Things That Annoy Me, But Shouldn't

The fact that BBC Four - the one remaining channel I could go to for culture, good music and great documentaries... the one remaining Channel with any semblance of sense, appears to be now catering for the chavs of this world by showing ‘Classic EastEnders’.

They’ll be showiing TOWIE and Geordie Shore before you know it!

 

Potholes shouldn't annoy me, but they do because my town never fixes them and then when I think I have them all memorized on my route to and from home, another one opens up.

 

I think they probably should.

 

Statistics worked out to an average. Apparently the average UK wage is now £500 per week. Yeah, I wish!

Average in as much as fat cats are paid an obscene amount of money, while the rest of us are on a pittance. This particular ‘avarage’ probably applies to about 10% of the country.

 

Apparently, today, the road to Calvary is a one-way street. Appropriately enough.

 

I dream of a time when my tank busts down the gates of Westminster, and before my turret I herd all the shirt sleeves, driving them as one mob toward the underground rhubarb farms of Wakefield.

 

Phase 2 - Coastal patrol layabouts of the South West cattle-trucked for Kent strawberry picking. 'No talking!' - me with pizzle. RNLI nationalised, coffers raided to build 10 000 luxury care homes. Show trial of their promotional staff, exhibit A, RNLI plastic frisbee of 2019. Re-open Tower of London

 

Phase 3 - Heating of the North Sea geothermal project, ice shipped into the Atlantic Ocean, ticking all berg boxes in one moment of genius inspiration. Maybe polar bears in Swansea, wolf sanctuary - Mayfair for me.

 

Person - "I see the special is trout. Is that a fishy fish?"

Me (speaking) - "Not usually, no, sir. Trout has a milder flavor than many fish that have an oceanic phase."

Me (thinking) - "For fuck's sake, order the chicken, dude. I'm going to tell you the fish isn't fishy because it's not, but it IS a (bleeeeeeeeeeeeeep!) fish, so, yes, Greg, it's going to taste like a fish. You're going to pick at it with a disappointed face and try to catch my eye from across the dining room to come and take your fish back, the one that tastes like a fish because it's a (bleeeeeeeeeeeeeep!) fish, Greg! I'm the one who's going to have to eat that plate when I tip out and get hit with the cost and there's no tip, or what you think is a "good tip" (keep your two dollars, Greg, you need a new pair of glasses that say "I'm quirky and particular!)"

 

Unfortunately I was living in the American South at the time and such sarcasm goes over very poorly among such folk. Delicate, soft, squishy, moist, rarified little southern Greg in his cardigan and "quirky" glasses (he's 25, wtf?) finds himself suddenly emboldened when he has you pinched under the paradigm of "you're on the clock and I'm not".

 

I want to buy some eyelets for some leather work I have planned (or grommets as amazon insist they're called) but despite them being sold for leather craft, none of them have a neck long enough to use on anything thicker than paper-thin leather. I make wallets, card holders etc, and for that reason work with full grain leather with a thickness around 1.5mm - 2mm. I know suitable grommets exists because I've seen them being used in videos, but amazon don't see the need for them.

 

Maybe Amazon isn't the best place to source leather working supplies. It's the same for electronics; you have to go somewhere more specialized.

 

Yeah, reckon there’s a ‘World of Leatherwork’ out there. Also probably earthy types not keen on Amazon conspiracy. Keep your wits on purchasing, don’t mention Amazon, think patchouli...

 

I'm guessing that's the answer. That said a few other leather craft forum posts have cropped up while I've been searching, with the posters saying the same thing, namely that they can't get long shank grommets for love nor money.

Not that I know of. Mcr city centre's probably my only hope, high-street wise.

 

Would these be suitable?
https://www.weaverleathersupply.com/catalog/cp_/shop-now/hardware/fasteners/grommets-eyelets
https://www.tandyleather.com/en/category/grommets-eyelets

 

Thanks.
The first one have grommets with a 6mm shank - better than I've manage to find, but still tight. 2mm leather, double layer = 4mm, so 2mm not a lot to play with.
The tandy one doesn't list shank length so I wouldn't know.

Grommets with shanks exceeding 6mm are available, but then the diameter increases massively too. I want 8mm grommets with at least 8mm shanks. Don't exist.

 

Goto the makers, direct. Say you're starting a new line, need samples, get an account. Once you're listed, suppliers will come out of the woodwork.

 

You may have to seek out the local smith.

 

Indeed. There's plenty of craft shops within my range, just no leather stockists. Hopefully if they're available, a craft shop should suffice.

Unfortunately artisans are a thing of the past here in the UK.

 

I had a thought on this, and followed it. Hobbycraft sell leather online only, so it might be worth calling them to see if they could order in the eyelets you need. If they can't, they may at least be able to point you in the right direction.


I'm looking forward to being able to shop there again. I foresee my wages disappearing already.

 

Yeah here too. Otherwise I'd be buying all my grommets locally.

 

Didn't know HC sold leather at all. I need leather, too, so will check them out. Thanks.