New Boat Stand

As some of you will remember a couple of months ago I bought another yacht for my boat yard.

I thought at the time the stand looked a bit rough, so it was down to the local wood shop for some bits of ply It was a little bowed so I stuck two pieces together which made the right thickness and cures the bowing. 

                                                                               Weighed down                                                                                              

The ends given a few curves

 

    

A couple of large holes in the ends to lighten them.

They blew the fuse in my mate's lathe as they are quite large holes. 

Then threaded rods and aluminum tubs to cover them and the job is nearly finished, or so I thought 

 Then rubber feet added.

 The ends varnished, masking the aluminium rods first of course.

Then thought the big holes looked looked a bit like eyes so added a nose and mouth, just my quirky sense of humour!.

Then painted the raw edges of the plywood.

Then the foam added so the boat doesn't get scratched

There you have it a bit lighter than the old one.

The old one, on this picture looks better than it is really. 

On a more serious note, here is my Grandson Jake with the two family dogs, Jessie and Max the two cockapoos, just before he went on his mission for the next two years, had his A Level results last week 

3 A*'s, Physics, Chemistry, Maths and one A in higher Math's 

Then this week granddaughter, Ruth got her GCSE results and  gained 8 A* and 3A's

What a family hey!

On the gardening front the Boat and Green Goddess garden planters are doing well 

Went to the local Post Office on Tuesday and saw this, someone had pinched the door off the post box, what is the world coming too, and would you believe it, people were still posting letters in it, instead of taking them into the Post Office!

That's it for now folks 

Since the last post

Like a bad penny, here I am again!.

Since my last post my grandson Jacob has gone away on his mission like his father before him, but whereas his father stayed in this country Jacob is off to The Greece Athens mission, which encompasses all it's islands and Cyprus as well, so could be travelling a lot over the next two years.

At the moment he is in the Missionary Training Centre at Chorley, whilst he learns to speak Greek and then off to Greece in 9 weeks.

That's his fathers badge from 25 years ago, his will be in Greek!.

The picture taken at the Chorley mission Training centre on the day he went away.

Last week I took my Granddaughter Ruth to Uppermill,

 The canal near to the museum 

and this makes a better picture doesn't it with Ruth and Pepe.

Then it was up to the garden centre there to buy a new pot which had fell off the fence or was knocked off .

Then it was over to the Kingfisher pub at Greenfield for dinner. 

Time for a bit of exercise then, so off to Dovestones to check on Velda's tree.

After a bit of searching we finally found it and checked that all was well and that the strange weather over the past few weeks hadn't had any adverse effects on it, has you see it's growing well

Nice outlook across the lake.

Have been trying to eat healthier lately, 

My usual lunch, the pigging out version

The healthier option.

 My latest lunch, without the cucumber which repeats on me all day

But Pepe seems to like it though, and snatched it off me before I could tighten my grip.

 Got it off him before he could eat it all though as I didn't know how it would effect him at the other end.

On the garden front look at my Succulents 

Nice hey!.

Doggie people click here

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Freds speciality was growing vegetables and he eventually won the Nobel Peas Prize for being outstanding in his field.

I Know a Bonsai tree grower who is so successful he is looking for a house with a smaller garden.

Fred can trace his family tree right back to when it was his ancestors address.

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That's it for now folks.

St Annes, Etherow and Reddish Vale.

Monday went to St Annes on Sea with Marjorie and Pepe, Marjorie hadn't been before and hoped it wasn't like Blackpool, which like me she doesn't like with all the crowds on the front drinking and swearing!.

So St Annes it was and here are a couple of pictures, the first at the "Restaurant on the Beach" 

Thought the grassy table and seats would be a bit tough to keep clean, then realised the Starling were doing the job for them!.

Saw this couple in the gardens and thought they looked really peaceful, and said on the way past again, "I'll bet you feel better for that nap", He said "she couldn't keep her eyes open", You didn't do too bad yourself mate said I", he didn't believe me until I showed him the picture.

  

Friend Bob, said the first picture would look better with the fountain of flowers and church on the other side so did a bit of photo fiddling and don't see the difference really, but what I know about photography would go on the back of a stamp, point and click that's me.

Marjorie said "Even the seagulls seem quieter", "well it is St Annes here and they are a bit more refined "said I"

Wednesday went to the lake at Etherow and stayed all day sailing and walking Pepe round the lakes

Still plenty of baby ducks about, Mallards, Coots and Mandarins.

Only went home to give Pepe his dinner, which he didn't eat anyway, weather too hot and then it was back to the club meeting afterwards.

Friday saw us down at the Reddish Vale Centre and much to my surprise didn't recognize it since it was about 40 years ago since I was last there and the road to it was totally different and dropped one off at the Cafe and Small animal centre which was doing a great job with some of the schools already off on the Summer holidays.

Nice meals and nice staff

The scene from the outside cafe seating, seems as though most of the horses were out being ridden

A few of the animals in the childrens area

 General views around the site 

 Even a bit of train spotting 

Not one but two families of swans!.

My mate Bob say's enjoy it whilst you can as there are plans to build 1500 houses and shops on this site, what will our children and grandchildren have to do to see any wildlife and greenery in the future!!.

Learning about wildlife

How old is this tree, this will perhaps be a victim to the council planning department to save a few pounds for this years budget, what will it be next year!.

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Last few weeks!.

Since my last post I've been out and about and even bought another new boat!, a model one of course and new to me. Bought it off one of the club members who was finding it a bit too heavy now he's getting older.

I was thinking of doing the same myself converting to just yachts and selling off my motorised boats, then I go and buy this big yacht still I've wanted one of these for a while and the price I was offered it at I will always get my money back and will have the pleasure of it in the meantime won't I!.

The new "J" Class, going to sail it until the winter then will give it and the stand a facelift.

 So to get back into sailing after a bit of a slack period decided to get down to the lake and practice with some of my smaller boats, here is the Fiesta.

The Micro Magic and my Spektrum tranny.

 In between of course it's a trip to the Cafe for lunches and there is Pepe putting his "I'm never fed at home" act on for the other customers.

One of Pepe's friends at the Cafe "Breakfast club" most mornings.

On the gardening front, added a couple of  brackets for the hanging baskets I had hung on the washing line, but got fed up with being garrotted every time I went to the bottom of the garden with the weight of the baskets pulling the line down.

Also changed the plant in the boat as the first one was too fast growing and would have covered the boat very soon

  This past Sunday I went to the Colwyn Bay Model boat show and met up with quite a few of our members there, Colin, Pam, Donald, Gordon, Rob, Dave (the) Sharp and Eric Presley, no relation though!.

If you would like to see that event 

Click here

Met man and wife Garth and Elizabeth Jones there who we had read about many times and followed their builds on the Model Boat Magazine forums, nice to have met in person for a change, over from Yorkshire.

Not many ladies build and sail their own yachts, that's some of hers in the background!.

Also bought a battery pack and charger for the new "J" Class boat, always get a good deal at the shows!.

Friday Marjorie and I went to Biddulph Grange Gardens, a National Trust location near Congleton .

Marjorie loved it being a keen gardener and it being somewhere new to her and good weather, which always makes the day doesn't it.

  The lake full of Koi carp.

Giant redwoods.

 One of the themed gardens

 No show without Punch they say.

NO NO NO, we were only calling in at a pub for a cool drink where this horse and carriage was waiting for the bride and groom!.

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Getting old

 Everything hurts and what doesn't hurt, doesn't work.

You've finally got your head together and your body starts to fall apart.

The pharmacist has become your best friend.

You sink your teeth into a steak, and they stay there.

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Thats all for now folks!.