Your day (apart from gardening) what took place ? 2024

So far managed at last to do some filing and filled in some forms. Then took to the house cleaning. Wiped down doors and bathroom floor (after vacing!) Put away glass bottles returned to us by friends that we gave a fruit and veg hamper of things from our garden. Sorting out some books that were given to us by friends but too many mounting up now, so hopefully the library will be pleased to have some. They are in pristine condition. Took a meter reading for electric company.
And it isn't coffee time yet.

 

It all started well with the weather turning from hopeless rain to rain with some hope if one is a positive person and has good rainproof gear. Off we went to the nearby country park we used to frequent when we lived just around the corner.

Now it was a short bus trip away and I faced the first letdown of the day when the driver immediately spotted I'm divorced- is it that obvious? Anyways, with a cap of £2 for a single fare local trips are very much in favour on my days off.

The country park was abundant with disappointments. The cold wind nearly blew my ears off, the small farm no longer has Alpacas and the polytunnels were broken and unused. In just a couple of years it has fallen from a bustling therapeutic farm with people with disabilities growing all kinds of stuff for their cafe into a barren, Alpaca-less mess. They didn't quite have tumbleweed desolately rolling over the barren grounds, but you get the atmosphere. We were told off for walking in a no-go path and ordered to return to the shop that nowadays sells Kimchi infusions and something like that I'm not entirely sure how to spell.

Wildlife-wise we spotted seagulls, Mallards and a Blackbird. Rather underwhelming from what I remembered from some years ago.

We decided to head home. Forgot to pop into Asda to buy Gardeners World with the Golden Ticket. I could also have done with some cheese puffs.

Back home it was back to house hunting. I popped in an interest in the Rightmove website to view a property and the form had a glitch, telling all estate agents that I want my property valued. It has happened before so I quickly realised what had happened.

The phone rang straight on for an hour with everybody and their estate- agencied- dogs calling me, and me explaining that it was just a Rightmove email form bug. The one that actually got my request to view the house told me that the house had just gone.

After being the most sociable I have been for decades, I finally got an email from Rightmove to inform me that my request to get my property valued had been emailed to the following agencies (no email addresses, please call them). Furiously hitting "reply" to cancel the mayhem, I realised that the email was from a "noreply" address.

So no Alpacas, no cheese puffs, no GW with The Ticket, but at least I can say I have social life after the hour on the phone. Not a bad day off, considering!

Tomorrow the weather forecast is worse than for today so I'm planning to walk to the nearby shopping centre (45 mins walk) to get some well earned pampering in my trusted Supercuts beauty parlous and perhaps indulging into the temptations of HomeBargains. What could possibly go wrong?

 

A rubbish day as had to do some time in town sorting out finances....but it didn't so having to go back next week to go over it all again. Did though take our laptop to someone in the village who will try to find out why it gave up the ghost. Thanks to him for even trying.

 

.. and I guess from what you have posted before, even a trip to the coast would be a hassle? Still, been there (literally) done that and ended up in West Monkseaton from Newcastle West End... Keep going!

 

Went for a walk locally. It's two minutes to the far end of the road at my normal pace. Today, it took about 20 minutes. It's lovely to chat to neighbours.
Hence my walk to the beach, via the shop selling the "right sort of chocolate", then trying out one of the benches overlooking the sea (tide right in), took more than an hour. I was almost late for lunch - but redeemed myself, because I remembered to pick up my wife's prescription.

Then two boxes were delivered, containing my new albums for my castle postcard and prints. Ah! Not quite in the wife's good books after all!!!

 

So far so cold. And cloudy. I've been for my Wednesday physio session, picked up some sweet potatoes and a cauliflower for dinner and got my glasses fixed on the way home. I need them for driving now so I can see road/direction signs coming at me in advance but one lens fell out on Saturday while I was driving home from the plant fair.

Screws loose - glasses that is!

 

I'm getting nothing done. The cold weather has sapped my gardening drive and everything else seems less important and enjoyable, so I'm not doing that either. Might read my library book as there are two more reservations waiting for me to collect, so if I finish the one I'm halfway through, I can take that back at the same time.

 

I agree @ViewAhead , it's quite depressing weather. I just go to the greenhouse, open the door to find I can barely get in for all the plants waiting to be liberated to the outside world. After checking if they need watering the door is shut again.
So I got on with my latest indoor project of recovering my sofas. Having had a quote for £7,000 I decided to make my own and have done over half, learnt how to do piping and it looks quite good.
But I would love to get out into a warm garden.

 

There's no "Newcastle West End", that's "where the cows are", also known as The Moor. To the East is "where Cluny is", to the South the river and Pitcher and the Piano (Piano is better, but the pitchers are cheap). To the North is where I live, commonly known as "well, at least it's not towards Gateshead" (That's where I'm looking for a house )

Anyways, it's always sensible to keep away from Monkseaton. I'm not entirely sure why (it looks awfully pretty and is just a stone's throw from the beach), but I take the advise of the local natives.

Tomorrow it's another house viewing trip to the aforementioned Gateshead

 

That's your problem @Selleri you don't know what's where.... I was born in Newcastle city centre , lived in Newcastle West End 20 years or so, then West Monkseaton (Monkseaton are a different breed) another 30 before going off to Italy... Gateshead is certainly not North Tyneside, but perhaps where you are aspiring to? I hope not in some ways, but perhaps it's changed...? "The Moor" is to "toon moor" and have no idea where it lies on the compass, but it comes after SJP.

 

Fingers crossed it won't be too long till the weather improves. Lots of new leaves are bursting out on the trees here, as though they have decided they can't wait any longer for sunshine and warmth so are just going for it regardless! All power to 'em!

Impressed re your sofa covering. A right fiddly job getting a snug fit.

 

My goodness, surely new would be cheaper. I have done piping and liked it. I imagine good fabric would be expensive there too. Would love to see your before and after pics.

 

I need new covers for our sofas too @cactus_girl and @Victoria. It would indeed be cheaper to buy new sofas but this pair have high backs which I need for my back and neck problems and they're also a good size to fit me and the Labrador plus 2 cats along the back. I'd need 220cm wide fabric and would like a strong linen so we're looking at mortgage level costs.......

Meanwhile, weekly shop done this am - more for the dogs, cats, birds and hens than for us I think - and we stopped off at the DIY shop on teh way backk as OH needs some more hooks to hold the netting we put round our veg beds. I took advanatge to go and buy tester pots as i want to re-paint our kitchen and do the landing and hall. Not only did OH not throw a hissy fit at the idea but he actually suggested we get a professional in to do the stairs and hall so I don't break a leg or neck. Wonders will never cease. I've done all the decorating and most of the DI i our 40 years of marriage.

 

We get professionals in now too as nothing would get done here either ... it took 50 years here! ... the last six have been better.

 

Well @Victoria and @Obelix-Vendée, the story is that the original 2 sofas and arm chair were bought from Multi York in 2009 and cost about £5,000. You could choose the cushion filling (feather, multiwrap etc) and fabric. They are extremely well made and we were given a video on how to dismantle them for refurbishing. They are so comfortable and have a decent high back so that when we watch TV and fall asleep our necks do not get broken! We had a look in the shops, but could not find anything as good and with our choice of fabric etc.

The main problem is the fabric has faded such that it looked shabby. So I have been redoing the covers in the same fabric, which is Linwood Bryher and does cost £75pm. The back cushions are feather and the base multiwrap. Once the covers are off (they are removeable) I unstitch and use them as a template.

The piping is not all normal piping i.e. a long strip of fabric with piping cord in it. The cushions have piping incorporated into the side that goes all the way round in a manner that I can only describe is like a French seam. I have looked this up online, but can't find this method used at all. It took some time to learn how to do this. I did buy a piping foot, which is fantastic.

The photos show end of sofa #1 before and after:





And the large 2 seater sofa #2 is part done - the cushions and arm cap only so far.



As you can see the orginal fabric had faded, but it is 15 years old.

ORDERS NOT BEING TAKEN!