I know! Upgrading until I get way behind again...

I reckon I'll get over the 2000 mark - probably not going to travel back up through France once I get to Perpignan for the second time though as will be getting short of time for my sister's 21st, 24hr race etc... but am planning on going further south into Spain instead!

First day of UnstFest today so at 3pm there's the carting race at Baltasound. Exciting stuff from the most northerly island in the British Isles.

http://www.rhs.org.uk/Shows-Events/RHS- ... ith-a-View

I'm sure nobody gives a shit, but I designed and made (singlehandedly) the opening steel curtain which is the main feature in this gold medal winning garden at this years Hampton Court flower show.

And I'm very proud of it.

And so you should be. Anything that is made using practical skills and hand/eye coordination is art in my opinion. Good job as the 'mericans say.

nice work Russ, filmed at the show a few years ago, really enjoyed it

My boss is going on Friday, I've just told him about it and that it has a gold medal so he said it would be a very special one and he is going to look out for it well done Russ xx

That looks bloody great, Russ!

Without wishing in any way to spoil your thunder, and quite by coincidence, I have a RHS story too: in Feb of this year I sold a rotten old falling apart completely good for nothing red Special to a guy who was going to use it as part of his garden at the Malvern spring show. He even invited me along to see my old car featured in the exhibit.



Imagine my disappointment when it turned out that "my" car was not used at all - due to the fact that they found an older, more "authentic" looking vehicle.
(I think they made the right decision, don't you?!)

Another view of Russ's garden is on the BBC website:

It's not 'my' garden, it was designed and built by our neighbours at Arun Landscapes, the only bit I made was the curved curtain/gate assembly. They came to us asking if we could bend the end of some 10mm rebar into a hook shape, which would majestically swoosh open with a gentle movement of the hand, as if opening your curtains at home. Once we explained that this wasn't going to happen because physics said so they asked us to have a think about what we could do. My boss and I are the only employees at his business and he is out on site 9 days in ten, so he issued me with a credit card and a VW T5 and told me to get on with it. It took a month to build but I've had to go out on site a few times and I've had a ton of other work to do in between. There have been a few headfuck moments mainly over simple things that I have over thought, and I fear I might have over engineered it, it certainly weighs too much. They're jolly happy with it, and hope to sell it at the show. It does look good in the garden they've built but I can't help wondering who on earth has a garden with a wonderful view that would want to stick that right in the way.








Nice to hear some kind comments, thanks. Interesting to hear your garden story, Smiffy, I did all I could to try and get some 2cv parts incorporated on the gates, and I had a plan to have 2cv steering wheels as the winding handles and various other bits for the cable drums but in the last minute dash to make the damned thing work I gave up and used two trailer winches instead.

Russell,
one word... http://thesaurus.com/browse/phantasmagorical

Apparently, in parts of Asia people are increasingly coming under attack from wild, feral or poorly trained trucks...