Regular readers of Stately Moans will be aware that Lovely Warden is very good at making things, just as long as they happen to be things that are very big and made of wood.
I have written of the enormous table, the giant bird hide, the mighty mallet and more.
Talking to Lovely Warden in my office one day I happened to ask him how big his current woodworking project would be when completed.
"About a metre," he replied, stretching his arms wide, like Jesus on the cross, to demonstrate.
"That's not a metre," said McColleague, shrewdly assessing the extensive span of his outstretched arms.
"Yeah, it is," he affirmed. "This is the way I was taught to measure a metre."
"When?"
"When I was a boy. I was taught that the width of your arms - like this - is a metre."
"When you were a boy."
"Yes."
There was a pause while we all digested the significance of this and understanding dawned as to why Lovely Warden's creations are all so massive.
7 comments:
I thought it was the length of the longest jump you could do from a standing start. Which is about a foot nowadays.
Geoff - that's a foot further than I could probably manage.
Get him back to Imperial measurements.
And welcome back - thought you'd gone over to the Dark Side.
Stitchwort - thanks, it's good to be back, even if I have badly timed my return for the busiest time of the year!
(Think I've fallen back in love)
Cogidubnus - you are too kind, but it is nice to have one's (infrequent) ramblings appreciated.
I'm an American, bit on the old side, 'n all I know is that a meter is a unit of measure; other than that, I haven't a clue. My 'old' mind continues to think in terms of inches, feet 'n yards...on the proverbial other hand, however, I'm enjoying your posts!
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