GirchyGirchy
Well-known member
Do you have links for your MB & Cayman threads? Couldn't find them.
Nice place, and cute cats!
Nice place, and cute cats!
Really well actually for cheapo's. They bounce back to shape, even after heavy objects 'dent' them for a considerable amount of time.looks great - be interested to hear how those floor tiles perform
South Coast mate, where the days are long and sunny...!i really really like this. you've done a great job. What part of the UK are you in if you don't mind me asking.



Do you have links for your MB & Cayman threads? Couldn't find them.
Nice place, and cute cats!









That was a roller coasterI get lost in everyone elses' thread that I forget to update my own. I need to download the house related improvement pics but for now will share a few bits that have changed for me to keep the diary of life running.
Firstly, I went to Krakow, Poland. It is somewhere I have wanted to travel to for a long time, given that I love history relating to WW2. However, our paid for trip coincided with the initial Ukraine/Russia kickoff and we were at the time not sure if we should go as flights were being cancelled left right and chelsea. We decided to risk it and I'm glad we did, I had no idea what Poland would be like, but what I saw was beautiful.
In my head I thought it would be kind of Eastern Bloc- grey buildings, overcast rainy skies. Stupid really as I had no basis for this and when we got there it was cold but clear and the old city centre was abolutely stunning, with beautiful paved roads bisecting ancient stone walled buildings. Most of them restored and reeking of character, which given I live in England where you throw a stone and hit a 300 year old building, is saying something.
On the outskirts of Krakow the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp. This was on the bucket list of things I wanted to see, given the terrible deeds that the Nazi SS carried out there. Historians estimate that around 1.1 million people perished in Auschwitz during the less than 5 years of its existence. The majority, around 1 million people, were Jews. The second most numerous group, from 70 to 75 thousand, was the Poles whom had for whatever reason been chosen to die.
The sign that remains at the entrance...
Arbeit macht frei - Work sets you free.
I read a book prior to the trip that refered to a belief that birds do not fly over Auschwitz. I thought this ridiculous and made a point of trying to see any! Weirdly I did not see one, not one the whole day over the Camp. Who knows.
What you are seeing here is not the main part of the camp, this was the initial section created with brick buildings, Nazi accomodation, prison cells, small gas chambers, experimentation/'hospital' buildings etc.
It expanded to a huge scale during the years it was open, Seeing the restored bunk houses, the destroyed gas chambers at Aushwitz- Birkenau- it's simply huge and hard to comprehend.
People arrived at the camp in massive numbers, thousands a day arrived in converted cattle carts- they were seperated and those unsuitable for hard labour were sent straight to 'the shower block' where they thought they'd be getting a shower and some food - instead they perished in the gas chambers.
I don't think I took pictures here out of respect, but I will say that even now as you walk around the camp, ( a small section compared to what it was back then, most wood got taken by returning Poles after the war to rebuild their homes). - it has a feel about it, truly miserable.
Another interesting fact I was told by the guide, was that Poles whom lived within the radius of the Concentration camp as it was built were turfed out of their homes, told to leave or die as their homes would then become residence for the SS workers and to create a kind of safe zone around the site. Following the war, those that were allowed remain or had lived reasonably close were rounded up as collaborators by the Russians and fell into a system similar to the one they had lived by.
Anyway... on a lighter note. I also saw this place... very Amsterdam...!
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You're right, I probably shouldn't write a book haha - very disjointed!That was a roller coaster
Lol, all goodYou're right, I probably shouldn't write a book haha - very disjointed!






That's awesome! It's one of those cars that I have no business buying in 2023, but I actually really want!One of my mates at uni had a black 205XS. I had a 1.2 Nova which also weighed about as much as a wet paper towel. The two were pretty evenly matched, though when we swapped cars for a journey up the A6 i left him for dead in the XS, showing he wasn't driving it to its full potential. The thing used to corner on 3 wheels when pushed hard, lifting the inside rear wheel.
Theres an XS shell sat in a farmers field down here in Pembrokeshire, though its a little on the rotten side now
I think the diesel and 1.3 petrol might share the same mounts. 1300 with twin 40 webers would be nice. The 1300 engine from the 206 fits too.That's awesome! It's one of those cars that I have no business buying in 2023, but I actually really want!
There's a cheap white 3 door diesel 205 for sale presently for 1.5k with Rallye kit and steelies, not sure if mounts are the same though if it would be an easy transplant job for a Gti or 1360cc engine.
My skillset leads me to avoid Rust like the plague. I need to learn to weld.![]()
Now that is something that interests me, how was the course? Was it a few nights a week? Might ask the missus to get me it for my birthday!I think the diesel and 1.3 petrol might share the same mounts. 1300 with twin 40 webers would be nice. The 1300 engine from the 206 fits too.
I quite fancy another Nova (especially a yellow SR) but they're going for silly silly money now too. Theres a GSi just sat in a farmyard nearby too but they won't sell it.
I did a 12 week welding night course at a local college years ago after being quoted some obscene amount to weld up my vw camper.
Bought a cheap £50 secondhand welder and had a go.
It was a 2 hours, one night a week for 12 weeks (so 24 hours total). It was really only a basic introduction course but it covered MIG, TIG, arc and gas welding along with plasma cutting and oxy acetylene. I think it cost under £100, though it was a good few years ago. It was done at Newton Rigg agricultural college near Penrith when i lived in the lakes but it looks like most colleges do some sort of course now.Now that is something that interests me, how was the course? Was it a few nights a week? Might ask the missus to get me it for my birthday!
That's brilliant, thanks for the info. I'll look at doing one like that myself.It was a 2 hours, one night a week for 12 weeks (so 24 hours total). It was really only a basic introduction course but it covered MIG, TIG, arc and gas welding along with plasma cutting and oxy acetylene. I think it cost under £100, though it was a good few years ago. It was done at Newton Rigg agricultural college near Penrith when i lived in the lakes but it looks like most colleges do some sort of course now.
It must have saved me well over £5k being able to weld instead of paying for it to be done.






deal!

















Thank you mate, I wouldn't have needed it if I'd chosen the bigger garage in the first place, nevermind eh.Shed is looking good so does the garage.
Can't beat a pug 205. Bit of a rallye look to it.
Theres a blue GTD van on GTi alloys sat in the village.
Thank you mate, it's crazy how small it is. On my list of car's I'd like is also a Kei Suzuki Carry 4x4!Man, that's a cool little car. The shed looks pretty nice as well.
I wish I could buy something new that was about the size and fun to drive.
Thank you BillNice shed, and very nicely decked out and organized. And thanks for posting.
5.5m D x 4.5m wide - I wish it was more tbh.I may have missed it but what are the dimensions of your garage?
I don't think i've seen another van in about 25 years. Used to see a few being used by tradesmen when i was at uni in Preston.Thank you mate, I wouldn't have needed it if I'd chosen the bigger garage in the first place, nevermind eh.
Yeah sort of an homage to it, I believe it started life as a 1.1 poverty spec 205.
Nice, can't be many 205 van's left I doubt.
Thank you mate, appreciate it. I'd love more land, but no plans on moving presently as house prices are all over the shop.Remember reading this during one of the lockdowns. Come out really nice. Good work.
Thank you mate, appreciate it. I'd love more land, but no plans on moving presently as house prices are all over the shop.
Ha, the Honda Acty Van, in pale blue, was every where during the 80’s. We used to have two a day visit us at the workshop, one full of sandwiches and the other full of videos to rent.