Good Eventide!

Well hello there!

I'm glowing after a great sparring workout that was horrendously hard but just great! Some guy picked me up and pretty much threw me against a wall, but apart from him, I just about whipped everyone's ass. :-D

I've posted off the winners' cushions, I actually found that I had 2 left, so two out of three commentors have cushions slowly making their way to them by pigeon post!

I don't exactly have too much to say, I'm working on an essay about continuity and progression in science education - exactly, facinating stuff, eh? The cat is madly in heat at the moment, and if it goes on much longer I am definitely having her fixed (She's a house-cat so no ranty irresponsible-pet-owner-comments sil vous plait)! The sight of cat bottom in front of me on the desk is proving a tad wearing!

Oh yes, I know, something that I love, love, love and that my Dad e-mailed me the other day:



Be a pig of happiness - go and spread some love!

Half term!

Well I left you all for over half a term, but I am here now. I managed my first lie-in for about 8 weeks this morning, and I am still tired! I think I might just have a little nap before I go out teaching my little dragons.

I've managed to get to the post office today to post out some baker's twine that I sold 4 times over in my folksy shop! I'm thinking about winding it on something other than a dolly peg, since it made posting it a very expensive affair - the package weighed 33g but it still cost £1.28 to post since it was over the thickness of a large letter. :-( Silly Royal Fail. And because of the striking, people probably won't receive them for another 50 years!

I am currently in the process of clearing out the junk room - I mean, we've only been here a year and still haven't unpacked! So look out for plenty more giveaways here on the blog, and if you haven't commented below for the breakfast-face cushion, then don't delay - closing date is Friday!

GIVEAWAY!

I apologise for the light posting, but I am just busy being busy - teaching is starting in earnest and it's all very scary and exciting and boring all at the same time!

Anyway, to celebrate my first ever teaching lesson - which was about science experiments, I have a lovely breakfast face cushion to give away! Now it's not exactly the one in the picture (I am too lazy to get off my bum and take a picture), but it is very very similar except the background is blue.

If you would like a chance to win this fabulous cushion - please comment with a contact e-mail by Friday 23rd.

Calling All Font Whores!

Check out this video, I am particularly giggling over CS's character after being told to use Comic Sans in powerpoint presentations for school! *cringe*

http://www.bitrebels.com/geek/helvetica-vs-ariel/

Nearly there...

I'm nearly starting my PGCE. PANIC! I'm feeling pretty well rested today, getting into a nice routine and feeling lovely and relaxed, only to be dropped into a primary school head-first next week!

I'm just looking at my diary to see what I've done these past 4 weeks and it appears to be: not much. I have been up to my eyes in stuff though - from visiting friends and babies to getting new bike tyres, a couple of days out here and there and a few days delivering leaflets and posters for my new martial arts classes starting on Saturday. I've made room for a couple of days of ER watching - I've managed to watch just over 1 series and I don't think I'll have much time for any more, I've got some t-shirts to print, a barbecue to attend and afternoon tea and then the chaos ensues!

Yesterday I baked some Sophie Dahl bread with Wallace and Gromit flour (strange but true!). Sophie Dahl's cookery book (Sumptuous Delights) is lovely - I read all the life-story bit first, then I browsed the recipes - it's not all cakes and fancy dinners, it's really well done for just day-to-day dishes. She's split the book into seasons, so that you can use seasonal ingredients if you so wish, then each season is broken down into Breakfasts, Lunches and "Suppers" (POSH!). I looked through the summer meals but wasn't too inspired, however the autumn dishes are my favourite - not surprising since autumn is my favourite season! Last night I made the lovely bread, I also made some grilled vegetables with halloumi which is a simple recipe, but it has things that I wouldn't have thought of, like salting the aubergine and then mixing some lemon juice with olive oil before you drizzle it over the veggies. This morning I made a rice cereal thingo, which I suppose is a cross between rice pudding and porridge but neither really... It's just basmati rice cooked in milk with cardamom (YUM!) and cinnamon. I'm trying to encourage hubs to try cooking (for me) so that I don't have to slave away over a hot stove while I'm trying to balance on one leg and write lesson plans!

And with that, I shall leave you... With a picture of the cat!

Bournemouth - 'ave it!

I spent the weekend in Bournemouth with the kickboxing guys. LOVING IT!!!

Changes are afoot on planet Jen and I am 110% enjoying them. I cannot wait to be finished with work. Sometimes I think I might be sad on Monday, but then I think of those lovely, blank, clear 4 weeks that I have and I am relishing the fact that I can actually DO things, rather than just think about them from the confines of my desk.

I feel some slight trepidation that from September onwards a PGCE course plus 9 martial arts classes a week might be a tad overwhelming, but I know that I work well when I don't have time to spit! I'd rather be so busy that I don't have time to think about anything else than sitting staring and doing nothing BUT thinking of all the lovely things I could be doing with my time.

There is also a small part of me that is scared of this teaching malarky, but on the other hand I only have to get my bit of paper, I don't ever have to step into a Physics lab for as long as I live after that if my martial arts takes off.... I explained to my friend Lee that while I do want to teach martial arts 100% of the time and do nothing but that, I am too sensible to give everything up just for that, especially when I'm earning less than £200 a month at the moment! I suppose there must be a leap of faith somewhere, but I am too sensible. Also on the same day that I handed my notice in, my husband was told that there is a second round of redundancies going on in his department at work. Eeeekorama! So perhaps my being too sensible is a good thing at the moment.

Crafty-wise there are a few things in the offing - I've made a phone cover, a jewellery boxy pouch and a cushion in the past few days. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures, but of course they are FABULOUS, take it from me ;-)

THE PLAN is coming together nicely - this is my calendar for the next 4 weeks. It includes visiting friends, babysitting, kickboxing, dinners out, clubbing, curtain making and sleeping! I think I will have to block out some time for house sorting/unpacking too - it's only been 9 months since we moved in. What??? With the unpacking/clearing/sorting there will be some crafty giveaways too, so keep your eyes peeled!

Also, alllsooooooo I keep thinking, "Gosh, it'll be good to be ME once I'm out of this job." Not because I necessarily put on a front to do this job, but because I always feel a little bit awkward - the other staff are older than me by a generation, I can't play music, I have to wear clothes other than pyjamas to come to work and no-body really talks here, unless it's about the TV. Of course I can't wear pyjamas to teach, but I have bought a really nice wardrobe from Boden which is almost as nice as slobbing around in pyjamas.

Brief world-of-jen update.

I have accepted one of my PGCE course places.

I have resigned from my fundraising job.

I have more martial arts classes than I can shake a stick at.

I have 4 weeks between finishing work and starting Uni.

I have the biggest PLAN for those 4 weeks, full of creating, chilling, visiting and sleeping.

I have just spent far too much money on a new wardrobe of "teacher clothes".

ETA: It appears I have lost half a stone since I handed my notice in without trying at. All. Just goes to show what happens when you're happy :-)

omigodomigodomigod!

I've just got back to work after two days off for various PGCE interviews and martial arts stuff and come back to two offers on two separate PGCE courses!

Whoop whoop!

I'm SO excited!

I have about a billion new martial arts classes starting very soon. Yesterday my Principle Instructor and I visited a lot of Sports Centres in the area and taught a lesson at my local secondary school. Everyone is very keen to have us on board, we obviously talked the talk very well!

When in doubt...

post photos of the cat!

Jubilee

Someone at work mentioned the Queen's Silver Jubilee in 1977. And lo and behold I have a photograph of my young parents celebrating. My Dad looks like Liam Gallagher with a Union Flag from a Woolies carrier bag sewn onto his T-shirt and my Mum is just radiant and channelling some feminist standards in the chest area!

The beady-eyed menace!

Seriously. Scales! What the heck do you think you're playing at?

First you drop so easily, then you bounce back up for no apparent reason, then you stick then you stick, then boom! Down you go again! I even ate fish and chips on Friday and popcorn on Saturday and cake and cheese bread on Sunday! What are you doing to me???

Isabelle necessary?

This is my our Brompton. I want to call her Isabelle, however DH is protesting loudly and doesn't want her being called any "girly names". I don't think he gets it!

I haven't introduced her to Penelope yet, but I'm sure they'll get along fine and won't be too jealous of each other!

Assorted Wildlife

All spotted this weekend!

Etsy Love

I love this print from dazeychic on etsy. Yum yum! I've just splashed the cash and bought 3 different prints in her shop - can you guess which ones?

Sweet, sweet kickboxing!

I had a fab lesson yesterday, and everything is right with the world.

WARNING: Self-indulgent weight-loss whinging!

So for the past 3 weeks I've been trying reasonably hard to not eat cake.

I can't really expand on my philosophy much farther than that. I've been reading intuitive eating books and trying to listen to my body, and not eat too much. I've also been journalling my food and counting calories but without any clear calorie "goal" for the day. If some days end up at 1400 and I'm not hungry, then that's fine, if some days end up at 2200 whether I ate cake, or whether I was just really hungry, then that's fine too.

As for exercise, well for the past week I was meaning to get my 'tocks to the gym. I even had my gym gear packed (and it's still packed) for most of the week, but somehow raging tiredness conspired against me. I am still doing martial arts (actually strike that, last week I missed my private lesson and didn't really do much in the "advanced" class because I turned up late!) for exercise and not really a lot else. I know this is not really enough to help me lose weight, but like I say the past week was a bit upside-down for one reason or another.

On Saturday I was exhausted and ate a whole bag of corn chips and about 10 biscuits after an afternoon nap! Fortunately I didn't turn this destructive eating into an excuse to eat Mars Bars and cake for the rest of the day because I sat in the bath and read some Bethanny Frankell and got out feeling a little less worse for wear.

This little blog entry is probably a confession of sorts, or excuses, as to why I think the gym scales will probably not show a loss. You see, the first week that I wrote down my food and "tried not to eat cake" I had a surprising loss of 1 kilo. (I like weighing in kilos, there is none of that shame that says, "OMG I'm 14 STONE!!!!! EEEEEEEEEK!" I have no reference point with kilos!) The following week, I also surprised myself with another loss of 1kg!!! I was pretty astounded because what I was doing food-wise wasn't HARD. Does that sound stupid or what?? Seriously, I had not expected to lose any weight whatsoever because I wasn't starving hungry all the time, and I didn't really deny myself anything and I didn't kill myself at the gym. Messed up, or what?

Anyway, so, you've guessed it, Monday night is weigh night! Writing these few paragraphs has made me see that, no, I probably won't have lost any weight this week, but you know what, that's OK! I missed my private kickboxing lesson on Tuesday because I had to present to a Rotary Club, which included dinner! On Wednesday I was exceptionally tired, and I probably ate more that I should've done and I didn't write my evening eats down, so I have no idea quite what happened, but I do know that Fish & Chips were involved! Thursday was a pretty normal Thursday. Friday I was in a school all day which was challenging, and they gave us lunch, but way beyond my usual lunch time and I was starving, and the food wasn't all that good, so I ate more to make up for it(twisted, yes?)! When I got home I pretty much ate for Britain because I thought I was still hungry, when in fact I was probably just over-tired. I do know that I had chips and ice cream for dinner on Friday! Lovely! Saturday had a low point, but I think overall I managed to reign the day in and yesterday was upside-down too, because of a kickboxing tournament I didn't get to eat lunch until half past 3, but I don't think I did too bad a job of the day, even though "lunch" was chips, pita and brie, and dinner was a slice of pizza and some Mars Crispies!

I'm going to practise my back-kicks for a little while tonight and really try to nail them. I've been without a private lesson for 6 weeks and I really should've been practising more. Then I am going to weigh myself and I am NOT going to freak out. Well, I will be dissapointed if I have a gain, but I know that this week has been mental, and I am back on track again for a slightly calmer week next week.

Little Dragons

Bless them!

I put 6 through their Orange belt test and 2 through their yellows. They all passed! I'm so proud.

Monkey Mail!

These beautiful monkey watercolours came in the post on Monday! I participated in Claire Payne's monkey swap and Ag from on planet ag sent me these lovely items.

My monkeys were a bit difficult to round up - so they are in the post today. Blushes.
And this fabulous Happyscape is by Carina and was waiting for me on my desk on Monday morning. LOVE IT!

Accidental Sweetness

I've been clearing through my CF card, and I found this picture which I'd used to make a custom white balance, but it's actually tres cute!

The three chiddlers in the photo are looking at a hole in the wall. During the martial arts class, which had been finished for about 5 minutes when I took this picture, the instructor told them that there was a snake that lived in the hole. I think he perhaps made an appearance for the photo ;-)

Hands free!

Patented by moi!

And you think it's just a silly picture, but I actually wore this for an hour while I was gossiping to my Mum and painting the window frame.

Oh YAY!

My little notebooks. :-)

blogged about here!

Photoplaying

I've been playing in photoshop. :-D

Lime Hawk Moth

The hubs was on the way out one day and called me out to see a "big butterfly" in the hallway.

I knew it was a moth, but never having seen anything like it before, I didn't know exactly what kind of moth.

I wiki-ed - apparently it's very common in London and the south. Clearly a Northern Lass like me didn't know that! It's a Lime Hawk Moth, and very pretty it was too!

Oh poosticks!

Well I applied for my PGCE (post-grad teacher training) but unfortunately I wasn't successful at my first choice of University. I'm not 100% surprised since the interview went really really badly, I did not get on with the woman at. All. I nailed the bit where you actually had to present, and you know, TEACH. But screw that - because I can't explain an X-Ray to a year 7 student (a what? I think she means Lower 4th ;-) ) because I am wetting myself with nerves and I think the pH scale is linear rather than logarithmic because no-one's told me otherwise then bye-bye teaching. Surely they teach you these things ON the teaching course, you'd think...

I've only just found this out, and I am at work, and of course work does not know that I am looking at alternatives. I am trying not to wallow, I am trying not to dispair and feel that my only other option has been closed to me (there are still 3 other choices to apply to for my PGCE). I am stuck here, in a job I was forced into, stuffing envelopes when what I really want to be doing is teaching martial arts and crafting. And now I feel that I can't even teach martial arts that well, after all if I was a good teacher, then my classes would be busier and I wouldn't have to stay in this job, I would've told them where to go last month. I'm not even 100% confident in my crafting, I feel like I do so many different things that I don't have a niche (I feel like this about all of my disparate talents).

Le sigh.

Run, run, RUN!

I've obviously worked harder than the two lanky lads who I'm with ;-)

We have a WINNER!

The lovely Laura won my fabulous scarf giveaway! The scarf will be winging its way over to her asap.

Everyone else, keep your eyes open over here, I see more giveaways in future!

Coraline

I am feeling mildly grumpy today. I'm trying to look on the cheery side by playing with the Coraline website. We went to see it yesterday and looked like nerds in our 3D glasses. I was going to take a picture of my geek-glasses but you'll have to make do with my Coraline picture!

Freebie, er, Monday?

That'll do! I did take the pictures on Friday though.

This lovely handmade scarf has been hanging around in my house for a little while, and I haven't yet had a chance to wear it, so because the weather is all scarf-like (yeah ok, whatever!), and anyway it's a nice, light, spring scarf which could dress up a funky outfit without adding too much warmth, I thought I would give it away, to one of you lovely blog readers. Because I love you (but not in that way).


So just leave a comment before 9am, Tuesday 19th May and the usual random pickings will happen.

It's true!

I stole this saying from Jen's friend Rita. But she seems like a groovy bird, so I don't think she'll mind.

I think I need to remind myself of that one more often, so I put it here for you.

(This was originally done in "periwinkle" and black, but it's come out peach and white on my screen. I hope you like it anyway!)

Day off!

Tomorrow is my day off work - this week has been a 2 day week. Rock on! I need to have a project for tomorrow, so far I am going for a run, meeting the husband for lunch and then ordering my new bike.

I've had a look at a skirt pattern that I might run up (since I can no longer afford, but need, smart clothes for work), and I hope that I can use up some of my stash by making it.

Stay tuned for more crafty endeavours and things other than cats!

I am on ur pooter chair steelin ur warms

The small furry one is still resident in the South. We tried and tried and cried getting her into her basket on Friday morning. I am minus the use of my left hand at the moment since it's been shredded by a petrified tabby mog. We had to leave in such a rush on Friday morning that we only had time to re-fill the cat tray and empty the box of cat munchies into her bowl, write a hasty note for the neighbour and skidaddle, leaving Mimi scared and hiding behing the fridge!

We arrived home last night and after a bowl-full of chicken she is our friend again. We came home with lots of cat toys and a new carry box, just in case she prefers this new one. DH is so amusing with her, he says he doesn't like cats, but he was playing with her and her new "dancing man" toy, singing her a song about the dancing man and making her jump to catch him!

The plan is now to take her to Yorkshire in the middle of June, by then we will be certain of the kitten situation and she may even trust us enough to go back in a carry basket for the long journey north.

Mimi

On Saturday we went to a pet shop to look at tortoises. We came home with a cat.

The pet shop was selling kittens, which is something that I don't agree with in the slightest, but they all looked increadibly happy and healthy, so I was appeased! In the other corner there was a cat that looked scared half to death. She was crouched in the corner, all wide-eyed and shaking. Poor little mite. I left the shop really upset, and sent my Mum a text message asking if she wanted another cat, because there was a cat in Kilburn that needed springing from a pet shop! Mum agreed, and got quite excited about it, she's going through a stressful period and it's taking her mind off it quite nicely.

So we picked up the kitty on our way back from Sainsbury's. The girl in the shop was really upset at the state she was in, I was really upset to see the cat so sad and so the deal was done. I asked how they got the cat, and apparently her owner had come in with her kittens a few weeks ago, then a week later had brought the cat. The pet shop had originally refused the cat because she was so frightened and in a bit of a state, but her owner just dropped her on the floor and walked out.

When we got her home, we put her in the bath in her carry case until we decided where to keep her. We ended up allowing her the hall and kitchen (the kitchen doesn't have a door) so we put her in the hall, opened her carry case and sat and talked to her. She wasn't in any hurry to come out, she looked a bit dozy. I tickled her under the chin and she purred. Purring! This from the cat who had savaged half the pet shop staff and was quaking with fear and litterally crapped herself from being so scared. So she purred and purred and lay with her head sticking out of her carry case! After a little while she ran off for an explore and ended up under the kitchen cabinets. She only came out when DH and I were in the kitchen making dinner, so I let her into the living room and she sat under the sofa for the rest of the evening, even while we had friends round. She occasionally made herself known with loud meows!

On Saturday night we shut her in the kitchen and hall and she cried all night. Sunday morning, she was still under the kitchen cabinets, so I gave her a little cuddle. We went off to watch the Marathon and were out pretty much all day but when we came back she was still under the cabinets!

I thought I'd coax her out with a shoelace sprayed with catnip, she came out for a little play and a bit of a cuddle. Then she found the patch of floor where I'd sprayed catnip and the stoner-cat came out! She was so happy, so friendly and pestering me for cuddles and head-banging and tickles under the chin! While I was making dinner I found some turkey in the fridge, and she's been standing on her back paws for it. Now she won't leave me alone! She migrated to the living room last night and she's shut in there now so that she won't escape when we have the front door open. I was up a couple of times in the night and both times she was following me meowing for cuddles. She's washing, and happy and is a little pest most of the time but I'd rather have a pest than a scaredy-cat!

Cruisin'

On Saturday we took a trip on the Thames from Westminster Pier to Hampton Court. We had lovely weather and when we got to Hampton we walked through the palace gardens to catch the bus to our friend's house for the evening.

I made this beauty at the weekend. I'm very pleased with it because I am usually all out of inspiration for wedding cards, but this one came together quite nicely.

You're hot and you're cold, yes and you're no...

I have been made redundant! But in a good way. In a way that I get my pay-out (not mighty, have only been working here nearly 4 years) and I still have A job, not my current job, but A job that is lower-paid (surprise) but doing basically what I do now but without one aspect. I am also only working 4 days a week; before this offer of a job-change we were asked to take a 20% pay cut, and either choose to work 5 days or 4 days for our 80% pay. Initially I chose 5 day week because I was on a reasonable salary, now including this paycut I have chosen to take the new job but "only" work 4 days a week. The management are dissapointed in me because I chose to work what they are paying me for!!! I am dissapointed in the management because THEY ARE HAVING A GIRAFFE.

I've applied for my Postgraduate Certificate of Education. I am going to be a teacher, specialising in Physics, but I will most probably be able to teach Physics, Science, Design Technology and Art. Physics pays better though.

It's all a little hush-hush since the announcements aren't made until Tuesday and nothing is technically finalised yet, but that's the plan. I might even leave a month early just to get my head together. If all goes well with the PGCE I will be out of here in 3-4 months. Cool beans!

Oh, and working only 4 days a week means that I will be able to do more crafting, I will be resurrecting my etsy shop from the coma it's been in for a little while and listing new items. There is so much possibility that I am actually pretty thrilled to be changing my life-course.

Ain't that always the way?

We are facing redundancies at work. 33% of our little 12-strong work force will be made redundant in a couple of weeks.

We currently design and manufacture products for disabled people. www.demand.org.uk If anyone feels like donating some cash, so that there is more chance of helping more disabled people in the future, please go here www.justgiving.com/demand. Please spread the word, this awful financial situation is affecting everyone, all we want to do is help people and at the moment we are prohibited from doing this because of the current economics of this country, and the rest of the world.

Just happy!

You make my toes smile =D
Originally uploaded by noflickr

I've nothing special to blog about, but I am indeed happy. No particular reason, nothing amazing happening, but most things seem to be on track and normal at the moment, and I am content.

I do other things too...

I'm not just all about the shelves, although I must admit I do love them to death!



A couple of weekends ago the hubs and I hired Brompton folding bicycles. DH is thinking about buying one with his tax-free bicycle scheme at work, so he will save about 40% on the retail price. I, however, can't encourage my management to take up the scheme so I will be paying the full RRP on mine. We've only just decided that we're going to buy one each - at first we were only going to hire the one Brompton for DH to try out so that he can commute to work, then I thought, "Hang on a minute, I want to play!" so we hired one each. I was absolutely hooked! It turns out that I will be able to commute to work on the bike 3 days a week anyway, which would be ace for my fitness and a really fun and environmentally-friendly way to get to work. My motorbike doesn't use too much petrol, but I like the idea of using public transport and getting fitter. Mainly the fitness ;-)

Dom is going to buy a red bike, I would like to get an orange and purple one, however I think the purple colour that they offer won't work particularly well with their orange - the purple is kind of mauve/lavender rather than a deep blue-purple that is printed on their paper colour sheet. I'm going to have to see the purple in person before I really decide though, I think we might be paying a visit to a few bike shops this weekend.

The Shelves! The Shelves!

I've been waiting 5 months for these babies!



Things of interest:

Top left shelf - Roadworks, Linda McCartney - brilliant photography book
Middle left shelf - Stroud Engineering Mathmatics - I often think about bringing this book to work to do maths at lunchtimes. I'm a freak, I know!
Bottom left shelf - Ceramic Sausage dog - I don't know why, I just like him!
Bottom right shelf - The Art of Looking Sideways, Phaidon (fat red and white cover) - nice inspiration book
Middle right shelf - Strawberry Milkshake, Heidi Kenney and a drunken owl that I won in a giveaway.
Top right shelf - my paperback addiction, the shelf is full now and there are more books to find homes for!

And so it begins...

My husband and I are running the Bupa London 10,000 this year, and we are raising money for DEMAND - Design and Manufacture for Disability. DEMAND makes bespoke pieces of equipment for people with disabilities free of charge to the individual, whether this equipment is to help with every day needs such as toileting or bathing, opportunities such as Paralympic shot-putting and target shooting or recovery from injury.

This year is proving especially tough for DEMAND, they have only reached 50% of their target income per month this year. DEMAND cannot continue to transform the lives of people with disabilities without YOUR help. For further information about DEMAND please visit www.demand.org.uk and to sponsor me and my husband, please visit www.justgiving.com/jenniferfee

Your donations are greatly appreciated however small.

And if that doesn't get you to donate, Alan Davies, yes THE Alan Davies of QI fame, who doesn't know me from Eve started us off with £20 so dig deep please!

I made this on Friday for a sweet little birthday girl who turned 3 yesterday. I ended up playing photographer at her party which was really good fun. Kids are cute!

Yesterday we took a trip to a cemetary (like you do...) and found Brunel's grave. I also met up with my crazy running friend - she's running 4 marathons in 2 months. Absolutely bonkers!

I've been tagged!

By the lovely Jen from Painted Fish Studio.

It's the old 6th photo folder, 6th photo thingo. So here goes!



This is me on Carbis Bay beach in Cornwall. My parents-in-law live there and DH took the picture, this is why I am so small! We took this pic at Easter 2007! There are some other lovely photos in the folder which remind me how nice staying in the UK is. The weather in 07 was fantastic, or at least at Easter - I'm wearing a vest for heaven's sake! I haven't worn a vest in the past 18 months!

Tornado 60163

MY steam engine! I built it! (Well I filled and sanded the wheels and reamed bolt holes in the bogey and radiused most of the frames and spotfaced bolt holes etc etc)

I look quite demented in that top picture - it was the first time I'd seen the thing working and I worked on it 9 years ago so of course I got a bit emotional! The platform was heavingly crowded with most folks staring at me, and someone said, "Oooh she's crying!". Yes well, there you go!

A lovely policeman took this photo for me at Waterloo.