Repairing a Table

 Last year, when I first moved in, a friend gave me a small table to use in the garden.

Sadly, it's an indoor table, so a year outside has taken its toll, resulting in one third of the top falling off (it's made with three pieces of wood held together with glue and battens underneath).

My mum had a clever idea - when she needed a small outdoor table, her partner had got a large decorative tile to use as the top.

So I went down to Huws Grey.  A very helpful young man showed me what they had - mostly patio paving slabs, but with a few nice pieces of slate that were a bit too big for my purposes.  I told him about my mum's idea, and added that decorative tilework is more of a thing in Cyprus.  "We're a bit more boring here," he agreed.

The equally helpful young man in the bathroom and kitchen building showed me some pictures of tiles which might have been suitable, but he would have to send off for them and I only wanted one, so it didn't seem worth going to all that trouble.

I popped into Hay & Brecon Farmers, since I was passing, and had an "Aha!" moment.  They were selling toughened glass kitchen counter protectors/cutting boards, which were about the right size - but I didn't really want an amusing cartoon involving farm animals on my table top.

As it's Saturday, the craft fair is in the Buttermarket, and I had another "Aha!" moment.  One of the regular stalls sells glass cutting boards, decorated with artwork from the local area.  I chose a seascape painted at Ogmore, which goes very well with my grey garden furniture.

It didn't take long to prise the remaining side piece of wood from the top of the table, leaving the middle one in place as a base for my new top.  I already had suitable glue.

And, voila!