I’ve had two goes at a post and both of them became tedious rants. So I’m now going to have a go at laying 250 words end to end and see what happens. It’s a bit like bricklaying, though not as you may know it. Traditionally, bricklaying involves straight lines, tidy joints and a feeling that you are looking at something that will last for generations.
Bricklaying as I usually do it, is slightly different. My course undulate like a sea with a gentle swell, my joints are quite clearly the work of an ungifted amateur and you are left with the feeling that it will last, if you are lucky, until you get off the site. It’s a skill I never quite mastered.
And that’s what you are going to see on this page. Two hundred and fifty words which undulate and zig-zag and give the impression they are about o fall down at any time.
Did you know there was such a thing as Brick Tax at one time in the UK? It should be more widely known as it’s such a bizarre thing. It lead, for instance, to laws defining the size of a brick, as people started using bigger bricks to avoid paying so much tax. It’s a fascinating subject once you get into it. I will now be looking out for houses with bigger bricks so I can bore Julia with tales of brick tax. That’s also why they have thatched mud walls in Whittlesey, a small town about 10 miles from here. I have pictured it in the blog before.
And there you go – two false starts on political subjects are swept aside by a post featuring anecdotes about my awful bricklaying and trivia about bricks. Sometimes I wonder why I bother . . .




I agree, your joints need lots of care and attention, as much as you can give them.
The brick tax is interesting! I learned a new thing here today.
Me too. I knew about the mud walls but not about the brick tax or the large bricks.
Your joints need all the care and attention you can give them
Definitely. I am fairly sure curry and rest are good for joints but am not having much luck finding an article on the subject. 🙂
I am a bit sorry to have missed out on your rants which are always entertaining but the brick information was good too.
The rants can be dull over time. Bricks, on the other hand, start dull, so you know exactly what you are getting.
Brick tax = big bricks. Learned something new today! Have fun looking for big bricks.
🙂 Fun is where you find it, as I often say.
You bet! And if it’s hard to find, it might be because of attitude.
This is true. 🙂
Julia would never be bored by a good brick story…if that doesn’t add spice you your life I don’t know what will
That’s true actually, we did have some fun times looking for bricks from local works while we lived in Nottingham – many local coal mines also made bricks. 🙂
See? Like a scavenger hunt
It’s probably evidence that everyone has a soulmate somewhere . . .
Good morning from NJ, USA! I cannot speak to “why” you do what you do, but I can say I enjoy what you do. It’s a blessing to start the day with a giggle. XOXOXO
If I knew what I was doing I’d probably try to “improve” it. 🙂