A 'sorting out' sort of week



Oooh! That looks painful



I didn't go up on the roof on Monday - Bob seemed quite keen to do the rufty tufty bit, so I did my usual builder's mate job of passing and holding things (and weeding the garden at the same time).  We had to rig up a sturdy carrier bag on a rope for passing things up and down - or Bob just threw them down and I retrieved.  It definitely looks tonnes better without the big, bright orange rubber grommets for the pipes to go through and it is nice to know that they are sealed properly.  The lime mortar the roofer chap put under the ridge tiles in the middle of the big freeze actually wasn't as bad as we thought is might be and was fairly solid.  Because lime mortar takes a long time to go off, the water in it can freeze in the meantime and that 'blows' the joint and it just crumbles, but it seemed OK so Bob just tidied it up.  Good job done!

Spot the difference - yeah, the bright orange
bit have gone (the bits where the pipes go into the
roof in case you didn't spot it)

We have had a bit of a 'sorting out' week.  The planners insisted that the timber extension should be 'subserviant' to the stone part.  Alright for them, they didn't have to build it and work out all the measurements!  Anyway, that means that the gutter needs a dog-leg in it, but of course you can't just buy them - at least not in cast iron (another planning need).  We got an ordinary right angle bend, but needed to attach another piece to it.  Not many people weld cast iron now, it can be a bit awkward to do I think.  Bob rang around a bit and one chap's name came up a few times so we went round to see him last night and he was quite happy to do it and we collected it today - brilliant.  He was a 'good old boy' with a canal-side workshop that used to be the bone-burning building for glue manufacture in a village about 5 miles away.  He also makes hinges, etc and seems to be able to turn his hand to most things, so he could be useful to know.

We also sorted out the work tops for the kitchen (the brickwork is now done ready for the sink).  Bob rang round all the local timberyards asking about 2" beech.  Can you believe that one had some at the back at their shed and as it had been there for a while they said we could have it for about half the price any of the others were asking - fantastic.  So we went and collected that yesterday.  Bob started on that today . . . . we actually think the piece he started on might be sycamore (it's paler than beech and doesn't have the same flecks in it), but it is a nice piece of wood and there's enough to do all the bit round the sink so we'll be having sycamore there.  We are actually trying NOT to have everything matching so are quite happy to have beech for the other bits.

Tomorrow we are going to collect a washing machine.  Now that will be strange after two and a half years of going to the launderette.  I suppose we could connect it to the outside tap and let it drain into the bath, but I think we'll be patient for another week or so and wait until the plumber has been and we can connect it properly.  It's funny, I used to think launderettes were quite scary places - well the one where we used to live certainly was (I certainly wouldn't go there after dark!).  Doing just one big wash a week and not thinking about it the rest of the time has been quite nice in a way, but I will be glad to be able to do it here.  Just need to get used to an ordinary size machine again.

I have also tiled the floor in the utility room - so we can build the frame for the sink to sit on before the plumber comes.  Because the tiles are the same as the ones in the bathroom and the hall, I had to lay the strip down the side of the hall first so the bathroom floor and the utility line up with the hall.  I haven't done the rest of the hall yet though bec\use we're not quite ready for that to be a 'clean area' just yet.  I did a bit more decorating this afternoon.  I started off just doing the bit under the kitchen sink - before it's in which is just so much easier.  As I had all the stuff out, I carried on and did the whole of that quarter of the kitchen, ceiling and all.  I'd quite happile decorate all of it, but have to stop myself and get on with more important things first, but I'm gradually sneaking bits in!

I did some fruit harvesting yesterday afternoon.  I picked all the gooseberries - a bit green and crunchy and very sour (yes, we did try them raw!), but I'm going to make a bit (a very small bit) of gooseberry and elderflower icecream which needs them to be picked now.  We have loads of blackcurrants, but the blackbird is quicker off the mark at harvesting the ripe ones than me.  I did get some though and they are in a jar with some sugar and vodka - yum, alcoholic ribena!  There was also one raspberry and two little wild strawberries. . . . . I just ate them!  I also made a batch of elderflower cordial which is lovely and refreshing on a hot afternoon.