ABritAbroad
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Posts posted by ABritAbroad
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Oh, you make me laugh, must have been a good story to go along with that
Sounds like a dream to me too, I can't help feeling like I was born in the wrong era. So swooned with things of the past, they resonate much stronger than anything of today's day and age.
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Thank you Jill! They don't make em' like they used to do they? I can just imagine you in a Victorian or Georgian abode, your profile pic reminds me of the lovely Old Masters paintings, I could easily see you in lovely foil-backed Georgian paste jewels and all the accoutrements of the era.
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Stripped to the wood, 15+ layers of ugly paint later...
He has to sit a year or so to get used to the dry weather before I start restoring the wood, replacing losses, re-glueing dowels, etc. It could crack in 6 months if I start now, gotta let this old boy's joints settle into his new retirement climate!
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This took longer than I dared dream, twenty hours in, a gallon of Brasso and a half pound of wire wool down, I questioned my sanity.
I could have paid someone to do it but it meant something to me to tackle it alone, I look at it now and see blood, sweat, and tears, (a bit of carpal tunnel too!
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What to do about a pole?
I managed to track down an original English Anderson galloper pole, had it packed up and shipped to Canada.
The British Customs Officer had a great time ribbing me about the "brass pole" I was clearing, cheeky bugger.
Oh, but was it ever in rough shape. Likely not been polished in a 100 years and the only reason you could see any brass shining through was because it was covered in remnants of varnish.
I had my work cut out for me, my scullery maid skills were about to be tested...
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Not really sure this warrants it's own post but don't where else to put it!
I have always loved carousel horses, I blame the gallopers at Goose Fair for it.
Well, forward a good few years and I came across an old beaten up carousel horse head that sold at auction, I had missed it by a couple of weeks. Hoping to find another, I began researching them.
They have a fascinating history in the UK, Europe, and the US. Stemming from ancient Arabian games to test a warrior's skill, that in turn inspired medieval jousts.
So began the hobby of collecting and restoring, as only limited space will allow.
This is from the makers Stein & Goldstein, two gents who carved them in the US, they carved it in 1916.
Only 3 of their carousels remain today out of the 17 they made. One is located in New York's Central Park, the rest burned down, were destroyed, lost, or were sold off piece meal to collectors in the mid 1970s when prices hit an all time high for individual figures.
This was my ugly duckling at auction, I saw a swan wanting to emerge from under all that paint
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That's the ticket, no stress = happier ticker
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This is really interesting, sat on those lions many a time and never knew any of this, thanks for sharing.
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Hello Melissa! Yes I'm pretty sure that's the one, in Hucknall right? It's been a while, had to clear some cobwebs
Makes me wonder who looked at stinging nettles and went "let's me a cup of tea out of it"
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Ayupmeducks, sorry to hear you got Lyme, are you all good now?
Argh, I don't like cockroaches on me. Don't mind if they are around me, but not in my house or crawling on me, $od that.
When I worked in India they were everywhere, a total infestation where I worked, but you could step on those and they'd die. Those Central American ones, not a chance, I think you could drive a tank over one and it would get up and run off. I saw cat trying to kill one once and the roach walked off in victory, the cat gave up.
I only put DEET on my socks and other clothes as it's carcinogenic when mixed with sunscreen on the skin, horrible stuff isn't it. I'm cursed with that pasty white English skin so sunscreen is in my daily arsenal. That said, I'm so white I think the rays just bounce off me
You're lucky, I'd love to see a bobcat in the wild, have you? I have a very handsome leucistic coyote in my area, I see him often. Hope no one shoots him, he's not been any trouble to any of the residents or their pets.
What kind of woodworking do you do?
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katyjay, oh you are killing me, I haven't seen or heard dock leaves in eons, I'm suddenly well and truly homesick.
I felt like I could live in Colwick woods when I was growing up. I'd spend all day playing in the forest, building forts, eating blackberries, unripened hazelnuts, apples, mushrooms, walnuts. There was no lack of fish (though the big pikes in The Loop always scared me!) and lots of pheasants, it really was a wondrous place.
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Oztalgian, I have seen some of the critters you get in Oz, geez, I'd never put a pair of shoes on without shaking them out first
I once worked in Honduras and woke up many times to find a cockroach in my bed (this is not a testament to my taste in men) and I assure you, no one jumped out of bed quicker than I each morning when the roosters crowed. I actually considered plugging my nose and ears with tampons when I found out there were no bug nets anywhere.
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loppylugs, I'm surprised there's no mosquitoes back home, or is there now? It's sure wet enough and it's not like Canada is hotter that the UK, we have tonnes up here. I have an Argentine Dogo and he hates mosquitoes, feels every bite like it was a rat biting his ankles, he gets right upset.
When I lived in Airdrie the city released adult dragonflies because it got so bad, thousands of them, within two days you couldn't find a mosquito, it was brilliant.
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Ayupmeducks, I don't recall having ticks in the UK, never saw one once and I literally lived in the forest, are they there?
We have a big tick problem up here this year, nasty buggers, it's the Lyme disease they carry that's the problem, it's an awful disease to get.
I have never been bit by one, but then I go hiking here armed with DEET spray, bear spray, sunscreen spray, the works, it's like arming yourself for battle against the wonders of nature.
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Livin' dangerously, on both counts, PP! Them woods hold a lot of secrets, I'm sure the park wardens have a lot of stories to tell
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Lizzie, that sounds brilliant, what a great time to visit, your boys must have just loved it. Yes, everyone is pretty friendly over here, very Brit friendly and there's lots of us. I work with a few Brits but we are on different rotations so ships passing for the most part unless we get called in off rotation. It's joked by colleagues that we aren't allowed to work together because the banter gets so bad no one understands us by the end of shift, funny how that happens isn't it?
Glad you had such a good time here
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katyjay, wouldn't find that on mug or pen would I?
No, I got teased on occasion for my name spelling imoan, backwards. Funny, kids at school would ask if I knew that's what it spelt, like they were telling me something I didn't already know!
One of my very good Blackfoot friends here jokingly calls me white buffalo... cheeky mare, she used to be a bartender in New York, she's the most un-aboriginal Native I know, jokes I'm more an Indian than she is, told me she draws the line if I start trying to teach her how to make moccasins. Love that woman, she's a good egg.
Could never find Naomi on anything at West Midlands Safari Park, not on a keyring, a cup, nothing. Pfft.
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Ayupmeducks, do we have chiggas in the UK? I never saw any, only thing to ever give me grief back home was stinging nettles.
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Those look delicious, nonnaB
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9 hours ago, Ayupmeducks said:
We Nottinghamians seem to get around, there's another one I know in Calgary, not sure if I told him about this site, Graham Jones, he and I served our apprenticeships at Clifton Colliery.
He ended up in Calgary, he used to be a contracting elec up there, had some knee problems and ended up getting teaching credentials teaching mentally disabled children. He's retired now.
I'm not going to ask if you know him ABA, as there are probably dozens of Jones's in Calgary.
I live a few states to the west of Dave, (Loppylugs), I settled in southern Missouri where we are getting some nice weather, mid 80's with low humidity for a change.
Cicada's are big, never known them to chase anyone though, but I believe it's supposed to be the year of the Cicada's..
We sure do get around don't we, Ayupmeducks? Funny, I did know a Graham here from Nottingham and for a moment I thought it might be the same bloke but the rest doesn't add up so it's not him.
I haven't been to Missouri, how did you end up there and how long have you been there, may I ask?
So you're telling me this is not the year to visit Savannah then, Cicada wise? The tour guide was definitely talking about some kind of big flying bug, I'm sure it was cicadas. As long as they don't bite I'm alright.. maybe. We have these big giant water bugs that fly and are as big as my hand, like a small bird. They aren't common but they can bite. First time I saw one it landed on my chest whilst I was on a ferry in BC. I nearly jumped off the bl00dy ferry into the water trying to get the darn thing off me. The other passengers found it very entertaining!
When I grew in Notts I had stick insects, now that's an insect I can get along with. They had 100s of babies and I was given strict orders to get shot of em so I freed them onto the neighbours privet hedge, within days they stripped it. Neighbour was none too happy
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2 hours ago, loppylugs said:
I think ABA may be referring to Chiggas, John. They are said to inhabit Spanish Moss and will drop in your hair as you walk underneath. I've never seen one but your post reminded me of a guided trolley tour we took in Savannah where the guide went into chilling detail on the topic. I think we were all scratching by the time the ride was over.
9 hours ago, loppylugs said:Hi ABA. A Mountain Lion at work eh? That would grab your attention. I've never seen one. Few Bears around though.
Late wife was a Gedling gal. We were married in 1965 at Gedling church. We were basically just kids. (20 and 19) We grew up together. Emigrating has a way of doing that to you.
I'll maybe try to p.m. you later about Ga. as it would be somewhat off topic for this thread. You will know when you have a pm. The little envelope at the top of the page should light up red. Just click on it to read.
Yes, it was one big kitty, right at the main entrance revolving doors too, lucky it didn't get in. Only ever seen one other cougar once in Canmore whilst hiking, I went back to the car pretty swift like! Never been hiking here and not run into a bear. I saw about a dozen last year, I'm less concerned with them though, never had an issue with one. It's the tourists that get too close trying to take selfies that are the problem. They've seen Winnie the Pooh too many times, not realizing Winnie can run faster than a horse and can rip your head off.
They shut down the beautiful wild bison park because a tourist from Germany got out of his car in the enclosure and went over to a big bull to stroke it, it tossed him like a salad and he filled a lawsuit... plonker.
How come you two moved to Canada? Was it in your early days of marriage?
I grew up with a Father who was a cowboy, we even went on Pontins "cowboy" holiday camps, maybe he was one in a past life or just one too many John Wayne movies.. I was named after an Indian in a western movie and I now work a lot with Native health on the reserves, it's a big passion.. meant to be maybe?
Dad used to work at Dobsons and when a Canadian company came to Nottingham hiring, he went right down and applied and got in. He and my Mum had tried many times prior to emigrate to Canada but kept getting the "you don't meet current criteria" speech. Which would've been fine if they would've let them know what the criteria was, but they wouldn't tell them.
Was it an easy move across the pond for you?
Argh, chiggers look awful, like lice. Those things fall out of trees?!
I'll take a grizzly bear over those, at least I can see it coming. This is why I dress in full on PPE gear with patients with parasite infestations, I don't want to bring any hitchhikers home, I even duct tape my wellies to my scrubs.
I don't recall any wildlife in Nottingham that could snuff you or suck your blood. Why'd we move again?
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Hello fastfil, Lake Huron is a beautiful place. Funny how so many of us Brits move to Canada... we're a wandering breed
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They think we live in igloos, loppylugs
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Favourite works of art
in General Hobbies and Interest Chat
Posted
One of my favourite painters, actually from Notts, Arthur Spooner. This painting of his of Goose Fair I'm especially fond of, to me it's just magical. I can smell and hear the sounds of the fair when I look at it. There are much clearer pics of it online if you wish to see, or even better, in person at Notts Castle.
http://