25 January 2021
Today I was informed that I was a 2020/21 finalist for the Pride of Gwent awards. I was very fortunate to have received this award last year although I am not entirely sure who nominated me. This year is the same I am unaware of anyone nominating me. I'm not complaining of course because it is a prestigious award for anyone who is nominated by his/her peers. Fingers crossed and I shall see what happens on the 7th of March.
21 January 2021
Today I had the pleasure of my dad helping out. This was the first time in 12 years that my dad accompanied me out on my nest box routes. This was one of my new project sites situated in a beautiful woodland full of nature. I think he enjoyed the few hours out we shared and I hope he does volunteer to come again because he was a great help. He was a really good carpenter in his working days and he has certainly maintained his skill levels and experience. My youngest son has followed in his gramps footsteps and has recently qualified as a carpenter/joiner. Hopefully I can persuade my son to help out in the future with projects always needing more volunteers.
16 January 2021
So today work began on my new location with the huge Llanarth estate. I was able to make 100 plus tit boxes from the materials that Llanarth estate donated to me in the form of planks milled from trees felled on the estate itself. This has been very time consuming cutting planks with my chop saw into the correct sizes. The shapes are then glued together with screws holding them in place. The nest boxes then receive at least three coats of wood preserver and finished off with a metal number plate and metal number tag. The roof is the most time consuming with a hinge and felt to keep it water tight. the hinge is made out of damp course that bricklayers use and the felt it what you would use on a garden shed roof.
5 January 2021
Like many others around the Uk I have found it extremely difficult to deal with this pandemic. Not being allowed out and about has really played havoc with my mental health. Being classed in the "At Risk" category with Crohns, colitis, diabetes and lupus its been extra difficult trying to shield. However, my project nest box has once again kept me focused and I have been able to construct nearly 400 small tit nest boxes and several Little and Barn Owl nest boxes.
I have made 120 nest boxes for my friend Mark Tew who is continuing with a project I started at a local community woodland about 3 years ago. Mark was successful in obtaining finances from the woodland committee who agreed to fund the project.
I have also made another 200 plus for my new project with a local landowner. It has kept me extremely busy with a few orders thrown in by members of the public for nest boxes for their garden. The finances raised by the sale of these nest boxes has certainly helped by materials for my ongoing projects.
