Norfolk in August 2012

In August we had a few days in Norfolk and nearby was Burnham Overy Staihe which is a lovely place

 The beach at Burnham Overy Staihe this is 1 3/4 miles from the car park along a bank across the marsh. the path is part of the peddlers way.

 What ships dad I cant see any just my stupid step brother in the distance when will he ever learn seagulls fly .

 The beach is full of little channels while we were watching the Tide came in behind some people and they had to wade through knee high water.

 This is the channel on the way back as the tide comes in people can easy get cut off if you don't look at the tide times and go onto the island.

 The car park is not pay and display but you have to know the tide times as it can get flooded on high tides.

 the young people who sail at high tide are all aware of the tides and all have life jackets on it was great to see them rigging the sails and competing against each other.

 the mirror sailing dingies were competing in a race in the distance.

we went to Burnham Overy a few times at high tide just to watch the sailing.
One day the kids were building rafts to race helped by dads and some times mums.
there is a web cam showing the staihe and boats well worth watching.
I will try to up date the site more often if i can I just seam to have got out of the habit of posting.

Off this week catching up with my jobs

Hi
I have been off work this week catching up with jobs around the house and workshop.
The garden is water logged from all the rain as soon as the water company banned hose pipes it has rain most days since.
So I have not been able to do any gardening and as its cold and frosty some mornings I will wait before I set any plants out.

I went down the Ponds on Saturday its clay ground the water just stood on the parts that were low and the water level is back to the normal winter heights and the dyke's are full it makes a change as the environment agency normally let the water out to sea as soon as it rains.

I have been putting together a woodworking bench this week I have painted it and altered the base so I can have a shelf under it to put boxes under out of the way.

Barbara took the dogs out this morning as it was fine but I have been taking them down the river and its me who has to wash whisper when we get back he is covered in mud Toffee has been in the river swimming but whisper hates water he keeps well clear.

I heard my first cuckoo yesterday morning He is late this year normally March / April.

Green Woodworking day Sunday 26th February 2012

The LS.S.S.C Green wood working day at Spalding Common Community Hall.
A friend and I ran a Green wood working day for the Lincolnshire Smallholders and Self sufficiency Club.
After arranging the Hall and Cutting wood for making spoons and turning on the bodger's lathe.

We  had a good day

Shave horse made from 2x4 traditional wood which came first the shave horse or the Lathe.

.

 Chris one of the members giving the lathe a go being watched by another member.

The lathe and the shave horse belong to Paul Simple and reasonably cheap compared to a new record lathe.

 Shave horse easy to move on our car trailer the lathe had to be taken down 4 bolts really easy.

I gave a talk on the steam juicer and dehydrator and how I preserve food and make wine.

winter on a Saturday in February 2012

Freezing fog and snow after  last nights temperature was down to -16 at Holbeach that is only 20

miles away but near to the sea bank.

This was the view of one of the local roads when I was taking toffee for a walk.

 The football field below is looking like a called off match to me the dugout was covered with cob Web's that showed up with the frost.

 This is the first time Whisper has seen the snow he loves it he must be 11 months old now but you cant let him off the lead as he puts his nose down and just runs so he has to go on a training lead.
He pulls on the lead so you have to be ready as he pulls you over if you don't watch out.

                                                                        He love the snow

                        A spaniel through and through just bounds about all the time

Winter has arrived

We had 100mm to 150mm of snow on Sunday good job I picked up my new 4x4 on Saturday the old one was wrote off by Barbara on some black ice 3weeks ago.

The new one is not brand new but 5 years old its probably the best motor for me as the dog cage fits in the back OK.

I went to my first auto jumble at Newark show ground the other week in a hire care and picked up a few bits so I can clean up my old collection of woodworking tools I just keep picking up.

There is a boat jumble this weekend on Sunday the 12th February I have never been to one but if the weathers that bad I have Some rollers for a lawn mower to make out of elm.

sorry no photos I will have a look to see if I have any of whisper hes playing up at the moment but he is a Springer Spaniel.

I hope to keep the blog up to date more often i think loosing blue put me back a bit but life goes on.

We are looking at having a Fenland Wood Turners blog so watch this space.

Harrogate Woodworking show Sunday 20th November 2011

Hi
This Sunday the fenland wood turners are running a bus to the woodworking show at Harrogate in Yorkshire.
so I will be at the show spending money on tools instead of Car Boots (these are small indoor ones now not as good).

The fenland wood turners meeting on 30th November is competition night (Big Platters).remember the last Wednesday of the month.

I will try to remember to take my camera and report back later.
This is just a quick one catch up later.

Photovoltaic panel system

We have just had 16 Photovoltaic panels fitted  and hope this will bring the cost of our electric bills down
The system is a 4 kilowatt hour 2kwh facing east and 2 facing south with 2 inverters.
It has been running for 7 days and has generated 94Kwh and as its the first week I think that's not bad at all.
We have a water system and we have never kept a record of  what it saves but I will keep an eye on the electric I will keep a record of weekly units and will keep you up to date.

i have no photos as yet but will take some to morrow.

I hope to do more on the blog now just to keep you up to date Whisper the pup is doing OK Barbara takes him training once a week and i train him on Fridays when I am off work.

We have had loads of apples on the plot this year and I have just done a talk at the lady bird club about 20miles away about food for free (foraging for wild food).
I have another one next week at the WI near to home.

Springfields June 2011

Here are some of the exhibits on the Fenland wood turners stand at the Springfield's exhibition center in Spalding

The three on the top shelf from left to right 1st in the beginners middle was 1st in the intermediate and right is 1st in the experienced turns category.

a wide choice of items were shown by members including a child's chair.

below is my work of art by the way it did not get 1st prize but I did come 2nd but with no prize.

not bad for an amature

The competition table with some of the entries

Meet whisper our new dog

Meet whisper at 1Day old he is now nearly 14 weeks old and as soon as the birds start to sing is awake ( makes having kids seem great)

 Whisper was 1 of 6 pups born to Millie who goes on the same shoot as we do she had 3 boys Liver and white and 3 Black and white Girls like there dad Fergus he is black and white and Millie is liver and white.

 2 of the other pups play out on the lawn at Millies home Lol the Farmer who owns Millie was really please when I rang him to ask if we could put our name down for one of the pups.
We were the first and he wanted them to go to a good home.
We still miss blue but life must go on we both felt guilty about having a new dog but we are pleased with our choice . ( Whisper) even if we are up early every morning.

 He has the most colour of all the pups and looks as if he is Toffees son He is a springer spaniel like Toffee and is related to toffee down the line in the past. you may notice he has had his tail docked as he is a working dog that's allowed but we have got the paperwork to prove it was done by the vet when born.

I have some more photos to put on later he gets on well with toffee they are both laid out on the study floor Zzz away.
so he is bound to be up early tomorrow morning.

anyway what have I been up to well the Springfield's woodworking show was on the 10.11.12th June the Fenland wood turners had a stand and I was there most days.
Sent some money but who worries its better than the taxman taking it.
I will find some photos and post next time of  the competition It was something that has no purpose or is useless. arty farty

Work well that's another story tell you later I may retire early yet.

The woodwork is getting better I have plans to make a Cabinet makers Chest this winter so when or if its finished i will put the photos on here.

I have been doing well at the car boots lately finding books,tools,wood and handy bits.

Well new start now thanks for reading as I ramble on.

March already

Hi all
I am sorry that I have not posted of late but things are still not right It was 3 months last Monday we lost Blue and he is missed every day what a character.

Toffee is out of action has he has pulled his back leg at the knee joint and is only allowed 3x5min walks a day on the lead he may have to have a operation.

The insurance have just paid out for blue and now Toffee is going to cost them, well next years cost is bound to go up.

I have started to put seeds in across at the plot Carrots, Beet root, Peas and onions.

I have a lot of jobs to do and and few a loads of rubbish down the tip are required.

Oh and we have a new pup on order  should be born this week keep your fingers crossed for us.
Hope now I am feeling like getting on here it will be a bit more often.

The fenland woodturners meeting in February was Peter Tree the Chair Maker it was a good night , I think everyone enjoyed it.
March is a Club night and Steve Wright the wood man will be there as will I .

Sorry this is short but I'm just getting back in to it.

The Fenland woodturners 2011 Dates

The agm on Wednesday went well the committee stood down and was re elected as the members thought we had done a great job so that was nice.
We have 76 members so we are looking at how many the hall will take and may have to limit the membership we will have to see.

This is just a short blog tonight but I hope to be back on tomorrow with some photos and news I have still not found blues body but we can only hope.

Happy new year to you all

Fenland wood turners 2011 Programme
23 02 2011 Peter Tree  Chair maker

30 03 2011 Club Night

27 04 2011 Nick Arnull

25 05 2011 Club Night  Competition

08 06 2011  Les Thorne

10 to 12 June Springfield's Spalding woodworking and power tools show

29 06 2011 Glyn Mould  Wood carver

27 07 2011 Club Night

31 08 2011 Sue Harker  Segmented work

28 09 2011  Club Night

26 10 2011 Andy Coates   Wall hangings

30 11 2011  Club Night   Competition

14 12 2011  Nikos Siragas

25 01 2012  A.G.M


All Nights at the Spalding Common Community Hall Start 7.00pm

Happy new year to you all

I wish you A HAPPY NEW YEAR.
I hope next year will be happier than the last month of this year.

I have been off work on holiday and have walked the drain bank looking for blues Body with out any luck.
Barbara is still heart broken and nothing seems to help.
Hope you all have a happy new year.

RIP BLUE 13th December 2010

Sadly Blue past away on the 13th December  2010 he was 2 years old

Barbara was taking the dogs for a walk along the drain when blue chased a moor hen and went in the river after it  but he could not get back on to the ice Barbara tried for 45minutes to get him out but had to leave him to ring for help when she got back blue was gone we believe he succumbed to the cold water as when Barbara left him he was exhausted, Barbara is heart broken and nothing any one says to her will help .

Toffee the other dog is sad and knows that somethings wrong he keeps looking around when we are out in the yard. 

I have been down twice a day most days looking for him I have notified the river authority and dog wardens just in case he got out but I don't think he did.

Blue was 2 years old and has had a good life here with use It was a tragic accident he was a little character

 .

God bless you Blue xxxx

Snows early this year

I have had the week off to use up my holidays before the year end and the other morning took the dogs out

The snow was about 25mm .

Toffee has a thing about camera's he always appears when I start taking photos. The snow started to stick to his legs

The ice on the river was thick at the sides so blue decided to give it a try until I shouted at him he was soon off and running about under the bushes putting up lots of ducks on the places where the water had not frozen.

The snow has got deeper today about 100mm deep but the roads are clear its just the back roads so we have not been down the river today.
anyway back to work tomorrow I was just getting used to the time off .

The Fenland Wood Turners November competion

This years November competition was a Box with a lid there was 25 entries and very good they were.

Each one has a ticket with a number and every member has one vote so they write the number they feel should win.

The bell is a box with a lid which is a surprise  very good idea.

 The box with the white pattern is in fact a bit of lace behind a glass window.

 The photos are not very good as the turnings are far better than they look with screw lids and patterns in the lid or in the box.

 The boxes in the photo above are from left third middle is first and right is Second.
First was Vic Stone Second Barry Cummings and Third was Doug Thompson.

Prizes were given for all three winners.

The items above are just items that people have brought in for the table these are recorded and at the AGM one name is pulled out the hat and the winner gets a free membership for next year.

Norfolk Break 19th November 2010

Barbara decided we needed a break so she booked a cottage in Dersingham next to Sandringham in North Norfolk.

On the Friday we left it was thick fog and you could just about see 50meters by the time we arrived at Hunstanton on the north Norfolk coast old Hunstanton has cliffs and you could not see the sea as it was so foggy so we had a walk and set off early for the cottage as we could not get in until 3pm.

We found the cottage OK and the heating was on so we made a pot of tea and made our self's at home.

The owner came round as it got dark just to show us how the heating worked and to let us know how to take the short cut to Sandringham visitors centre through his garden and then through the woods.

The next morning it was still foggy so we walked to the visitor center through the garden next to the cottage and through the woods which came out near the Large Gates at Sandringham house the queens holiday home.

We had the dogs with us and could not go in the cafe so we stood out side at one of the tables and had tea and scones as the seats were soaking wet.

After walking around the woods and looking for chest nuts we walked back and missed the turning in the woods so we came out about 1.5miles from were we were stopping it was just getting dark.

We would have gone out for a meal at night but the fog just got worst as the night went on. 

Sunday we decided to go to Wells on sea the building above is the life boat Station you may have seen it in Steven Fry's  Kingdom which was based Norfolk. that side of the place faces the town of Wells how the life boat gets launched I have know idea.

This side faces the North sea and the channel soon gets filled with water and is very dangerous a lot of visitors have got cut off from the main beach.
we had a great walk with the dogs along the beach but you cant take the dogs on the beach in front of the beach huts which is fair enough as we clean up after our dogs but some people don't.

this is looking from the bank near the life boat station towards the town it is a mile from this point to the town we had to go into town because the cafe at the bottom car park was not open and there were lots of people they could have made a lot of money.
It did not stop the car park from charging 5£ for the day it used to be a pound in the winter but now its the same all year round watch out next year it will bound to go up as the poor old council need the money.

above is Sandringham visitors centre which we called at on the way home on Monday we had a hot drink and bought some of the queens apples .
opposite it is the gates where you see the royal family going to church at Christmas

No its not a kangaroo its a squirrel carved out of wooden  tree trunk looks good  we then had a walk with the dogs round the woods and this time never got lost.

This was the long walk which takes you back to near the car park. By the way the parking here is free make sense so people visit the shops its a shame some of the councils don't take notice.

The weekend was good apart from the weather but I did miss the bus trip to the woodworking show and a days beating on a shoot.