Out and about

secondhandtools at Lyme Regis Antique & Craft Centre

secondhandtools at Lyme Regis Antique & Collectos Centre

secondhandtools now has a retail outlet at the Lyme Regis Antique & Craft Centre on the Marine Parade, Lyme Regis, Dorset, DT7 3JH. Tel:  01297 445053.  During the summer months the Centre is open 11 am to 5 pm 7 days a week.

Gerry and I are really pleased about this move.  Lyme is such a fantastic place to visit. It has got everything, as far as we are concerned. Really nice beach with cafes, pubs, icecream parlours (and toilets) very handy.  Lots to watch going on on the water: fishing boats, gigs, canoes, etc.  We need to go over twice a week to refurbish stock and here we can combine business with pleasure.  Add the new stock and then sit out having a coffee, or a pint or beer or glass of wine!

Lyme Regis Antique & Craft centre is based on the Marine Parade overlooking the beach and you can stroll along to the Centre either from  The Cobb or come along the Marine Parade from the Town Centre (and it is a unique town centre, especially for a seaside town).   Above are the recently extended and renovated Gardens with mini golf, table tennis and lots of sitting areas  to admire the fantastic view out to sea.

If you can cope with the return uphill walk, then there is a large car park to the west of the town where, at the time of writing this, parking costs just £1.70 a day.  Very good value.

For more information try the Lyme Regis Tourist Information Centre

Mike and Friends run the Grizzly

Mike Challis with two friends ran the Grizzly today (Sunday 11 March) to raise money for the Bristol Childrens Hospital Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Appeal.   Mike is our youngest daughter’s partner and the father of our 7 year old grandson who as a baby had meningitis which, amongst other things, damaged the growth platelets in his legs.  In September at Bristol Childrens Hospital the brilliant Mr. Fergal Monsell and his team operated on our grandson’s legs which were put into Ilizarov frames – a very painful process – which will help his legs to straighten and grow.  He is a very brave little boy but lucky to have such a dedicated team to help him.

Anyhow,the photograph is  of Mike and friends at the 8 mile stage.  The Grizzly is about 20 miles – it goes along beaches, up and down cliffs, through bogs – it is quite an endurance test.  But it is Mike and friends way of raising money and saying thank you to the people at Bristol Childrens Hospital.

If anyone reading this feels moved to donate to the Childrens Hospital please put a cheque in the post to

Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Appeal
24 Upper Maudlin Street
Bristol
BS2 8DJ

and perhaps mention Mike & his two friends?  The three men did so well.
Carol Dawson
(Grandmother)

Woodworking planes on the site 21 August

At the moment we have the following planes going on the secondhand tools site on Sunday 21 August

Unused Lie-Nielsen No. 62 Low Angle Jack Plane

A little used Lie-Nielsen No. 9.1/2 Standard Angle Block Plane,

An unused Lie-Nielsen No. 97.1/2  Small Chisel Plane,

Lie-Nielsen Unused Plane Blades,

A Record 042 Shoulder Rabbet Plane,

A Record No. 073 Shoulder Rabbet Plane,

A Stanley No. 71 Router Plane,

A Stanley 7.1/2 Closed Throat Router Plane,

A Record No. 712 Skew Rabbet Plane

and a Stanley No. 10 Bench Rebate Plane.

also:

Stanley 605.1/2 Flat Sided Bedrock Jack Plane

A little used Record 2506 Side Rabbet Plane

An unused 1950/60s Marples B.B. Jack Plane in original Maker’s Box.

There will be other woodworking tools apart from planes which we are sorting out now

secondhandtools site update Sunday 21 August

We will be updating the secondhand tools site on Sunday 21 August and after that I am hoping that updates will be on a more regular basis.

I had a new knee in June after which it takes a while to be fully operational, although nothing to stop me working on the pc as long as to begin with I didn’t sit for too long.  We also have some ‘family stuff’ to prepare for as the grandson who had severe meningitis and septicaemia starts surgery to repair the damage done to his legs in September. So, we have eased back over the last few weeks.

I would really stress that everyone, and especially parents and grandparents, needs to be aware of the symptoms of Meningitis and to know what to do if they have any worries – contact your GP, contact your nearest A & E and even have the Meningitis Research Foundation helpline on your mobile (08088003344).   It is a terrible illness which develops so quickly, the best defence is early action.  Know your child (or the person – adults are just as vunerable) and if you are not happy insist on a second opinion (or contact the helpline for support).   For our grandson, the COSMIC (Children of St. Marys Intensive Care) unit of St. Marys, Paddington was probably the reason he survived.  They do a wonderful job for little ones with all kinds of illnesses.

These charities both need support in order to push research and bring to an end such terrible illnesses.

Carol Dawson

Site update now scheduled for Monday 4 July

There seem to be more problems with our server and so it was impossible to update the site last night.

We are hoping that tomorrow all problems will have vanished and we can go ahead as planned.

So these are some of the items we will be publishing:

2 Unused Japanese Waterstones

A 1950′s No. M4 Smoothing Plane

A Bullnose Plane by E. Preston, Birmingham

2 Beech Compassed Tee Rabbet Planes

2 Pre-1940′s Carving Gouges

A Really Good Joiners Tool Chest

Set of C.E.I. (Cycle) B.S. Taps and Dies By Easterbrook Ahcard & Co, Ltd., Sheffield. England. In fitted wood box. Little used (most in maker’s grease).

Coffee and Cake on Beer Beach, Devon

The Dolphin Antique Centre, Beer

As I have said before please come and visit secondhandtools at The Dolphin Antique Centre in Beer (there is a large public car park less than 100 yards from the Centre.

Once you have had  a good look around and looked through our tools, there are a lot of places in Beer to have a coffee, drink, ice cream or something to eat.  On the beach there are three cafes which offer really good food, hot and cold drinks, and some where to sit. 
The three pubs – The Anchor, The Barrel of Beer and The Dolphin – and all slightly different and good. 

If you want a walk, then go to the top of the cliffs west side and walk over to Branscombe  – don’t forget, if you go down into Branscombe then you have to climb up again!   Pecorama is great for children and the family with great train layouts to watch and operate, its own 7¼ inch gauge railway, aviary, gardens and a great childrens playground.   

Older Quality Gardening Tools at Beer

At the moment at the Centre we have a good range of older, quality gardening tools:  spades, forks, hooks, shears, turf spades, billhooks, and a great probably 10 ft long older Spear & Jackson lopper or pruner.  Really good quality.

Coffee & Eating in and around Seaton

The Terrace Arts Cafe by the roundabout on the front at Seaton

This is a great place to have a coffee, tea, a drink or lunch (plus it is open
in the evening Friday and Saturday).  The coffee and food is excellent,
the atmosphere is great and the staff are low key and friendly.  They serve
a good range of gluten free food and also cater for vegetarian and vegan.
Art, photography and jewellery exhibitions.

Queens Park Rangers – Premier League!!

Gerry (and the family)  are avid
Queens Park Rangers supporters. 
So Congratulations to QPR for their promotion to the Premier League.
Great stuff. 
Come on your R’s!!!!!!!!

Gerry has been a supporter since a very young age, makes the trip up
to Loftus Road as much as possible and finds the David McIntyre Blog
makes good reading.