Monthly Roundup, September 2022

80 miles, 2 pubs, 0 Rail Runs, 0 commutes, 1 fish and chips, 1 kebab. 1 Queen’s funeral, 2 cancer surgeries.

In 2016, we swore fealty to Queen Elizabeth II and, while not monarchists, we comported ourselves in line with that oath. We are now free, so Rest in Peace, Betty. Looking forward to the first postbox with a CIIIR cipher. Also, if the Death Pool were still running I’d get 4 points on this one.

A load of bricks arrived for a couple of ongoing projects. Really happy with them as they come from a company that specialises in heritage sizes and styles and these are an especially good match for the wall we are extending. Out of 420, only one was broken even though I was warned to plan for 10% breakage. After shifting these and some sand for the mortar, I did other masonry related things for a few hours before tidying up and pouring a lovely grappa.

The mileage was low with good reason. During the Liverpool to Skipton run, along about 80 miles into it, both Achilles tendons and my left tibial anterior ligament started flaring up and were absolutely shredded — but not quite sprained — by the time I gave up the endeavour. My legs felt up to some runs after two weeks rest then a long awaited surgical appointment came through and I’ve been healing from the BCC excisions ever since. I’ve still got a fairly easy path to 2000 miles on the year, but not as easy as it looked at the start of the month.

Jim is getting huge. Would consider advice from a cat food specialist but don’t want to have to raw dog them to get it. We schedule his balls-ectomy next month so maybe he’ll calm down a bit and we can get more photos like this one.

The Horse and Jockey, West Bromwich

Pub #2515:

I had some more skin cancers cut off at Sandwell Hospital and felt like the shock and effects of blood letting were still a half hour or so ahead of me when the local anaesthetic wears off. Perennially anaemic, I felt that a meal of flesh would really suit me and was hoping for a pub burger or maybe steak and eggs as I approached the Horse and Jockey.

Instead, the menu was rich with options but once I saw liver and onions I didn’t need to look further. A bit chewier than I would have wanted but the iron-rich offal worked it’s magic.

Pub is quiet at noon on a Friday. There are at least two real ales on the pumps (I went with the Wainwright). Lunch/first aid for a tenner. Perfect.

Pit Stop, Birmingham

About 50 feet from the 5 Points tram platform, Pit Stop couldn’t be more convenient for a kebab (especially in foul weather) or, in this case, a wrap. The meat is wafer thin and delicious — not fatty but neither is it dry. The chilli sauce is a bit sweet but has a kick to it and the salad seems fresh. Worth a fiver.

Soho Tavern, Birmingham

Pub #2514:

Heading home Friday decided to try out a short listed boozer called the Railway. Did the long hike from Soho/Benson Road tram stop and was pleased to see the fine leaded glass in the windows downstairs. Was less pleased to find a sign next to a combination lock excluding non-members. Turns out it is not a pub but a priv.

Walked back up to the Soho Tavern and, if it wasn’t so close to dinner time at home, I would have settled in for a massive plate or two of all the wonders that everyone else was tucking into. Instead, I merely enjoyed a lager and the friendly staff. What it lacks in pub architecture it more than makes up for in pub atmosphere. Fuck the Railway.

De-rendering a brick wall

A previous owner — probably the idiot we bought this house from — had render applied to the brick walls around the kitchen and what was then the bath. I had to remove a little to change the size of one of the windows and since it came off relatively easily I went ahead and chipped it all away.

These houses were meant to ‘breathe’ to protect from damp but people with no other recourse (for lack of a damp course) sometimes apply the layer of mortar to act as waterproofing. Here’s what I think happened.

The walls are two bricks deep with a small air gap to allow transpiration. So, outside moisture would rarely have any impact on damp internal walls. But, the quarry tiles that we uncovered in the kitchen were sealed with porcelain tiles so that they could no longer allow ground moisture to pass except at the walls where the tiles stopped. This made the internal walls damp and mouldy. This was also the case, as we found it, under the plastic sheeting beneath the laminates in the dining room (now covered with limecrete-adhered limestone tiles, compatible with making the entire house damp proof).

Rather than get someone reputable to investigate (or, more likely, rather than correcting the source of the problem as we did a couple weeks after taking ownership), she found someone willing to stick this crap on the walls to keep external moisture — remember, this wasn’t even a problem — out of the internal walls. Our damp problem ceased as soon as we removed the porcelain tiles and we have now uncovered a few other nice features like the 90 degree turn rounded brickwork at the corner.

There is some pointing and repairs to do, to be sure. We are also re-routing the gutters to the back drains and reduce the number of pipes emerging by turning the boiler overflow toward the ground and combining the sink and dishwasher overflow. There are breathable masonry paints available to finish the wall (but we are installing a shorter kitchen window to allow a backsplash, so painting will wait until the new brickwork is done).

Swinging a hammer all day has me tired.

Tak’s Fish and Chips, Northfield, Brum

How to avoid a last-day-of-the-month dash to fulfil the fish and chips quota? Do it the first day of the month.

Tak’s has some quality fare and at lunch it is dirt cheap. Take a seat at the bus stop and enjoy the Northfield parade of freaks while you’re at it. Forty-five minutes from lab to train to meal to bus to lab (would normally run but the Achilles tendons are still shredded and it may be weeks for the tibial anterior ligament). Perfection.

The Windsor, Birmingham

Pub #2513 and my monthly fish and chips for August:

Still crippled from the weekend I opted to take public transport out for the monthly F&C and didn’t want to travel far so I could get back to labs. I’ve passed the Windsor at least a hundred times just beyond New Street Station, so it got the nod.

It is an old peoples’ pub and it has a lunch sized platter which really hit the spot. And, as fast as it arrived it was gone…as was I.