Flat-pack and 'The King's Speech'

From this...

To this......in a few hours.

The above creation was the result of a family effort. However, anyone who has attempted to create furniture from flat-pack instructions and piles of apparently random bits and pieces, will testify that it is challenging. Making sense of the first of the 26 instructions was initially demoralising. Working out the back/front, top/bottom and selecting appropriate screws and other essential oddities led to a slow start. We had determination in our favour, even though all three of us has our own individual flat-pack operational style. This ranged from a very measured reflective approach, through to my 'get on with it - we haven't got all day' style, which of course is incompatible with the first.

Thankfully Philippa's intermediary skills kept the process on track. As the piece increasingly developed a furniture-like shape and appearance, our confidence developed as cabinet makers. We finished just in time to devour a chinese take-away and make a run for the cinema, but not before ensuring that all the drawers fitted to the best of our ability. 

The King's Speech was impressive and I spent the night thinking about many of the issues raised, at the same time as re-visiting the cabinet making sequence. I wonder what the consequences will be of the unused two dowels  and a metal lump which has the job of tightening up a screw? I also have a better understanding, thanks to the film, of why our present Queen was so determined to devote her life to the job.Th