where art collides

We are off on our travels again today. The Wirral, The Eisteddfod and The Isle of Man. It is chucking it down here but fortunately I don’t have to pitch the tent until Tuesday afternoon. The forecast for Nefyn on Tuesday morning is also wet! If it really comes to the crunch I can kip in the Defender 🙂

We don’t need to set off before lunchtime as we can’t get in to the AirBnB until after three and are already mostly packed so no rush for anything this morning. We are even plugging the cool box in to a 12v socket en route. How organised is that?

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Arrived at the AirBnB at 3pm. Uneventful journey ably assisted by Waze which took us around what seemed to be huge congestion on the M60/62 near Manchester, fair play. I have Waze on even when I know where I am going, purely for this eventuality.

Lovely cottage and an internet connected telly that has the Amazon Prime app. Logged on to watch the rugby. Mustn’t forget to remove the TV from my account when we leave.

Headed to the Refreshment Rooms in Rock Ferry tonight with cousin Jeff and Glenys. Booked it last time we were over when we went in there for a cawfee. Have to book well in advance, apaz. Rock Ferry is a dump but you can tell from the size of the houses lining the riverfront that it was once v posh. Had a gated community with guards to keep out the hoi polloi. Riff raff. Undesirables. You know the type 🙂

The riverfront at Rock Ferry is what you would call post industrial. Relics of Liverpool’s past as one of the world’s great ports. We won’t go into what trade it was built on. 

The White Star Line was based here. The offices have distinctive red and white bands in the brickwork and the sinking of the Titanic was announced to the assembled masses from a first floor window. Long time ago now.

We do love coming over to Liverpool. Drop me a line if you are here and fancy a cawfee, or an elderflower cordial or simlar. You would have to give me some notice re the latter. It is extremely unlikely we have any in.

The biggest question of the day is when to crack open a tinnie. They have left us some lager in the fridge.The only issue is that it is Carling which is one of my least favourite lagers in the whole world. Honestly I can’t understand how anyone drinks the stuff. I’ll probs wait until the Mighty Wales come on for their game against Angleterre. Just getting ready for the Rugby World Cup in France, as you may have noticed. 

You may not have noticed of course. You might be one of those people who switch languages without even realising you’ve done it. Bit like me, clearly.

Back in Lincoln the members of the Shed Appreciation Society are congregating to watch the match in the Prince of Wales. I understand that they do serve Carling there but also Peroni which makes it ok.

Thassitfornowcyalater

Pleasant game of golf with Jezzer and Ajax yesterday afternoon. Dropped the clubs and cars off at home and met in the Strugglers for a couple of beers before heading to the Castle View curry house round the corner. It was rammed and I’m glad I had the foresight to book. There have been after effects!

This morning it is yet another relaxing start. Got a few errands to run and packing to get on with. Specifically I need to pick my Macbook up from the menders and stop off to buy some steak for tonight’s tea. Expecting my car back today as well but don’t know what time that will be.

I feel that my approach to today will be low stress and casual. Seems like a plan.

After breakfast each day I have a cup of tea and then move operations to the shed. I do this whether I am working or not. It is my space. Peaceful. Right now I’m sat reading and listening to the birds. All moments in life need savouring. Enjoy it while you can.

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In keeping with my approach to the day I had a relaxing bath after dinner. Still had some radox bubble bath left. This is unusual for when we are visited by offspring some of them are known to take baths as they only have showers in their london flats. The little darlings normally use up all the bubble bath. Result.

I have a book to finish off. May nod off doing that.

Goodness me it poureth down in Lincoln. This was foretold. By the good folk at the Meteorological Office. Wherever that is. Near a field of cows somewhere deep in the country. Unless it’s been sold off to foreign investors. You wouldn’t have thought they would sell such a strategic national resource to the Americans. Or the Chinese. The cows are how they decide whether it is going to rain or not.

I quite like it when it rains steadily. Apart from the fact that one of our gutters needs repairing. It’s very relaxant especially when sat in the conservatoire waiting for my tea to brew. Tea to brew, brew to tea, just like that.

Just noticed a snail trail on the mat by the conservatory door. Hmm. Should track it down. Can’t have gone far. Not sure I can be bothered right now. Later.

Still the rain falls. It is set for the morning. Good job the cricket finished on Monday.

The small trolley table in front of me is painted white and grey and has wine and spirit labels pasted to the flat surfaces. Alva Finest Brandy, Walkers Fine Old Cognac, Grand Seal Port, Lemon Gin, Caveau Cognac amongst others. 

These are facsimiles of originals we have that were collected by THG’s dad during his years as a Customs and Excise officer. It is a treasure trove of brands that you never hear about these days. I scanned them all in. No way we would want to stick the originals down.

THG’s dad Keith was a solid chap. He was chairman of his local allotment holders’  committee and at one time ran two separate plots. Sunday dinners at the Websters often involved fresh vegetables from the allotment and their back garden was always a riot of colour during the summer months. He is the source of THG’s horticultural expertise. 

I have no idea how she got to be so good at University Challenge 🙂 Just naturally brainy 😀One of the reasons I married her although I only found out about the University Challenge bit many years into our relationship.

The interior of the shed is brightly lit. Raises the spirits on a dingy wet day. I prefer to have the doors wide open but right now it is jumper weather. Sometimes I’ll stick some classical music on in the shed in the morning. Haven’t today but there is yet time.

Righto that’s the day started. Off to see what the rest of it brings…

Two themed day today. Bit of work stuff this morning. Have been writing a very interesting article (obvs) on CLI Authentication and will finish that off. Then this pm I’ve said I will clear the garage out.

Clearing the garage is no small task really. In theory it involves emptying the garage, chucking a few bits and then replacing everything more tidily. Not sure an afternoon is enough but we shall see. Today is the only day the weather will allow me to do it. It’s golf on Thursday, the other non rainy day in the forecast. Also I don’t have my car right now as it is getting a slight scrape to the paintwork addressed so if I need to nip down to B&Q or similar I won’t be able to.

The slight scrape occurred whilst reversing into an impossibly small gateway at our rented cottage in the Isle of Man. Won’t do that again in a hurry, probs, maybs. Off to the IoM again a week on Saturday as foot passengers. The Steam Packet wanted silly money to take the car on Saturday sailing. That’s what you get when dealing with a monopoly. As it happens my dear sister Sue will already be over with her car and can pick us up from the ferry terminal.

We will be travelling light, for once. There is already a kitchen sink in the house in Peel. I quite like the idea. Footloose and fancy free, ish. Not really done that since I was a student. September will be similar except we are taking the Defender to France, with the kitchen sink no doubt, because we can.

Outside the shed it feels autumnal. Plenty of red apples on the tree, runner bean crop in full flow. The blackberry picking has been very successful. They’ve just started to come through and all the rain we have had has resulted in large juicy berries. We will be picking most nights this week, Thursday apart when I’ll be playing golf. The freezer will need filling to get us through the winter. 

Nothing quite like THG’s blackberry and apple crumble with Ambrosia Devon custard. Hot crumble, cold custard. Custard is a dish best served cold. A pudding that brings light to the darkest winter months.

As I clear out the garage I will be picking out my camping gear for next week’s expedition to the Eisteddfod in Pen Llyn. I have booked a caravan pitch with electric hookup at the Cae Mawr campsite. My small Berghaus tent might look a bit incongruous amongst the monstrosities that are caravans but it will do me. We have no spare campervans and in any case it makes a lot more sense to drive over in a luxury Land Rover than in a fifty year old campervan.

The electric hookup will keep my coolbox running, power the phone charger and the teppanyaki grill that I will be using to cook breakfast. Seems right really. My tent is a three man tent which really means it is perfect for one person. The inner is lined in black so that the early sunrise doesn’t wake you up at the wrong time, ie before 9am 🙂Truth be told I am an early riser. 

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It’s three pm and I’ve downed tools where the garage is concerned. Much progress made but still more to do. It’s already a lot tidier. I need to stick some more brackets on the walls so that I can hang stuff up out of the way. For example we have three or four spare golf bags and clubs. These do get used very occasionally when the lads are home on holiday so they do want keeping. There’s also a camp bed. Again not often used and so wants sticking out of the way somewhere.

My camping gear is starting to come together. RAB 4 seasons down sleeping back dug out of the cupboard. Essential for the unpredictable wilds of Pwllheli. I figured I might take a flagpole with me as well. Put up my Manx flag (salutes).