I got a call from the brother-who-can-do-everything this morning. He was on his way through Oxford with space in his van; could he pick up the five pallets I promised him? For sure.

He's so used to everyone asking him to do everything that responding to a request for help is much like accepting a mug of coffee. I asked him to check my markings for the screw-holes for the chest lid and he went for his toolbox. 'No, I'll do it,' I said (anyway it still needs waxing) so he came up with a genius suggestion for checking. A paper template. Why didn't I think of that? I will next time.

Then I asked whether he had room in the van to transport my large metal window frame three-quarters of a mile to the Metal Salvage Yard. Of course. We arrived and it was rejected because there was still glass in it. We brought it back to mine and set to with a hammer each. He then split it in half, I swept up the glass and we drove it back. I was just thinking that I might have been able to manage each half separately on my bike when the scales came up with 25kg. No wonder I was finding it unwieldy on my own - even 12.5kg would have been a bit much on the bike. 

The small space in front of my house looks huge without its five pallets and large Crittall window. I expect the neighbours are pleased not to be living next to a junkyard too.

Thanks bro.