Monday 11 November 2013

Around Oxford....





We drive from Aynho, our winter mooring, to our jobs, Leonie in Cowley and me to Sandford which are only and conveniently about 1.5 miles apart. Can take 25 to 55 mins, depending on traffic flow.

Along the motor way there's sometimes something different to look at apart from fast and slow traffic.


This caught our attention the other morning, was it......







A Ferrari on a trailer... Surely not on the Buyers wish List....
Was it Broken Down, I'd use an enclosed trailer....

Or it could have been......





Stolen...   Not repossession agents at work..... How about just run out of Gas......

Car and van transporters loaded with the poor peoples cars are everywhere but....




A transporter loaded with new Jaguars proves the recession is over....


I pick Leonie up at 4.30pm and we hit the road home and now.....




Like Tonight it was dark...... About 4.37pm.....

Rained all day today but we had.....
 




A fast trip home..... As we approach our exit off the motor way these are Big gaps between cars.....


Always on the look out for wood for our log fire on the NB some was spotted handy to Spence's car yard.
John who is the No, 1 Mechanic and MR Fixit at the car yard made a plan to bring in a chain saw on Saturday.

We thought it a good idea to move 5 cars before dropping the tree.....



 


John approaches the Dead Elm tree..... Chainsaw in hand...

Spencer just......

 



Turned and walked away.... Something always goes wrong......

So John reaches......



 
Over the fence to start cutting.... OH Yeah it's on the neighbours property..... They're not looking...



And after a show of skill......




It's on the ground..... John starts trimming...  Missed the Ford Focus by 3 inches.... not even Close Spence......


Then it was .....


Cut up time to Log fire size portions...... Ended up a great load of firewood........

 

Spencer has a MR2 race car that he hasn't yet found time to drive on the track. A corporate decision was made that this coming race season he'll be there making time.
The cars been parked up on his farmland so during the week it was retrieved and work started to get it in shape.. Get it running, done, prepare and paint body in new colours, and get ready for a full season of racing.

By Saturday arvo it was driveable and Spencer had a good idea........
I'll take it for a drive, up the road, to free the brakes up......











 
Happy as "A Pig in S- it......  A boy with a new toy.....

So off he drove... Don't go far, be back soon....

 

Leonie, John and Johns son Thomas look on......
 

We could hear the Exhaust note sort of going faster than we expected and then out of earshot...
Gee Spence has been gone a while..... brakes must be free by now....

Then when he returned as he drove up the drive it......




Was apparent the Bonnet had flown up and wrapped around the roof panel..... and he's still smiling....

As with all Loyal and Dependable  race crews nobody owned up to not putting the pins in.......


Opened it up....
 



Straightened a hinge.... Spence the motors blown off too......


And after a touch of on the spot......
 




 
Panel work got it to shut....... A new bonnets on the menu.....

Can't wait until the first race with 35 cars in the field........

Sunday 10 November 2013

National Trust 3.......


Packwood house is a Timber framed Tudor style manor house constructed during 1556 - 1560.
It is situated near  Lapworth  not to far from the Lapworth flight of locks.

It under went exstensive renovations in the early 1900,s.


One of the additions was.....








This long hallway. Oak flooring and large tapestries on the walls...


It connects to what was once...



An old barn to form a large hall with a Sprung floor, you could feel the spring when walking on it, for dancing..... More tapestries to show a "Bit of Wealth"....


The upstairs bath room had an unusual  feature for it's age....




A Heated Towel Rail.... the first of it's kind.....


Out side the recent rain had had  an effect on the grounds making part of the garden out of bounds.

Some plantings in the gardens are past there best but the overall landscaping is still great....


Here's some garden shots....



 


Garden wall and a "nice" old door....


 








Fish pond in a "sunken" lawn area.....

There's a planting of a 100 odd Yew trees, 1600,s, all  shaped but the wet clay  ground is having a bad effect on them and the grass walkways between were closed...



 


The closed entrance to the Yew plantings....
 



A look over the fence.....
 

 
  
 
And along the perimeter....

 




Back to the house.....
 

 
 
The house with stables on the RH side.......