Posting late too but i'm very cheery with my third DIY ukulele. This one's a cigar box resonator in a concert scale. Strums great, finger picking could be better, overall I'm very happy with it.

IMG_20180609_211534 by youngray50, on Flickr

Good work Ray. I think there's something special about making something that is both form and function ... in a previous life, I had a father in law who'd being a fairly well known artist and I always remember that he'd come into the shop and spend a good 10 minutes just staring at the finished engines waiting to go out. With everything painted, polished and just so, they did look nice and he'd comment that they were true art, much more so than a picture hanging on a wall.

Thanks Stu. Interesting to hear an artist can look at something like an engine and call it art. I've seen some of your work in motorbike mags and remember being very impressed.

I heard on the radio on the way to work that Mark Beaumont is attempting the hour record today.... the Penny Farthing hour record As the record has stood since 1891 they also said that if he beats it he will also be setting a record for breaking the longest standing world record.

I guess no one has had a serious attempt as by the 1890s the 'safety bicycle' had just about taken over as the norm and the 'ordinary' which is now the penny farthing was in sharp decline. The current record is 23.5 miles which even on a velodrome would be quite a fair way on a modern bike, at least for me anyway. Good luck to him.

Another record attempt starting today, this one is LEJOG and you can dot watch Mike Broadwith here https://frrt.org/endtoend2018/map?cente ... 78&zoom=11

Yesterday the tyres for the new bike arrived at the LBS so today is cheery Friday as I'll be able to build it up this evening

Is it wrong that I made the existing bike carry the tyres for the new bike home? Especially as it's donating quite a few of its parts to the new bike.



It seems a bit like making a condemned man build his own gallows? The tyres took a week longer than expected to arrive but I've been productive and made a new frame bag with the spare evenings.



So the plan is that the first test ride will be to my Mum's house Saturday morning (always a good stop for tea and cake) which is only a mile up the road from mine. If that 2 miles goes ok the next ride will be a bivi on Saturday night

. Yes that is most cruel Sean. Your poor old bike. There's probably some appropriate 'Society Against Cruelty To...' outfit that could be called in.

Cheery Friday. Well it's sunny and warm. Whether that constitutes a 'nice day' is open to the usual debate. Personally I equally favour a crisp winter's night on a bare mountain but that's Reg for you.

Been feeling a bit constrained by societal norms lately (no not Norms). I shouldn't have read that book positing that we have no momentary free will at a basic decision-making level - a view I have some agreement with (genes, upbringing and environmental conditions (in widest sense) dictating decisions). Religious and conservative adherents will disagree which is fair enough. The full arguments are too complex to go into now, but led me indirectly on to consider the constraints on our little hobby.

One that may be relevant later on today is that I'm not allowed to board a public conveyance whilst knowingly suffering from plague. I need to be careful in Eyam or I may find getting home on the train problematic.

I'm also not allowed to shake a mat out in a public place, so I'll be careful just to wipe down my Winterlite in the morning instead. It's probably OK to shake your groundsheet out, so long as you do it before 8am, because at a stretch you could explain that it's your doormat and therefore exempt.

Don't even start with the Vagrancy Act.

'R'

PS. Zooming right in on that photo Sean, on the left on the doorstep, is what looks like a tiny panda poking its nose out of the door - it's white with a black nose, mouth and ears so it must be a panda. New pet?

Yes Reg, the sun is out and should remain out for quite a while, so cheery indeed. An added bonus is that tomorrow, I give a bow to Dee's friend as a birthday present - I always find there's something very pleasing about giving someone something nice, that they never expected.

RIP wrote:PS. Zooming right in on that photo Sean, on the left on the doorstep, is what looks like a tiny panda poking its nose out of the door - it's white with a black nose, mouth and ears so it must be a panda. New pet?

I'm afraid it's a dog, it's a sort of bristly shoe cleaner thing but it never gets used, I just tramp all the dirt into the house which Jane loves

It's also very sunny here and it's the Isle of Wight festival so despite the fact that I'm just in the office as normal the view out of my window of the great unwashed heading through town with hand-carts in search of cheap beer gives a 'festival' atmosphere to the day. I'm not going to the festival but the Jane is so I have a free weekend for bike tinkering and bivis

I saw loads of extra cyclists on my ride in this morning, I think these are people who are worried about the town coming to a standstill due to the extra traffic. As it's dry it shouldn't be a problem but a few years back when it rained the cars couldn't get onto the site. There was a contentious line of traffic from the site all the way back to the ferry link-span at the terminal (about 5 miles I'd guess) so it wasn't possible to unload the boats. The ferries had to turn back full and it took to the next day to sort it out, a not so cheery Thursday.... except for those of us who cycle to work, for me days like this are a very smug ride home through the stationary cars

Very cheery here in fact it’s been a very cheery week, Monday and Tuesday I was on a course, took the bike and escaped across the very flat fens ( 300ft in 25 miles!) this course finished at 11 on Tuesday so was home by 1pm
had Wednesday off to go to London where Mrs D and I saw David Byrne ( ex-talking heads bloke) one of the best live shows I’ve ever seen.
Thursday unfortunately I had to do some real work...but got a phone call at midday.... I’ve landed a new job in the entertainment industry running a small team, lifting/ rigging work again got home from work to find a shiny bike related box waiting for me

Friday,Suns out bike is packed in car, cup of coffee and I’m off to the peaks for the weekend

Well it's a lovely day out and I'm sat in the office pretending to do work... But on the plus side I get to finish at half three, at which point I'm going to load up the car, drive over to the Peak District, ride up a hill (as yet undecided, I'll make it up as I go along) and sleep under the stars. Then wake up with the sun and ride some lovely empty trails, find a nice cafe for breakfast and head home in time to pop out again for a barbecue. One of my potential spots will involve an out and back in the morning, so I might even leave my sleeping kit up there and pick it up on the way home.

So all in all, I'm pretty cheery at the moment.

And the BBB world record for number of 's in a post goes tooooooo..... BDS! Congratulations!

I'm not paying attention as usual, is it Run To The Sun (just mistyped that as 'Sin' ) this weekend over there Mr W? Have a great time if so. Not for me as I always need to be abed by 10pm or I get out of sorts.

I suppose our little Peaks thing is a baby RTTS - although in my case more of a Gentle Stroll Stopping Frequently For Calls Of Nature And Tending To Older Persons Problems With Regular Tea And Cake And Pub Stops To The Sun. This will never catch on as a Thing though because the acronym is too long.

How about a Journey About Utterly Nothing Today?

Sounds good Paul - crack on and let us know how it goes . 'JAUNT' .

BD, you and your jobs. I fully expect you to have changed it again by the time we meet this evening (will try and let you know soon as I can re exact time).

is it Run To The Sun (just mistyped that as 'Sin' ) this weekend over there Mr W?

No it's not Reg. This weekend didn't work for most, so it's on the 7th. Must give my bucket and spade a dust off

Just noticed you're Peaking as well 'Monkey. We should doff our caps as we pass en route. There's probably a special BBB doffing procedure (masonic style of thing) but I'm not privy to it as far as I'm aware. I probably failed the initiation ceremony or something because I can't take stuff like that remotely seriously.

7th - ah right ta. Not Solstice (*). I suppose on the upside that therefore means you won't have to waste any time dancing in the nude around your assembled bikes at midnight.

Hang on, that's a BIG downside isn't it!

(*) which was Thursday anyway. Oh.

Bearbonesnorm wrote:

is it Run To The Sun (just mistyped that as 'Sin' ) this weekend over there Mr W?

No it's not Reg. This weekend didn't work for most, so it's on the 7th. Must give my bucket and spade a dust off

You could dangle your bucket instead of a mug...

Sorry to go slightly off topic.... but my 2nd floor window looks out onto the High Street just across from Trespass (the outdoor shop) and every year I'm still surprised by the number of festival goers coming out of the shop with tents/sleeping bags/mats under their arms.

Do they head out from home with nothing and just hope there is still stock left? Perhaps they've all read Stu's thought on TLS and have packed nothing only to realise on the first night as they lay shivering on the ground in just wellies/tie-die trousers and an old tee shirt that they've taken it too far

RIP wrote:Just noticed you're Peaking as well 'Monkey. We should doff our caps as we pass en route. There's probably a special BBB doffing procedure (masonic style of thing) but I'm not privy to it as far as I'm aware. I probably failed the initiation ceremony or something because I can't take stuff like that remotely seriously.

Yep I think we might pass, though times might be off (from t'other thread). But you never know!

I'm signing lots of forms today which means we are now definitely moving to Devon on the 6th July

Sigh! Trophy now passed on .

Big up Princeton Tec!

Emailled them to say that I needed a few spare parts for a Fuel headtorch......

Email today, saying they are going to despatch them...

Fast response & very happy!

Cheers




p.s. Nice one Mr Barter on the move.

I'm signing lots of forms today which means we are now definitely moving to Devon on the 6th July

It'll be the second best thing you've ever done Dave.