Le coq de fer

Two strands come together here.

In the grounds of the gite we were staying in a couple of weeks ago, stood a rather menacing cockerel, welded together from a collection of hand tools. We liked it.

We have been clearing out my late father-in-law Willie's extensive collection of hand tools. Many have gone to a charity that supplies them to places in Africa that can make good use of them.

But we kept some, and visited our local blacksmith, Jim Whitson, with an idea. An idea that, at first, he said was outwith his usual sphere. We had every confidence in him and, only a few days later, we saw where he was going. We are delighted with the result; the first piece of art we have commissioned. And we're sure Willie would have been delighted with the result too.