Progress on front gate and railings

Here's what the front gate and railings were like:

Here's the work in progress. While we were in NZ our fantastic handyman, Steve, worked on all the (worst bits) of rubbing down, rust-proofing and starting to paint. We are now finishing the painting, doing a section at a time during some of the lovely warm, sunny days we are currently having. It's a long slow process, as anyone who has done Hammerlite painting will know, but we are getting there. It's also useful for getting to know people in the village, as everyone walking by stops for a chat or comment, even stopping their cars in the middle of the road with an encourageing 'bonne chance'. From our near neighbours we've found out it is 50 years since the railings were last painted. No wonder the village is taking an interest!