Was that the title of the song or the line I can remember? Either way this is not a post about music or food.
You may remember that I was running a tight schedule to try and get a few things finished for Gosias names day last weekend (18th Jan)? Well the news is that I almost finished on time!
Actually the two items I did complete were for Malina so that she had somewhere to sit to put her shoes on and also somewhere to hang her coat 🙂
The bench was in a sorry state when we bought it for £20 about two years ago and I think it’s life in our barn didn’t do it any favours either, but I’m certain the woodworm is from times past and the only rotten wood was on the arm.
The bench design is a classic in Poland, almost certainly homemade, it is the original bench bed. The seat lifts and the lower section slides out to reveal an overlap of planks making up the base of the bed. The bedding would be stored inside until needed. Sadly I only thought about pictures after I had started on the repair.
I managed to make a replacement upright for the arm and with copious amounts of glue and wood filler, a dowel to keep things in place and a nail or two you would hardly know that it’s a botch job!
Still once I had taken off the lose paint, smoothed down the edges and gone to town with the paint brush it started to look ok. Gosia mixed up the colour using an assortment of paints and only changed her mind once (after the second coat) turquoise, green, graphite, white and cream apparently, given a passable duck egg blue finish. And of course Gosia made the pillows, her many boxes of collected materials coming to good use.
You will be pleased to know that I have no pictures of the coat hook shelf thingy build, but it’s essentially made from a few planks left over from our scaffolding and off cuts from the terrace decking. We did buy the hooks in and nails and glue were involved, but other than that it’s a freebie. Let me know if you want one making 
I did actually finish the bathroom door as well, essential for the guests on the day, but it was only a temporary installation as I still need build the frame, so I left it out of the shot until it is eventually finished.
It was a great day by the way, Gosia forgave my slack schedule and we had quite a few first time visitors who generally gave there approval to the house so far. The composting toilet was well used 🙂 Talking of which, that’s my current project, so avoid this space if you don’t want to see how my prototype Winkoloo turned out.
Winkos: a straw bale building adventure in Poland 
Stopped by from seeing your bench on your friend Ladysighs site. I love it. So nice to stop by and see this. Happy day to you and yours. Paulette
Thank you Paulette, nice to see you here and thank you for you comments. All the best from the Winkos 🙂
Great job with the bench restoration, Eddy. 🙂
Thank you, the pile of things to do is getting bigger since this success 🙂
I thought you would entitled this “Bench Press” in honor of WordPress. Not to mention the fact that the project surely required a lot of strenuous activity. But I love the results of your workout, including the color. I saw plenty of comments about the Winkoloo, a term which made me smile. What if your last name were Ig? Just thinking about that gives me chills.
Having never visited a gym in my life the only press I think about is our old cider press 🙂 Come to think of it we are down to our last ig, so I hope we have a good crop of apples this year.
I think a friend of mine fist came up Winkoloo, but he was referring to the curry I was making at the time 🙂 A quick google images search, after checking for an alternative ig definition, revealed my bench as the only result! I better do a post about the true Winkloo soon and put the internet on the straight and narrow.
The bench looks great and I love the colour. I’m limited to restoring myself at the mo’ (just finished documenting that) but that seems to be going well so hope to get to something more useful soon. Really snowing here now – looks lovely.
Thanks Tyke, it looks like the projects are piling up, so there may be more posts along the same lines. How is the snow? I spoke with my sister last night and she mentioned they had quite a bit, her Facebook page reveals a good selection of photos from Farnhill tops.
I hope your not out of action for too long, although it sounds like you are in good hands 🙂
How is she so big already Eddy? How the time does flow on.
Nice to read you again, and I’m really digging both the bench and the shelf-thingy!
Thanks Toni and great to see you again, I last caught up with your blog around the climate change meeting, I must check back. I guess you are back in your homeland now?
I’m back but on the road, and alas the blog languishes un-updated. Hopefully I will have a place to call home again soon and I can finally unpack.
Well, I’ve heard of naming a car or a boat, but naming a toilet is something new. I’m sure you’ll go down in history for starting a ‘movement.’ 🙂
Well you have the Lovable Loo, so why not the Winkoloo ?:) Who knows this may be the start of my online business! Then again, maybe not 🙂
Loved the story and background of this beautiful blue bench.
You may recall reading that I joined a little Bench Challenge in which benches of every shape and form are posted. Each month a different category is suggested.
May I have permission to grab your finished bench picture and feature it on my blog with a link to yours? I think it would be for a Wooden Bench in March.
I already have the poem written while I was sitting here looking. lol
But whatever you wish or not. 🙂
🙂 But of course, it would be an honour to be linked and used, or used and linked. I look forward to reading the poem 🙂
Grabbed it! 🙂 I don’t know about the poem. Poems always seem so good when one first writes. Then when reread in the morning……what was I thinking? lol
Its the same with my posts 🙂 Let me know if you need a better image.
The blue bench picture is great……but if you have a better up close one, it would be nice! I’m sure you must have many with Malina sitting on it. 😉 Feel free to send any to my email address. It can probably be found in the comment section. Just let me know if you do so I can be watching for it.
Hi Eddy – you may have seen me over at Beetleypete’s place as I am often found lurking over there. I run the bench challenge and I am so glad that ladysighs pointed me in your direction. Thank you for allowing her to share the bench with us. You have done a cracking job here – and I love the duck-egg colour, your bench looks lovely (as does your little one) 🙂
Jude xx
Thank you for popping in and your kind comments. Love the idea of the challenge. No doubt I’ll spot you over at Pete’s again in the future. All the best, Eddy
Nice bench mate. You should be well-chuffed with that.
‘Winkoloo’. I like that, as long as I don’t have to sit on it!
Here’s the song you recalled.
Take care you lot. Pete.
You may need a Winkoloo after a vindaloo! Sorry 🙂
Cheers Pete, forgive my earlier reply, I was thinking of my marketing strategy for selling online 🙂
The bench has set me off with a flurry of restoration and building projects, I fear the blog may be flooded with these in future!
All the best, The Winkos
Don’t get me started on ‘Winkoloo’ catchphrases Eddy. Think ‘Wiily Wonka’ and all his ‘Wonkavision’ etc, then substitute ‘Winko!’ Then there are all the winking connotations, it’s Saatchi and Saatchi’s dream mate…