Les Lobb's Diary
June 2016
05/06/2016
06.30
Better late than never!
I'm afraid this is getting left out lately - sounds sad,
but there's not much to write about. We have the
occasional drive to the coast, but apart from that we
are fairly tied to the house with getting Mum's meals
and taking her to docs etc.,
Dawn's still doing her charity stuff and had a good
morning yesterday at the village mini market. A local
farmer is letting them hold a cream tea at his farm
later in the month; he has a lot of shoots there and
the facilities are very good.
I've been making some key/trinket cases which are
being painted by a friend of ours in readiness for the
craft stall at the above 'do'. I've got an unusual
project on the go at the moment - a friend had to
have her dog put down and she wants to have its
collar and lead buried with her when she goes. She
was looking, without much luck, for a suitable box
which she could use and so I offered to make one for
her.
07/06/2016
18.00
Yesterday we had a drive out to Sandbay, north of
Weston Super Mud, to meet up with a few camper
friends. Before going there, we visited Tiverton and
Taunton and afterwards came home via Cullompton. My
knee was swollen after the trip but not too painful, so
next week we are planning to go oop norf to P'boro
while I'm on a roll.
Visited the surgery nurse this morning for my annual
blood-letting etc., and then came home and made a new
planter for a lady in the village. My agent had been
visiting her when she was shown a pile of 'bits' which
had been bought as bargain planters from Homebase;
she was having a job putting them together, so my agent
said I'd do them for her as well!
What a load of tat, seen thicker wood on match boxes,
all pinned/stapled together; I replaced the 'fixings' which
came with them for decent screws and used a drop of
resin glue on the joints, but if they last more than a
season I'll be surprised. I've got a coat of gloss on the
'casket' and a quick rub down and one more coat should
finish it. (pic below)
Greenhouse toms are now in flower and looking good;
first strawberry was taken by head of tasting and there
should be a good crop of raspberries and goosegogs in a
couple of weeks.
12/06/2016
20.00
Mum had some visitors yesterday, a couple who lived next door to her in P'boro and Jean and Ivan popped in to say
hello to them as well. Dawn did loads of sarnies, quiches etc for lunch, which they all tucked into; they enjoyed
talking about old times and looking at snaps but when they left Mum was shattered. We were lucky with the weather
and were able to sit outside, but about 16.00 when they left the heavens opened and I swear the grass grew an inch.
Dawn's charity has just got planning permission for the new 'well being centre' and they are all grateful that step is
over. Still got lots of stuff coming in for the next cream tea which is being held at a local farm.
A few things I have made would have been better with some lettering/logo on them, so I'm making a pantograph for
my router, because my freehand routing is about as good as my freehand writing!
13/06/2016
18.30
We were hoping to get to P'boro this week, but for
various reasons we weren't able to go. I can't do much
more to my latest job until I get some round bar for
the hinges, so we had a trip to Burnham and between
showers we managed a walk round. Morrison's store
has closed and the town seems much quieter, but on
the bright side parking is easier. We have had a lot of
rain in the last couple of days and both water butts are
full - payment for the recent sunshine!
16/06/2016
18.30
More bliddy rain with a drop of thunder thrown in, I
suppose it weren't a bad summer though.
I'm still waiting for my round bar to be delivered, so
made a circle cutting jig for the bandsaw today.
Bill Sticker has been stapling posters about the next
cream tea to telegraph poles and sorting/numbering the
tombola prizes, to keep herself out of mischief.
In the greenhouse, the tomatoes are setting fruit and
there are flowers on the cucumbers, so should be OK for
salads in a few weeks time.
19/06/2016
17.30
Drizzly, gloomy sort of day today.
My steel bar turned up yesterday, so I can crack on
with the pantograph tomorrow, but while I've been
waiting I made another 3 key cabinets. The first 3 are
now painted and glazed, with catches etc. fitted, (pic
on right) ready for next Saturday's cream tea at the
farm. It should be a reet good do with all the work and
planning Dawn and Ali have put into it. I've been told
my job is to ferry people to and fro from the square to
the farm - might be a few good tips if I play my cards
right.
Julie just rang to wish me happy father's day and
slipped in an order for some more curries for Steve
and the boys. Andrew rang mid morning after fishing -
he had ten, the largest 5 1/2lb, just to make me
jealous. Head of catering is cooking the curries
tomorrow and freezing them, ready for delivery on
Thursday.
21/06/2016
20.00
Been a bit of a dull day, but not cold.
I got most parts of my pantograph glued and pinned
together, tomorrow should see the rest glued up (I
haven't got many clamps!).
Dawn has been beavering away, getting more stuff
sorted out for Saturday's do.
Stephen , a trustee, came round this afternoon and we
got a paypal account set up for the charity; this meant I
could put a 'donate' button on the homepage
www.room4usilverton.org.uk which we're hoping will
attract some donations.
This device is cruel and inhumane
it should be banned.
23/06/2016
21.00
Dry today and ending with a very pleasant evening.
Got to the polling station just after seven this morning, before they ran out of pencils and then went on to deliver
the curries to Julie in Taunton. As the weather was fine, we had a ride out to Watchet for a walk around the
harbour and town; twas too early for lunch so we came back on side roads to Cullompton. Admin needed some
ice creams for Saturday's do and bought a cool bag full, which meant coming straight home.
Got my pantograph assembled this afternoon and did a trial run which was OK, but I've got to lose some of the
play in one joint which is tomorrows job.
A friend gave us a few of his early spuds which we had tonight with lamb steaks - scrummy!!

24/06/2016
17.45
Well that's the vote over - now the arguing really
starts; Farage has already said the promised £350m
for the NHS will not happen, it was a mistake! Glad
I'm not a youngster growing up in this country.
On the bright side, I suppose there's no chance of us
winning the Eurovision song contest now!
Admin's been doing her headless chicken
impression, getting everything set up for tomorrow -
just hope for good weather so they can hold it
outside. It's been a combination of sun and showers
today, with a drier outlook tomorrow.
Quick off the mark, work has already
started on the chunnel! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
25/06/2016
20.30
Phew, another cream tea over. Good weather and a beautiful setting in the grounds of a local farm; they raised over
£900 and admin is knackered, but she's still buzzing about like a kid on blue smarties! All the 'returns' are back in the
summerhouse (should have called it a warehouse) waiting to be sorted ready for the next function.
27/06/2016
19.00
Winds dropped and we've had a fair day.
A trip to Tivvy this morning to bank the takings from the cream tea and take some gear to the charity shops. The rest
of the day we spent bringing the accounts up to date, pottering in the garden and supping tea with friends.
Jean is taking Mum to stay with her for the weekend, so we're going to 'have a go' at the spongy patch in the
bathroom floor; just hope it's flooring and not joists, but we won't know until we take up a patch.
Picking strawberries and raspberries now (if we can beat Mum to them) and gooseberries should be ready soon.