Brown Bread? (2)

Short answer: "No!"

Rumours of my demise have been greatly exaggerated. I just haven't been inspired to post anything for a while, but now; I'm back!

While we're on the subject, it seems (hopefully) that the prognosis given by the Egyptian electrical gadjies (Colloquialism; gadjies = men) regarding my faithful old K'Archer friend was wrong! Although K'Archer weren't much help (they quoted me about £60 for a new motor when a new vacuum was about £58) I did decide to bother an old mate of mine, one "George the Racer". George is so called because of his mis-spent youth racing motorcycles. He raced in the Isle-of-Man TT Races at some time in the dim and distant past, and has maintained an interest in those machines throughout his life. His son, Steven, was a contemporary and friend of Number One Son and now competes in trials and stuff with his father's assistance. George's working life was mainly spent as a maintenance electrician in one of the very large engineering factories which used to abound here in the industrial North East of England. (All gone now, sadly.)

Anyway, I called to see him with the vacuum motor in my hand, me looking as forlorn as the motor! George is s bit of a softie when it comes to seeing people in distress, and when I asked if I might use his facilities to further my repair efforts, he immediately put aside the job he was doing and got stuck into mine. God bless him.

The motor was in bits in no time at all, and I was despatched to find a new ball-bearing. £4 secured a new one (according to the man in the bearing shop, it's a roller skate bearing!) and I soon was back at George's house. He made me leave it with him, and subsequently 'phoned me to collect it when he'd finished. (I just hope that I can remember how to put it back together again and haven't lost any of the other bits!) Here he is, in his lair:

I'm blessed with some really great friends!

(Edit: After looking at the post on the actual Blog, it struck me that George looked uncannily like the actor William Hartnell, in his most famous roll as the first incarnation of Dr Who, frock coat and all!!! Click on the pictures to get a better look.)


I think that that will do for the minute, I need to ease myself back into this gradually. TTFN.