db-09-17

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The French Blatting Company

DAILY BLOG AT ROYSTON

September 2017

01-09-2017

Up bright and early, I checked emails and forums then just as I was about to shut the computer down my son calls me on messenger. Could I pop over to the office to fit a TV bracket to the wall. OK, after the furnitures been delivered. Shut down the computer and moved the desk to the other side of the hall and took the opportunity to tidy the wiring. At 0830 the furniture arrives. I have to ask them to move the "electric" chair from the lounge to Lynne's room. They look at it and remove the back with one tug! I never knew that came off. All my old grapes, bits of cheese and pills fall out. They moved it into Lynne's room but I asked them to leave the back off so I could give it a good clean. The furniture was brought in, unwrapped and photographed. Problem was they hadn't brought the footstall I thought I'd ordered but the order hasn't got it on so it's my error. They left and I put the desk back and re-connected the computer and fired it up. I then got all the tools I needed to drill holes in walls and fit a TV wall bracket. Knowing my son it will be a huge TV (it was). At this point Lynne came down. She was delighted with the furniture. I do love it when she's happy. I then typed out what I wanted to say to the Notaire in France who is handling the sale. Lynne phoned them and played the translation to them (Google translate is clever). They understood. I then left to fit a TV to a wall.

TV was easy but by the time we'd run an extension lead through the trunking and two screws to hold the four way it was 1200 so we went to lunch. I dropped Simon back to the office and made my way home so as to be there when the chap came for the magazines. As I drove into the close a silver car came out and pulled in, the driver getting out and walking to the boot. I didn't give it much thought but when I got in I was informed it was the chap who's collected the magazines and why wasn't I here to help!

I was going to finish the handbrake on the Caterham but by the time I'd completed the formalities with the new 4g internet system I didn't feel like it. I spent an hour looking at cameras as I want to get a better one when the farm is sold.

My new armchair, just needs the footstool

My Hi-Fi and TV corner. In France I had my own room for this,

The two sofas.

The fireplace.

My office in the hall.

Pictures on the wall.

More pictures on the wall in the hall.

Lynne's room.... more pictures.

The welsh dresser in Lynne's room (and more pictures)

One side of the stairs and, guess what, pictures.

The opposite side and even more pictures.

One side of the upstairs hall with a pub mirror this time.

The other side and another pub mirror but this time with a picture. There's a surprise.

Our bedroom.

One side of the bedroom.....

.... and the other with a good fitting shoe rack.

Lynne's ironing room, very important, I'm told.

02-09-2017

I went to the Traditional Car Club of Doncaster monthly breakfast meeting. This month I got the correct day. My sat-nav, in the TC, took me all around the countryside, nice but far too long. I found the place which is a renovated 1930's cinema. A sign at the front said to park round the back. So I drove around the corner and there was an alleyway between the back of the buildings and the railway. It was quite steep so I went back to the front, parked and walked back to see where the alleyway went. As I get to the end a 1960's Merc drove up, so I opened the gate for him and he drove into the area behind the cinema. I said hello and walked back and returned with the car. The owner, Trevor, asked me to go up steep slope into the garden behind the chemist shop which is next to the cinema. I took a run at it but couldn't get up and then the rear wheels started to slip on the wet grass. I parked up the garden of the cinema. More people arrived in all sorts of cars, some from the 60's and some later. I got talking to a few of the early arrivals and then asked who Sue was as I had to give her my membership application form and a cheque for my membership. She was one of the ladies I'd been talking to and she made me very welcome and introduced me to everyone. An old Rover drove in and a chap got out. I thought I recognised him as one of the people whose house we had looked at when house hunting. I was aware that Trevor had a collection of cars.... what I wasn't prepared for was the volume of "tat" he has collected over his lifetime. When I walked into the open door of the basement of the cinema I wasn't prepared for what I saw. There was a huge 1930's Rolls Royce an 1960 Bently R type, a Humber Super Snipe and a 1960's Merc. All over the place were old TV's, Radio's and buried behind them old motorbikes. Up on a raised area were several small vans, a pre-war Austin, a Moriis Minor and a few others. There was so much stuff it was difficult to take it all in. People wre going up a short flight of stairs so I followed. There was a small room with lots of old radios and other stuff and another flight of stairs. I went up and it led to the main cinema hall. Original walls and domed ceiling, there was a large screen at the far end showing an old film. There were several large bookcases full of old books but then I took stock and looked around. Around the walls were hundreds of old black and white TV's and old wood, domed radio's not a few dozen but hundreds. There was a huge pre-war massive film projector, a church pulpit several round tables set up as restaraunt tables with cutlery, napkins an wine glasses. Behind the large screen was a table with eggs, bacon, sausages, loaves of bread, baked beans, a huge teapot and a very old electric oven with a hotplate on top. On the hotplate was an old frying pan gently frying some bacon and sausages. I helped myself to a tea and went and sat down with some of the ladies. The chaps seemed to be engrossed in looking at all the stuff in the hall. I left the table and went to chat to a group of men and the chap with the Rover confirmed he remembered me when we looked at his house. He's taken it off the market now and wasn't upset we didn't buy it (it was too close to a main road and very noisy). I got myself a bacon sandwich and went back to sit with the ladies. I was asked why we had come back from France and by the time I'd finished explaining my bacon sandwich was cold. At one point I mentioned I was organising a coast-to-coast run for next year. One of the ladies said she'd done one of those.... across Africa! It took them 26 days and she said it was a fantastic trip through several national parks with Elephants and Giraffes walking about. Well I suppose it beats my Morecombe to Scarborough jaunt! I had promised Lynne that we'd go to lunch in Meadowhall (a large shopping mall (for our American readers) near Sheffield). I wanted to look at a particular camera (Nikon P900) which I'm thinking of buying. At about 1215 I said goodby to everyone explaining I had to go home to take Lynne to lunch... hang on a minute, we're having a group picture taken. So I had my picture taken with the group and left. I'm sorry I didn't take any pictures of this fantastic place, I will next time I visit. I didn't switch the sat-nav on but made my way home without it. It was a much shorter journey.

I put the MG away when I got home and Lynne and I left in the Honda for Meadowhall. We had a light lunch which wasn't very nice and then went in search of the camera store. Lynne wanted to get some lipstick so went into Boots (a pharmacy) whilst I went downstairs to the camera shop. They had no stock of the model I wanted to look at, there was a place for it, a label but no camera. I was asked to look at the model below it and informed that it was nearly as good but much smaller and lighter than the one I wanted to try. Actually I wanted to see if the larger one is small and light enough. As I wasn't in a hurry, I can't buy it until, the earliest, next month, I looked at the b700 which was very good but made my excuses and left. I rang Lynne.... now, let me tell you, Lynne and phones just don't get on. I wasn't surprised there was no answer. I rang six times, no answer. I went upstairs to find her but failed. I waited outside the shop and my phone rang. She was downstairs at the camera shop, where was I. I asked her to come back up so we could go into Currys (electrical retailer) to see if they had the model I wanted to see. She admitted she had heard the phone ring on one occassion but was at the checkout so didn't answer it. We went into Currys but they didn't have it and suggested we go to the retail park about a mile away as their shop there had a bigger camera section. We did and they didn't. We then rang Simon and told him we were leaving to go home so he could set off and meet us at home. He had texted Lynne in the morning and he and Kerry wanted to come over and have a Chinese takeaway for dinner. We had a very nice afternoon and evening. Tomorrow I'm going to visit all the Jessop Camera shops and all the Currys in a 30 mile radius from us to find this camera. I've checked on line and most retailers are out of stock. I suspect the camera is about to be superceded by a new model, this model is over 3 years old.

The smaller of the two, the b700....

...and the bigger one, the P900. I have to decide if the higher spec is justified by the larger size and weight.

03-09-2017

I made a list of all the camera shops in a 30 mile radius to us. I set off at 0950 and went to our local Currys. As I suspected they didn't have one in stock but the lad looked it up on the computer and said that Rotherham have one. I set off for Rotherham.... yes, they had one but it had no battery in and the lad said it had been nicked. He also refused to take the camera off the stand so I could handle it. He looked up the location of other branches who had stock. Birstal, Leeds had one. He also checked stock at the central warehouse and it showed red confirming what I thought, the camera is about to be superceded by a new model. I set off up the motorway to Birstal, about 24 miles. I get there, walk in and there's the P900 on display. I wait for the camera assistant to finish with another customer and ask if she has the battery which isn't in the camera. She gets the box and, guess what, it's missing. However she does take the camera off the stand and I handle it. It is heavy compared to the model below it (b700, both are Nikon). I will have to think about this. I'm leaning towards getting the P900 replacement because it's spec is so high it's probably worth the penalty of being bigger and a bit heavier. I'm hoping the replacement is lighter.

I got home in time for lunch then downloaded the manual for the P900. Having read about half of it I'm falling asleep so go and lie down. My daughter is coming round as her partner, Paul is out having bike riding lessons. I wnat to see her. I hear talking so get off the settee I'm lying on to find I've been asleep 2 hours and Tanya is just leaving. I finish reading the manual, I'll need to go to school to learn all this.

I've had dinner so will now go and watch the TV.

04-09-2017

Spent most of the morning on the phone. The parts are on the way for the Midget gearbox, no further progress with the Mini, the inland revenue, or HMRC as they are now called, are issuing us tax codes and that took all morning. We went to lunch at a local pub, very nice and we then went to Asda for the weekly shop, I stayed in the car, it's cheaper that way. Spent the rest of the day on the internet and watching TV. England did well beating Slovakia.

05-09-2017

I've spent all day on the internet because I'm feeling too cold to go out into the garage to finish the Caterham. I'm being told that I have to acclimatise to the weather, I say it's bloody freezing! The new G4 internet mast is being installed on Friday so that'll help.

One of the chaps in the TABC group has a problem with his carburettor jet linkage. It appears a previous owner has cahnged the bracket and bent the jets to fit. So heres' some pictures.

06-09-2017

Messed about on the internet until 1015 when we left to go to the hospital. It's eye injection day! We get there and queue to get into the car park. I go into W H Smiths to get a photography magazine. Lynne notices a magazine for Nikon so I get that. We go to the fourth floor and walk into the department to be greeted by "good afternoon Mr Verona, take a seat in the waiting room". How did they know it was me? We sit down and I start looking at the magazine, for about one minute. I'm then called into the inner waiting room which has four people having eye drops and waiting to go in. The chap administering the drops knows the other three by first name and he is telling them the doctor is delayed but should be down shortly. The general opinion is that she's worth waiting for, she's very quick with the injection and causes no pain or discomfort. She turns up and the first patient goes in to be replaced by the next. Eye drops are being put into our eyes every five minutes or so, I think it's anisthetic. Eventually it's my turn. I feel quite calm, two Diazapam tablets, one at 0900 and the next at 1015 are helping. The doctor is really good, it's all over in less than two minutes and I felt very little pain. My eye was a bit painful for five minutes after and then was just a bit sore. We went home but I thought it may be a good idea to have lunch out, if for no other reason that it would calm me down. So, a pint of Bradfield Blonde, a fish pie for starters and a mixed grille certainly calmed me down. We had to do a bit of shopping on the way home as we'd run out of corn flakes I asked Lynne to get me a practical or Amateur Photographer magazine. She got something but wasn't sure what it was, it was Practical Photography. The Nikon magazine seems to deal with the DSLR range only. I got in and went to sleep until 1640. I then looked at the DVD that came with the NIkon magazine. Very good but only reminding me of techniques I've forgotten. We had a light snack for dinner and I watched TV for the evening.

The postman brought the remaining parts for Bob's gearbox so I'll be doing that tomorrow. I got an email in the morning that seemed to say the new camera was being delivered today it was dealt with by delaying it until tomorrow.

07-09-2017

The camera didn't arrive and the treacking information now says it will be delivered today

Having recieved the outstanding parts for Bob's gerabox I started the rebuild. I'd forgotten how fiddly it is to get the hubs on the mainshaft with the spring loaded plungers. Lyyne and I perservered and, eventually we did it. The mainshaft is now built and I cleaned the casings before packing up for the day. In the evening we went to the quiz at one of the pubs. With my lack of sleep I find it difficult to remember things.... now, what was I saying.... Oh yes, we scored 18 and the winners scored 42. Must try harder. I shoud get a sleep apnoea machine next week so, after a weeks sleep we may do better, like 20!

08-09-2017

I started on the gearbox and got the mainshaft in when the camera arrived. These are my first pictures. I'll get some more later but at the moment I'm waiting for the installers to arrive to fit our 4G aerial for broadband that works.

From the kitchen window at 24mm........

...... and at 2000mm

The love of my life. Concentrating on her phone.

The chap from NotSpot arrived and fitted the 4G aerial, ran the cable into Lynnes room, plugged the modem in and connected the two cables, (which I had taken down from where they were cable clipped to and run them across the floor for now). Magic, upload of 47.77 and download of 35.25, The best Vodafone and Open Reach could provide with the 38 Mb package was 3.70 up and 0.33 down.

After lunch I went to Meadowhall to get stuff from Jessops. I got a camear bag, a tripod and an lens cloth and puffer brush. I've ordered a spare battery and charger, a spare memory card and a set of filters and lens hoods from Amazon. They'll be here Sunday.

On the way back I got some cable clips in Wickes and a 10 metre Cat 6 cable from Maplins. Got home and fitted the two cables to the walls, not easy with two fractured vertabrae, lots of shouting and swearing. When I came off the M1 I went up to the top and took some pictures over the open fields.

Our road, standing near the fence to the field at 24mm........

.... and the window of the house opposite at 2000mm. I can become a peeping Tom.

Open fields looking towards Pontefract at 24mm .......

........... and at 2000mm, you can't really see these houses in the first picture.

The houses nearer the camera. less haze.

The right hand side of the field, note the trees on the hill just right of centre.

Well, this is them.

09-09-2017

Started on the gearbox at 0900, I was having problems getting the laygear centralised, OK, I can now see why, some plonker has put the 3rd & 4th hubs on the wrong way around... I keep telling everyone I'm a plonker! So mainshaft out, drift the rear bearing off and get the hubs off all in about fifteen minutes. Lynne is helping and we get the hub with one spring loaded pin in more or less straightaway. The second hub, the one with spring loaded pins each side will noy go in. We have to hold both pins in and take the locking ring down over them then turn the ring so the pins lock. The way I used to do it, 50 years ago was to get one side just over the pin on one side then push the other pin in with a 0.040" (40 Thou) feeler gauge push the other pin in whilst someone taps the ring down. Maybe it's age or that I'm a plonker but after an hour of trying we give up. Paul is coming over this afternoon so I'll ask him to help.

The hub with pin and locking ring above it. There's another pin on the opposite side

10-09-2017

UPDATE ON YESTERDAY:

Lynne informs me that Kerry, Leanne and Malakia are joining Tanya and Paul for an Indian. We go to the one in the village and we all seem to like it very much. I've never seen such a large menu. Kerry et all arrive at 1800 and Malakai tells me the resolution on my computer screen is all wrong. Remember this kid is 11 going on 25. He messes about with the resolution settings but can't improve it, which I did tell him. Why do kids always think od people (and to an 11 year old 25 is old) are stupid. The problem is a combination of Windows 10 and using an oblong TV screen as a moniter. I'll live with it. He then tells me my mouse is rubbish. I agree with him on that so I'll get a new one ... one day. Tanya and Paul arrive at 1900 and Paul and I try and get the hub on. We fail but he come up with the idea to use a jack handle over the shaft to knock the ring down rather than the drift and hammer.

Sunday 10th.

After breakfast Lynne and I tried to get the 3rd speed hub onto the mainshaft after Paul and I failed. After about an hour she walked off the job, fell over the handbrake for the Caterham which has been on the floor all the time and swore at me. Oh well she wasn't hurt so all is well. I spent the afternoon looking for a new car. I found one, a Lotus Elise 111R (Toyota engine) for sale from a private buyer. I had sent him an email through Autotrader last night but had no response. I ring him. Yes, the car is still for sale. Why? Because his wife cannot get in or out of it. That's the reason I sold my 111S (Rover K series engine). OK, best price. He didn't want to come down any further than the price he was asking as he'd already dropped it £1000. I offered £500 less and he said to split it so we agreed £17250. I asked him for his bank sort code and account number. He didn't want to give it to me. I told him I wasn't coming to Reading on a train with £17,250 stuffed in my pockets. He hummed and harred so I sent him another email (via Autotrader) with my web site and a reminder that I cannot do anything other than pay him money with sort code and account number. Some people do not understand scamming but are terrified of it. In the meantime I rang a dealer in Harlow Essex who also had a 111R. We did a deal over the phone, I gave him a debit card for £200 deposit and the whole thing took 10 minutes. I then booked the rail tickets and rang him back with the arrival time. At 1600 the first man sends me another email via Autotrader even though he now had my email address from the website asking if I has got his bank details. I replied I hadn't but not to worry I've bought one eleswhere. Booked a cab on the net.... £31 for a 12 minute journey from our house to Barnsley Station. OK it is at 0500 but I think that's a bit steep. I get an acknowledgement and am informed they will send another email when they have assigned the job to a drive. I watched a bit of TV then went to bed as I was very tired. No further emails from the cab company. Sleep Apnoea clinic next week so maybe I'll get some sleep when I get a machine.

11-09-2017

I got up at 0400, shower and dressed and go downstairs. There was an email from the cab company cancelling the job and refunding the money as they couldn't find a driver to do the job. Google gave me 14 cab companies in Bransley. I rang all of them. Only one answers and he can't do it. I have to get Lynne up to take me. She was already awake listening to me ringing and was ready to get up and take me. We had a quick breakfast and left at 0500. I went into the station and looked for the ticket machine to get my ticket. I couldn't find it! I searched everywhere but no machine and no sign for it. A Railway chap came down the stairs and I asked him, he thought it was upstairs. I went up the stairs and after a good look araound saw it in a corner. I put my credit card in and entered the long code number on the confirmation email. A ticket dropped out. I then walked along the "bridge" to find platform 2. I ended up in the bus station. I went back to the machine and there, opposite the machine was the stairs down to platform 2. I hadn't seen them as I had my back to them when operating the ticket machine. My train had gone! Never mind another one along at 0557 but I may miss my train to London from Sheffield. I work out that this train will get into Sheffield at 0627 and the London train leaves at 0629.... I'll have to run! Me, run, there's a joke. The display board informs me that the next train is the 0544 from Sheffielld and not to get on it as it terminates there. A train comes in at 0544. Everyone else gets on. I ask the driver, who is on the platform if this is the Sheffield train, indeed it is. I get on and at 0557 it leaves. It has 4 stops on the way. I ask the ticket collector if he know which platform we arrive at and which platform the london train will be on. He says he'll find out. He returns after a few minutes. We come in on 4 and the London train is on 6. I'll have to go over the bridge. We arrive a few minutes early and I get over the bridge and on to the London train without too much running. I settle down to a two and a half hour trip. A young lady comes along with drinks and snacks so I ask for a black coffee, "Milk and sugar, Sir", "No, black please". I drink the coffee and look out the window. We stop at Chesterfield, Derby, Leicester, and few other stations before arriving at St Pancras at 0910, a few minutes late. By this time the train is packed. I get off the train along with the other several thousand other passengers and start wlaking the whole length of this very long train. I follow the signs to the underground. Where do all these people come from, there are millions of them and no one's smiling or saying good morning. I was right to leave London 37 year ago. I study the three underground maps and work out I need the Victoria line to Tottenham Hale. I descend into the bowels of the earth on a very long escalator. If I was supposed to be this far down in the ground why wasn't I born a Mole? There is a train in the station, I move forward to get on but the doors shut. I can't get on! OK, another will be along in a minute. It arrives, in a minute or so. I get on. It's packed. No one is smiling or talking to anyone else. I think it's sad. I get off at Tottenham Hale and go up to ground level. It's sunny and warm. I find the main line station and ask which platform for Harlow. I'm directed to the platform in front of me and told to get the Stanstead flyer. (Stanstead is one of the three London airports). It arrives in a few minutes and is packed with people and their cases. No one is speaking English, most seem to be speaking Spanish. after a couple of stops we arrive at Harlow Town, whereas my itenirary says we should be at Harlow Mill. Never mind, I get off and walk outside. I phone the dealer and he sends a car for me. We get to the dealership, a unit on an industrial estate. It has no workshop or showroom but is packed with expensive cars. The Elise is outside, the young lad in the office asks if I want to look over the car. we go out to it. I then wind him up by complaining the car doesn't have leather seats or electric windows as the advert claims. I already knew this from the pictures in the ad. He explains that Autotrader do the spec part of the ad so I tell him to tell them it's cost them £500 for it being wrong but he just looks at me blankley, I smile and he then falls in. We start doing paperwork when my phone rings. It's Lynne, the electricity has tripped off - again. I direct her to take the cover off, turn all the little switches to off, put the main switch on and then turn the little ones on. She is still trying to get the cover off! She does as directed but the main switch trips again when number three switch is turned on. We end up with all switches on except number three which turns out to be the cooker. OK, at least she can make a cuppa. I leave with directions to the Tesco petrol station. I fill it up and pay at the pump. Then I go in to get a cigar lighter socket to charge my phone. They have two, three or four port units. I get a four. Back to the car and get in. This isn't easy with the roof on, I hope no one's filming this. I pull off the pumps and take the charger out of it's box. Problem! The car hasn't got a cigar lighter. Never mind I'll wire one in on Wednesday. I set off to the M11. Just before I get there I pull over and ring Lynne. I tell her to ring the electrician who sorted out the lights in the garage and get him to look at the problem. I join the M11 and drive to Sheffield, to collect the camera manual that has been printed and bound for me. It's 142 pages long, printed on both side. Nafesta in the office has done a brilliant job. Simon is on a conference call so Tanya and I walk back to the car and she looks at the car. She thinks it's a Dinky toy comapred to Simons Tesla parked next to it.I set off back to the M1 and home getting there at 1500.

I deal with my emails whilst Lynne makes some lunch. She tells me all about the electrician, he has determined there is an earth to neutral short somewhere. He checked a socket in the garage and thinks that may be it. If it trips again he'll have to come out to check all the sockets and plugs in the house. After lunch I have a good look at the car and find a cigar lighter in the rear bulkhead. It's called an accessory point, not a cigar lighter. I take all the stuff out the car, plug the charger unit in and connect a cable. I then play around with the radio. It's a Blaupunkt and I don't like it because I can't turn the very flat knobs. I've had it on Radio 4 all the way home but it's only playing on the rear speaker and it's not very loud. Opening the engine cover I check the oil level. It appears there's no oil in the engine. I get some from the garage and pour a little in. The dipstick now shows the oil I've just poured in above the almost transparent oil that's in it. OK, that's done. I now go to Halfords to get a tyre pressure gauge. Whilst there I ask if they can get a multi changer unit for the radio/cd player. No, they can't, Blaupunkt haven't made car radios for over 10 years. I decide to buy a new radio/cd player with a built in USB port and bluetooth. I'm booked in for tomorrow. I return home with the tyre gauge and check the tyres. I had asked at the dealership if he oil, water and tyres had been checked. I was assured thay had. They may have been but it would have been good if they were set to the correct pressures. they had 19.5lb in the front and 21 ib the rears when it should be 26/29. I unwind the air hose (and switch the compressor on) and am surprised the air line reaches out to the drive but it does and I get the tyres to the correct pressures.

I'ts now coming up for 1900 so I go to the Chinese and get a takeaway after which I watch some TV and at 2130 go to bed.

12-09-2017

I was informed that I was going shopping. OK, can we got at 1 and be back at 2? I'm phoning all the hotels for block booking prices for the coast-to-coast run. I've always said that if you're selling something make it easy for the customer to buy. Some hotels put big walls up and make it very difficult. I am anticipating needing 50 to 60 rooms. Some hotels have phone numbers that charge 13p a minute for the privelage of you spending your money with them, others have sales departments for block bookings but no salesman in them, and one said you'll have to speak to the manager but she's out at the moment. I asked what time I should ring back and was told 2 weeks time as she's on holiday. Having got Morecombe sorted out I move on to Scarborough. The big hotels will not let rooms for one weekend day, you have both or none. This reduces the options. I'm trying to find hotels with car parks-no chance. One has an inner courtyard but it will not hold 50 cars. I find a solution by doing deals with two hotels which are back-to-back and using the NCP multi storey car park which is opposite.

Of course we weren't ready to shop at 1300 but left at 1330. I had an appointment at 1500 at Halfords to have a new radio fitted, I got there on time, just. The old one wouldn't come out and the chap had to break the facia off and even then it was difficult to remove. He ran a microphone for the bluetooth hands free phone system and it all went in fairly quickly. I plugged my memory stick in the USB port and all my music is there. I will need to find time to work out how to use it but at least I can hear this one and the knob is turnable. I returned to phoning hotels and at 1800 was just about finished. I have two to ring tomorrow for clarification of details but I think it's all done now. I watched a bit of TV, which I slept through most, and went to bed at 2230.

OK, pictures of the new toys. I'll get better ones of the car when I go to the North York Moors tomorrow.

The Nikon P900. That lens is the equivelant of a 2000mm 35mm camera lens.

Full length, wow!

The rear of a Lotus Elise. What do you think of the colour? I'm not sure, would have preferred a red or black but none on sale at the price.

And the front. I'll get better pictures tomorrow.

13-09-2017

I've just moved the car to get better pictures. But first, Lynne got new oven gloves.... why is there a man trying to get out of my oven?

OK, the car.

Note the roof rolled over so this old man can get in and out. It's easy, two clips and the side is released and can be rolled over enough to get in/out. Clever?

14-09-2017

After dealing with emails and looking at the forums/facebook I took the seat out of the Elise and raised it about an inch. That'll make it easier to get in and out and I'll be able to see over the steering wheel... well it's not that bad but as I have to lie down a bit so my fat arse isn't in the narrow section of the kevlar seat I'll be a bit higher.

I had breakfast and made a few phone calls. I've still not heard back from NCP at Scarborough. I rang the doctors to move a blood test from 2nd November. I got directed to an automated system which asked for my date of birth and phone number. It gave me the option to move the appointment but then said there were no dates available I spent another few minutes going round in circles then hung up and dialled agian and spoke to reception. All sorted in less than a minute.

At about 1100 the NHS ring for Lynne to get her a dentist appointment. They give her a Doncaster practice phone number and we ring it. Appointment is for 1140 so she gets dressed and we set off (in the Honda). We get to the address but can't see the practice so I ring them and they tell me they are around the corner. Lynne is seen within a few minutes and has a big hole in one of her back teeth. It's coming out tomorrow morning at 0945. She's petrified, poor thing. We come back for lunch and we both go to bed. I wake up at 1600. At 1730 Simon cycles up (from Sheffield) to help me get the pins in the gearbox hub. We fail! I run him home with the bike in the back of the Honda. After dinner I watch TV until 2230 and then we go to bed. I'm awake at 0200 and get up at 0415 and am typing this.

15-09-2017

Stay in all day because Lynne's tooth, or where the tooth used to be, is aching. So, bored out of my tiny little brain I use up even more of our 30mb bandwidth. Get a few more folk interested in the Coast-to-Coast run but two pull out. Still we are better off than before with 52 in total.

16-09-2017

Spend more time getting these pins in the gearbox hub, they will not go in. After lunch Tanya comes round and we try to get the pins in for about twenty minutes. Still no success. I then settle down to watch the football scores on Final Score. Wednesday are beating Cradiff away, that's a good result.... Oh no, Cardiff get a draw in the last few seconds of the game. Typical Wednesday letting goals in at the death. I watch TV, doze, watch a bit more then try and watch the football but fall asleep.

17-09-2017

At last I get the pins in and then get the mainshaft in and the laygear in place. I'm planning to go out tomorrow so I'll finish the 'box on Tuesday. We have an Indian takeaway for dinner and very nice it was too, if a bit more than I should have eaten. All that weight going on.

18-09-2017

Up with the lark, they get up late these days, you know. Get the car packed up but leave the roof on and set off at 0800 up the M1 then A1M and turn off at Thirsk. After going through Thirsk I turn off the main road and find some nice views. Only problem is it's become very grey. I end up on the A170 at Sutton Bank. At the top I pull into the car park and take the roof off. I rejoin the A170 and decide to go to Scarborough. Get there at 1130 and end up at the gates to the castle so have to roll back down the hill. Turn round and see a pub with a pay and display car park next to it. Have a pint and a baked potato with prawns then another pint. All this over an hour and a half. A couple came in had a pint of lager and half of bitter, drink up and leave. Then an elderly couple came in and ask if they have food. Yes, replied my new friend, the barmaid, "the menus are on the tables". They sit down, look at the menus and get up and leave with a parting comment that they'll come back tonight as they want a proper dinner. I'm left alone with the barmaid, we chat away until I too leave at 1345. I try and get to the Mount Hotel but fail. I can see it but the one way system defeats me. Never mind I can get to the multi story car park and we'll walk from there. I set of home arriving back at 1600. Answer some emails and then fall asleep for an hour. After dinner I watch the TV and go to bed at 2300.

The North York Moors.

From the same viewpoint but at full optical zoom.

The farm on my right.

The farm on my left.

A windmill in front of the barns.

And inside the barn.

The view to the right but forward. Time to move on.

Having moved on I found this bridge over a stream. This isn't the bridge but the path to a farm.

Pretty house with the bridge in the foreground.

The stream running under the bridge.

Two Geese by the side of the river.

A better picture of the geese.

A close up, it's a bit out of focus. I had the camera set to S-Shutter priority. I'll try it in other settings next time.

The other side of the stream with the geese wandering away.

Who needs a camera with GPS....

Nice field with a stream running through it.

Another bridge, just round the corner from the other. I couldn't be bothered to climb out of the car so just held the camera up as high as I could.

The car dash. Minimalistic or what.

19-09-2017

I rang the local solicitor and we both went there at 1145 for him to witness our signatures on the farm sale documents. No charge so that was good. Docs were posted and we'll follow up on Friday. I spent most of the rest of the day on the net.

20-09-2017

I was up at 0600, had breakfast and then went back upstairs to get dressed. I looked at the bed and thought "that looks warm" so back into bed and woke up at 1115. By the time I'd got dressed and went back downstairs it was lunchtime. Lynne made a seafood dish of prawns, mussels, crab and squid.... loverly. At 1400 I went back to bed and didn't reawake until 1700. Had a shower and got dressed. We got into the Elise and set off to Rotherham for the MG Owners Club meeting. We had dinner in the bar and then went into the room for the meeting. We were the first in! By 2000 everyone was there and the meeting started with the chairman ringing his little bell thingie. It's rung evertime the subject changes. It was a very good meeting and we decided on a Christmas Dinner after Christmas, a run to Cleethorpes (not going), a fish and chip run to Whitby (will go, but in the Elise) and that some of us are going on the "Goodnight Sweetheart" run from Chesterfield on Sunday. We're all meeting at Wickes Rotherham at 0900 on Sunday. We did the quiz, only got 10 and didn't win the raffle. So a good evening really. We got home, I spent time on the computer and we went to bed at 2300.

21-09-2017

Used up even more bandwidth during the morning before washing the car. Had a sleep after lunch... what exciting lives we live. I took two prescriptions to the doctor then came back and used even more bandwith. Atb 1900 we went to the pub on the road to Wakefield had dinner and did the quiz. We're getting better, moved up from getting 16 to a heady 20. The winner got 56. Home for 2230 and bed for 2300.

22-09-2017

I left at 0800 in the Elise with the roof off. Up to junction 38 then down one and turned off towards Manchester. I made my way into Holmfirth (Last of the Summer Wine) and then down Holme Moss where I stopped to take pictures. I stopped a couple of times then moved down to the Woodhead pass, stopping once to take even more pictures. After that I made my way home as it was very difficult to drive with the sun in my eyes. I need a baseball cap for the car.

Here are the pictures with details below. The legend is: F stop, shutter speed, focal length (35mm Equiv) and programme mode.

f2.8, @ 1/1600 sec, 24mm Normal

F2.8, @ 1/1250, 24mm. Normal

f3.5, @ 1/640. 80mm, Normal

F2.8, @ 1/2000 sec, 24mm, Normal

f8. @ 1/50 sec, 24mm, Shutter priority

f8, @ 1/50 sec, 24mm, Shutter priority

f8, s@ 1/50sec, 24mm, Shutter priority

f8, @ 1/50 sec, 1600mm, Shutter priority

f8, @ 1/50 sec, 700mm, Shutter priority

f8 @ 1/50th 600mm shutter prority

f8 @ 1/50, 2000mm Shutter priority

f8 @ 1/50, 800mm, Shutter priority

f8 @ 1/50, 800mm,Shutter priority

f5.6 @ 1/500, 800mm, Normal

f6.3 @ 1/200, 260mm, Aperature priority

f6.3 @ 1/320, 24mm Aperture priority

f6.3 @ 1/400, 24mm, Aperture priority

f6.3 @ 1/160, 115mm, Aperture priority

f8 @ 1/50, 24mm, Shutter priority

f8 @ 1/50, 2000mm, shutter priority

f8 @ 1/50, 2000mm shutter priority

f3.8 @ 1/1600, 24mm, Normal

f2.8 @ 1/1250, 24mm, Normal

f2.8 @ 1/1000, 24mm, Normal

f2.8 @ 1/1600, 24mm, Normal

f8 @ 1/50, 24mm, Shutter priority

f8 @ 1/50, 24mm, shutter priority

f8 @ 1/50, 24mm, Shutter priority

F8 @1/50, 24mm, Shutter priority

f8 @ 1/50, 1600mm, Shutter priority

f6.3 @ 1/400, 1600mm, Normal

f6.5 @ 1/400, 2000mm, Normal

f6.5 @ 1/500, 2000mm, Normal

f8 @ 1/50, 2000mm, Shutter priority

f6.5 @ 1/400, 2000mm, Normal

f2.8 @ 1/2000, 24mm, Normal

f3.2 @ 1/1000, 30mm, Normal.

f3.2 @ 1/1250, 30mm, Normal.

f8 @ 1/50, 30mm, Shutter Priority.

f6.3 @ 1/320, 30mm, Aperture priority

23-09-2017

Got out of bed at 0715, and back in at 0716. Slept until 0950 but didn't get downstairs until 1010. After breakfast I finished off Bob's gearbox. By which time it was lunch. After lunch I loaded the pictures of the gearbox and am typing this. Plan is to wash the MG as we're out in it tomorrow then watch Final Score. Lets' see how it goes.

At least it's clean.

Even the inside.

Shiny even, the blue is Hylomar.

I did rotate this but it still comes out sideways. Never mind you know what to do.

That's another job finished. I hope it's OK. It selects all the gears and the output shaft turns at about the correct speed. My only concern is that I found no evidence of noisy bearings so I'm hoping it's quiet now.

24-09-2017

We left at 0800 and got to Wickes at Rotherham by 0835. The others turned up soon after and we left for Clay Cross at 0900. Travelled down the M1 to J29 and from there along a B road to Clay Cross. We signed in, had a coffee, used the loo and set off in convoy. One of our number got lost and we later got a text that he'd gone home. We stopped at Tissington for coffee (and a bacon butty) and then at Moneyash for lunch. We ended up by the Chesterfield Canal at 1615, after I'd run out of petrol and had to stop to put my spare gallon in. The route was really good, the route notes were excellent and the company fantastic. Here are the four muskateers cars.

I know, I should have got them all in line, but we were all tired after a 100 miles along country lanes.

25-09-2017

I had a rest today and did nothing... well I did, I went with Lynne to collect her glasses, all the way into Barnsley. I went to bed for the afternoon. All this sleeping is doing me in, I should get back to normal after my sleep apnoea appointment next month... I hope!

26-09-2017

Spent the morning messing about using up bandwidth. After lunch we went to Lynne's new hairdresser to make an appointment then on to Meadowhall. I went into Jessops, the camera shop, to get a lens hood. When we got home it was exactly the same as I've already got so it will go back. We got a friend a birthday present and came home. I watched some TV and then went to bed. How exciting.

27-09-2017

We set off for the Cat & Fiddle to have lunch at the cafe just past the pub. Went via Holmfirth and down Holme Moss..... stunning counrtyside. Across into Glossop then on to Chapel-en-le-Frith, along the A6 into Buxton then onto the Cat and Fiddle road. Gp past the pub and then turn into the cafe.. it's closed. Turn around and go back to the pub, that's closed and is available to rent. Went back to the fork and turned up the road towarsd Congleton. At the first hairpin there's a pub, we'll stop there for lunch. What a weird landlady, She is Swedish born so we must make allowances. The food was OK but she wouldn't stop talking, even examined my eyebrows ans advised Lynne to trim them. When we left I had a sleep in the car and then we carried on to the main road. turned right to Macclesfield and thenback ove tha cat to home. Came back via Bradwell and Bamford and back into Sheffield to the M1. By the time we got home the tickle in my throat had become a sore throat and I went to bed. We missed the MG CC meeting

28-09-2017

Stayed in with my cough mixture and tried to keep warm. We didn't go out to the pub quiz. I went to bed early.

29-09-17

Bob and Anne came over to collect his gearbox. We went out to lunch but I wasn't realy up for it. Anne brought Lynne a huge bunch of flowers and was about to bring them into the lounge but ran out as it was so hot in there they were wilting on the threshold. When we got back I went to sleep on the couch. I was getting worse, hot and feverish. To add to my misery I find out that my transfer of funds done on the 15th has not gone through to the French bank.

30-09-17

We look up the doctors website and find they're closed for the weekend. Find a walk in centre in Wakefiled and go there for 0800. Seen very quickly and prescribed anti-biotics and parecetamol. We go off to find a chemist and I'm given the pills in the car. Get home just after 0900 and Simon turns up with his new car at 1100. He and Malakia have collected it from Tessla in Leeds. It has gullwing doors at the rear and 3 rows of seats. You can put it in dance mode where the doors and lights "dance" to the music. Great but why? After lunch I settled down to watch the football scores come in but, of course, slept most of the time. We had dinner and I went back to the TV.

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