developments...

A FAVOURITE CORNER

Much has changed since you were last here, since I was last here actually...

Yesterday I hung these curtains in the living room. I hadn't felt up to balancing on step ladders and brandishing my new power drill before. It doesn't help that I attempt this sort of thing in my slippers with a pair of filthy varifocals - perhaps you are familiar with varifocals? One has to move one's head up and down like one of those nodding dogs on the hat shelf of Allegros to make any sense of the world. Anyway, I like the curtains so much now they're on their fancy antique brass pole with knobs on that I've ordered a matching cushion cover.

HEARTH IS THE HOME

Once, a long time ago I wrote a short story about my maternal grandparents, mostly based on facts from my childhood recollections and some of my mum's whimsical reminicences. My maternal grandfather had been a guardsman on steam trains in north Nottinghamshire. He was profoundly colour blind so it makes you wonder a bit about how that was. Anyway, part of the eulogising was about how he'd stoke up the fire every night after his shift or when he came in late so that it would stay in over night and be warming for my mum when she was getting ready for school.

An open fire or a woodburner has always been very important to me; I prefer wood burning, it's less mucky and it's less damaging to the environment, the sight and smell of it too, although the smell of coal burning does bring back a deep longing for my maternal grandparents, living as they had right next to an open cast coal field and also above disused, exhausted seams.

Living now in a former farmworkers cottage takes me right back really to from whence I came I suppose - my mother having been born in a back-to-back in Shirebrook - thinking back to to the 1920's & 1930's and how people used to live, if she could see me now I think she'd be surprised. I'm just pondering away here - how this sort of cottage has become gentrified and all that.

You may notice that between the hearth and the rug there's some wood flooring. I am not at all happy that I couldn't have reclaimed oak floorboards - I might get them in the future. If I'd waited three months in order for battens to be put down on the new concrete floor and if I had considerably more financial resources then I could have had them. There was some urgency to having a living room, with a floor, and also this engineered oak flooring doesn't seem too bad, but I still don't like it much.

QUARRIES BEFORE GROUTING

These quarry tiles in the inner hall and steps down into the kitchen and study are mostly ones that I removed from the living room with the intention of re-laying them after the damp proofing. Next week I intend to give them another thorough clean with linseed oil (I understand boiled is best) and white spirit. Some of them are ones I matched from a nearby reclamation yard and were made by the same local manufacturer something like two centuries ago. They, like the ones in the hearth will also be polished, not with the old faithful 'Cardinal Red' as that's a little too vibrant for my taste, but something else that's still available that enhances their lovely natural earth tones and hues. The plants are there awaiting repotting, and they've been waiting a very long time sadly.

There is still a lot more to do to finish off the downstairs before I do major thingies upstairs! Re-wiring and replacing plugs, switches and sockets. I have already bought all I need but it's a big job to start on. Then there's the painting of the walls and ceiling - only another two or three weeks before the plaster should be completely dried out. There's also skirting board to be put down and also some beading round the hearth, and the meters are currenty lurking behind a very big and bushy artificial bay tree until I decide how to make a meter cupboard. NB: not if I can make a meter cupboard - I have decided I'm going to, so that's that. I am going to learn how to do proper joined up joinery because after all what else would one do with ones joinery but flaming well join it up somehow. I see there's a product in a tube called 'Hard as Nails'!

hearth, grate, fire, flames, woodburner, heat...

(c) E Roberts

I'm sorry I haven't kept you up to date. Such a great deal has occurred and I don't know where to begin, other than on Friday 23rd October my wood burner was installed and later on there was the inaugural lighting of it and a cosy night in with my dog, cats and a friend from Warwickshire who was passing through. It was good to have a human to share this with.

The down side of now having something like a proper living room is that housework has to be resumed!

Next time I'll 'show and tell' about the oak flooring and a little more of the story of some of the tiles, but in the meantime I'm busy thinking about what curtains may go with the paint I've yet to chose let alone apply and the blind I'm about to fix.

I was very fortunate to have one of my daughters with me for a few days and she managed to get my television working - this was quite funny and brought home to me how much I have aged, not merely chronologically, but in my ways, sort of as in advancing of years old lady type ways, and that coupled with the purple fleece hat I've taken to wearing on the beach has brought me up sharp.

How it was is that on Sunday afternoon I thought I would try and get the tv tuned in whilst I killed time until it was time to collect my daughter from Taunton railway station. I couldn't make anything happen although I knew to press menu and follow instructions. I'd already rewired the aerial plug because it was covered in plaster. I despaired and slunk off to the crypt like what was a walk way kitchen to make a cuppa when I heard voices. East end of London voices. Loud, confrontational conversations, in your face 'what you fink you're looking at?' type conversations. Quite upsetting really. Yep, my tv had tuned itself into the 'Eastenders' omnibus.

It didn't stop there although most of the programmes were in Welsh, but I was happy. A young adult offspring soon to descend would not have been happy had there not been a working tv. I have been catching up on programmes on the ipod players on my pc and laptop quite happily these last few months, augmented by the occasional dvd. My other daughter, L the elder, when she visited last month and I, before there was a living room remember, had had lovely nights in sitting up in bed watching films on the laptop, one night enjoying a Chinese take out too! We finally got to watch Slumdog Millionaire and also Beaches and The Rose.

But, L the younger had only been in the cottage five minutes when she'd pressed a few buttons and discovered the terrestrial channels I'd managed could be replaced by millions of digital ones... I have yet to understand how this can be without a free view box, a cable system, satellite dish or some sort of broadband wireless thingy. As far as I knew this area isn't due to become digital even until next year some time. Huh! The young of today eh?

Anyway, now you get a more rounded and honest picture of this woman who would otherwise have you believe she is an ace little cottage restorer and whizz demolition expert, fabulous restoration expert in the making and brilliant demolisher and rebuilder - she is merely a middle aged refugee from the corporate world she no longer understands who eats takeaways in bed and has joined the rest of the semi hopeless who get easily baffled by electronic equipment. I could go on for I feel a bit weary and tired from the last few months.

Definitely time to slump on the sofa in a warm, cosy living room now I've got one before the next phase begins - like the stairs and stairwell and landing, the 'orrible, really, really horrible bathroom, the spare room, and perhaps the most important from the point of view of paying for more works, the workroom/studio. I'll keep you posted when I've had a little rest. The kitchen, which is almost horrible too, is last on the list, which in truth means probably in three years time, or there abouts.

(c) E Roberts

wood flooring being delivered tomorrow...

NEW FLOOR, NEW WALLS, NEW DOGGIE...

Phew, what a ride! Perhaps you know from experience what it's like to have your ground floor dug up and a damp proof course laid, and a new concrete floor and all the rest, like walls floor to ceiling, and a new ceiling.

For me the negatives of the whole procedure were associated with feelings of being invaded and impotent, and two days of a most taciturn plasterer who insisted on working fourteen hour days with bbc radio 1 on full blast the whole time which almost did for me. I tried being nice to him, by fetching cola and chips.

The two builders who did all the digging and hard graft were more personable and did a grand job, although one of them was very grumpy on the last day due to his being a bouncer at a night club miles away. I don't know any more. Don't want to. They did a grand job and were a lot less expensive than the others who promised to sort it out for me with their "leave it to me love", and "dont worry darling" promises.

I have learned a considerable amount about this type of work. I have learned even more about how old I feel these days, best described as a sense of having passed from maid to matron overnight (sorry if you've heard that before, I just cant get used to it).

A new oak floor will be laid next week, ceiling painted and Quarry tiles for a hearth being done first. The wood burner is due to be installed 12th November. I shall paint the walls myself when I get round to it; I cant decide on colours yet, but the ceiling will be white.

I've found it almost impossible to get a central heating engineer to do the jobs necessary to get the system working again and radiators moved, so this means skirting can't be tackled as soon as the new floor has been laid. I did get a quote through the letterbox late on Sunday evening. There has been a succession of plumbers, electricians, gas engineers and others to view and price up, all saying that they could do the work and that they would provide quotes only never to materialise. I wonder what the weird law is that determines such craftsmen advertise, come round to have a look, give a price then apparently vapourise?

Apologies for moaning, in truth a lot has been achieved, I've worked very hard and am quite pleased with myself, and my neighbour Sheelagh who is a renovation expert with considerable skills has been invaluable.

Ooops, nearly forgot, one of the Tony's has done the guttering! I wasn't here when he did it and I haven't seen him since. I had mentioned to a contact of his that really, since finding out that he'd had quadruple heart surgery not so long ago I preferred it that he didn't do the guttering afterall, and definitely not with another neighbour, an octogenarium one, footing the ladder. Thank goodness I wasn't around when all this was going on eh?

I bet this gaggle of rather difficult to handle chaps were mighty relieved I wasn't around much either...

Here's photographs of the end stages of the concrete and plaster drying out.

what it's like to have your living room tanked...

For some time I was unable to use the computer for various reasons, not least because the speedier broadband I struggled to achieve disappeared because of wires coming dislodged. I think that's permanently resolved now.

Tanking of the living room started Tuesday 22 September, a day later than scheduled because of administrative details, according to Kev & Mark...

No worries, once they got stuck in working five - six hours a day the remaining plaster and lathes soon ended up in rubble bags. I'd worked hard as you know to get the spaces for tanking cleared, including the inner hallway by the back door leading to the kitchen, but the Quarry tiles I'd mentioned before would not come away sufficiently easily for them to be relaid eventually in the living room as planned.

I'd spent several hours the previous Saturday at a reclamation yard sorting identical tiles to make up numbers; more would have been required because there was more floor as I'd removed the staircase casing. I see now that perhaps wide oak flooring planks will be good and all the Quarries, including the reclaimed ones will be a good option in the hallway and the kitchen when I eventually have that room tanked and refurbished.

I learned from the man who runs my local reclamation yard that Quarry tiles were mass produced in the 18th and 19th century at nearby Bridgwater and Wellington, and that there were about 75 and 35 factories at each respectively doing this because I suppose the clay and water supplies and labour were all in situ; so, whilst the industrialisation of this country was underway and masses or rather rows of terraced cottages were being built for the workforce needing homes in towns and cities as people spilled off the land, roof and floor tiles were produced by the million, in the South West. The Quarry tiles from my cottage were produced by a firm called 'Platts' and they have a distinctive marking on the underside, rather like I suppose a hallmark on other substances and products. Interesting stuff and I may explore it all further.

There are some photos to follow showing some of the process. Today the plasterer is awaited who will be here for a few days. All my living room and dining furniture is in the barn, wood store or in what will one day be my workroom, or if I'm trying to convince anyone that I am an ace stained glass artist and silversmith - 'the studio'!

THIS IS HOW THE WALLS AND FLOOR WERE WHEN THE TANKERS ARRIVED - IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO LIFT MOST OF THE TILES INTACT UNFORTUNATELY


THIS IS HOW THE WALLS AND FLOOR LOOKED AFTER FOUR DAYS - THE WALLS TO A LEVEL OF 1.2 METERS HAVE BEEN TREATED AND COATED AND THERE'S A CONCRETE FLOOR NOW WHICH WAS LAID ON TOP OF A MEMBRANE. THE WALLS ARE COATED TO THAT MEASUREMENT AS THAT IS THE LEVEL TO WHICH DAMP WILL RISE BEFORE THE WEIGHT/PRESSURE FORCES IT DOWN AGAIN.

DRUM ROLL PLEASE!

THIS IS PATTY POSING JUST FOR YOU, HER FIRST APPEARANCE. THERE'S MORE ABOUT HER ON MY OTHER BLOG

over the cobbles, across the stones and onto a path, through two

gates, turn left and there you'll find me some dry days!

VIEW FROM GARDENS SOUTH WEST OVER MY ROOF TOWARDS THE COMBE

This last week Sheila was busy in the loft cementing and bricking fire end walls, and we both spent considerable time bat watching too. We are very aware of bat conservationism and there's plenty of places for them to get in and out. My loft space is still far from enclosed and will remain so for a year or so until I probably have the loft converted into a room. A Velux window, possibly two, will hopefully be fitted during the next month up there and one of them will become the new bathroom window. Would you believe, currently the existing bathroom has neither a window or ventilation. Dismal! No bath either but I promise, I do use the rickety, rusty shower!

I've used the opportunity to start some serious land clearance and proper gardening. The living room I am very pleased to announce from 21st September will become a proper living room, with a proper floor, proper membrane and insulation, damp proofed walls, brand new plaster floor to ceiling and also some serious tarting up of the ceiling! That is unless Kevin & Mark get cold feet... This is scheduled to take about two weeks.

There's been a bit of a saga over the broadband and telephone cables and extensions. Currently I have for a limited period only a brilliantly fast broadband - shame neither phone extensions work isn't it? This will be ongoing, I can tell... I have found out how to use the telecom engineers best friend, a test socket.

Here are some photos I took this afternoon in the garden, where I will be doing, I mean spending time whilst the ground floor of my cottage is rebuilt. The green house is I can tell going to be my refuge and a super bench is on order and due any time from Wales. As the crow flies Wales, Cardiff in fact, isn't very far away over the Bristol Channel. I might go and peer off a cliff from Bridgwater Bay or thereabouts to wave at the lorry drivers!

By the way - have you looked at the roll call list recently? It's growing, however, there is one Tony who requires removing - because he had no right to say he would undertake a job having concealed from me that he'd had quadruple by-pass heart surgery and should not be going up ladders, also, there are two names that will in time be indicated as complete and utter whatsits (tossers!). I am doing fine, it's all part of the process finding out that some people say they will do a piece of work and either don't, can't or do and it's terrible.

Here's the pics...

YOU MAY BE FORGIVEN FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE THE SEA IN THIS PHOTO, BUT I KNOW IT IS THERE, JUST