Telephone Stand Repurposed

A while ago I bought a telephone stand from eBay. It was from a trader who I've  used several times before and who seem to specialise in house clearances of varying quality. It was the legs that attracted me to the piece originally and I managed to pick it up for twenty pounds (including delivery) 

It quickly became apparent that it was actually homemade but despite this I loved the mid century style of it.  I'd originally thought I'd sand it back and paint part of it, leaving some of the natural wood showing through. However it quickly became apparent that the wood wasn't of sufficient quality and that no amount of sanding would get rid of the reddish colour of the pine. So, time for a rethink. 

I removed the legs and the pad, discarding the latter. The legs got sanded back and waxed. 

After removing the upper tier I painted both parts in white furniture paint. It took three layers until the reddish stain stopped showing through. I then left it a few days for the paint to fully cure. 

The pattern was created with masking tape, well stuck down to prevent seepage. I used a chalky blue paint and originally had the grey section green before I changed my mind. It needed two coats and I let both coats thoroughly dry before peeling back the tape. 

The intention is to use it as a plant stand in what will be the front room of my new place. It will be a burst of colour in what hopefully will be a relatively calm room. 

A Path Less Travelled

On Wednesday I was up early and determined to make the most of the relatively fine weather. After a three hour drive I arrived at the National Trust carpark below Scafell Pike determined to get myself up. I was unsure how my  knees would cope but  fairly confident that I was fit enough to manage the hike despite the short daylight hours.  My route up was not unusual but I definitely came down by a way less travelled.
 

Looking back down Lingmell Gill

My walk started at the top of Wastwater and headed up the well defined path through Lingmell Gill. At the first of the cairns I headed right under Lord's Rake and had a hard and steep scramble up to Mickledore. By this point the clouds had descended and visibility was just a few metres. At the top of Mickledore I have to admit I missed the path and spent some time working my way over a boulder field, keeping myself on track through the simple process of heading up hill. Eventually the summit appeared through the gloom and I took a moment to take a quick snap. 

My original intention was to return down the corridor route but the path was nigh on impossible to spot. Taking a bearing from my approach I set off in roughly the right direction hoping to come across the path. Unfortunately I went a bit astray and had an interesting descent down a vague scree covered route which had me on my arse a couple of times. I ended up at the top of Piers Gill and was treated to the sight of the waterfall that drops down into the gully. I opted to follow the path along the top of the gully and at times found myself down climbing the steeper parts. The effort was worth it though as the  clouds parted and revealed the evening light on Styhead Tarn across the valley. I couldn't help but think the route through the gully would have made for an amazing gorge walk in better weather. 

By this point I was getting concerned about the light and I quick marched down to Lingmell Beck and followed the valley floor down through Wasdale head.  I was treated to some spectacular views across the valley and I couldn't help but be a bit envious of the group heading in the opposite direction with overnight gear. Definitely an adventure for another time. 

In all I was out about 5/6 hours and can't imagine I covered more that 8 or 9 km. The good news is that my knees seemed to have survived  and I wasn't too  stiff the following day. I definitely had to take things slow but it was a lovely day only over shadowed by the visibility on the top.