As I was filling the bath, I couldn't help noticing an interesting inconsistency in the direction of travel of the bubbles.

There's plenty of material on the subject of which way water flows going down the plug hole, but not a lot on how water behaves as a vessel is filled. Photo 'A', dated 9/12/2017, shows the water circling clockwise.

Photo 'B', dated 22/12/2017 (one day after the Winter Solstice) shows the water flowing anti-clockwise. Answers and conspiracy theories on a postcard to the usual address.

Learned Counsel has dropped off the Locost chassis ready to shoe-horn in the MX-5 engine and gearbox; it's likely that the longer diagonal braces on each side of the top rail may have to be adjusted, or one of them made removable.

I'm about to start the restoration of a three-wheeler built by some Canadian servicemen for a local boy who had polio. You may recall that the body is a drop-tank (from either a Mustang or a Thunderbolt) and the steering wheel is the yoke from a B-17. I'll begin by sorting out the Cushman Husky engine. It turns over and there's a satisfying burble from the exhaust, so all seems well inside. I haven't had time to do anything but put it on the bench so far but, I think the flat bar behind the home-made exhaust might be the gear lever.

Awkward has the engine out of the Avon Special for rebuild....

... Leon is doing some winter jobs....

.... Mr Summers is getting his Morris Minor ready for, er, the Summer...

... and this year I've remembered to put in some anti-freeze. It took a few tries to get the engine running because, as usual, when I haven't driven the car for a while, I forget to turn the fuel on. The penny drops after a couple of minutes. There are a couple of interesting projects to consider in the New Year; I've got the plans for a Chris-Craft SRB 19 (www.silodrome.com are to blame for this diversion) and there may be another bespoke process machine to design and build. The racing car body will need my attention as will the completion of the 1908 Rover control quadrant.

The disc brakes for the Hillman are work in progress and stainless steel fabrications will keep my hand in with TIG welding. In the evenings, I have a Russian children's book to translate (from a translation into readable English) for a Chinese publisher. I haven't yet got my schedule for the rest of January but I'm sure there'll be something turn up!

For all this, I'll need plenty of energy so I'm making a start with Big Sister's Christmas pies!

Once again, a massive thank you to everyone who's kept up with this blog; your comments and encouragement are hugely motivating. I know I've been side-tracked every now and again and the motoring content has suffered, but there's lots of interesting stuff out there and I'm always very happily distracted!

A very Merry Christmas and all the best for 2018.