"Stig of the Dump"

Those who are over forty may remember a childrens book called "Stig of the Dump". It featured a lone surviving Neanderthal called Stig, who lived in what we now call the local re-cycling centre.

(This was long before The Buffoon Clarkson misappropriated the name for the man who drives cars very fast for him)

So, to finally clear up the identity of the real Stig (of the dump).

I am he.

Yes, more Useful Stuff has been snatched from the jaws of the garbage compactor to be restored and used aboard Pippin: to whit, one large box.

Now, regular readers of my musings will know that such a purchase carries a real risk of attracting "that look" from Jackie....the one that can peel varnish at twenty feet. Not so this time!! For once, her acquisition curve was even steeper than mine.

Jackie decided the time had come to replace the old Tesco crate full of spare concrete ballast blocks that we had been using as a box to stand on when steering Pippin through busy stretches of the Cam. (Doing so improves the view forrard no end: important when rowers are out!)

Jackie bought a nice looking box from and antique shop near Aldeburgh last week while visitng our chum Melaney. She bargained the chap down to £25, which I thought was very reasonable.

Small problem though: it's got a complete and rather spiffy Russian made Tal-M telescope in it.

Hmmm.

Having got help from a couple of the mooring's Physics Specialists, Jackie lined it up on the moon. It worked really well! She's now decided to keep the telescope for a bit, and then perhaps pop it on ebay.

Anyway, the purpose-made telescope box is clearly a bit too good to leave lying around on the cruiser deck, so it was my turn to find one.

A trip to the tip to drop of our re-cycling was followed by the usual nose around the items that the lads are selling for beer money. I saw just the thing:





It was very dusty and dirty and had some well made but very odd and not original leather hinges. The asking price was £3.00 which I duly divied up pronto. Not a bad buy considering it is solid teak...

I cleaned off all the grime with white vinegar and popped into Mackays to buy a grille vent to cover the holes and some nice brass hinges.

All it needs now is a good few coats of varnish, and we will have a steering step worthy of the name!!

Neanderthal Survivor, 1 - Homo Sapiens, 0.