengrocers in Macclesfield that I remember from a previous visit, they had pumelos so I purchased loads of fruit. Sawed up our latest collection of Ash. Watched footie via mobile internet - about half a gig for 2 hours, acceptable.
Hunkered down to avoid the wind and rain. Wind nearly ripped off one of the solar panels. It did rip out the hinges and over turned the panel. I need to get some catches to hold them down.
Silk-men vs Grimsby, 2-1 home win.
Trip to Leek to get my favourite cheese, Fiery Dragon.
Collected the Porta Pottie I had ordered. Removed the cassette toilet and replaced it with the Porta Pottie, involved several other little jobs including relaying the carpet. Now I have loads of rubbish to get rid of.
