February 2026 Second Half

 

February 2026

Second Half

February continued with nicer weather good enough to have some longer walks in our local park with daffodils and hawthorn blossom emerging as the weather warmed. I had a phone call to an old friend, Les, from the model railway side of Whitewebbs Transport Museum. He had been the custodian of my model engines I had built in the early 80s until he had a stroke and left the museum leaving them with the office for me to collect. I had not been to the museum for over a year and decided to put that right. Another old friend is George, who also has not been well, I contacted to him to see if he wanted he wanted to go to the museum. It turned into a very social day for both of us. I collected my models and met some new faces at the museum and enjoyed the new display of bikes.

Chris is the lead for motorcycles at the museum and is also an active member of the LE Owners Club has reorganise the first floor display after the new lift was installed to make sufficient space for wheelchair access and found bikes to fill the space vacated by the loss of the Rex Judd collection and the loss of the valuable 1898 Holden. Sad for the museum but being a charity they had insufficient funds (millions) to buy the collection but other interesting bikes have replaced them. Museums that change their displays regularly are worth returning regularly.

Another fine day and spent some time in the back garden. The chimenea was moved to the middle of the lawn to burn some old wood and the rear supporting leg fell off. Part of the cast iron body had rusted away around the attachment bolts of the rear leg. Easy repair by putting a plate inside with new bolts to secure the leg in place.  It was tested out later with a warm glow lasting into the evening.

Last thing for the month was a visit to a jewellery faire at Kempton Park. It was not just gems necklaces and earrings but had quartz and bits of petrified wood and crystal balls. This was Gita’s element another skill hidden for years. It was just like me going to a bike show. Ooh! I like that and that and that! She made jewellery until life got in the way and now stimulated by the faire she bought a new stock of things to start making bits again.