Santa baby, slip some bristles under the tree, for me
\nI’ve been an awful good boy
\nSanta baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
Bristles? Yes, the sort that you find in an old-fashioned floor scrubbing brush. I’ll explain.<\/p>\n
Being a tight-fisted git<\/span> an economically thrifty individual, I like to give useful presents for Christmas. I think it also means a lot more if a gift has been hand-made rather than purchased, and as I’m a fairly practical sort of chap I can generally make just about anything without too much swearing.<\/p>\n Granted, some things I’ve made are rather over-engineered, but longevity in construction is a good thing, no? If something I’ve made lasts for 300 years I’ll be well pleased.<\/p>\n So, having given the matter some careful thought, I decided that as we would be moving to a very rural location<\/a> in the not-too-distant future, an item which would make an ideal present for the Mrs would be a “welly washer”. You know, the type of thing that sits outside the kitchen door, and you simply wipe your mud-encrusted wellington-booted feet on it to remove all the mud. (Another advantage of this type of gift is that I’d be able to use it myself as well).<\/p>\n Yes, I could have bought one off Ebay. But, as I mentioned earlier, if I can save some money by making it myself – well why not? I have the plans drawn up in my head – all I need are four wooden scrubbing brushes. The old type with proper bristles, normally used for scrubbing floors.<\/p>\n Well, people obviously don’t scrub floors any more. For the past month, during our weekend grocery shopping trips I’ve been surreptitiously investigating the cleaning products aisles at various supermarkets – Sainsbury’s, Asda, and even the Co-Op. And guess what – not a scrubbing brush in sight anywhere. I’ve even checked out the little corner shop\/post office without success. So today I took a walk to Morrisons. Forty minutes each way. The closest thing they had was a “vegetable brush” made of plastic, with short plastic bristles. And even those were far too small. Sigh.<\/p>\n Still, at least it wasn’t an entirely wasted trip. I bought a bag of sugar which was on special (I am currently in the process of making some sloe wine) and on the way back I managed to pick up lots of discarded cans<\/a>.<\/p>\n I also found a discarded empty champagne bottle which will be pressed into service for next year’s cider brew. (Hah! Pressed<\/i> into service – geddit?)<\/p>\n