Day 95...

So last night we went down to Emba to play in the charity quiz with Mum, Dad, Ray and Janice.  There is some friendly rivalry between our team (Spyro's Neighbours) and Fat Chance, the team which included Dave and Rosie who live next door to Mum and Dad. 

Last night Dave and Rosie's team came in third and our team came in second just two points behind the winners.  Frustratingly we could have won if we had had the courage of our convictions and not talked ourselves out of three of the answers...

(1) where the answer had to begin with a 'b' the question was What was founded by William Alexander Smith in 1883?  No one was sure but John did come up with Boy's Brigade but we over-ruled him in favour of Dad's answer Bourneville maybe I was lacking serotonins!!

(2) in the best of British category, the question was: if you went to St Martins Theatre in London this week what would you see?  I guessed at some long standing play and suggested the Mousetrap but was over-ruled by Ray - cant believe it because I have been to see it but never realised that was where it was and where it has been since 1974!

(3) the final one we should have got was the question which politician has held all four key posts in Government - Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Home Secretary and Foreign Secretary?  We plumped for John Major ignoring Dad's suggestion of Jim Callaghan.

Still you only win a bottle of some gopping wine or spirit so it isnt the end of the world!!  More exciting is the jackpot question that you have a chance to win by purchasing a raffle ticket and then if your number is pulled you roll a dice and answer the corresponding question hidden in an envelope.  The first chance is for the whole jackpot amount and then it is reduced by half for a second try and halved again for a third (and final) guess.  I was lucky enough to have a punt at €150 as my ticket was pulled out third and the two previous contestants had got their questions wrong.  Unfortunately so did I - Who has a statue erected in his honour at Aberdeen Grammar School?  Answer: Lord Byron - but I had no idea!!!  The jackpot increases for next week.

We returned home today and decided to embark on the tongue and groove panelling for what we refer to as the 'downstairs' toilet - stupid really as our house is all on one floor!!!  It is the toilet that is in the main building rather than in the shower-room. 

Initially the walls were very uneven and had at some point had some damp issues.  When we arrived it was one of the rooms where we chipped the plaster off and treated with UPVA bonding.

We had already cut all the lengths of the tongue and groove and left it outside to try and get the sun to bleach it more evenly.  I want the toilet to have a 'beachy/seaside' theme and so had envisaged it being whitewashed.  John wasn't sure until I did a couple of test pieces just lightly and then he was convinced.  So it was my job today to get on with the painting - not easy as my white paint was really crappy and kept drying out too quickly.  Anyway undeterred I managed to get it finished and the wood now looks pale and bleached.

We managed to get most of the tonque and groove attached to the walls.  We have to put up some sort of finishing strip along the top - either wood or we may put a row of tiles - not sure yet. 

I got my hot glue gun out and decorated the mirror with some of the shells that either I have collected or was given by Vix when she returned from her last exotic holiday!!  Even John had to admit I did a good job.

I then started decorating the hooks on the back of the door but having removed one with the aid of a butter knife and not a screwdriver much to John's irritation - I thought it best to ask him to remove the other one properly tomorrow!