Walk at Ockwells Park – 10th March 2012

On a cloudy spring afternoon we enjoyed a short walk over at nearby Ockwells Park.

The girls spent a short time in the play area before we had a walk around the park.

Rebekah and Holly

Holly and Emily

Heading off around the park

Slightly garish crocuses on display

 

Operation Wardrobe – 10th March 2012

My mother has recently treated herself to some new bedroom furniture. 

Most of it arrived more or less assembled, but the wardrobe arrived in four boxes and required assembly by ‘three strong men’ – according to the comprehensive instructions.

Therefore, the family were duly summoned to assist in the building of the new wardrobe.  I came over with Rebekah, collecting my nephew and niece on the way over.

Hugh and I made a start before my brother, Adrian, turned up some of his family to assist.

None of us are particularly skilled in the art of self-assembly, but we set to work with early enthusiasm.

We made a strong start and managed to fit the side panels and doors onto the base unit relatively quickly.

Following a short break for coffee, we lifted the weighty wardrobe upright and fitted the top.

The problems began when we attempted to screw the back panel into place and found that the storage unit at the bottom of the wardrobe had been positioned too far back, meaning that the back panel would stick out at the bottom.

Accordingly, we had to lie the troublesome cupboard down again before unscrewing, repositioning and rescrewing the bottom section in twice!

By the time we got round to reinstating the unit back to the vertical plane, the top had worked loose and required further tightening.

Finally, with much grief and with some split wood in places, we managed to attach the back panel in place – adding in extra screws where it seemed to be bowing somewhat!

Eventually, some two hours longer than the recommended time for assembly, the wardrobe was complete and in position!  My thanks to Hugh for the photo below.

Liverpool win the 2012 Carling Cup – 26th February 2012

In what turned out to be something of a roller-coaster of a match, Liverpool FC finally defeated Cardiff City on penalties to claim their 8th League Cup title and their first silverware for six years.

Here’s how the match unfolded on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/#!/henrywinter/status/173815920664379393

 

A few signs of spring – 25th February 2012

I haven’t used my macro lens much with the 5D Mk II, but decided to take a few photos of the expanding hawthorn buds this morning and was relatively pleased with the results.

Hawthorn bud

Signs of life

The first leaves of spring!

Later we popped over to Mum’s to put some compost onto the vegetable plot.

Compost and compost heap

The composted vegetable plot

While we were there, I took a few more ‘close up’ shots, mainly of flowers.

Winter aconite

Crocus

Hibernating ladybird