It would appear no Google Maps van has been down our track since we started to build the house some 14 years ago and Google Maps Street View hasn't been updated.
According to Street View, there's still an old mobile home on what was a field that sheep grazed.
I spotted a Vauxhall Combo camper setup on Facebook Marketplace in Cardiff. After a bit of negotiation I got it for £210. and collected it in the Galaxy. That would have been a good chunk of my Winter Fuel Payment.....
It required a bit of modification to fit the Peugeot Partner longitudinally, but nothing my wood butchery skills couldn't handle. I made a new section that you can see in the photo below and the rest was cutting off some bits that were too long. It comes out in a jiffy, so the van can still be used as a van for general purpose van usage.
It's not quite wide enough for the Partner by a couple of inches either side, but it is more than adequate. At some future time I could use it as a basic template to make something that fits exactly and sell this one on. All it requires now is sanding, painting and some cushions to be made - I'm taking care of the first two and Hay is taking care of the latter job. It's going to be a muted grey.
She's also going to source some nice vinyl for the table top. I suggested, given my veneered dashboard expertise, I should veneer the entire thing in burr walnut, or at least the table top. She thought it a madcap idea. I think it would look rather nice.
The square gap is the table section, which lifts out and has a pole to mount it on, as can be seen in earlier photos. essentially the whole things is a bed that folds into a small seating area at the rear of the van. I'd like to mod it so that the seating area takes up more space, as there's a lot of room in the van that's wasted when it's not being used as a bed. Thinking cap on - perhaps just pushing it forward when not used as a bed would work. At least the main bench backrest would be supported by the cab seats.
£210 might seem a tad expensive, but if I were to do it myself it would require a few iterations and look nowhere near as nice. I'd probably have to spend that in wood and screws - several times over. Having this as a template helps enormously if I decide to do new one with some mods.
Here's a photo of a new one in a Vauxhall Combo, which it was designed for.
I think I might reverse its position, as getting into and out of the Partner is easier through the sliding side door than the back doors.
Hay is trying to get the Partner's classification changed from an LGV to a PLG, as the road tax is half, but it's very difficult. You need photographic evidence of the change to a camper and I believe some windows in the rear are necessary, which we don't have, as it's a stealth camper. However, we'll see what the DVLA say.
Before I proceed with Today's post, a Stop Press on the cutlery welding; stainless steel of the thickness of cutlery does not spot weld......
Spotted Saturday week when out shopping:
Above is the local Home Bargains. Below is the local Parker's Garden Centre where an entire aisle has been cleared for Christmas lights.
Halloween's still a month and a half away, for God's sake - pathetic. We were having a heatwave this time last year.
Apropos of yesterday's post on felting, while at the gift shop I mentioned we also spotted some dragonflies made from cutlery. I'm definitely going to have a go at making some of these and managed to obtain a good supply of 2nd hand cutlery from our local 2nd hand emporium for under a fiver, but lacking the knives. Essentially it's cutting with a disc cutter and a touch of tacking with my MiG welder.
I have all the necessary tools, so away I went on fashioning a body. I selected some rather nice looking forks and cut off the ends of two and tacked them to the remaining one, less the tines.
Not a bad 1st attempt on a body and tail - the metal being thick does help - now to find some knives. I'm sure I saw some in Hay's cutlery drawer......
There - knives included. Stitched together athwartships, but not yet fixed to the body.
Given the thickness of the metal, I did think of using my spot welder and may give that a go too. A spot welder doesn't spatter and the weld would be much cleaner.
Below are the wings welded to the body, but they gave me enormous problems. First and foremost spatter, but that's primarily because I've run out of shielding gas. I also tried to give the wings some texture by abrading them with a Roloc grinder, but it was far too coarse, but it's a prototype so not critical. I decided to overlap the 2 sets of wings slightly, which improves the aesthetic.
For legs I need forks with very long tines, which I currently lack; however, I had a spare door knob and spindle from the shed and thought I'd use that as a somewhat wobbly stand. The wobbliness was cured by grinding the end of the knob a little to create a small flat spot. That said, I don't have an endless supply of doorknobs to use for the next refinement.
Next is the head, which will counterbalance the whole thing. I've ordered 100 x 10mm ball bearings from e-Bay for £4.75, which won't arrive till next week.
I really need a metal buffer.
While away in Porlock we visited a gift shop in Selworthy and Hay spotted a felted owl, similar to the one below, maintaining she's going to have a go at making one using the excess sheep's fleece I bought for the pond filtration system.
To help her I bought a set of felting needles. They have siny serrations that felt the wool as you stab it. Felting means entangling the fibres to compact it and is achieved either by using hot water and pounding the wool for a long time, or the needle method, whereby the serrations on the needles grab the fibres as they go in and drag them internally to tangle. The needle method allows fine tuning of the shape.
Intrigued, I thought I'd give it a go and managed to produce this after about 10 minutes - the start of a Shaun the Sheep or a snowman. About as fine tuned as a Trabant, but it works - it just takes time and plenty of blood in your fingers for when you accidentally stab yourself.
I initially hand washed the wool thoroughly to get rid of the lanolin and then carded it with a couple of cat brushes to get rid of the detritus - straw and the like- that washing couldn't remove.
There’s a real inconsistency when it comes to how we look at two very similar tragic events.
On one side, you’ve got the Jeremy Kyle Show - a total circus, built to humiliate people for ratings. It was called 'human bear-baiting'. The whole thing was about creating drama and putting vulnerable people in the spotlight for the entertainment of others. When someone tragically took their own life after appearing on the show, it was obvious to many that the show’s intense, confrontational format might have played a part. But, surprisingly, we’re told the show wasn’t really to blame, despite how toxic it clearly was. The show was shut down, yes, but ITV and those involved tried to wash their hands of responsibility, claiming it wasn’t the cause, and a coroner agreed.
I'm not sure why, but the other day I was thinking about a 60s phenomenon called the "Best Room".
Back in the '60s, loads of British homes had what was known as the "Best Room" – a bit of a shrine, really. It was the room you’d spend ages decorating with the finest furniture, all top notch, but no one ever actually got to sit in it unless there were guests over. You’d have a posh sofa, maybe a sideboard with a few bits of fancy china on display, all bought to impress, but heaven forbid you’d relax in there on a normal day.
Because no-one ever went into it normally, the heating was always off and it smelled a little musty and damp in the winter. Children were usually banned from even setting foot in the Best Room, and if you did, you’d get short shrift. Some families even went as far as covering the furniture in plastic to keep it spotless – the sort of thing that would stick to your legs if you dared sit down. The TV, if there was one, might be off-limits in there too – not that you'd ever think to switch it on when this was the room for showing off your good taste, not for lounging about.
It was all about keeping up appearances. When company came round, the door would finally be opened, and you’d shuffle in, like you were putting on a show of how respectable you were. The rest of the time, it stayed locked away from everyday life, with the family cramped into the backroom where everything actually happened.
By the time the '70s rolled in, the Best Room started to seem a bit old hat. People were more laid back and thought it a bit daft to have a room no-one ever used. That heralded the demolition of the wall separating the Best Room and the more comfortable Living Room.
Nowadays, most people have a laugh about it, but back then, having a Best Room was serious business – a symbol that you were moving up in the world, even if you never really got to enjoy it!
Look at this bottle - BOTTLE - of cider:
It says draught cider (actually it says cyder, but we'll leave that archaic spelling for now) - but it's in a bottle.
I made an enquiry of ChatGPT: "The term "draught" on the bottle of Aspall cider you have there might seem a bit confusing, given that it's in a bottle rather than being served directly from a tap or cask. In this case, "draught" is used to evoke the idea of the cider being similar in taste and quality to what you might get from a traditional draught serve, even though it's bottled.
"This usage is not uncommon in the drinks industry, where some products are branded as "draught" to indicate that they offer a similar experience to their on-tap counterparts, often with a focus on freshness and a particular style of carbonation or flavour that mimics draught cider. So, while it might feel a bit misleading, it's essentially a marketing term to suggest that this bottled cider has the qualities you would associate with a draught cider."
One wonders when they'll introduce a cask ale that; "Tastes just like bottled ale." The whole point of a cask is that it is considered better than bottled by enthusiasts due to its natural conditioning, lower carbonation, warmer serving temperature, traditional serving method - and the authentic pub experience it provides.
Wanting to get a better bike than the one I have (it's the old one I converted to 50cc petrol, and ended up being brained on it and having 4 holes bored into my head), I went to our local 2nd hand emporium and purchased a rather swish looking job for £65.
Research shows it to be an Apollo / Ford collaboration called the Ford Ranger. Never heard of car manufacturers collaborating with bike manufacturers before. However, looking it up I found the following:
The one I got was obviously at the budget end of the scale.
I could tell immediately why the previous owner had gotten rid of it - the piston seat suspension clicked like anything and the brakes squealed. The solution? Slackening off one end of the damper so it moved freely and simply riding the bike for a mile or two to bed the brake rubber in.
It has obviously never been used and was a bit of a bargain. OK, it has rim brakes, but the gears are Shimano. The gears are selected by a twist grip on the inner edge of the hand grips, which I find easier to operate than levers.
The original price was between £150 and £250 when they came out in the 2000s, which was well before the lockdown mania for bikes, which resulted in prices going through the roof. At today's values they'd be £250 to £420, with this one being at the higher end of the range, which is still the cheap end.
Not so sure about the rear wheel panel - that may have to come off, as it could suffer from side windage.
I'm going to have to get rid of some of these koi before much longer.
They're certainly becoming more tame with the feeding ritual. When Hay gets into the water for her morning swims they mob her and nibble at her legs.
There are more than the ones you can see - there's at least 5 black ones which are difficult to spot. One is rather nice, having a silvery underside and jet black topside.
I feared I was overfeeding them, as I'm starting to get blankets of filamentous algae in my physical filter mats. That's usually a sign to too much nutrient from uneaten food. Once a day, with enough to last 2 minutes is enough, by all accounts.
As a precaution I did a pond test with some strips and fed the results into Chat GPT, which came back as follows:
"Your pond water parameters look quite balanced, with just a few things to note:
"pH (7.4): This is within a good range for most pond fish and plants. Slightly alkaline, which is ideal for fish like goldfish or koi.
"KH (15 dKH): The carbonate hardness (KH) is quite high. This means your water has a good buffering capacity, which helps prevent sudden pH swings. This is good, especially in outdoor ponds.
"GH (10 dGH): Your general hardness (GH) is moderate. It suggests there's enough calcium and magnesium in the water, which is beneficial for fish health, shell growth in snails, and plant vitality.
"NO3 (Nitrate) 0: Having zero nitrates is unusual in established ponds, as it's typically a byproduct of the nitrogen cycle. If your pond is relatively new or well-filtered with lots of plants, that could explain it.
"NO2 (Nitrite) 0: This is ideal, as nitrite is harmful to fish even in small amounts.
"Overall, your pond seems to have stable, healthy conditions. If you're adding plants or fish, it should be safe to do so based on these readings. Just keep an eye on the nitrate levels to ensure the nitrogen cycle is functioning properly."
So, everything is looking just fine.
Term time holidays are in the news again.
Parents who prioritise cheap holidays over their children's education demonstrate a clear disregard for the value of education, which is a privilege, not an option to be undermined for personal convenience.
Term-time absences disrupt not only the child’s learning but the entire classroom, and the minimal fines imposed clearly aren't a deterrent, often just viewed as part of the holiday cost.
If parents are so quick to neglect their children’s education for a bargain, perhaps they should be left to take full responsibility for it through homeschooling, rather than relying on the state to fix the gaps they create.
I'm certain that having their children excluded from the state system after the first warning will act as a deterrent - certainly more so than a small fine. If their kids are homeschooled then they can take them away whenever they want, but someone's going to have to give up work.
Another solution could be to levy a charge on the parents to pay for a one-to-one tutor to get the child back up to speed without affecting the rest of the class. The problem would be getting them to pay.
Went into my local health food shop last week and they have been seduced into selling things from Clarkson's Diddly Squat Farm.
The coffee alone says it all - a blend that seems to have all the grace of a diplomatic incident. One can only wonder what possessed them to mix the earthy richness of Indonesia, the bright acidity of Kenya, and the smoothness of Colombia into one confused cup. It's like trying to have three conversations at once, and none of them are particularly interested in each other. It’s like they’ve tried to mask the original confusion with a dessert tray comprising chocolate, spices and honey. The result? A cup that can't decide if it’s a coffee, a confection, or a desperate plea for attention. More likely the latter.
As for the tins.....
The man's canny though and caters for the perennial teenager who will fall for it and gladly part with their money to swell his coffers.
I bought a book about foraging, primarily because when we go motorhoming I want to be able to become more self-sufficient.
However, it's more for the middle class forager, as all the recipes are for jams, sauces, tinctures or salves.
I want to be able to forage for something that tastes like a cabbage and sustains me in the same manner. Something that's fairly abundant, but hasn't yet hit the supermarket shelves. Something that's hearty and rib-sticking - not some poncey cordial that takes a week to make, or a garnish to a bloody salad.
While we were away at Parlock last weekend, someone had ditched a perfectly good BBQ and placed it in the campsite rubbish area. It was dirty and filled with burnt sausages - the staple of the male Fire God, badly cooked.
It's essentially a hibachi, much like the one I made out of fire bricks. Perfectly salvageable, so I cleaned it up and took it home.
It looked brand new and was obviously bought just for the holiday and then thrown away. Such a waste of money and symptomatic of our disposable society.
We're not great BBQers when away. Our strategy is to take as much of home with us while away and live in decent luxury after a hard day of walking or cycling - not surviving on hideous food that's either semi raw or burnt to a crisp.
We do, however, occasionally BBQ, but not like the vast majority of people, where the man of the household takes over the cooking and makes shit food while not stepping near the kitchen at any other time of the year. Hay takes care of the cooking; I take care of fixing things, like bikes - it works perfectly. In the months when the sun goes out earlier, we eat a sumptuous meal by candlelight, watching all the men flashing up their BBQs while their wives look on in resigned disdain.
Hay's BBQing usually comprises fish and accompanying vegetables, such as aubergine, courgette or peppers that are blackened on the grill, not some supermarket sausages that are mainly filler, or patties of pink goo that are advertised as burgers. I leave BBQs well alone, as they're essentially a pink job.
I saw this the other day on the A39:
To the untrained eye it might look like a speed camera, but the hole in the front gives it away as a bird box.
It's highly unlikely to be used by a bird, unless it was in extremis, as it's right next to the road. Someone is having us on....
We've returned from a long weekend in West Somerset where I have become convinced that caravan and motorhome camp site are the spiritual home of the personalised number plate.
See what I mean?
When I was positioning some wood in the shed on which to mount the pond UV unit, I used a long spirit level; however, is struck me that it makes no difference whether you use a long or short one, as the bubble chamber on each spirit level is exactly the same size.
For the longer level to be more accurate, it would be necessary for the bubble chamber to be much longer.
The difference in length between spirit levels is not about the bubble chamber itself but rather the area over which it averages the level measurement, the practical application of the tool, and the level of precision required for different jobs. For something that's perfectly straight and you merely want to mount it horizontal to the ground, both are equally accurate, but if you have a long, irregular length, such as a row of bricks, then the longer level evens out the small irregularities.
