Aftermath. The day after my trip, I returned the rental, which is conveniently at the garage where my car is serviced; I’d left it there for diagnosis. The prognosis wasn’t good – any repairs would be more than the car was worth. The problem was what I’d expected – a leaking petrol tank. They confirmed it felt ‘damp’ at the central seam. It might be o.k. to drive ‘as long as I didn’t fill it up’, and would probably be fine to drive to a dealer to trade it in. It sounds simple, take one tank out and install another, but if the supports and pipework become dislodged, then they too need repair.
Happy Bee
Well, I’ve been considering a new car for nearly a year, and particularly since I’ve been travelling so much. Now the search needed to begin in earnest. There are many choices when searching for cars: size, fuel type, color, trim level, cost, etc. Initially, I’d considered a petrol hybrid, but recently I’ve thought of making the switch to electric. In the past, an EV wasn’t feasible due to cost and limited range. Now, the range has increased while cost lowered, reaching that sweet spot of affordability and range.
Rosa rugosa
The internet is perfect for things like this. I’ve scoured it in depth for reviews, opinions, specifications, how-tos, finance options. Finally, I narrowed the choices to three vehicles, all electric. Two were slightly larger than the current vehicle in width and length, but taller – more of an SUV than a hatchback shape. The third was smaller, cheaper, and slightly bonkers. The final decision of which to test drive came down to two factors: safety and ‘vibe’. I felt the smallest might less safe, plus its range wasn’t as great as the others. Of the other two, one had a better ‘vibe’. It’s not a rational reason, but it is a reason, and I booked a test drive for last week.
Lichen
The dealership is in Inverness, and, still reluctant to drive my car more than necessary, I commandeered a friend for the road trip. We were late getting there, due to my fallible memory. The ‘sales executive’ was pacing outside, and was visibly relieved when we arrived. After a brief tour of the model in the showroom, the test drive was soon arranged. I was wrongfooted when we were given the choice to drive on our own or accompanied. The sales exec remarked that we’d pay more attention to the car if he weren’t there. A test drive without the distraction of a salesperson sounded ideal, and off we went, through the countryside and along a highway, and thoroughly enjoyed it. There were no annoying niggles in the car that might rule it out. And so, feeling very grown-up, I bought it.
Armeria maritima – sea thrift
‘Slow and steady’ is the principle I’m applying to this gansey. My progress is relatively slow compared to Gordon’s, but then I don’t knit hours a day the way he did. After five months, I’m just over halfway up the front. It’s getting easier as I go along, and I’m remembering to cross the cables consistently. This has been a slight problem as the crossings are done from the back. Several times I’ve had to reknit sections where I just didn’t get it right, either in a cable or elsewhere.
This week, the last episode of the tale of my last trip south. On my last day at the family home, the broadband was finally installed. It’s been a long process, starting last August, when the order was placed. The trunk cable had been laid along the lane years ago.
The next step was for the internet provider to extend the cable over the canal to the house. That was supposed to occur at the end of September, but a network problem caused a further delay of 3-6 weeks. By mid-November, there was another delay when they needed to apply for temporary traffic lights to extend the cable. Trudge forward to the end of January, and the work has been done, but broadband can’t be installed until I’m next down in March; someone must be at the property. Accordingly, I made an appointment for March.
At last, rain
On 20 March, a team visits to see what is required to get the cable to the house. Unfortunately, bushes or trees need to be pruned, as they the route of the cable. They’ll hire a specialist tree surgeon to do it. In April I made another appointment for installation in May. A week before, the team visits again and brings the cable over the canal. A week later, the installer arrives. He needs to get to the base of the house wall – did they not tell you those bushes need to be trimmed? A search through sheds provides me with usable tools and in a few minutes there’s a space. At last, he can install the broadband. Of course, it doesn’t work right away. The installer says it occasionally happens. An hour or so later, it finally works, and I have a whole two hours to use it, but no time to do so because I’m packing the car to leave the house for probably the last time. My thought was to have it available for my visits to the house, and that it would be a plus point when the house is sold. Now it’s just a plus point.
First iris of the year
The next stop on the trip was Southport to visit another old friend of ours for a few days. We had a day in Liverpool, seeing the sights, visiting fabric, window shopping in John Lewis. In the evening, we had dinner at a very nice restaurant in Southport. It was a lovely visit.
Colin and Gordon as boys in New Zealand
The final stop was Edinburgh, where I again stayed with my friend. One of the highlights of that visit was seeing the white smoke drifting out of the Sistine Chapel chimney soon after I arrived, heralding a new Pope. The other highlight was taking some items from the house to two of Colin’s cousins in Scone. Their father was Colin & Gordon’s uncle. An amateur painter, he gave three paintings to the Reids. There was also a cake stand which I was once told was made by Grandfather Reid. The uncle’s daughters were pleased to be remembered and were pleased to have the paintings and other items.
Alchemilla mollis
Finally, after another night in Edinburgh, I headed home. It was a full, busy trip and I saw new and old friends, and got done what needed to get done. So, a successful trip too. Driving up and down the country like a yo-yo is made much more pleasant when there are friends to visit.
With the gansey, I’m still slogging along. The front is now separate from the back and is looking fine. I’m getting into the rhythm of it now. The extended gussets look decidedly odd, however. I may sew them together, so they look more like ‘proper’ gussets. Or it’s also possible that when the front is done I’ll frog the lot in disgust. Sometimes it’s best to start over.
Here I am again, after a busy and productive trip south. As usual, I stopped in Edinburgh and Northamptonshire, but this time added a visit to a friend in Southport.
I collected a rental car on the Monday. I hadn’t heard about my own car, and even if I had, I was reluctant to drive it whilst it reeked of petrol. The rental company gave me a free upgrade too – to a non-plugin hybrid. After a quick cup of coffee with the neighbours to tell them of my plans, I loaded the car and set off for Edinburgh, where I’d stop for a night.
Bloomin’ Grasses
Modern cars are amazing. They have improved vastly since our car was made 13 years ago. Adaptive cruise control – where the car will slow itself to match the speed of the car in front of it – was an eyeopener. Lane assist was another useful feature; I could almost drive without steering. Little lights flashed on the wing mirrors if a car was passing. When reversing, if it calculated you were going to collide with something, it slammed on the brakes – quite a surprise the first time! And back-up cameras! How did we reverse without?
Proto plums
On the next day, Tuesday, the drive started with a slow trip through the Borders of Scotland and an uneventful drive along England’s motorways. The house hadn’t fallen down yet when I arrived, although there was an occasional ‘beep beep’ somewhere. I initially thought it was the car, and went out several times to check, but finally tracked the beeping to a smoke alarm with a dying battery.
The Back
The following day was for grocery shopping and cooking, and getting in touch with Brackley Morris. “Why?”, I hear you ask. Well, on Mayday, the 1st of May, the Brackley Morris dances in the summer at Brackley market square, at dawn. I can’t remember the last time I’d done this. And I’d come prepared – I’d located my ‘kit’ – a smock – and my pipe & tabor, and brought them with me. Eventually I was able to get in touch with someone who could give me a lift, and they’d pick me up at around 4:45 AM.
MayDay
Thankfully, the weather was glorious. As I was playing most of the time, I didn’t get a chance to photograph the Brackley Morris, so here you see Queen’s Oak. There was a good crowd out to see in the May. After the dancing, those that would retired to the nearby pub (just behind the morris man on the left). The pub opens specially on Mayday morning, both to serve alcohol and to provide a proper English cooked breakfast. They were even veggie sausages. Then a few hours were whiled way, with anyone who wished joining in a music session. And then, two bookings at two nursing homes, when it was definitely hot.
Gorse at Helmsdale
What with one thing and another, there hasn’t been much progress on the gansey. The back is now complete, and about 1.5” has been knit on the front. I’ve worked around the too-low gusset snafu by knitting across the gusset on each row and knitting the last stitch together with the edge stitch of the back. It’s like knitting a giant shoulder strap. The gusset will be distinctly almond-shaped instead of diamond-shaped, which isn’t ideal, but is preferable to reknitting the entire back.
I had a look on the internet for ‘today’s day’, but alas, nothing really caught my eye. Well, ‘National Cubicle Day’ made me pause, and ‘National Blueberry Pie Day’ slowed my scrolling a bit. But the rest seemed to be birthdays of famous people I’d never heard of.
As most weeks are, this last was fairly quiet, with several exceptions. The museum was busier than usual; a prearranged booking of a busload of German tourists was due to arrive at opening. They were there and ready to go when I arrived. Extra volunteers came in to help with the visitors. The tourists had a wander around the museum, bought a bit at the shop, and departed – they were in and out in under two hours. Interestingly, the group consisted mostly of the middle-aged or families with children. Usually tour groups consist of pensioners.
Bluebells
The next day, a friend got in touch suggesting lunch out at a nearby hotel. So the walk I’d had in mind was scrapped. As I walked to the venue, I was just as glad, because there of a stiff, cold breeze which would have made a walk unpleasant. My friend and I had a long natter, discussing current affairs, history, and words. Part of the time was spent looking through a vocal score of ‘The Messiah’ – we had both signed up for a ‘Sing or Play’ event with the community orchestra the next day.
Gorse
One of the words we chatted about was ‘meander’. I remembered being told once that it came from the name of a river in Anatolia, the Meander. Upon consulting the internet, this turned out to be true. Then it became a little more interesting. The word is a direct borrowing from classical Latin, and in turn it came from ancient Greek. The name of a winding river went through two other languages before appearing in English in the late 16th century.
Pussywillow
As you can see, the gansey has gone through a transformation. It’s had a ‘proof of concept’ test blocking. I pinned it out after a good misting of water on both sides. It will be slightly wider than calculated, but the basic measurements are correct. Except for the armhole depth, which was totally miscalculated. If I’d drawn a little diagram in the notebook, I might have avoided this – the gusset was started 2.5” too soon. My current plan is to extend it to the proper level. To do this, while the front is knitted, I’ll knit across the gusset, then knit into the edges of the back, just like doing a strap down the shoulder.
There will be another brief break in the blog – I’m off on my travels again for the next few weeks.
Aftermath. The day after my trip, I returned the rental, which is conveniently at the garage where my car is serviced; I’d left it there for diagnosis. The prognosis wasn’t good – any repairs would be more than the car was worth. The problem was what I’d expected – a leaking petrol tank. They confirmed it felt ‘damp’ at the central seam. It might be o.k. to drive ‘as long as I didn’t fill it up’, and would probably be fine to drive to a dealer to trade it in. It sounds simple, take one tank out and install another, but if the supports and pipework become dislodged, then they too need repair. 
