Artist's Easel. Home-made.

You can buy an artist's easel. There are many different types. There are cheap ones, There are middle of the range ones, and there are expensive ones. I have never had a really good easel so I decided it was time to treat myself to a decent one. I started looking. Crikey, the ones I liked were really pricey. "No way," I thought to myself, "I ain't paying that!" I had unhappily resigned myself to buying something cheaper, less suitable when it suddenly occurred to me that I should have a go at making  one myself.
What I came up with was the easel of my dreams. Had I bought something similar it would have cost around £1000. This easel I have made cost me less than £10. It is made from part of the carcass of an old sofa, bits and pieces of old timber that was lying about the place, a 5kg barbell, two small pulleys, six eye hooks, a length of steel wire and some screws.
I am very pleased indeed with it. Here is a video of me showing how it works and a photo of it finished with a coat of paint.Please excuse my appearance. I forgot to dress up for the event.

I hope you are well. Thanks for calling by.

Julian the Janitor.

I met Julian the Janitor down the Co-op yesterday. D’you know him? Tall, thin bloke? Shaves his head? Always wears dark glasses rain or shine? He got a bit famous in the seventies when his photo was featured on Crimewatch on the telly? Really, that should be infamous, but he prefers to think of it as famous and I wouldn’t want to spoil it for him. His modus operandi was to burgle blocks of flats and if anyone got suspicious and challenged him he used to say, “I’m Julian, the Janitor”. D’you remember him now? No? Oh, well, maybe you’re too young? Anyway, that’s all by the by. He’s been going straight for years. Mainly because he’s an old bloke now. To be honest I can’t even remember his real name. Not that it matters. To me and everyone else who knows him he will always be Julian the Janitor.
We got chatting like you do and the subject got onto television sit-coms. Turns out we both like Only Fools and Horses. “Did you see the one where they dropped the chandelier?” He asked me, starting to laugh just at the thought of it
“Yes,” I said, “that was brilliant.”
“And the one where he was trying to impress some women and leant against the open bar counter?”
“That’s my favourite episode,” I said.
Julian the Janitor picked up a meat pie and raising his dark glasses he scrutinised the label, “You tried these?” he asked. Not waiting for an answer, he went on, “remember when Del went for a medical and the doctor asked him if he had ever had trouble passing water and Del said ‘well, I did have a funny turn once coming over Putney Bridge.’ I tell you I literally laughed my head off at that one.” Deciding against the pie he put it back on the shelf as he began to laugh at the memory.
“They stitched it back on alright then,” I said.
“What?”
“Your head.”
“What about my head?” He had stopped laughing.
“Well, you said you literally laughed your head off, so I said, they stitched it back on alright then. I was making a joke.” Noting the look on his face I suddenly remembered that Julian the Janitor once had a reputation as a hard man. “Those pies,” I said, “are bloody good mate. You should try one.” I decided to steer the conversation onto safer ground. “What do you think about all this immigration business?”
Julian the Janitor sighed deeply, “Don’t get me started,” he said. But it was too late I already had.

Boy, Am I In Hot Water?

Now that I am getting on in years the simple life is getting harder so I have been working at giving my life a bit of comfort. To that end I have installed a proper bathroom. With HOT water. Central heating too! What absolute bliss to have a bath and a shower and a proper wash basin. Twenty odd years I have been living in my showman's wagon. Most of those years without even a cold water tap. It is probably difficult for all you house dwellers to understand my excitement. Here are some pics. Come and have a bath with me!