Dai Gets a Black Bottom (Ooerr Missus)

Following on from the MOT I wanted to get the underfloor rust sorted before it became a problem. Some web searching and emailing found me a company near St. Albans who would do a full Waxoyl treatment. Not the cheapest by any means but good reviews. Although initially he was saying May, when I phoned him he offered to do it today, he usually starts working Sundays about now anyway.

Have to say having met him I didn't regret the decision. He kindly ran me in to St Albans for the day while he got on with the job although the offer was there to stay and watch. I had a reasonable time wandering around, visiting the cathedral and generally enjoying the day before he phoned to say he was finished and would come and collect me.

Very pleased that he reckons there's no real problems, a little bit of rust that will be fine now but generally very clean and tidy. There's a little bit of overspray on the cills to be cleaned off one it's hardened, he explained that's down to having to get in to quite a narrow but vulnerable gap. It's got a 5 year warranty on the work which is good. All I've got left to do is a bit of cleaning up and to treat the surface rust on the cills below the doors. I'll do that very soon and should hopefully have the body solid for the next few years.

Phew!

Dai was in the garage this morning for service and MOT. No problems really with either although there was an advisory on rusting on the underfloor. I'll need to consider whether that needs dealing with. There's a bit of rust on the top of the sills as well that needs tackling soon.

What I do about these is partly dependent on long term plans. My original intention was to keep Dai for three years but after last weekend I'm not sure I'll wasn't to change then anyway. If I decide I'm keeping this one and not upgrading it would make getting things properly sorted worthwhile.

That's All Folks!

Well it is due this trip anyway.

After a good night's sleep I pottered about having breakfast and packing up. There was no rush so I took the opportunity of emptying the loo (although it has only been used one), disposing of the waste water and refilling the fresh and doing the rubbish. The new rubbish bin works and in general I've been very pleased with the recent jobs. Apart from the roof struts there's not much to sort now.

I'd planned to call in on Gresley and Wychnor Model Railway Group who were having an open day. Having actually found the place and realised that the access was down what seemed to be someone's driveway I was a bit early but that didn't matter. It was good to see club layouts in their home and in full (often they can split out a small part for exhibitions). One N-Gauge layout gave me heart, I think if I owned it I'd be considering a total remodel - with a big hammer!

I also called in to a garden centre, mainly for a visit to Lakeland Ltd. I won't say how much I spent but it was probably more than the rest of the holiday put together!

Overall a successful weekend away, it's a site and an area I'm keen to visit again, it's not too far from home and there's lots more to see.

Hold Very Tight Please, Ting Ting

As planned I spent the day at Crich Tramways Museum. They were holding s '40s Home Front weekend so lots of reenactors and veterans around the place. All good fun, everyone pleasant, and a jolly decent day out.

Highlight for me was in the bar, young lad in US Army uniform bought a drink for a D-Day veteran that he'd obviously never met before and then spent some time with him just talking.

By about 2 o'clock I'd had about enough and was tiring, I could have taken a couple of painkillers and carried on but I'd about seen everything anyway so headed back to site via the scenic route through Cromford. I didn't stop this time, but I'll be back soon for a proper visit to that part of the area. The great thing with having Dai is I can head up here first thing Saturday, do some visiting, stop the night and then do more visiting before driving home, all for the sake of under £40 in petrol and around £15 for the site.

Spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing with the Kindle and a couple of beers, now just debating whether to wander down the pub or not having had ham, sweet corn and new tatties for dinner.

Who were the Quarrymen?

I'd planned to visit Peak Rail today but decided you can have too much of s good thing and would do something else - play Brown Sign Bingo (that's where you just follow brown tourist signs and see what you find). Without g trying I ended up back much where I was yesterday. The first brown sign, for a heritage centre, was a fail as it had closed. I did get a rather nice looking Pork Pie at the farmers' market though. The next brown sign took me to the National Rock Centre. It's another of those lottery funded educational type places that sprung up a few years ago.

Before I even got to the centre though I saw a sign saying Light Railway, so much for not doing trains! The Steeple Grange Light Railway is an 18" gauge rebuild on former standard gauge quarry lines. You get two rides for your money plus an interesting talk on Limestone and quarrying.

After playing trains and generally chatting I headed down to the Stone Centre itself. There's not a huge amount there but it would be good for, and is aimed at, kids. From there I wended my way back to the site for a reasonably early finish to the day. I did a quick camper sort, doing the water and connecting the mains electric. I'd not bothered with the latter last night and regretted it this morning when running the fan heater for a few minutes might have got me out of bed a bit quicker.

I've had a couple of doh moments this trip. Last night I kept seeing cars stopped in odd places and driving slowly, it was ages before I realised that it was a treasure hunt. Then today I saw someone behaving oddly in a field. Then I noticed the metal detector in his hand.

Tomorrow I still plan to visit the Tramways Museum but might yet change my mind -you'll have to wait and see (and so will I).

Rainy Days in Derbyshire

Doesn't really look like it'll make a song title, does it?

First trip of the year is to the Caravan Club site near Belper, mainly 'cause there are several railway attractions nearby. I got on the road reasonably early and actually, apart from the weather, had no real delays from the A14 and M1 works.

Was a bit early for the Ecclesbourne Valley railway but a local coffee shop took care of that. It's not a typical heritage line (actually they prefer the term Community Railway) running mainly diesel railcars. I had a bit chat with the gentleman seeking the tickets from what is basically a steel garden shed. After I'd been for a wander he pointed me to a pleasant couple who're looking at campervans st the moment. They'd noticed Dai and obviously said something. We had a bit chat anyway and I have them a couple of pointers.

Having travelled the line up to Wirksworth I had time for a good wander round, a bit of a chat with people and a trip up the highlight of their efforts. The incline up to Ravenstore is 1 in 27, not much in car terms (although you'd notice it) but the steepest conventional line in the country. We were pushed by a Barclay's steam loco, it was very juddery with a lot of slippage. They're currently using the line to test some battery/3rd rail maintenance locos for London Underground (apparently a lot of the stations have steep grades in and out to aid deceleration and acceleration.

Having spent enough time playing it was time to head up to the caravan site . It's a nice site, but I'm in the middle of a huge pitch with my own water and drainage due to a rearrangement over there winter.

After pitching I walked down into Belper for dinner, fish and chips, very nice to but it was a bit further than I thought and it rained! Having walked back up the hill I then went down the other side to the pub. Nice point of Thwaites though, might go for dinner tomorrow.

One job had become apparent already, I'm going to have to replace the gas struts on the pop-top. I wasn't convinced last year, having tried a rearrangement on the packing they're definitely not up to the job. It's an easy fix once I measure them