Mr Mog's basket

2011-09-09T17:44:00.001+01:00

The back to front blog.

2009-12-20T15:14:00.001Z

Blogger is playing hard to get so my carefully chosen photographs will bear no resemblance to my writing. The images in this part blog are of my newly acquired Kiwi spinning wheel, this should have been at the end of my blog as I was going to tell about another hobby I have started, namely spinning, but blogger decided to play silly devils. The next post should hopefully be better.

Garden Railway

2009-10-13T16:12:00.007+01:00

Because space is at a premium in the Mog's household I have been unable to build a model railway inside , so I decided to construct one in the garden starting from the inside of my little shed. I have taken one or two photographs and the following are some of them.
Departure area.

Some of the points and the switch box for controlling them.

A small incline to bring the railway tracks into the garden.

Around the bend and behind the Goddess.

The track bed before tracklaying commences.

Sunshine on the new rails.
This was the pond in the corner of the garden, we filled it in because nothing grew in it and it was stagnant, the intention is to put a labyrinth on it.

Trains on the move at last.
Passing by ' Dragons Hoard ' corner, keep all windows closed.

Travelling light and homeward bound.

New Garden

2009-09-28T16:16:00.007+01:00

Some time ago we decided that the garden needed a facelift, most of our plants were in pots and were scattered all over the garden, this was not a good idea as they tended to dry out very quickly, also the pots were all different shapes and sizes and mostly discoloured plastic.
The following photographs show what we did to the garden to improve things.

A selection of potted plants waiting for their new homes.
The start of the long border.
Some more construction work.

Putting up a new trellis at the bottom end of the garden.
A view of the trellis plus another new bed.
This is by the back door and is the start of a new bed plus a small water feature.
The water feature in place and working.
Organised chaos?

We decided that green would be an appropriate colour for the new beds.

All planted up and raring to grow.

New trellis work and prayer flags by the back door.

Flags for the wheel of the year.

2009-03-27T17:19:00.002Z

Blogging has had to take a bit of a back seat lately, things have been a wee bit horrible health wise for both Amber and I, hopefully things will begin to improve shortly. The other day we went for a walk in the woods and took some photographs, it was a beautiful sunny day and did much to raise the spirits, the birds were singing,chestnut buds were opening, it was a wonderful experience.
This mallard drake was busy making himself look all manly and impressive, hoping to catch the eye of a lady duck no doubt.
I just love the colour of this tree, but at the moment I am not sure what it is. When the leaves begin to form I will be able to tell.
The woods are home to a large number of flowering currant bushes and this particular blossom caught my eye, rather nice I thought.
We went for a drive the other day to visit a friend who lives at Conishead Buddhist Centre in Ulverston, it was a lovely trip and we enjoyed the day out. The curious thing about motorists and driving in general, well curious to me at any rate is, when motorists are driving in a town or congested area, they race everywhere, rush up to road junctions and screech to a halt and generally act as though they are all competing in Wacky Racers, but get them on the open road and they just dawdle along at no miles per hour, strange isn't it?

Ready for action.

2009-03-12T17:28:00.003Z

I made some groups of trees for the board to provide cover for the opposing armies, they were made as moveable items and can be placed as needed.
A general view of the board showing the trees and some Warhammer figures.

Some close-ups of the figures, the one on the white horse is Gandalf the Magician, at the moment he is missing his sword arm, so is quite armless:-)

Warhammer board almost finished.

2009-03-07T18:52:00.003Z

The board is now almost complete, just some minor scenery work to do and it will be ready for the combatants.
A view from the side of the board.
The deadly bogs, traps for the unwary warrior.
It must be spring, the grass has started growing. Thank you Niels for your heipful comment on making the river more realistic, I will take your advice. Could you give me a brief run down on the rules as I am sure my grandson is making them up as we play:).

Day of contrasts.

2009-03-05T10:51:00.002Z

Amber and I went for a walk in the woods yesterday, the sun was shining, hardly any wind and it was very pleasant, saw this flowering currant which was begging to be photographed, so I obliged it.
Then I noticed this little robin sitting in the bush looking at me, so I said " smile please " and took his photo as well, it then began to snow quite heavily, the white blob at the top of the photo is a snowflake on the lens of the camera.
We had taken some apples with us to the woods and I was cutting them into small chunks and throwing them around, this squirrel decided to investigate and posed quite nicely for us, as you can see from the photo. The snow was very wet and we were soaked so decided to make tracks for home.
On the way back the snow stopped and the sun came out again, so I took a photo of this water feature which is on the promenade, the water jets are random so the camera has to be focused in readiness.
This last photo was taken in the early evening from the front of our house, a perfect end to a very mixed up day.

The Board saga continues:)

2009-03-02T14:58:00.006Z

A walk in the woods recently showed this nice splash of colour, also the birds were singing their little hearts out, I nearly joined in but did not want to frighten them.
The games board continues to evolve into something resembling countryside, the river beginning to rage just a little bit.
Cannot make up my mind at the moment concerning the river crossing, stepping stones or a bridge.
One of the features in the process of growing.
A long view of the (almost) completed side of the board.

Warhammer games board Parts 3 and 4.

2009-02-22T17:39:00.004Z

Not quite a raging river as yet but time will tell.

This is the board with it's background painted , the dark patches are going to be areas of marshy ground, this will hopefully make life more difficult for the warriors.
I have been awarded a Kreativ Blogger award by Sue, the Purple Pixie, this came as a bit of a surprise, albeit a very nice one, as I do not consider myself in that light. Thank you Sue very much. I will not be nominating anyone at this time as I am quite new to this medium and do not know enough people as yet.

Warhammer games board Part 2

2009-02-17T17:40:00.002Z

The board now has all of it"s contours in place and is ready to be landscaped.
Raging river, grassland, trees, still in the imagination as yet, but will shortly be on the board.

Warhammer battleground.

2009-02-14T17:03:00.003Z

This is the start of the Warhammer battleground that I am attempting to make for my youngest grandson, it is 3 feet long by 2 feet wide and hopefully will give lots of room for his figures.
The wooden edge pieces are to give some support to the board, and also to provide a backing for the raised land masses.
This wiggly line will eventually become a raging river, with a bit of luck and a lot of imagination.
The first of the land masses to appear.

A Jourhey through Winter.

2009-02-09T16:01:00.003Z

On Saturday Amber and I had a trip to Cumbria, to visit friends and also to call in on my mother, these are photographs taken by Amber as we travelled up the motorway, as you can see the surrounding countryside is rather cold and bleak, It was a beautiful day with clear skies and fluffy white clouds, traffic was very sparse and it was a joy to be out and about.
Almost the same view, but with no vehicle to spoil it.
Wish i had brought my sledge.
This was part of a very long train, the wagons were full of gravel and there were workmen all along the track, possibly the bad weather had lifted some of the ballast.
What a magical scene.
My youngest grandson has decided he would like to start playing with Warhammer figures, it seems to be the newest craze at school, we have managed to find some Lord of the Rings characters for him , so it looks like my next project will be a special battleground for them,
Watch this space.

Magical Winter.

2009-02-02T14:47:00.002Z

I have always loved snow and ice, to wake up in the morning and see the world dressed in white has been a source of delight since childhood. Today is special, not only snow, but a lovely, pale, watery sun as well.
Also it makes our car look clean.
The buddleia in the back garden looks very festive in it's coat of white.
An iced up besom, a bit cold for anyone travelling on this today.
This is an evergreen tree which overlooks our pond, not much green showing today.

Poem for 4th annual Brigid in the blogosphere poetry slam

2009-01-31T16:46:00.006Z

I saw this on Ambermoggie's blog and thought I would join in.

Let poetry bless the blogosphere once again!

WHAT: A Bloggers (Silent) Poetry Reading
WHEN: Anytime February 2, 2009
WHERE: Your blog
WHY: To celebrate the Feast of Brigid, aka Groundhog Day
HOW: Select a poem you like - by a favorite poet or one of your own - to post February 2nd. You can link to me or to the original post on Branches up ,roots down site

What is this life if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs

And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,

Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,

Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,

And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can

Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare.

W.H. Davies

A Bracing Walk?..

2009-01-26T16:23:00.004Z

Amber and I went for a walk yesterday( sunday), it was very cold and windy, weathermen would probably it "bracing". We arrived as the tide was receding but managed to take these photographs of the waves crashing against the sea wall.
This we assumed was the nesting site of a Roc, a huge bird previously thought to be extinct.

Thats it for the exercise, back home for Hot Chocolate.

Winter Wonderland ?

2009-01-19T16:35:00.002Z

Just a very small blog to show our wonderful, erratic, winter weather, these photographs were taken at 4.15 pm today after what had been a cold but bright day, this was the result of a brief but heavy hailstorm.
Captured these shots before any vehicles came along and spoiled the pristine whiteness.
Makes one want to wrap up warm and reach for the hot toddy.

Half a pleasant walk.

2009-01-18T16:01:00.003Z

This wasteland was once a place of great fun and amusement, it had remote control boats, a small crazy golf course, a place to roller skate, and a nice little refreshment kiosk.
When I was a bus and coach driver( back in the mists of time ) we used to run trips to Morecambe and Blackpool and all the drivers would meet here.
Now the council has destroyed it .
The twisted remains of yesteryear.
Looks like the sea is trying to return all the sand that was spread on the beach last year.
More advice from Nanny?
A quick visit to the Lake District, complete with real water.
This is a photograph of the moon taken at 8.00 am this morning from our back door.
These photographs are of a high flying skein of geese taken as they passed over the Stone Jetty, a lovely visual and audio experience

The natural world with all it's beauty , I love it.

Views at the seaside.

2009-01-16T16:49:00.006Z

The following photographs were taken on a very cold day, while waiting in vain for the train to arrive.
The Polo Tower, almost good enough to eat.
A splash of colour on a very dull day.
Reflections.
Luncheon on the sands.

Cold enough for ice to form at the edge of the sea.

Winter Extremes.

2009-01-09T18:04:00.004Z

Just a few photographs to show how the weather, at this time of year, can change completely from one day to the next.
I liked the way that the gravel changed from grey to green as it got nearer the sea.
Almost a summer's day.
Taken through the side window of the car.
Planes passing overhead.
Wonderful flowers in the middle of winter.
This is where the yacht club meets, not in winter though.

High and dry, waiting for the tide.

Just a brief glimpse of winter at the seaside. Bye for now.

Samye Ling

2009-01-05T15:53:00.012Z

There is a Buddhist monastery in Scotland called Samye Ling, a quiet, tranquil place where people of all beliefs are made welcome.
I first visited it in the 1980's. At that time all building and maintenance was done by volunteers who lived on the premises in tents, old caravans and even wooden sheds, very much a hippie community. I was interested in Buddhism at the time, as I was quite deeply into meditation and wanted to experience new idea's and explore different beliefs.
Amber began visiting the Centre with me and we became very friendly with one of the lay people who was in charge of the gardens and greenhouses, swapping plants and buying our vegetables ( organically grown ) from him. For my blog post I thought a little tour of the Centre would be of interest and maybe you would like to join me.

This is the Samye Liberation gate, it was built to promote world peace and also to bring peace of mind to people walking through it.

These four photographs are of part of the gardens, the residents at the Centre have constructed a wooden framed building where it is intended to dry the herbs that are grown in the garden.

An avenue of Prayer flags leading up to the Stupa, these are inscribed with prayers for Peace, Compassion, Strength and Wisdom. The colours of the flags represent the five natural elements and the wind carries the prayers in all directions. The Stupa is a symbol of the enlightened mind of Buddha and helps to transform negative energy's for self and the planet.

Views of the interior and exterior of the Temple, building work on this was finished in 1988.
The Naga house was built as an offering to the Naga's or Water Spirits, placing it at the junction of two rivers helps bring natural forces into balance.
A lovely crop of Calendula flowers.
The Clutie Tree is a Scottish and Tibetan custom, the idea is to tie a rag or cloth to a branch and make a wish, as the rag disintegrates the wish is carried to the winds.
Part view of a wonderful lake full of golden fish.
Guru Rimpoche, founder of Buddhism in Tibet sitting on a lotus flower, ( beauty rising from the mud.)
Naga Juna in the pond, he was the forefather of Madyamika school of philosophy which forms the basis of the Karma Kagyu view of emptiness. Hope this has been of interest.

Swifts.

2009-01-01T14:26:00.002Z

This is my first blog post of the New Year and these are the photographs of the swifts (winders not birds ) that I made for Amber. They seem to make things so much easier for her and are very simple and quick in operation. At the moment I am getting to grips with the new computer and trying to fathom out the Vista system, at the moment it is one nil to Vista.

The photographs are in reverse order (round two to Vista ).

I hope the photographs have been of interest.
Here is a little rhyme I saw on a post-card the other day, poet unknown. Mary had a little lamb, she tied it to a pylon, 10,000 volts shot up it's bum, and turned it's wool to nylon.
Bye for now.

I,m back in time for New Year.

2008-12-31T21:02:00.003Z

Hi, Since my computer passed away I have not had much opportunity to post any blogs, I had Christmas presents to make for the grandchildren plus upright and umbrella swifts for Amber, photographs to follow shortly. I am now the proud owner of a nice shiny laptop and will be posting again very soon. Regards to all and Best Wishes for a Happy New Year.

Early Christmas and something else.

2008-11-23T14:57:00.009Z

What does this have to do with Christmas? All will become clear later.

For all those people who love the idea of Christmas arriving earlier and earlier each year, and who look forward with anticipation to each new plastic awfulness, then read on, here is a special treat. Amber and I , at great personal cost, paid a visit to a nearby garden centre to bring to you these photographs. These trees are 7 to 8 feet tall and are very expensive.

A little garish perhaps?

This display was quite attractive, but I do not remember any mermaids at Christmas when I was a child.

Another plastic corner.

On the car park of the garden centre are these artificial trees, lit up day and night.

I am now taking you on a tour of the Gentleman's conveniences, deserted of course, as I believe they will be of interest to anyone who wonders what garden centres spend their profits on

These plastic reindeer and sleigh should have been at the beginning with the other decorations.

The ladies toilets are nowhere as exciting as the mens, according to Amber.

Just in case anyone is wondering, I do like Christmas, what I dislike is all the hype and false cheer and plastic.

Flowers

2008-10-29T16:32:00.003Z

Today is very cold and damp and the warm days of summer are a fading memory in the minds eye, as an antidote to this I have uploaded(note the computer speak!) some of my favourite flower photographs in the hope that they will uplift the spirits of all who see them. Not the most colourful but sea holly is one of my special favourites.

A lovely wild rose.

Poppies are such beautifully fragile looking flowers.

Not strictly a flower but I think it's lovely.

A nice looking clematis.

A nice example of a blushing pink hydrangea blossom.

This is wild garlic, not only looks nice but smells pretty good too.

Celandine, a welcome splash of colour in the spring.

Another welcome visitor in the spring.

This is the water crowfoot.

A lovely white Daffodil.

Two more beautiful Clematis flowers.

A mystery flower, I think it might be an Iris.

More Trees

2008-10-19T16:25:00.004+01:00

These are a few more trees from my collection, sometimes I take a photograph because a tree is an unusual shape, sometimes because the trunk or the bark is different, but the main reason is, I just really love trees. This is a lovely, solid, comfortable looking tree.
A face in the wilderness..
There is a place in the Lake District where sprites and other woodland creatures have been seen, it is a magical place and fills ones heart with peace and tranquility. It is perfect for meditation as all outside noises fade into nothingness, except for the whispering of the trees.
This fallen tree is gradually being taken over by moss and lichens.
A photograph of the start of an upright swift that I am making for Amber.

A strange scene of a forest in Scotland. The trees were raised on hummocks of soil with drainage channels between the rows.
This was a tree that I used to climb whilst watching for deer, it is a lovely old tree.
Trees have an amazing ability to regenerate from dead looking trunks, this for me is a wonderous sign of Old mother Natures tenacity and zest for life.
A diamond like pattern on the trunk of a fallen tree.
This tree is the Guardian of the sacred place I talked about earlier, she watches over all who visit or live there.

Tree's

2008-10-09T15:34:00.003+01:00

Tree's, what could be nicer than walking through the woods, breathing in the scent of leaves and damp earth, listening to the wind whispering through the branches, feeling the magic all around you. Woods are wonderful places, full of mystery and hidden secrets, hidden eyes watch as you walk by, small creatures chatter and rustle amongst the branches. Truly a place to reflect on the beauty and the wonder of nature. Autumn, A special time of the year.
This was a large growth halfway up the trunk of an otherwise healthy tree.
This branch reminded me of a heron or similar type of bird.
I am watching you;
This is the lower trunk and part of the roots of a gigantic Yew tree.

Another tree with attitude.
Dragon tree perhaps?
This was another yew tree. As you can see the roots have formed a solid mat on the ground.
A truly beautiful and majestic Oak tree.

One of the nicest sights I have ever had the good fortune to photograph.

More of Mr Mogs Mushrooms

2008-09-15T16:29:00.004+01:00

Some more of my Magical Mushroom Tour. These photographs were taken over a period of several months and in different parts of the country. The names of most of these fungi are a complete mystery to me, but the many different forms and colours fill me with wonder. This group looks like a small village of domed huts.

Beautiful coral shapes.

Almost crab like.

A family group perhaps?

This one always reminds me of a cuttlefish bone, the kind that is given to pet cage birds.

Fairy parachutes?

This next series of pictures is brought to you courtesy of the Mushroom Ballet Company.

These are the patrons of the Ballet Company leaving after the performance.

Magic and Mushrooms.

2008-09-03T17:18:00.004+01:00

Today I had my 3 monthly hospital appointment and things are looking very promising, some of this is due to my wife who has great faith in me, and also I believe quite a lot comes from the good wishes of her many friends on the internet. Thank you all very much, you are an inspiration to me. That was the magic bit, now for the mushrooms. Fungi are funny things, they hold a fascination for me and my grandsons. We like to look for the different types, even though we have no idea what most of them are called. We do not pick them, instead we take photographs to add to our collection. Come with me and experience the sometimes weird but always magical world of the mushroom.

These always remind me of barnacles.

The Lone Ranger.

Coral perhaps.
I think this one is a Puffball.
A little frayed at the edges?

Golf ball maybe.

This is a golf ball nest.

Weird and wonderful.
This looks a little like a curling stone.
Looks like snow but it is a type of fungus.

Platforms up a tree trunk?
More to follow next time.

Birthday Treat

2008-08-14T16:46:00.004+01:00

Today was my birthday, and I would like to thank all the lovely people who sent greetings and good wishes to me, it was totally unexpected and made a great day even greater. My lovely wife took me to Williamson Park in Lancaster and we visited the Butterfly House and had a walk round the grounds. I took some photographs, which I would like to share with you.

These are two Owlwing butterflys feeding from some very ripe bananas.

A view of part of the house.

This is one of the two Red Legged Terrapins who share the house with the butterfly's.
The house also had a thriving population of air plants.

This little thing is an Oak Gall, inside the gall is the larva of a type of wasp, the hard exterior gives protection from predators.
Much of the natural rock in the park is stained by iron ore deposits.
This is a hatching cabinet in the house where the cocoons are kept out of harms way , untill the butterfly's emerge.
This beautiful butterfly is called a Glass wing.

Hope you enjoyed looking at the pictures.

Webs

2008-07-17T15:59:00.003+01:00

Where we used to live in Scotland was very wooded and hilly, and not far from our house was a very large forest. It is a working forest, but also has a large proportion of broad leaved trees. The forest is home to all manner of wildlife and is popular with nature enthusiasts. Running from one side of the forest to the other is a rough road used by the forestry vehicles. This road is open to the public from April to September and is approximately 10 miles in length. The track is called the Raiders Road and we were frequent visitors to it, on one of our visits we were delighted to see spiders webs draped over quite a few tree's and I took a number of photographs. Below are some of the nicer ones.

It was a magical sight, and it made our visit so special.

On The Beach

2008-07-07T15:43:00.004+01:00

I love the sea and where we live is only five minutes from the beach. Every year there is a kite flying exhibition, and we went down to the beach to have a look at it. The weather was perfect for showing the kites in all their glory, and the sun shone all day. I took a few photographs that day, some of which are shown below.

The dog had no trouble getting airborne, the fish for some reason were a little reluctant.

Super Ted flies to the rescue.
These lobsters were almost Fifteen feet in length, an incredible feat of kite making.

Another view of the dog, perhaps wondering where the fish have gone.
This octopus was excellent, as it flew the tentacles moved quite realistically.
.

These ladybirds are also kites, but they remained landlubbers and did not leave the safety of the beach.

Another weird and wonderful creation.

Yacht racing on the deep blue sea.
This was the start of a sand turtle created by a professional sand artist.
Two views of a sandcastle competition.

The finished sand turtle, quite impressive I thought.

Woolfest A Beginners Tour

2008-07-06T16:12:00.006+01:00

Last year I dropped Amber off and returned to pick her up later. This year I came with her to help out on the Knitting and Crochet Guild stand. I did not know what to expect and it came as a very pleasant surprise to meet loads of really lovely people, and to see the enormous variety of colours and textures displayed on the stands. These photographs are of some of the things which I found interesting.
A view of the Guild stand, some of which I helped to put up.
Another discussion on the stand.
I think this sheep had been here before, he seemed quite unfazed and a little bored by all the activity going on around him.

I think this is the front end of these two, with all that wool it was not easy to tell.
These sheep and the ones in the next photograph had really lovely wool and looked like childrens cuddly toys.

When alpaca's are sheared they shrink to an astonishing degree and appear to be a completely different species.

I took this photograph because I am a bicycle freak and have been so from an extremely early age. When I was younger I was a racing cyclist taking part in time trials organised by my local club,of which I was a member.
This stand had an impressive display of woven baskets.
Untill I came to Woolfest I had no idea how many men were actively involved in the creative aspects of wool, spinning,carding,knitting etc.
Brightly coloured socks, who can resist them, not me.
Another man happy in his work.

Poetry

2008-06-21T15:32:00.004+01:00

I like poetry, I like to read it and wonder where the poet found his or her inspiration. I have had sporadic attempts to write poetry, but my talents? appear to lie in other directions. A few days ago I was sorting through my photographs and decided to see if I could illustrate one of my favourite poems. See what you think of my efforts. The poets name is W H Davies.
What is this life if full of care, we have no time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs,
And stare as long as sheep or cows.
No time to see when woods we pass, where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
No time to see in broad daylight, streams full of stars like skies at night.

No time to turn at beauty's glance,
And watch her feet how they can dance
No time to wait till her mouth can, enrich that smile her eyes began
A poor life this if full of care, we have no time to stand and stare.

Our Garden

2008-06-06T16:28:00.003+01:00

Hi There. These are two of the residents of our garden, the larger one is making for the pond to join quite a few others in preparation for spawning, the smaller one is sitting on our back step during a rain storm.

The pond has now blended well into the garden and all the plants are growing and establishing themselves, the pond plants have grown and spread so thickly that the tadpoles are no longer visible.

This is a seat that I constructed with a small section in the centre for holding cups and other essential things, the trellis is to enable climbing plants to grow up and over the seat.

This is one of the shrubs that were already in the garden, at the moment I have no idea what it is called.

Our Garden

2008-06-04T15:31:00.002+01:00

Hi There After removing all the grass, we then began laying flagstones and creating small borders at the sides of the garden. In order to do this I had already cut back some of the overgrown shrubs and trees, whilst doing this I discovered a small concrete pond in the corner hiding behind a very neglected tree. I trimmed the tree to a more normal shape and then decided to build a wooden enclosure around the pond, there were two reasons for this, we could grow plants round the pond, and it would give access to and from the pond for the frogs, of which we had quite a few.

This is how the pond looked after being eclosed in wood, quite bare and uninteresting.

A little more pleasing to the eye perhaps.

The gravel has now been laid and we scattered glass beads and marbles of varying colours and shapes to catch the light and add a bit of sparkle to the garden.

This is a small water feature which I added to the pond as we like the sound of running water.

Our Garden

2008-06-01T16:04:00.002+01:00

Hi There When we moved into our new home this was how the back garden looked, now I love a challenge as much as the next person, but this was a disaster area. The pictures do not really show how horrible it was.

All that grass and weeds just had to go. I remember once reading an article which stated that a weed was just a plant in the wrong place, Ha: not in my garden.
We wanted the garden to be a place of relaxation and tranquility, and also fairly labour saving, as I did not want to spend all my time gardening

My stepson came to help and we removed all of the grass and the weeds, this took the whole of one very long and very tiring day.

House/Garage Conversion Part 5

2008-05-26T16:35:00.002+01:00

Hi There These are the pictures of the final stages in the house/garage conversion. I put a new front on the house and cut out windows for the showroom and the workshop, these were then glazed with acrylic sheet. On top of the building i have constructed a car park, this can only be reached by means of the lift

This is a view of the car park from above, as you can see it is already a popular place to leave a vehicle, at the moment most of the vehicles appear to belong to the sporting fraternity, this is because my grandson has a fondness, no an obsession with powerful cars and knows all the technical details about them.

The garage has now been officially named and opened

The small garage on the end of the building is to enable the garage owners to park their own private vehicles.

House/garage conversion part 4

2008-05-17T17:17:00.003+01:00

Hi There

This is the continuing saga of the house/garage. My computer learning has had to take a back seat for a few weeks, this is because the garden began to grow, as they do, and i had to subdue it before it turned into a jungle, this of course means my computing skills, such as they were, have returned to zero. so far i have managed to lose all my typing, plus all the pictures i had uploaded

This is how i solved the problem of lifting the cage up and down the liftshaft, the corks on the winding handle provide friction to hold the cage in any position in the shaft

The interior of the building has now been finished off,a carpet has been fitted to the upstairs living quarters, and floor tiles have been added to the small room downstairs.

Dolls House Conversion Part 3

2008-04-20T15:07:00.002+01:00

Hi there,
This is the finished showroom with sliding door leading to the lift

This is the workshop area. At the end of the benches is a serving hatch, this is so the general public can come in by the front door and buy parts for their vehicles, the red door to the right is where vehicles come in to be serviced

The lift has now been painted and is ready for use, the lift shaft extends beyond the roof as seen in the photo because the garage has to have a flat roof with a car park

This is the sliding door leading in to the workshop

This picture shows one room of the living quarters, plus the top of the stairs, this is how the public gain access to the showroom.

Dolls House Part 2

2008-04-18T17:05:00.003+01:00

Hi there
The saga continues, this is the start of the sliding door into the car showroo

When my grandson first mentioned the garage idea, I foolishly told him of a garage I remembered as a young man, it had an outside lift up to the car showroom; you can probably guess his next words.
This was my first attempt, it did not work very well and I dismantled it.

My second attempt, an open plan lift worked very well. This view of it shows the lift cage at the bottom of the shaft. The hole in the wall is going to be the door into the workshop

This view shows the lift cage at the door to the showroom.

This is the car showroom nearly finished. Posters of cars have been fastened to the walls, and a doorway has been cut in the wall leading to the stairs. More to follow:>

Dolls House conversion Part 1

2008-04-17T16:43:00.003+01:00

Hi there This is the start of a project for my youngest grandson
He wanted a dolls house coverted into part house/part garage
A friend of ours gave us a house which was no longer needed and i made a start.
This is the house with the front removed.

The third picture shows what the front of the house looked like

My first job was to fit two partitions into the house so that i could create a showroom
and a workshop.

Having done this my next job was to cut a hole in the end of the top floor room
to create a doorway (the reason for this will be explained later in this saga )
I then painted the room white as this was to be the garage showroom.

More to follow.

Can i take this oppotunity to say Thank You to all the kind and thoughtful people who have
written to Amber and myself during my treatment. It was much appreciated and mere
words can not fully express my feelings.

Car Track

2008-03-17T15:54:00.006Z

Hi In March 2007 my car mad youngest grandson rang me two weeks before

his birthday to inform me that he did not want anything bought, but i could make him a car track where he could use his ever expanding car collection. I managed to make it in time and it has given him ( and me ) much pleasure ever since.

First steps in blogging

2008-03-14T16:12:00.002Z

This is the first post of my new blog. I intend to upload pictures of models I've made or works in progress. It will also be a place for my photos and my ramblings.

This was a playboard for model cars and trains made for the daughter of one of my friends.

Hope you like it.