Gordon Ellery – Page 12 – bishopswaltham.net

Guide on how to organise a street party.

How to Organise a Street Party, Road Closure Included

February 27, 2026Gordon Ellery

I remember the 1992 Jubilee celebration down on Mill Lane—the one where the marquee collapsed because someone thought a bit of twine and a prayer was enough to hold up heavy canvas. We spent more time arguing about the exact placement of the folding tables than we did actually talking to one another. Most people […]

Starting a community garden on empty ground.

Starting a Community Garden From an Empty Patch of Ground

February 24, 2026Gordon Ellery

I spent forty minutes yesterday clearing a collapsed section of dry stone wall near the old mill—built, if memory serves, around 1840—and it struck me how much people overcomplicate things. You’ll see those glossy brochures online claiming that starting a community garden requires expensive raised beds, automated irrigation systems, and a committee of twelve people […]

How Often a Chimney Needs Sweeping and Why It Matters

February 23, 2026Gordon Ellery

I remember standing on a ladder outside Miller’s cottage—a lovely little flint-walled thing built around 1840—feeling the damp chill of a November morning settle into my bones. I had spent three hours trying to brush out a stubborn clog, only to realise I’d been using the wrong tool for the job and making a right […]

How to Spot Subsidence Before You Fall in Love With a House

February 22, 2026Gordon Ellery

I remember standing in a draughty hallway in a mid-Victorian terrace near Salisbury back in ’94, watching a homeowner point at a tiny hairline fracture with a look of pure terror. They’d spent a small fortune on a “specialist structural assessment” that essentially told them what I could see from the kerb: the clay soil […]

How to Make Shortcrust Pastry That Does Not Shrink

February 19, 2026Gordon Ellery

I remember standing in my kitchen back in ’84, trying to follow one of those fancy, overblown recipe books that insisted you needed a chilled marble slab and a specific type of imported flour just to get a decent crust. It was a load of nonsense, if you ask me. I spent forty minutes wrestling […]

How to Stay Warm in Winter Without Heating the Whole House

February 17, 2026Gordon Ellery

I was standing in the hallway of a lovely Victorian terrace in Salisbury last Tuesday—a fine bit of masonry from about 1885—and I could feel the chill seeping through the floorboards despite the radiator being cranked up to full blast. It’s the same old story: people spend a fortune on smart thermostats and fancy gadgets, […]

How to build a walking routine outdoors.

How to Build a Walking Routine That Survives Bad Weather

February 16, 2026Gordon Ellery

I saw a glossy advert in the post yesterday for a “smart” walking shoe that costs more than a decent set of garden shears, claiming it would revolutionise your fitness. It’s absolute nonsense. You don’t need a computer in your heel or a subscription to an app to understand how to build a walking routine […]

Booking the Village Hall: Costs, Rules and the Bits Nobody Mentions

February 15, 2026Gordon Ellery

I remember standing in the drafty vestibule of the St. Jude’s hall back in ’94, clutching a damp clipboard and wondering why the booking ledger looked like it had been through a hedge backwards. People seem to think that figuring out how to book a village hall requires a degree in civil engineering or a […]

How to Unblock a Sink Without Reaching for the Chemicals

February 14, 2026Gordon Ellery

I was standing in my kitchen last Tuesday, staring at a basin of grey, stagnant water that hadn’t budged since breakfast, when I realised most people approach a clog with far too much drama. They immediately reach for those caustic, stinging chemicals that promise a miracle but usually just end up eating away at your […]

How to Roast a Chicken Properly, Timings Included

February 13, 2026Gordon Ellery

You don’t need a dozen sprigs of rosemary or a kitchen full of expensive gadgets to master the art of the Sunday dinner. I spent thirty years looking at the structural integrity of Victorian terraces, and I can tell you that most of the advice you find online about how to roast a chicken is […]