13th May

This week's Lockdown Art Challenge is "I do like to be beside the Seaside" and I was keen to try something a bit different because watercolour really isn't my thing so I was giving pencil a go and so this morning I spent quite a bit of time giving it a go.  I am not sure - I think I improved as I went along and I am rather pleased with the final one of the small chubby boy.

There are all sorts of fabulous pieces of work being submitted and I have to thank my old school friend Suz for chosing the subject matter - it has clearly given people a lot to thing about.

Whilst I was playing around John was busy putting in a new plinth under the old metal doors.  It was really much too hot to be doing this sort of work but he was determined and he had put up some shade.  First of all he to dig a big old trench and having done so discourage the cats from using it as a toilet!!

He then shuttered it up and mixed the concrete and left it to set - he had to cover it over with some old tongue in groove so that we do not wake tomorrow and see it has a pattern of catty paw prints all .over it!!  Tomorrow it will be my job to paint it.

Mum was able to go out today and get her eyes checked so that she is able to renew her driving licence which had run out during lockdown.  She has to have her doctor sign the form so she is going there tomorrow and then she has made an appointment at the Citizens Advice to complete the process tomorrow.

On the hottest day of the year we had sausage casserole for supper but it didn't matter we still enjoyed it!  We had had yet another productive day - but as we make progress we see other things that need doing or we want to do - it is a bit like painting the Forth Bridge.

The Ration book says
Not everyone was keen to be 'called up' to serve his king and country.  Indeed, many did everything they could to avoid it.  You had to be fit enough to serve in the forces, and one escape route was to persuade your doctor or your employer to issue you with a false certificate which said you had a disability of some sort.  Another scam was to pay someone else to turn up for the medical in your place - that someone, of course, being quite obviously in the very worst of health.