We are very lucky to have good friends… the sort of people who, when they offer to help, actually mean it. In recent weeks, Mr Snail has slowly been removing the partition wall upstairs in the shop and dismantling the old changing room downstairs. The latter seemed to have been over-engineered and was taking some serious work to get it apart. So, I put the call out and, on Saturday afternoon, four friends turned up to help… and one of them even brought her parents along too!
I had plans for keeping households separate on different jobs (covid, you know), but somehow that didn’t work out and everybody pitched in. In just one afternoon the dismantling was complete, a cupboard had been removed, a bookshelf had been sanded and partly painted (until the paint ran out) and paint had been stripped off the interesting sticky-out bits of concrete on the front of the shop (we have not the first clue what they might be called, but perhaps one of you knows). In addition, tea and coffee had been drunk and cake consumed.
Now we have a big heap of reclaimed timber with which to build a counter and it’s all construction from here on. The shelves we have been offered are ready to be collected (once the owner gets over his bout of covid), so a trip to Manchester is on the cards. It’s all very exciting, because it really feels like we are progressing towards actually being able to open the shop… I really do need to order the stock now for the mendery part of the shop.
The Snail of Happiness 
Laurie Graves
/ February 1, 2022Very exciting! And as the old saying goes, many hands make the task light.
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anne54
/ February 1, 2022“The mender part of the shop” ~ what a delightful phrase! Friends who answer the call like the are just the best.
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anne54
/ February 1, 2022Sorry I didn’t realise that the auto correct changed ‘mendery’. It’s a shame, because that is my favourite word in the phrase.
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katechiconi
/ February 1, 2022The word that immediately came into my head for the sticky-out bit was ‘corbel’, which the dictionary says is ‘a projection jutting out from a wall to support a structure above it.’ I suspect there may have originally been something above that window that needed something so massive to support it. An awning, balcony, sign, or something similar? It sounds like what could have been a hard slog was mitigated into a time of enjoyable company, industry, cake and tea!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ February 2, 2022I did think of corbel, but had dismissed it since they don’t currently support anything, but you are right, they may have done once… although the pointy tops are an odd feature in that was the case. Ah well, they are all clean now and ready to be painted a nice colour once we have decided on the shop sign (that’s another ongoing debate).
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Over Soil
/ February 2, 2022I know that place, oh my word I seem to always park opposite it somewhere there, whenever I’m in need of a Lamp. In fact I parked there as an Eater of my sarnies, the last time I went belly dancing. You know what, it really is a small world!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ February 2, 2022Well, I look forward to seeing you in the shop once we’re open!
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Going Batty in Wales
/ February 2, 2022Now I am really grumpy I couldn’t join you all! Well done that crew.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ February 2, 2022Rachel did show us a lovely picture of you cuddling a goat!
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DawnGillDesigns
/ February 2, 2022fab
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nanacathy2
/ February 2, 2022Coming along nicely. When do you hope to open?
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The Snail of Happiness
/ February 2, 2022Fingers crossed for mid-March
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