I'll warn you now that we haven't actually done much to take pictures of in the last week or so - sorry.

So, what have we done - well, we've been up the stairs and down the stairs quite a lot which is still a novelty.  We finished the stench pipe - what a lovely picture that conjures up, eh?  We did the underground stuff around the extension ages ago, so we just needed to do the visible stuff up the wall.  There are rules and regs about all this - ending 3' above any windows which are within a certain distance, etc.  We did the visible bit with cast iron downpipe, so it looks OK really.  Bob has also made the door frame for the door between the 'lounge' and the end bedroom.  Our idea was to put that door on and keep that as a clean room, but get all our boxes of household stuff down from the top barn where they've been stored for the last few years.  There would then be space in the barn to put some of the stuff from the wriggly tin barn (garden equipment, cement mixer, etc), so that we can pull the tin barn down ready to build the workshop.

I actually started trashing the caravan on Sunday afternoon which was quite good fun.  I managed to take out all the shelf/dressing table/wardrobe-type stuff out.  It was actually quite good fun just smashing stuff up and not worrying if I accidentally poked a hole in the wall or ceiling.  It was also quite difficult because they must make caravan interiors before they put them in the van itself.  A lot of things were pinned or screwed from the outside which means the only way to get them out from the inside is a few good kicks.  I did get my head stuck in the wardrobe at one point which made me laugh!  I was leaning into the wardrobe pulling hard on one side of it which suddenly gave way towards me, the force pulling it past the sagging ceiling where it then stuck because it wouldn't go back past the sagging ceiling.  So there was I in a fit of giggles with my head in the wardrobe and the rest of me outside it.  Once I had composed myself, I did manage to push the side of the wardrobe out again to free myself.  I think we'll have to leave the interior walls in until we've cleared all the other fittings out and are really ready to collapse it because I think they are probably what gives the whole thing its rigidity.  I think Carol and Graham are quite keen to help with that bit - a bit of wanton destruction could be very theraputic and a perfect antidote to office life!

Having finished the stairs and the stench pipe, we thought we were probably ready to get the Building Inspector back for what we hoped would be the last time and so we arranged a visit for Tuesday.  Unfortunately our usual chap had thoughtlessly gone on holiday!  The chap who did come was very nice, but almost too chatty and helpful with all sorts of suggestions for what  he thought would be a good idea.  It was hard to work out what was actually mandatory.  He seemed to be thinking out loud, but then those thoughts ended up on the list of things we had to do before he could sign us off.  He thought we should probably plasterboard the lounge ceiling, put it on his list, but in a phone conversation the next day said he probably couldn't enforce it, but he thought we should really do it and so it stayed on the list.  He checked fire escapes and looked at the steps down from the outside door in the end bedroom - you know, the nice curved brick steps with little ferns growing in the corners which blends nicely into the stone retaining wall.  Perhaps a handrail would be a good idea and maybe paint the steps white . . . . . WHAT?!!!! . . . . . well, OK maybe just paint the front edge of the steps white, you know so that people can see them easily and can hold onto the handrail if it's icy.  Bob did have to point out that he had just thought the escape route from the upstairs bedroom (jumping out of a small upstairs window) was perfect, excellent even, so how could a wide doorway down steps be not alright?  He did concede, and crossed that off the list!

Anyway, the upshot is that we needed to plasterboard the lounge ceiling, put a door between the kitchen and the hall (which we were going to do, but much later because it needs careful designing), put the knobs on the fire escape door from the end bedroom (they were in their packet right next to the door, but he wants them on), handrail and balustrade on the stairs/landing and photocopy various certificates.  So, not really too bad.  We plasterboarded the lounge this morning - one half carefully because it will stay as a plasterboarded ceiling and one half not so carefully because that will probably come down to make the crog loft bit (mezzanine if you're from the south-east).  Too much hassle to explain that to the inspector because he'd probably insist we put up the railings and steps now!  We got the timber to make the door frame this afternoon and have a second-hand door we can put up temporarily between the kitchen and hall.  We have a local blacksmith coming on Tuesday to look at what's needed for the handrail and if he can't do it straight away, we'll put something temporary up and we have a piece of chipboard that will fit the gap on the landing.  Again, we want to design something nice for there and don't want to rush it.  So, hopefully we can get our usual Building Inspector to come out at the end of next week and see what he says.

The plumber came today - haven't seen him for ages!  When the weather was hot - you remember, those few days of summer we had before autumn set in - we obviously didn't light the woodburner and we actually switched the immersion heater off to see what the solar panels would do.  We were a little surprised to find that the radiator in the en-suite was still warm!   All winter we've assumed the radiator was still warm in the morning because the water from the wood burner was so hot.  It appears that the one-way valve which should stop hot water coming out of the tank back down the woodburner pipe wasn't working.  So, that has now been replaced and when (if) we get some more hot weather we can see if the problem is solved!

We had a visit from Jan (Bob's stepmum) on Tuesday afternoon which was nice.  The sun came out and we sat on the beer bench making the most of it and looking at the weeds in the garden and listening to the birds - very noisy!  There are two baby woodpeckers (thought there was only one for a while) and we see them quite often around the peanuts.  They have tried getting the nuts themselves which is quite funny because they sit on a branch and peck at the feeder which obviously swings away and back and they lose their balance.  They are getting better though.  The wrens fledged from their nest in the tin barn - oh, so cute.  They just seemed to be everywhere clinging onto whatever they hit first!  We bought a seed feeder and filled it with sunflower seeds and hung it right next to the kitchen window (well, Laura has all sorts of birds hanging onto her window feeder), but our birds took no notice of it.  So we took down one of the nut feeders and put the seed one in its place and they soon found it and emptied it.  We then moved it a bit closer to the house and hung it on a metal post.  Then every couple of days we moved it closer until it is now hanging right next to the window and the birds are quite happy to empty it!  Ha ha - if they want us to buy food for them, they can entertain us in return!

OK, I've relented and nipped round and taken some photos - not very interesting though!

The doorframe between the lounge and the end bedroom.
The concrete lintels behind will be covered with oak to look
like a big chunky oak lintel.

The lounge ceiling - it does look a bit weird in there and
I think it'll look much more interesting with only
half a ceiling!



and finally, the stench pipe.  All those cables will
eventually disappear or be hidden by the way.  This
is where the suggested white steps and handrail
should be!

Oh, nearly forgot to tell you, the ginger beer turned out really well.  It makes a really nice, refreshing drink.  The first lot was not overly gingery, so with the second lot I stirred the mixture each time I added the ginger and sugar to see if that makes a difference.  that is actually ready to try now, so we'll soon see.  We did have one explosion the other night - not sure if it was the fizz in the bottle or whether the bottle fell over because of the vibration of the washing machine underneath!