The Holdsworth, the guerrilla and the loo

A few things are coming to glorious fruition. The Holdsworth project is looking good. The bike came back from Phil Corley Cycles with trued wheels, a set of fully operational mechs and some nicely re-routed cables - using the retro Campagnolo cable guide I provided. On getting it home I replaced the original toe clips with some more comfortable Christophe ones. The clips themselves are new/old stock but are historically compatable with the bike and the straps (which are now properly routed) work better with the retro bike shoes than the shabby originals. I've also ordered some wingnuts for the back wheel. They are nowhere near as pretty as the huret ones on the front but they'll do - if they fit.

With the exception of the paintwork (which I am still uncertain about) the bike now looks great and runs a treat. I've now started to do some short 'efforts' on the bike on the way back from work and I hope to give it real run out into the country soon. I made my payment to L'Eroica at the bank this weekend and I’m starting to think that Dave and I may just make it round L’Eroica in the autumn.

The 'guerrilla' garden I have been creating between my house and Bletchley Sainsbury looks a treat at the moment. Both the crocosmia and the hollyhocks are in full bloom and various other low-growing flowering shrubs are expanding to fill the space previously filled with trash. What is more, Mum was down last weekend so even my own garden is looking good with the addition of aherb collection and a fig tree and the removal of lots of weeds.

The bog painting is also nearing completion. Mum’s critical analysis was that it “looks like it is full of concrete” so I spend an hour or so contouring the shading and adding some highlights. I’m hoping to finish this off next week and hang it in my newly heated bathroom.