While that was taking place, I got out my curved adze and chisels and went to work on the wooden trough that I had promised myself to have a look at the previous month and see if I can get it into some kind of useable condition. Being ancient (the trough, not me!) the wood was damned hard (Ash, I think) and a pig to work with.

Eventually I had to turn to the power plane and belt sander, as hand tools just weren’t making an impression. It seriously needed some TLC as it had originally been carved by a chainsaw many years ago at a re-enactment show at Guildford, which made it about four years old.

The outside was easier to deal with, and was swiftly dealt with, using the aforementioned power tools. The inside was a complete pain, with the grain running this way and that. My chisels, whilst being sharp, were not spoon shaped, so I couldn’t get at the ends from the right angle. An “arbortech” would have made mincemeat of it, so as it is probably going to be on my Xmas list anyway it should get finished next year?

After all this faffing about, and the frame had been secured in place, Ian and I started the long task of rebating the fifteen or so boards to fit on the framework that had been put into place, on the gable ends. We had intended to rebate the ends, as well as the top and bottom edges, but that turned out to be impractical and an unnecessary complication. So we came agreed to start and end each plank where the uprights were. This was a less efficient use of the timber but it would be both neater and stronger.

The rebating itself was also something of a trial, as the table saw, which was our tool of preference, wasn’t up to the job (being the cheapest one that could cope with trimming the thousands of shingles that were going on the roof). So we were stuck with using Kevin and mine’s circular saws, ripping down the edges of the board.

Complicating matters, was the absence of any guide on mine. So I had to cut the edge by hand. Not a fun job by any stretch of the imagination! I was certain not to forget the following month.

Yet another complication was having to lean at an abominable angle from the scaffold tower (secured by climbing ropes, I hasten to add) hammering the boards, upside down and with my left hand. I kept telling myself that the next board would be easier!

And so, while pleasant, it wasn’t the most productive weekend for me.

November would be far busier.