JACKS SHED.

mayfly · Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 10:51 am Post subject:

i have all his OUT OT TOWN SERIES on DVD'S I always rushed abck from school so i wouldnt miss any off his programe.

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morlan578 · Posted: Wed Aug 05, 2009 6:23 pm Post subject:

I also have real fond memories of Jack does any one remember his side kick Oliver Kite i think his name was he was the fishing expert ,I actually used to watch the programme and then rush off and try and recreate some of the things he had in his shed

in fact there was this once when i nearly took my head off with home built "lark spinner"

THE LARK SPINNER INCIDENT

"Or the inventive mind of the prepubescent 1960,s schoolboy"
"Or the country adventures of richard and bill"

After watching my childhood hero produce the "Fowlers lark spinner" on my favourite programme of the time i was inspired to go tell bill and "have a bash" so to speak.
I donned the old dunlops leapt the wall and headed for the farm house (our work shop beckoned) Ivor(bills dad)answered the door "how are you young dick(its a welsh thing any one called richard )i spose your after borrowing the tools again you got that look in your eye and you aint got your air rifle" "yes please uncle iv if you dont mind" "off you go then bach bill,s out the barn "
Within minutes bill was found and we were in the coach house hunting for materials to create the project

mmmmmm an old worn out broom and some cats eye glasses that we had been collecting from the sides of the road on our long walks"knew they would come in useful oneday thought I"

the construction proceeded,firstly we narrowed the broom head to about an inch wide then using an old brace and bit we cut the holes to fit in the cats eye inserts(should have been mirror fragments but we were reluctant to break the mirror ,not worried about 7 years bad luck but more the wrath of olwyn bill,s mam)

next we cut the broom handle down to about two and a half foot "looks impressive" said bill "but how do we make it spin?" aah i thought this is where my dan dare engineering degree comes in.
No brasss bush no steel spindle aha we got nails
so the broom handle was cut again about three inches down from head and a hole strategically drilled as near to centre as possible using the brace and bit then a three inch nail was driven into the remaining piece of broom .The head was filed off and the head slipped over aha it now spins mmmmm candle wax for lubrication.
Now comes the ingenious part how does we articulate said piece of classic hunting machinery.
Bill says "i,ll do my bit now i,ll sharpen the bottom so it sticks in the ground your the engineer you work out how to spin the bugger"(bill loved that word it was almost like real grown up swearing)
Aha we got nails (i loved nails we always had nails felt nails clout nails ovals you name it we had em or rather uncle ivor did)aha and bale cord
so 2 nails were driven into the upper section of the broom handle and the bale cord skillfully wrapped clockwise on one nail and left just attached to the other (theory being pull on the clockwise and reel in the other "dont mess with me i thought i am little more than a genius "pull on one string then pull on the other it will create the desired effect NOT we set it up i lay on my stomach pulls the string with great enthusiasm
OH it span alright straight up off the nail hit me in the face and nearly broke my nose
ah well back to the drawing board theres another perfectly good shirt ruined by blood stains

there was one phrase that summed up parenting in the 60,s "DID THAT HURT??? GOOD YOU WONT DO IT AGAIN THEN"

Oh and by the way home tied flies dont work on dead lines especially when they end up resembling hook tailed belly button fluff it wasnt due to ollies instruction it was down to my childish ineptitude and the lack of correct materials and tools and of course not being able to afford a split cane fly rod (remember them)

"richie"

fish · Posted: Wed Aug 05, 2009 7:54 pm Post subject:

fantastic story! ive wanted to make one too! did you ever find a good drawing to work from?
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morlan578 · Posted: Thu Aug 06, 2009 12:19 pm Post subject:

No to be honest I used to just watch the programme and then try and make what i saw using any thing available

got a few more yarns like that one there,s the time we made a box tunnel trap oh and the bird trap inspired by me getting my fingers trapped in an old deckchair and the saga of the small flock of blue tits in the kitchen

catching brook trout with "clay an old coat hanger and a stolen stocking "

your friend "Richie"

fish · Posted: Thu Aug 06, 2009 1:57 pm Post subject:

theyve gotta be told!
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morlan578 · Posted: Thu Aug 06, 2009 6:04 pm Post subject:

ok i,ll post a few of my childhood yarns if you think any one will be interested

I loved jack hargreaves and my dad encouraged me in country ways i lived on the outskirts of a small village in south wales and i could jump my back garden wall and walk for miles without seeing a single hint of civilisation ,i had a BSA airsporter underlever with open sights (no scope mounts on the early ones) and for christmas when i was 10 (1967) my dad gave me a webley and scott 410 bolt action my pride and joy ,they were much different times then, i was able to travel to bridgend on the bus and buy my own cartridges in Watts and Morgan which was also one of the best toy shops in the town and no one ever gave me grief out walking with the .410 and my 6" blade sheith knife on my belt of course the bolt was always removed and in my pocket if i was in a public place

We had respect for the country side and our "tools" instilled in us from an early age by our parents .
If you would like me to put together a few more recollections if people would be interested let me know where i should post them because i feel i have somewhat hijacked a thread here

your friend "Richie"