Hi

My Dad and I are both massive Fforde fans, particularly, Shades of Grey. It's his 60th birthday later this year and although I know it's a bit late for him to be presented with his postcode, I've bought him a spoon which I'll get it engraved on. I'm also planning to make him a short swatch (thanks, B&Q) and perhaps a lime compact. My friend is a badge-maker so I'll be getting him to make me a few badges, including his colour spot, and I'm going to make him a merit book (I've bought a plain beige notebook for this.)
Anyway, there are two parts I could do with some help with: Firstly, the colour choice - his surname is Hawthorne, so I was thinking about something green, but I'm trying to work out what percentages of blue and yellow would make something like that, and secondly, what the merit book should contain. I guess he needs his postcode and a barcode, colour percentages and his merits rating, but do you reckon it would look like an old-fashioned bank book with a merits balance running down the side? I'll need to think of some reasons for merits and demerits (I'm sure I can come up with a few, but any suggestions would be gratefully accepted.)

If you have any thoughts on these plans, or anything else you can think of that I can make, please stick them on here.

Many thanks!

Katie

Hi Elmopuss. Welcome.

If you have lurked here for any length of time you will know where to find the the refreshments. Help yourself.

With regard to colour, it is possibly worth looking at paint charts and you have plenty of choice! (Red from the fruit of the hawthorn bush, yellow or red flowers or dark green foliage.) The Dulux classic hawthorn green is very dark.

A quick search also returned hawthorne yellow, so I suspect that virtually anything would work.

Good luck.

With a name like Hawthotn does your dad cast his clouts in May. Is he in fact

The Apocryphal Man?

Thanks, guys!
I have collected a nice box-full of items, including a postcode-stamped spoon, a merit book with the Rules and a bestiary, painstakingly copied out, a merit badge, a swatch book, some 'univisual pens' (felt tips) and a painting by numbers kit. And most excitingly, (after much searching, complete lack of stock online and accidentally coming across a little specialist shop in Marylebone on a recent visit to London) a jar of loganberry jam ( :-D ) Oh, and a Lime compact. I might get some Ovaltine too. Wish I could get some floaties from somewhere... or an Everspin!

Well done Elmopuss. What a diligent enterprising child!

That's very impressive. Somehow will have to clone you for my own present purposes!