#010 How to clean a bicycle

Information about the park / Don't miss your stop

Hello Diagram Club,

This week we celebrate being in double figures (#010), which I think is justification enough for some celebratory bunting along the extremities of the newsletter.

But let’s get going on the diagrams - first of all it’s the…

Cycling cartoon of the week

This week: How to clean a bicycle - an in-depth diagram explaining the process.

Image taken from The Cycling Cartoonist, published by Bloomsbury. All my books are available here.

Letter of the week

Zuhura writes: I’ve just missed my stop (Canada Water) because your newsletter was so engaging! For household problems can we please please have [Excellent suggestion follows].

This was such a lovely message to receive, but I do accept newsletter-reading isn’t without its dangers. I’m going to take the following steps to try and stop this sort of thing happening: 1. I’ll try and make sure things peter out a little bit and become less engaging about two thirds of the way through; 2. I’m trialling a message for train travellers, that will pop up later in this newsletter just at the moment you least expect it. Exciting! (Sorry, I’ve had a coffee.)

Admin announcements / Sundry news / Matters arising

Shop discount This weekend, until Sunday 22nd September (BST), there’s 10% off in my shop. Yes, all true. Find greetings cards, mugs, t-shirts and more here: The Dave Walker Shop.

Sorry no Household Problem this week. I think HP is going to be a ‘Not every week’ feature, and this is one of those weeks, what with one thing and another.

Cheese slicer update: Yes, I know, you’ve heard quite enough about this. But it turns out that we do possess a non-veg-peeler cheese slicer, that I unearthed from the lower strata of the cutlery drawer. I tried it, and sure enough it took the corner off the cheddar. Hopeless. I’m going to continue with my use of a peeler for cheese.

Bonus annotated photograph

Two newsletters advice. I’m thinking of moving another mailing list, associated with my CartoonChurch.com website, to Substack from Mailchimp. If anyone reading has experience of running two very definitely separate newsletters on one Substack account and would be able to answer a question or two that would be really helpful.

I had a big important meeting and hopefully things are looking quite positive.

Annotated photograph of the week

This week we’re at the park! Aka the Langdon Hills recreation ground, ‘The Rec’ to those in the know. I’m not going to lie - it’s a grass-heavy scene, but we’ll make the best of things.

Apologies, corrections and clarifications

‘The Endeavor’ in last week’s Annotated photo (issue #009) should of course be ‘The Endeavour’. Thanks to James for this (and for you general encouragement and support of my work over the years, James - always greatly appreciated).

Cafe news

There has been a huge upsurge in demand (OK, one person asked) for news from the Cafe, so here is the latest.

• The more intrepid members of the lovely art group have ventured out of the building for the last two weeks, to look at trees and things like that. The remaining contingent drew things seen from the window, with me sitting directly in the way in my usual Monday seat. I offered to move, as I always do, but no one would hear of it. It’s possible I was being drawn as part of the scene, and come to think of it some drawings were squirrelled away after the session with remarkable haste.

• I’ve been offering free and unsolicited advice to various staff members on the management of the teaspoons, based on ‘How they do things in Leigh-on-Sea’.

• Fred has returned from holiday!

[As always, thanks to the staff for making it such a welcoming place. The management probably still aren’t reading (unless that’s you in disguise, Pierre_8491238), but on the off-chance: The Langdon staff continue to do such a good job.
@everyone: Please support your local Wildlife Trust.]

Studio Playlist update (skip this, probably)

This week the theme is ‘The sort of music that is playing BUT I HAVEN’T GOT TIME TO EXPLAIN’

Kirsty MacColl - He’s on the beach
First Aid Kit - King of the world
The Barr Brothers - Even the darkness has arms

You can find the playlist here: Dave Walker Studio Playlist 2024

Colour of the week (filler)

There was a bit of disquiet within the readership about ‘Red’ being last week’s colour. So this week: It’s over to you. Jess writes: May I suggest a light purple (exactly hex #B982F1) for the colour of the week?

You may, Jess. For anyone wondering, it’s this sort of thing:

That’s just about it for this week. Thanks to everyone who supports my work via Diagram Club Paid - extra content for you continues below.

Planning to be back in your inbox very soon with issue #011.

Dave