Sparkey's DIY Corner

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Last day working for my current customer. Going to take the summer off and look for gainful employment in the autumn.
Helping my daughter at the farm in the interim.
Mrs remote has a big list of odd jobs as well, so in the next couple weeks I'll be more able to contribute to the DIY thread.
I might start a gardening sub thread. Veggies not flowers.
Early tatties are planted, main crop chitting in the back bedroom.
Brasicas in pots and up as seedlings. Will pot them up to individual pots in a week or so before planing them out.
I'm becoming Brexit ready for when the shelves are empty.
I'll dig my own.<cheers>
 
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ccfcremotesupport said:
Last day working for my current customer. Going to take the summer off and look for gainful employment in the autumn.
Helping my daughter at the farm in the interim.
Mrs remote has a big list of odd jobs as well, so in the next couple weeks I'll be more able to contribute to the DIY thread.
I might start a gardening sub thread. Veggies not flowers.
Early tatties are planted, main crop chitting in the back bedroom.
Brasicas in pots and up as seedlings. Will pot them up to individual pots in a week or so before planing them out.
I'm becoming Brexit ready for when the shelves are empty.
I'll dig my own.<cheers>
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Great summer ahead for you Remote. I trust you will keep a chill box full of tinnies with you while you slave over the garden. <ok>
 
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Oldsparkey said:
OK guys - no football (yet) and not a lot to talk about, so back on the DIY thread.

Lovely day yesterday on the "Riviera", and looks like the same today so planning on working outside. Patios are bloody green with algae etc after this damp winter. Pavior bock drive looks OK, just few bits and pieces of grass shoots etc in the joints easily remedied. Will probably re-seal it once it's completely dried out in the summer but that's a job for later - never (never!) attempt it if at all damp or the acrylic sealant will cure milky rather than clear.

Don't bother with the pressure washer on the patios these days - not since Pandy as a target passed away. Much easier to kill off the patio algae and other organic matter once a year than to try to blast it away with the K'Archer. You can pay a lot of money for branded "cleaners" but basically they're all the same and pretty basic stuff - hypochlorite. Nipped into Bridgend and picked up a couple of 20 litre jacks from an agricultural supplier - that'll last me for a few years.

It's the stuff dairy farmers use to sterilise their milking equipment and holding tanks. It kills all protein based organisms stone dead. For gawd's sake keep it away from your plants and fishponds etc - it'll kill anything organic on sight! Knock it down 1 to 1 with water and just brush it on with a synthetic (nylon) sweeping brush. Don't use a natural bristle brush because it'll rot the bristles away in no time. No need Leave it dry out and the slabs will come back to their original colour - magic.

As Captain Lawrence Oates once said - I'm just going outside and I may be some time. <ok>
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As you have no further need for your K'Archer, can I have it? My bidet just isn't up to the job required. <yikes>
 
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ccfcremotesupport said:
Last day working for my current customer. Going to take the summer off and look for gainful employment in the autumn.
Helping my daughter at the farm in the interim.
Mrs remote has a big list of odd jobs as well, so in the next couple weeks I'll be more able to contribute to the DIY thread.
I might start a gardening sub thread. Veggies not flowers.
Early tatties are planted, main crop chitting in the back bedroom.
Brasicas in pots and up as seedlings. Will pot them up to individual pots in a week or so before planing them out.
I'm becoming Brexit ready for when the shelves are empty.
I'll dig my own.<cheers>
Click to expand...
Since you're going self-sufficient, are you going to start a mini brewery?
 
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clingo said:
Since you're going self-sufficient, are you going to start a mini brewery?
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Used to brew my own beer. Kits rather than starting from scratch. Not done it for ages.
One of the first things lined up for my time off is bottling three and a half litres of sloe gin.
I gave some of it away but the three and a half litres I bottled before Christmas has already gone.

My Mrs bought a single / double spirit measure. Worked out my pours were about 5 shots. Turns out 2 glasses of sloe gin is 10 measures. <yikes>
Explains the wobbly legs.:eek:
 
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ccfcremotesupport said:
Used to brew my own beer. Kits rather than starting from scratch. Not done it for ages.
One of the first things lined up for my time off is bottling three and a half litres of sloe gin.
I gave some of it away but the three and a half litres I bottled before Christmas has already gone.

My Mrs bought a single / double spirit measure. Worked out my pours were about 5 shots. Turns out 2 glasses of sloe gin is 10 measures. <yikes>
Explains the wobbly legs.:eek:
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I've spent many an hour picking sloes in and around Wick in the Vale. Halcyon days. I too have had difficulties with measures and sloe gin. Trouble was, I didn't feel drunk until I tried (usually in vain) to stand up. Also fell into the temptation trap once it was bottled. Not many sloes nearby in Gloucester, just the pace of life is slow.
 
clingo said:
I've spent many an hour picking sloes in and around Wick in the Vale. Halcyon days. I too have had difficulties with measures and sloe gin. Trouble was, I didn't feel drunk until I tried (usually in vain) to stand up. Also fell into the temptation trap once it was bottled. Not many sloes nearby in Gloucester, just the pace of life is slow.
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Hey clingo - had many a nice meal in the past in the Lamb and Flag in Wick. I think The Star just down the road closed down for a while, but I do remember one of my old footballing mates took it on as landlord at one time.

Haven't been out that way for years now and no idea if they're still up and running or have suffered the fate of so many good pubs this past 20 years or so.
 
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Star up and running again a few years ago.

Last summer our running club entered the Llantwit Major 10k trail run.

Caught train from Bridgend. After race bus to Plough and Harrow at Marcross for food and drinks. From there bus to Wick with more beers in Lamb and Flag and Star. Bus again, should have got off at Farmers, St. Brides but that had closed and still is. Stayed on bus 3 Golden Cups. Southerndown for more drinks and pudding.

Bus back to Bridgend where me and Mrs. BfB caught another one home and crashed out by 9.30 while the younger ones went to Cabot Roche, then the Coach and finished up drinking malt at someone's house till 3.00 am.

Just shows how fit you need to be for this running lark and that rehydration is essential.
 
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Cheers Bluey - "Cabot Roche" bloody hell <doh> - I can remember when that was Terry Refells plumbing shop.....<laugh>

Also "The Coach" in Cowbridge Road was actually known as the Coach and Horses in my time as a boy around 50 years ago - I lived just up the road by Bridgend Tech and remember "Scurlocks" was the garage next to it.

What happend to the Five Bells pub just down the road from Terry Refells - is that still there? Haven't been around that neck of the woods for bloody ages.
 
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Oldsparkey said:
Hey clingo - had many a nice meal in the past in the Lamb and Flag in Wick. I think The Star just down the road closed down for a while, but I do remember one of my old footballing mates took it on as landlord at one time.

Haven't been out that way for years now and no idea if they're still up and running or have suffered the fate of so many good pubs this past 20 years or so.
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The Lamb is still going strong. Something of a family pub, this one. Had many a happy time in the Farmers too......rather unhappy on going home well pissed as a 14 yr old trying to keep up with 17 yr old cousins. Also there was the stress of avoiding the filth....or hoping that sitting in the restaurant would get me legal.....there was a dance floor too, as I recall.
 
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Oldsparkey said:
Cheers Bluey - "Cabot Roche" bloody hell <doh> - I can remember when that was Terry Refells plumbing shop.....<laugh>

Also "The Coach" in Cowbridge Road was actually known as the Coach and Horses in my time as a boy around 50 years ago - I lived just up the road by Bridgend Tech and remember "Scurlocks" was the garage next to it.

What happend to the Five Bells pub just down the road from Terry Refells - is that still there? Haven't been around that neck of the woods for bloody ages.
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The Bells still going strong. Shut 3/4 years ago but reopened. Recently refurbed and now doing food.

Terry Refell now on trading estate
 
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Well, you chaps have stirred up some great memories of the short time I lived in Wick. When I was there, the closing of the Star caused quite a ruckus in the village. I'm glad to hear it was recently up and running again. Across the road was the scene of many a drunken night in the Lamb and Flag. However, the serious drinking and the site of the loss of days on end, was the Plough and Harrow in Monknash. I shudder just thinking about it. Once in a while we would go along to the metropolis of Llantwit Major and the White Hart. Really enjoyed my time in Wick. Great place, nice people and amazing pubs.
 
Forgot the Royal Oak to which I was invited to a party to drink the remaining stock before it closed forever. It was nearing the completion of a conversion to a house when I left the area.
 
TodayI have been mostly restoring two pieces of vintage pottery that suffered as a consequence of my reactions to a blind linesman and referee. <grr>
 
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TodayI have been mostly restoring two pieces of vintage pottery that suffered as a consequence of my reactions to a blind linesman and referee. <grr>
 
Masky said:
WD40 was recommended to me to take a varnish stain off a carpet. Bloody hell it did the trick...amazing product! SImiliarly to Sparkey I am not receiving any back handers for recommending this product pals!:emoticon-0103-cool:
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