The "Much Sought After" Tonsleys

We live on the edge of a half-kilometer square of two- and three-story, Victorian, terraced houses known as "The Tonsleys" (Tonsley Street, Tonsley Road, Tonsley Place, Tonsley Hill and other streets) - bounded by Fairfield Street, East Hill, Trinity Road and Swandon Way (inside that green square). Or as they are often described by estate agents as "the much sought after Tonsleys".

To quote an old article in The Independant: "Because of the village atmosphere and convenient transport, the Tonsleys attract young professional couples who, living in small properties, have to begin thinking of moving when they start planning to have children. Some move to a larger house within the Tonsleys, but when the next child arrives they have to move again, out of the Tonsleys altogether.

Since working in Victoria I now walk to Clapham Junction and in the 7 ½ minutes it takes me to cross The Tonsleys I counted two Aston Martins, four Porsche and un-numbered Audis, BMWs and Chelsea Tractors. Who knows what is parked in the other streets and we haven't seen the Ferrari for a while.

Two Aston Martins and a Porsche

I get a monthly update from OurProperty.co.uk - here are sales from the last three months in Tonsley Place / Road / Hill:

2 Tonsley Place £670,000

7 Tonsley Road £620,000

80 Tonsley Hill £875,000

41 Tonsley Place £1,150,000

32 Tonsley Road £975,000

For more up to date prices see the OurProperty.co.uk search.

Clearly not for the young graduate trainee. It was not always such an affluent area according to the cabbie I had the other week. Brought up in Southfields and went to school nearby. He claimed - "no word of a lie" - that 80% of the kids from the Tonsleys were on free school meals. How times change.

Now if we could just move our house one street along!

[Yeah, I know, then we wouldn't have been able to afford it in the first place]

Desert Island Discs

What better post for my 60th birthday than a retrospective - my own Desert Island Discs.

Edit (15-Jan-20): Somehow I'd managed to have two number 6's so my number 8 is really a supernumerary 9. I have taken the opportunity to renumber and put in some minor tweaks.

1. Trains by Reginald Gardiner (1961)

There were several contenders for this first slot. Children’s Favourites on the BBC Home Service was the soundtrack of my childhood - songs like “Little White Bull”, “I am a mole and I live in a hole”, “The Ugly Duckling”, “Three Wheels on my Wagon”, plus many others. Reading the list at http://www.turnipnet.com/whirligig/radio/childrensfav.htm took me back - so many familiar tunes. “Trains” we had as a 45, one of the very few early singles my parents bought. I’ve no idea what made them buy this particular single. My favourite segment is the one about the piece of tin in the tunnel outside Snowhill, Birmingham.

2. Twist and Shout EP by The Beatles (1963)

This EP was an incentive to take out a subscription to The Children’s’ Book Club which my parents did to encourage my reading - I was a studious child. You received a book every month and my subscription ran for years - all manner of books including several W. E. Johns books (Biggles and Sci-Fi).

There is a popular belief that you were either a Beatles household or a Rolling Stones household but I don’t hold with that. When we very young Mum and Dad bought all the records and because of this a number of Beatles album purchases followed so it was more by happenstance that we became a “Beatles household”.

3. Morning from Peer Gynt by Grieg (1875)

The only classical piece in this collection. Our music teacher used to have a quiz every year where he played us tracks which we had to identify with a point for the composer and  a point for the piece. It was the same tracks every year. This one had a bonus point for identifying the title of the movement as well which I always got.

It evokes for me a mental image of a steep, sunlit Nordic alp - a bit like Sound Of Music but without Julie Andrews. I never really got into classical music although there was a period (most of my life actually until about five years ago) when I had been to far more classical concerts than I had pop concerts.

4. Debora by Tyrannosaurus Rex (1968)

Listening to John Peel’s late show under the bedclothes after lights out was an essential part of my musical education and JP introduced me to Tyrannosaurus Rex. This was the first single I bought with my own money and was the start of a dedicated following of Marc Bolan.

I subsequently bought every single and album although I kind of drifted away at the Slider album during the height of T.Rextasy. I was more of the would-be hippy persuasion than a screaming teeny-bopper.

That was for me a magical summer. O-levels-were behind me, the A-levels were far away, I had not a care in the world. My summer job was working on an archaeological dig (the Lunt Roman fort at Baginton). Actually it was my hobby – and they paid me for it! I was happy and cycling the five miles to the dig in glorious sunshine, this song on auto-repeat in my mental juke-box.

5. All Along the Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix (1968)

As Marc Bolan sings in Telegram Sam “Bobby's alright, Bobby's alright, He's a natural born poet, he's just outta sight”. A sign of Dylan’s genius is how well his lyrics sound when sung by others: The Might Quinn by Manfred Mann, Wheels on Fire by Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger and the Trinity to name but two others out of thousands of covers.

This however is a masterpiece - the master poet meets one of the musical giants. An evocative poem transformed by Hendrix into an apocalyptic track.

6. Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep by Middle of the Road (1971)

I like pop music. Bubblegum is not a pejorative term. I came in for a lot of stick at school for liking T.Rex while my mates were into Prog Rock, Zappa and Captain Beefheart.

This single, which I bought at the time and still own, is representative of both this type of music and this period of my life. This was the music I revised to for my A-levels leading up to the college years.

There are many other artists who could have taken this slot - Mungo Jerry, Suzi Quatro, Slade, 10cc, Gary Glitter, Mud. Popular music should be filed under “Pop”.

7. Changes by David Bowie (1972)

If I were to nominate my favourite album it would not be a T.Rex album which might surprise some, it would have to be Hunky Dory. Some timeless lyrics and a gentle playfulness not found in the following classic albums (Ziggy, Aladdin Sane, Diamond Dogs). There are so many lyrically fun tracks and “Song for Bob Dylan” connects to the Hendrix track but this was the one I plumped for.

So I turned myself to face me
But I've never caught a glimpse
Of how the others must see the faker
I'm much too fast to take that test

PS. My favourite Marc Bolan album is "Unicorn" by Tyrannosaurus Rex.

8. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go by Wham! (1984)

I like pop music, I like ’80 pop music, I like Stock, Aitken and Waterman, and this is , for me, the archetypical example of what a pop song should be. It was this or Like a Virgin by Madonna for this slot.

My vinyl collection is sorted into four main sections: classical, collections, pop, and attractive female singers (or bands with female lead singers). The latter section obviously features Madonna plus Linda Lewis, Minnie Ripperton, Cher, Kate Bush, Maria Muldaur, Kylie and many more.

9. And So It Goes by Billy Joel (1989)

And this is a bonus track for Mary. My list would not be complete without a song for her. There were three contenders for this spot; the others were Couldn’t Love you More by John Martyn and True Companion by Marc Cohn. Those latter songs came later but this was the song I played one emotional night during one of those “put up or shut up” periods that many couples go through. I put up and here we are married 19 years.

In every heart there is a room
A sanctuary safe and strong
To heal the wounds from lovers past
Until a new one comes along

I spoke to you in cautious tones
You answered me with no pretense
And still I feel I said too much
My silence is my self defense

And every time I've held a rose
It seems I only felt the thorns
And so it goes, and so it goes
And so will you soon I suppose

But if my silence made you leave
Then that would be my worst mistake
So I will share this room with you
And you can have this heart to break

And this is why my eyes are closed
It's just as well for all I've seen
And so it goes, and so it goes
And you're the only one who knows

So I would choose to be with you
That's if the choice were mine to make
But you can make decisions too
And you can have this heart to break

And so it goes, and so it goes
And you're the only one who knows

And there are the supplementary questions they always ask:

Book (excluding the Bible and the Collected works of Shakespeare)

• Collected works of Isaac Asimov.

I was brought up on science fiction; my father read it and my god father Marc Pulvermacher read it. I grew up reading all the classics from the golden age of science fiction http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Age_of_science_fiction.

Luxury item

• Chocolate machine.

I have a reputation for liking chocolate; this machine would provide an infinite supply of dark chocolate without nuts. See “A story of The Dark Side of the Chocolate” http://www.mmenterprises.co.uk/msmchoc.htm

One single - if I could keep only one:

• All Along the Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix.

This conjures up an other world of sword and sorcery delivered by a unique combination of greats – food for the imagination.

PS. Other contenders. This is the long list:

• Lady Madonna by the Beatles
• I Can’t let Maggie Go by The Honeybus
• Blue Eyes by Don Partridge
• Indian Reservation by Don Fardon
• Big Spender by Shirley Bassey
• I Gotta see Jane by R Dean Taylor
• There is a Mountain by Donovan
• Voices in the Sky by The Moody Blues
• Windy by The Association
• Sabre Dance by Love Sculpture
• Horse With No Name by America
• After the Gold Rush by Neil Young
• Something in the Air by Thunderclap Newman
• Pinball Wizard by the Who
• Living Doll by Cliff Richard
• Teddy Bear by Elvis Presley

Olive Harvest 2011

Puglia, Italy. Friday 26 November 2011

The usual close down visit and olive harvest with additional birthday planning.

As every year we go out long after the last paying guests have departed to prepare Trullo Azzurro for the winter. That mainly consists of putting all the bedding and linens into VacuSacs but also rearranging the furniture - the garden tables and chairs get brought indoors or stacked into the antechamber of the pizza oven.

We also go out to harvest the olives. Our friends Carol and Mino had already harvested theirs so we only had ours to do. We were expecting a small harvest because of the heavy pruning in spring. This year we only picked 18kg compared to last year's 84kg. However we predict a bumper crop next year because of all the new growth plus the habit of fruit trees in general to alternate good and lean years.

We also had time, therefore, to harvest a couple of trees belonging to our neighbours, Mark and Sue, which yielded another 7kg off their two trees. At a 12 percent yield that means our combined output will be 3 litre.

Storage space is at a premium which means the nets needed to be very carefully folded away so they will fit inside the crates which can then be stacked away inside the pizza oven storage space.









Mary insisted on a shot of me stripped to the waist as proof of how warm and sunny it was even in the middle of November.





The other item on the agenda was finalising the date for my 60th birthday celebrations to be held at Truddhi in the local village of Trito. We fixed on Sunday 23-September-2012 rather than the Saturday. That fits in better with Truddhi bookings which are Saturday to Saturday. Also Mino is normally doing weddings on a Saturday, so by having it on the Sunday makes it much more likely he will be there as well.

Trullo Azzurro: beautifully restored trullo in delightful, secluded valley near Locorotondo, Puglia, Italy. Available to rent on a per week basis, sleeps 4-6. For more information visit http://www.holiday-rentals.co.uk/trulloazzurro

Merton Abbey Mills

The other weekend it was such a lovely day Mary and I went for a wander along the Wandle. I have a soft spot for this river. We currently live very close to where it debouches into the Thames. Previously I lived in South Wimbledon and walked along Wandle Bank every day to get to Colliers Wood tube.

We walked as far as Merton Abbey Mills and had a mooch around the various market stalls.


Merton Abbey Mills - water wheel interior

There is a certain symmetry with our London Open House 2011 walk when we visited William Morris's Kelmscott House. It was Merton Abbey Mills that in June 1881 became the new home of Morris & Co.'s workshops. Morris refused to destroy existing buildings, and adapted them or built new ones. Learn more at http://www.mertonpriory.org/history/4.html


Merton Abbey Mills - water wheel exterior

After a sandwich and an ice cream we walked on to Wimbledon town centre by which time our feet told us to catch the 156 bus back.

Fairy rings in Battersea Park

On our way back from Battersea Park during the London Open House 2011 I saw what had to be a fairy ring. Closer inspection revealed the fungi responsible.


Fairy ring in Battersea park 1

According to wikipedia they can grow to be several hundred years old. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy_ring


Fairy ring in Battersea park 2

Easy to spot if you know what they are. We saw several more last weekend on our way through King George's Park when we went for a wander down the Wandle to Merton Abbey Mills. Isn't nature wonderful!

London Open House 2011

London, England. Saturday 18-Sep-2011

Sunday morning looking through Time Out for something to do on my birthday the following Tuesday we discovered that it was London Open House weekend. So whatever plans we had for the day took a sudden swerve.

We got our walking boots on and headed for the closest venue - an architect's house off West Hill. There was too much of a waiting list so we headed on to the next item on our itinerary: Fulham Palace.

I know there is a park and a road of the same name but I had not realised the Palace was still extant which was a pleasant surprise. We got there in time for the one o'clock tour and spent the next 60 minutes being shown round the palace - home to the Bishops of London for over 1300 years, the grounds and the church.


Fulham Palace

Next it was a walk and a bus ride up to Hammmersmith for Kelmscott House home of William Morris and the W.M. Society. The open house-ness was limited to the stables, basement and part of the back garden. The main house was disappointingly off-limits.


Kelmscott House

Next a walk, a tube, a train and a walk back south of the river to Battersea Park and the Pump House. It is a restored grade II listed building, built in 1861 to supply water to the lakes and cascades of the then new Battersea Park.


Battersea Pump House

It didn't take long to climb to the top and back down - not much to see really. However a side effect was that we wandered through parts of the park we had not seen before; we had mainly cycled round the perimeter road.

There was lots more to see including the Festival Gardens built for the 1951 Festival of Britain and a girder from the Twin Towers made into a memorial sculture. That ramble of discovery was the highlight of the day.

Arthur "Two Sheds" Jackson - Part 2

Having named my sheds (see Arthur "Two Sheds" Jackson) I decided they should be labeled up properly. So I had two labels made and attached them to the sheds. Job done!


Shed label: Arthur


Shed label: Jackson

Doesn't everyone give their sheds names?

Georgian Chiffonier

We have been looking for a stylish antique for the breakfast room for a couple of years now to replace the Homebase pine sideboard and a butchers block that had served as our work surfaces - well when I say "we"...

A regular Sunday activity has been a stroll to Criterion Auctions of London armed with tape measure to look for likely candidates. Many unsuitable items have vied for our bids but we resisted until the right one came along.

Rather than let this one slip away Mary went down on the Monday evening and bid in person. We got it for just under the guide price on the second bid, pipping an absentee bid and no in-room competition.


Georgian Chiffonier (with Peaches and Blue)

The next evening I went down in the car with the roof racks that have repaid their cost many times over and brought our trophy back.

Now it is the happy home for the kettle, cat food and serving dishes.

Sanding the floors and painting the hall

We are now in week six of a major redecoration with the end, at last, in sight.

SWMBO decided that the downstairs floors needed sanding. That means the living room, dining room, breakfast room and hallway - in other words the entire downstairs apart from the kitchen and shower room.


Boxes on the bed

So we had to clear the decks - everything had to be moved upstairs or to the garage - while they sanded. Dust everywhere!


Front hall - work in progress


Dining room - work in progress

Then Mary had her contract extended so we could afford to have the hall painted as well. However that is about a third of the house as it takes in the kitchen and breakfast room, stairs and upstairs landing. More sanding, more dust.


Hallway from the breakfast room

Thankfully the lads are nearly done and we have started to reassemble our life. The breakfast room is done; the living room is mostly reconstituted but we are waiting till the post-decoration spring-clean before unboxing the CD's. The dining room will be last when they clear out their equipment.

Then we will have to host some dinner parties to show off our wonder walls and shiny floors.

In praise of the 87 bus

London, England - 12-March-2011

We love the 87 bus; it leaves from just outside our house and goes all the way to Aldwych (Map of the route, PDF).

We use it regularly to get in to the West End on a Saturday, getting off at Charing Cross and walking up into Covent Garden and theatre-land. Even better we use the N87 to get home afterwards. Why spend £25 to get home in a black cab when you can snooze on the bus for £1.30.


Wandsworth - East Hill

I love to be in the front, right seat upstairs - it is the only place to be on a double-decker - from there you get the best views. From the 87 you get to see some of the great tourist sights of London.


Houses of Parliament


Big Ben

From Parliament Square you go up Whitehall, past the Cenotaph, Downing Street and the Horse guards on sentry duty in full ceremonial uniform.


Nelson's Column

Visitors to the UK spend a lot of money to get here and see these and we get them all for less than two of your English pounds. Result!

Commuting from Wandsworth Town

London, England - 28/30-March-2011

This is why I prefer to commute by bike when I can. Living in Zone 2 is great for getting home late at night but the commute to work in the morning is not as much fun.

The 07:40 is generally the last train you can be sure of getting on but not this Monday. From 07:47 onwards you are often have to let one or two trains go before you can squeeze on.


Wandsworth Town rail station 07:40 on 28-March-2011

The Thameside path is a different matter - no crowds here - and the river's ever changing moods. One day gray with the tide out, another day sunny and the tide is high (cue song).


Thameside path 07:40 on 30-March-2011

Maybe I should take a series of photos from the same spot to illustrate - no matter - the point is that it is quicker to cycle to work than take the train (seriously), cheaper than the gym (saves me money) and you are there in the moment - no slug-like dozing on the train but all senses alert for the traffic around you - that wakes you up for the day!

A meal is more than just fuel for the body

It is an opportunity to share and chat and enjoy.

This last week has seen us give the M&M corporate mission "To eat, drink and have a good time" a thorough workout:

• Last Friday we met up with brother Ian and his partner Sarah for an excellent meal at our favorite italian restaurant - Enoteca Turi. Although I&S got married last September they have been together for a number of years and I am so used to saying "partner" I find it hard to switch to "wife" or "sister-in-law".
• Saturday we hosted Bron and Maggie for a Chateau Leoville dinner party. We had a bottle of 1982 Leoville-Poyferre and B&M a bottle of Leoville-Barton also 1982. So we had "compare and contrast" opportunity with two fine, mature clarets. And some excellent food to go with.
  
  Leoville-Barton 1982, Leoville-Poyferre 1982
  
• Sunday we cooked a traditional roast for our Danish house guests, who had arrived on the Monday, to give them a taste of traditional English cooking.
• Monday Mary went out for a team meal from work.
• Tuesday we gave our Danes a taste of traditional Scottish food with a Burns Supper. Unfortunately they were not convinced so it will be refried haggis for us at some point.
  
  Google Doodle Burns Night 2011
  
• Wednesday was Mary's birthday so we went to the wonderfully kitsch, Grade 2 listed Criterion Restaurant for a pre-theatre meal. That was followed by The Children's Hour by Lillian Hellman at the inappropriately named Comedy Theatre - an excellent but intense play.
• Thursday we had the night off.
• Friday was meeting up in Glasgow with "the girls" - Mary's friends from Uni. We had an excellent meal at Guy's Restaurant in Candleriggs and a real good blether. We also treated ourselves to a stay in the refurbished Grand Central Hotel just a short stagger from the restaurant.
• Saturday no meal of note *but* we did meet up with fellow blogger and close neighbour of May's - Lynnette "Life with the Lusks" and husband Tommy for a coffee in Irvine. Always good to meet a cyber-chum in real life.
  
  Lynette and Tommy Lusk
  Lynette's blog post on our meeting: Saturday Coffee Time
• Sunday we plan a nice meal in - something we try to do every Sunday evening. A little quiet time together.

Home but not alone (3)

You are never alone with a "To Do" list.

While Mary went off to Grayshott Spa for a weekend of pampering and power walks I was home alone with the cats.

The "to do" list, to be fair, was self inflicted - there were a number of things needing to be done including "watch DVDs": Friday night was "Escape from New York" and Saturday night was "Millers Crossing". Other items included:

• tip run (garden rubbish)
• charity run (Mary's clear out of the wardrobe prompted by the immanent arrival of Danish house guests)
• grooming the cats (a never-ending task)
• various DIY tasks now consigned to the memory bin of history

Sunday I went down to visit Mum and Dad for lunch from were it was only 25 minutes to get down to Greyshott to collect the heavily exfoliated Mary and chauffeur her home.

Christmas 2010 - The Usual Suspects in Polperro

The Usual Suspects

This year we reconvened "The Usual Suspects" for Christmas redux. For most of a decade (the 90's) the same core crowd would rent a holiday home for a week of eating and drinking. Then children intervened and we dispersed for another decade (the 00's) of smaller scale gatherings.

The children are now at an age that we decided to reinstate the team outing. This time the venue was Landaviddy Manor in Cornwall. The pattern was much as previously: each couple cooked one meal apiece, we ate out or leftovers for the others, lots of country walks and beer in real pubs.


Polperro Harbour

Wed 22-Dec-10: travel down to Devon and Mary did a simple pasta meal.

Thu 23-Dec-10: a quiet day awaiting the last couple, Bob & Lynn, to join us. John & Andrea did the meal - well Andrea really.

Fri 24-Dec-10: after breakfast a walk along the Southwest Coast Path to Looe - a 9 mile round trip - with pub lunch at The Ship Inn. Evening meal at Couches restaurant in Polperro.


Southwest Coastal Path

Sat 25-Dec-10: full cooked breakfast and presents followed by a coast path walk to a landmark - 5 mile round trip. Back for birthday cake and more presents for Julian, my godson, who was born on Christmas day.

Kate & Ian presided over traditional turkey evening meal. We have always gone for black tie for the meal. Makes it a bit more special and give the girls a chance to flaunt their party frocks.


Christmas meal

Sun 26-Dec-10: A full team outing walk to the Jubilee Inn at Pelynt - 7 mile round trip - although some caught the bus back for the sake of the children. Bob & Lynn did venison for supper.

Mon 27-Dec-10: Walk to Polruan - 12 mile round trip - with pub lunch in The Russel Inn. Ate leftovers.

Tue 28-Dec-10: Too wet for a long walk so we simply walked down into Polperro for a beer at The Blue Peter. Last night for some of us. Mary did a Thai meal.


Southwest Coastal Path 2

Beautiful scenery, good beer, excellent company, fantastic meals and wonderful wine. What more could you ask for in a Christmas break?

Full set of pictures at http://www.flickr.com/photos/markmclellan/sets/72157625707730544/

Old York Road Street Party 2010

In all our years in Wandsworth we have never made it to the Old York Road street party as we have always been on holiday. Finally this year!
Saturday 24-Sep-10 12:30-19:00.


Old York Road Street Party 2010 Stage

They closed off the road so we had traffic-free access to the event. We strolled up and down and chatted to a number of the stall holders including:

• Mr Sambrook himself from Sambrook's Brewery - a local micro-brewery and producer of fine ales.
• Justin from Steam Bar Wine Bar and Restaurant - one of the best restaurants in the area
• A man from The Alma - our local Gastropub who have now built a boutique hotel out the back
• A lady from Doukan - an excellent local Moroccan restaurant where we have dined many times

Old York Road Street Party 2010 Crowd

Have enjoyed the sample of Sambrook's ale we went into the Alma and bought a couple of pints and a snack from Doukan. Then our friend Ian arrived and we had to have a couple more pints!


Old York Road Street Party 2010 Stilt-walker

The Roadrunner Blues Band belted out several excellent sets. All in all an entertaining afternoon.

Timetable:
12.30 Roadrunner Blues Band
1.00 Official opening
1.15 Gilbert Giggles
2.15 Moroccan Music
2.45 Carnival dancer in extravagant costume
3.15 Fashion Show
3.45 Roadrunner Blues Band
3.30 National Opera Studio
4.00 Brazilian Dancers
4.30 THE RAFFLE !!!
5.30 Waiters’ Race
6.30 Roadrunner Blues Band

A crowd of people I met way back in 1980 get together on an irregular basis. One of the triggers for such gatherings is a visit to the UK by Maureen who left for Australia in the early 80's and never came back except as a visitor.


Mary, Andrea L, Maureen, Natalie, Bill, Alan

As previously Bill hosted the event; as he lives in Chiswick we decided to cycle the five miles to get there. On this occasion we met for lunchtime drinks followed by a stroll to Chiswick House Cafe for a light lunch.


Mary, John, Andrea L, Maureen

As always it is like watching time lapse photography of our lives shown at high speed. People get married, have children, re-marry; hair grows greyer or scarcer; waistlines expand.


Natalie, Bill, Alan

It was great see everyone again and we would have stayed longer but we had another back-to-back social engagement. We cycled off to Kingston to celebrate both Chris and Sue's birthday, the former very belatedly the latter in advance. It was a hectic and steamy pedal along the Thames path and we had to keep the pace up to make it in time.

Previously:
Maureen is over from Australia...
Sunday lunch at Bill's
I come from a land down under

For I have built a mighty cutlery tray

Sometimes DIY projects go, more or less according to plan. Mary wanted to de-clutter the living room by relocating the cutlery from the overcrowded canteen into the piano stool. Unable to find ready made cutlery holders of the correct dimensions in Homebase or B and Q she suggested that I could make a custom tray. With the enthusiasm dial turned low I agreed. Much to my surprise - starting with five slats, an electric jigsaw and copious quantities of wood glue - that is what I succeeded in building with minimal hiccups or cussing.  

 
Cutlery tray - gluing the dividers 

All manners of belts and braces were co-opted to hold the thing together while the glue set. 

 
Cutlery tray - gluing the base

The dividers were weighted down with magazines and whatever nearby heavy objects came to hand - in my case a variety of fine wines. 

 
Cutlery tray - in the piano stool

A snug fit with the intended 5mm clearance all round. 
 
 
Cutlery tray - complete with contents

And finally full of cutlery as intended. 

Look upon my works ye mighty and despair. 

Charles Rennie Mackintosh Chair

Our sitting room has a CRM theme so when we saw this chair at the local auction house we decided to have a punt and put in a low bid. Guide price was £100 - £140 but we got it for £90 - FTW!


Charles Rennie Mackintosh style chair

Mary picked it up this afternoon and very elegant it looks indeed :-)

Mary does projects around the house

Got home to discover that Mary has *not* been imitatating a Jane Austen heroine. No counted cross-stitch for her, oh no! She spent the afternoon sanding the wooden kitchen worktop and is now applying Ronseal work top oil.


Mary sands and oils the wooden worktop

Next it was the turn of the bedroom. Having seen a picture in a magazine Mary decided that one bold blue wall and the rest white was the scheme. Eight match pots later the verdict was in - Farrow and Ball Drawing Room Blue and Wimbourne White. We are a team: Mary does the "slap it on with a roller", I do the ceiling, the careful cutting in along all edges and the gloss paint.


Mary paints the bedroom

Does that woman not understand the virtues of sloth and idolence?