The Sands of Time

One of last year's pre-season preparations was the sanding down and re-varnishing the interior dining table in the guest house which had suffered a surprising amount of misuse over the previous two summers. George at the hardware store recommended a water-based polyurethane varnish and I have regretted following that advice since last April as the varnish never fully hardened and has been slightly sticky ever since. A bit like a toffee apple. It's only more recently that I began to regret taking a January booking.