Tuesday 31 May 2016

An ugly chair transformed


Hello. I was up early this morning, so I think I might be going to bed early tonight. I'll try and stay awake while I do this. I've had this chair a very long time, I can't remember where I got it from, I have another one the same. As I already had a tin of red paint open, to paint the vase, I thought what else can I paint. I know, this chair is in the Summer House, I think it needs a makeover. Yesterday it was warm enough to work on it outside on the garden table, so I gave it one coat.  
Today it was windy and cold so I finished it off on the dining room table. I have re covered the seat with a piece of fabric I got at the Scrapstore. The splodges of red paint on it are in the pattern, so it matches the chair. I'm really pleased with the result, it looks fab in the flesh. I think I might do the other chair in a different colour.


The bin men came today, and my garden waste bin didn't get emptied. They stick a label on it to say why. 
This is where the machine on the back of the lorry grabs it to lift it up. I first noticed a while back that the lip had started to break up and rang the council to let them know. They said it will be alright, ring up when the bin falls into the lorry and we'll deliver a new one. Well it has happened now so I shall expect a new one in a few days. I hope they take the old one away with the rubbish, and don't expect me to transfer it into the new bin. 

I took the car to the garage today for a service, and went a walk around the town while they were doing it. I wanted some garlic powder from the Asian shop so I took a walk up to the top of the High Street. There is a Scope charity shop on the way, and I was surprised to see big posters in the window, 'Everything £1', worth a look. I found a jacket and a fleecy top, the jacket was £4 and the top was £3. Two items for £2, a bargain.


The jacket looks very smart and fits perfectly, I'm amazed I can get into a size 10. The fleece is bigger and will be worn in the house over layers.

I'm not walking tonight, it's blowing and cold, and I'm tired, so I'm off to bed. I will announce the winner of the bag in the morning after 10am when the competition closes.

Thanks for popping in. We'll catch up soon. Toodle pip

Monday 30 May 2016

Brighten up your life with a splash of paint

Hello. Who let this darn cat in, oops, sorry Garcia, I didn't realize it was you. Cheeky chappie Garcia strolls in as if he owns the place. He knows where the feeding stations are and goes around them all to see what he can scrounge. Ooh yes, I wouldn't mind some of this Felix, thank you very much. The cat food has to be off the ground so Rocky dog doesn't steal it. Garcia often pops in, he lives three doors up the road and has been coming for years. He is looked after where he lives, just likes strolling around the neighbourhood.
I've been doing lots of little jobs today, one of them was tarting up this rather boring brown vase that I rescued from a trip to the tip. The man had loaded it into his car, and I took it out, ha ha. I'm cheeky like that. One tin of red tester paint I got from the Scrapstore. I picked six tins, they were included in my £5 basket along with the fabric.

Two coats covers it nicely. although it looks pink in this picture, it is red.



We're almost at the end of the month, don't forget to send in your miles for the Walking Group page. I am on track to finish the month on 415, and hopefully stay on track for the 500 mark at the six month stage. I am liking this challenge because it makes me get up out of this chair and go outside for some exercise. Sometimes I am not quite so enthusiastic and I have to force myself, but when I've done the three miles, I feel a lot better, physically and mentally.

I am chuckling at some of the guesses to win a bag. No one is near yet.

Thanks for popping in. We'll catch up soon. Toodle pip

Sunday 29 May 2016

Guess the magic word

Hello. I've been making more shopping bags to sell on our cat stall at our Village Fete next month. Fourteen in total now, blues, reds, and greens. It's very strong fabric, and waterproof, they will last for ages. 
I have one bag to give away to a lucky winner. All you gave to do is include the magic word in your comment. I did have it written down somewhere, but it has disappeared. It was on this piece of paper, but I can't see it. Well that's strange. Anyway, you'll have to guess what the word is, so have a go, and the one to guess it correctly wins a bag. Easy innit  ;o) Closing date Wednesday morning 1st June at 10am BST.

Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon. Toodle pip.

Friday 27 May 2016

A mini flower show in the Arts Centre

Hello. The Chelsea Flower Show has been on this week, I would love to see it live but I don't want to go to London, and I suspect the tickets might be a tad expensive, and I don't fancy shuffling around with a lot of people. We have had our own mini flower show in our 20 21 Arts Centre, so I went to have a look at it today. The talented ladies from Caister Flower Club did us proud with their artistic displays. here are a few which I thought were lovely.

This photo doesn't do it justice, the shadows spoil it.

So here is a close up of the top tier. beautiful shades of purple.

 This one is stunning, on three different levels.

A chance to see the coloured mirrors in the daytime. The sun is beaming into the church from three windows. I must say that it wasn't as good as the first time I saw it at the evening opening, when they projected coloured lights across it. In fact it looked a bit flat and some of the corners were dark. Also I think they should have covered the floor with white blankets first to enhance the brightness of the colours. 
Here is a close up of one small section.

The day finishes bathed in sunlight, let's hope we get a sunny weekend. Whatever you are doing, I hope you enjoy your Bank Holiday weekend. I shall be staying at home, pottering around in the garden and doing a bit of sewing. Thanks for popping in. We'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

Nice article, if you can get past the adverts

Hello. There is a nice story about my Summer House in the Scunthorpe Telegraph. The journalist left me an email asking for my phone number yesterday. I answered her. She hasn't rung me, but gone ahead and written the story anyway, using information cobbled together from other sources, national papers and my blog. It reads well.

If you want to read it click on the link, but beware, you only get a taster of it and to read the whole article you have to answer a stupid survey question. Just click on a bluddy box and it will reveal the article. Infuriating. You can bypass this by clicking on the 'skip' option, but then you get adverts littering it, also infuriating. Maybe you have ad blocker, I don't.

Back later.

Thursday 26 May 2016

Fabric junkie

Hello. I think I might be a fabric junkie. It was time for another Hull Scrapstore visit on Tuesday, I had three crafty ladies wanting to go and stock up. Oh how I love rooting through those bins, you never know what you might find. All the best pieces are at the bottom so dig deep. I filled my basket for £5, and bought another three pieces for £1 each. They just seemed to jump into my basket, ha ha. The red stripey one is going to make some smashing shopping bags. 
A big thank you to Elaine from Philadelphia who sent me a Birthday Card, and tucked inside was this quirky piece of cotton fabric. It's very unusual, I haven't seen this design before. Each figure has a puss cat.


I was on the radio this morning talking about my Summer House. James Piekos was standing in for Burnsy, and I got the call just before the end of the programme. You can listen to it here, on Radio Humberside. Move the slider across to 2 hours 47 minutes. It's only available for 29 days. A reporter from the local paper is after me, will probably speak to her tomorrow.

Thank you all for voting for me, I never expected to get this far. I didn't realize how many entries they received, it's amazing that they picked my shed to go through to the finals. Just as a recap, this is the page you want to vote.  You can vote for one shed in each of the eight categories.

Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

Wednesday 25 May 2016

Spread the word

Hi.
My Summer House is in the Guardian newspaper. Photo taken last week. Keep voting folks, and tell your mates. Thank you.
Ilona

Oh look, I'm in the Telegraph as well, ha ha.

Oh WOW, I'm in the Mail as well. You'll need to scroll down a long way to see three smashing photo's.

Crikey, and I'm on the BBC News page.

And I'm on the Yahoo News page. Scroll through to pics 9 and 10.

Chuffin heck, in the Independent as well. Scroll through to pics 5 and 6.

There is a short video on the Birmingham Mails web site, I'm on that, near the end.

Ha ha, in the Daily Mirror as well.

Yep, I'm in the Evening Standard. Scroll through to pic 5.

The Daily Star has my mugshot in it.

Yes, I am in The Daily Post, click on the video.

Try AOL web site, I am there, ha ha.

Is that enough for you, I'm up to page 6 of goooglie. I'm off to bed, it's late. goodnight.

Great news :o))

Hello. This has landed in my email box.......

Dearest Sheddie
I have some great news - your amazing shed has made it to the
shortlist for shed for Shed of the year 2016.

Public voting has opened - you can get your friends/family/shed
fanciers to vote via the homepage of

http://www.readersheds.co.uk

They have until midday on June 8th, to vote for your shed to win it's category

Many thanks for taking part and I hope to meet you at the final
regards
Wilco
(Head Sheddie)


Oh my, I'm through to the final. It would be great if my readers could vote for my shed, also known as The Bespoke Summer House or The Beach Hut. Please pass on the links to anyone you know, friends and family. 

If you haven't already found it by clicking on the link at the top of the page, here it is on the Shed of the Year web site. You can find your way to the voting page from there, or go direct to it. 

To vote go to this page and click on the button underneath my picture and click 'vote'. 



Ooooh, I'm getting all excited, I might have a chance. I have no idea what the prize is, I don't care. It was the fun of building it, now it's the fun of taking part that counts. Now I am officially a Sheddie. 

Thank you very much for all your comments yesterday, it was so interesting reading them all. If anyone hasn't got round to reading the post and comments, you might like to sit down with a cuppa and browse through it. 

It's raining so I am stuck indoors at the moment. When it stops I have outdoor stuff to do. Thanks for popping in. we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip.  

Tuesday 24 May 2016

I do, no maybe I don't.

Hello. I made a few notes while I was relaxing with a mug of coffee this morning. Another 'Ten good reasons'. I'm off to the Scrapstore this morning with three crafty pals, and this afternoon I am helping my friend deliver her parish newsletters, so that's my walking sorted for today.

Ten good reasons why I have never married.

1. I have never found anyone that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I thought I did when I was younger, but as time went on I realized that this wasn't the person.

2. I was always too busy to invest time and effort into a relationship. Work always came first and relationships had to fit in with that. They often fizzled out because either them or me lost interest. Life moves on.

3. I never wanted children. I couldn't see myself doing the wife and mother thing. When I was younger people always asked me when I was going to settle down. What! The thought horrified me. When I was sterilized at 37 the doctor asked me about bringing the next generation into the world. I said, 'there are already enough people doing that.'

4. I saw relationships all around me crumble, family and friends. I decided that the only way to prevent this happening to me was to not get too deeply involved with someone. On the occasions when I did get involved it all ended in tears. I have a self preservation mechanism, when something is not working, I get out.

5. The men I were attracted to, weren't attracted to me, and vice versa. I can't force myself to love someone, and neither would I expect someone to love me if they didn't. I spent a lot of time trying out lots of different models, wondering if this was 'the one'. If love is one sided it doesn't work.

6. I see marriage as a contract which legally ties two people together. If I want to stay with someone I will, I don't need a piece of paper.

7. I believe that when a marriage starts going downhill, there is only one way for it to go, it will end sooner or later. I prefer to move forward rather than dwell on the past. Everyone makes mistakes, when something is not working, best to cull it. My parents marriage should have ended a lot sooner than it did. Life is too short to put up with anything which isn't working.

8. In my opinion, both partners in a marriage are equal and should share the tasks of running a home and family. Both should have equal opportunities to have a life outside of the marriage, able to work, socialize with friends and family, travel alone. Both should share child minding. These things should be discussed before the marriage contract is signed.

9. I can't be what someone else expects me to be, nor do I expect someone to alter their life for me. We are who we are. Yes, I know some compromises have to be made for a marriage to work, all well and good if both parties agree to the compromises. But when two immovable objects push against each other, neither willing to back down, that's when ugliness sets in. Forgive and forget? No. I can't forget if someone is horrible to me.

10. Where does love come in all of this? Does my heart rule my head or the other way round? I have loved, and been loved, I had a proposal which I turned down, it wasn't the right time or the right person. My heart has been in love, but my head has said, no way.

There is a lot more I could add, my list was longer, but I need to get on. There will be lots of differences of opinion on this topic. I am at one end of the scale having never married, those who have had a lifetime partner are at the other end, there is a big grey area in between. Everyone's view on what a marriage should be will vary, depending on their upbringing, home life or lack of it, the era they grew up in, and their culture. There is no 'one size fits all'. This is my blog, I write as I see it. Comments are welcome as usual and are moderated.

Thanks for popping in. We'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

Monday 23 May 2016

Blood and guts, yum yum ;o)

Hello. Bit of a mixed bag tonight. Couldn't resist taking a photo of Mayze snuggled up on my bed this morning. I was up at 6am and she immediately jumps onto it and makes a nest in the duvet. The sun shines through the window and she is in heaven. What a cutie. 
What do you think of this meal I had at lunchtime then? looks pretty gruesome, doesn't it, all blood and guts, ha ha. I had half a tub of chopped onions, and tub of spiraled beetroot, yellow stickers to use up. I don't know whey they call it spaghetti. Cook in a pan with some oil, add water, then add cheap noodles. Chuck in some spices and cook a bit longer. Actually it doesn't taste too bad, there is some left for tomorrow.

Things are growing in the raised beds, not sure if they are flowers or weeds. I have stuck a few plastic flowers in there to add a bit of colour.

I have three of these little trees, found them in the wheelie bins in the churchyard. Such a shame that people throw them away. They are sprouting green tips, so it looks like they might survive.

I'm taking three of the crafty ladies to the Scrapstore in the morning. I don't particularly need anything, but I bet the temptation to fill a basket for £5 will be too much to ignore. I like a mooch.

Hows the walking going everyone? The target for the end of May is 415 miles if you are on track. Don't worry if you are a long way off that, just keep walking. I shall be hitting 400 tomorrow. Although I did extra walking while I was away, I have missed five days in May up to now. I'll try not to miss any more.

Thanks for popping in. We'll catch up soon. Toodle pip

Sunday 22 May 2016

Susan Boyle by John McShane. Book review.

Hello. I've actually found time to read a book. It's been in my possession for eight weeks, and is now due back at the library. It will be returned on Tuesday to Stan in the mobile van. He used to be here on a Monday, but has had to change days because parking at the Health Centre was blocking some of the car parking spaces. They thought it better to change to Tuesday afternoon when the Centre is closed. He is still in the village for the whole day, and people can catch him at any of the five locations. 
So what did I think of the book? I have been watching Susan's progress ever since she was discovered on Britain's Got Talent, reading newspaper articles and watching video's on yoootoooob, and was looking forward to reading this book. As I got into it I realized that most of it was a rehash of what I had already read. The author appears to have trawled through numerous newspaper and magazine articles, and bodged together what he calls an Autobiography. It isn't. Most of what I read in the book, I already knew about, so if you are a Susan fan, I wouldn't bother buying it. His writing is very repetitive, the same quotes over and over again. I wanted to shout, 'you've already said that six times'.

I did finish it to the end, although I almost gave up half way through it. The book was published in 2010, so there is nothing beyond that. It left me thinking I needn't have bothered.

For those who don't know the story it might be an interesting read, but unless you have been on planet Mars for the last few years, you will have already picked up most of the story in the press.

It seems I am not alone in my opinion. Reading the reviews on Amazon there are nine positive and six negative reviews. Get it from the library if you want to read it, but I wouldn't bother buying it.

Thanks for popping in. Life gets back to normal, everything in the garden is growing madly and needs keeping under control. I want to get my walled garden picture finished by the middle of June ready for the art exhibition in the Village Hall. I'll pop back here when I can.

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday. Toodle pip.

Saturday 21 May 2016

A perfect night out.

Hello. I'm just back from a fab night out. The Scunthorpe Male Voice Choir were joined by similar choirs from steel towns in the north of England. It was a full house, tickets were sold out months in advance. I had a front row seat, and Leslie Garrett was right in front of me. It was brilliant. 
There were songs for all tastes, it was hard to pick a favourite. The choirs sang I Dream a Dream, and I immediately had Susan Boyle's voice in my head. They sang it beautifully. Unchained Melody, and The Rose,  are also two of my favourites. Lesley did opera, I don't know how she reaches those high notes, and she did some smashing songs from the shows. There was a medley from The Sound Of Music which she starred in, in London.

I've found a video of Lesley with the Peterborough Male Voice Choir, singing You'll Never Walk Alone, she sang this as a closing number tonight. The combination of a female opera singer with a male voice choir are just perfect together.



I've just noticed that it's past midnight, so I'd better get to bed. I'm going to adjust the date to the 21st, ha ha. My birthday treats are over, and I've really enjoyed myself.

Thanks for popping in. We'll catch up soon. Toodle pip

Friday 20 May 2016

Not the evening I planned

Hello. Well that was a bummer, loads of people turned up to see Dennis Skinner, and he didn't come, he rang in sick. The woman on the door said she only found out an hour before. They had managed to find an alternative entertainer, but that wasn't what I bought a ticket for, so I had a full refund. I went to Tesco instead, and found some yellow stickers, so I managed to salvage something from the evening.

Now I'm scoffing cheese and crackers, and supping cider.
Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.

A walk around Lockton and Levisham

Hello. Day three of my North Yorkshire bimble. I arrived home yesterday at 4pm after a short walk in the morning. Breakfast done and dusted and checked out of the B & B, I drove a few miles to the village of Lockton. I have walked in the area before and planned to take the Tabular Hills Walk over Levisham Moor to have a look at The Hole of Horcum, a natural amphitheatre, 400 feet deep and half a mile across. The Walking Englishman has done this walk, you can read about it on his web site
The Village Hall at Lockton looked like a very nice wooden shed, all neat and tidy and freshly painted. 
To avoid walking in the road, I took a track through a wood to Levisham. It was very pleasant, very quiet.

Here is a little video I made which gives a little taster of the tranquility of it.



This is the wide main street going through Levisham. Nobody has front gardens, just very wide grass verges.

I left the village by the side of the pub, following the road which turned into a track, towards the moor. I started to keep watch on the time, and wondered if my plan was going to make me late back to my car. Two ladies walking asked me for directions, and as my map had more detail than theirs I was able to point them in the right direction.

I could see my path ahead, up and over the moors, and checked the map, and found a short cut which looked more interesting. I decided on plan B, and shorten the walk to fit into the time I had left. Through another wood, through some fields where cows were grazing, and back to the start in the village. This pond had completely swallowed up the path next to Warren Farm, but luckily I found a way round the edge to go through that gate.

I was back at my car for 2.30pm, and back home for 4pm. Mileage for this walk was 6 miles, making a total of 26 miles over the three days. A boost for my challenge walk.

A couple of readers have asked about the B & B. Adam and Sue Gibson run Manor Farm, they have been doing B & B for 20 years. My room was a chalet type with a lockable front door. I could park right outside it, and the dining room was opposite in the main building.

The room was clean, plenty of bedding, and a modern bathroom with shower over bath, and plenty of smellies to choose from. Tea, coffee, and hot chocolate were available with a kettle, on a tray. TV on the wall and a chair to sit in. Choice of breakfast, full English, cereals, fruit, yogurt, and toast.



Here is a link to Manor Farm website. I would recommend it, a friendly place to stay and a good base for walking. I paid £70 for two nights, no supplement for single person occupancy.

Thank you to my two friends, Janet and Barry, for taking care of the the kids while I was away.

I've been out looking for a lost dog this morning, it escaped from a car a week ago and there are posters up all around the village. Several sightings have been made, but when anyone approaches it, it runs away. Anyway, must get on, plenty of jobs to do around the house. We'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

Thursday 19 May 2016

12 mile walk from Gillamoor in North Yorkshire

Good morning. A lot of photo's to load last night, I didn't have time to do the words. I have an hour before breakfast so let's see if I can get it done now. It was forecast rain, but I was lucky, there were a few light showers that lasted no more than ten minutes, and the brolly coped with them without the need to cover up. The plan was to head north from Gillamoor, I had identified some interesting looking terrain on the map, and was itching to explore. 
The walk took me through Farndale Nature Reserve, this sign made me titter, no plucking, ha ha. 
Leaving the road at Lowna Bridge, taking the track to Low Mill. 
Along the track I was caught up by this tractor trailer coming up behind me. I always step aside for farm vehicles, knowing the farmers have a job of work to do. I soon caught up with them at the next gate and watched from a safe distance. The driver was trying to reverse the trailer into a narrow path on his right. A bit of shunting took place, the driver stopped and asked if I wanted to pass. I said, no you carry on, I want to watch, knowing that the trailer was a beast to reverse with it's low bed, heavy load, and axle right at the back. Is he going to do it?
Nearly there, just one more shunt.
Success, now he can get on with repairing the gatepost. Always something interesting to watch when out on a walk. 
Through the woods, some very deep ruts along here. Thank goodness the ground has dried out a bit and they are easily navigated with a bit of  scrambling along the edges.
The wood opens out into fields full of sheep. This is what I am here for, the lovely views. 
Can't beat it, the tranquility, the twittering of the birds, and fresh fragrances of the foliage, occasionally punctuated with some pungent farm smells wafting past, ha ha. 
Into the tiny hamlet of Low Mill, this is the Old Post Office, now residential. 
Right next door is a new build. Attempts have been made to use traditional materials and blend it into it's surroundings. It hasn't quite worked, maybe it will look a bit better when it has weathered a few years. 
At Low Mill there is a car park with a sign saying £2 for the Daffodil Walk. Oh, that might explain the no plucking sign, there must be a lot of daffodils to see. The path follows the bends of the River Dove. It was very pleasant to stroll along accompanied by the water rushing over the river bed. Alas, the daffodils are now gone, but there are great swathes of bluebells to admire instead. 

I saw a sign for a cafe up ahead on a gate post, and found the Daffy Caffy. All very rustic with home made signs and home made food, and a garden to sit in. 

The ice cream fridge was housed in a shed opposite. Oooh, I must treat myself to a Magnum.
Me happy in Yorkshire. Yum. Tastes so much better in the great outdoors.
This is about the halfway stage, time to turn round and find another route back. Climb the ladder stile. Quite a few finger posts have been replaced with new ones, nice to know that these are being checked. 
Lots of shades of green in the trees over yonder. 
This is more like the Dales rather than the Moors. 
The map is telling me to go through this wood, it looks quite steep and I almost decided to take another easier route along the road. 
I am glad I didn't. Climbing up onto the moor above the wood and here was the bonus. More fantastic views. See that short road down there, that's where I was. It's good to look back.
Not a soul about, this is just heaven. I had to sit on a rock for a while to take it all in.  
The last part of the walk was a mixture of moor, tracks, and fields full of sheep, and finished with a steep climb up the hill back to Gillamoor. A six o clock finish was exactly what I planned. The day was fantastic, a total of 12 miles and lots of ups and downs.

I'll wind this up now, breakfast calls. Someone asked about the B & B, I'll include that later, so come back for the last part of the story. Thanks for popping in. Catch ya soon.
Toodle pip