The Build

4th August 2006

Some pretty major advances made in the past two weeks - due to the small army of workers I have on the payroll.

Some photos:

We have power...

...and a kitchen (which still needs the granite worktop, a few electronic touches, and tiling).

Floor tiles in the bathroom have turned out well.

Health and safety being paramount, only one joiner at a time had to tight rope walk in the dark to finish the 'wall of glass'. It's not quite as dangerous as it looks, as if he had slipped his fall would have been broken by the circular saw directly below.

But the risk was worth it as I have to say, they have done a stunning job.

(Where's the bloody 'Windolene')

above: Apart from carpets, bedroom three is now finished (with the new balcony)

left: Uplighter over stairs.

below: The upstairs lounge getting its final touches from The Bruce and Scott the sparkie.

Four weeks today we should be waking up in the new house for the first time.

Provided the plumbers turn up next week...

5th August 2006

More tiles...

Bedroom 2 en-suite shower

Wall tiles to match floor in bathroom

6th August 2006

Just done the local community bit (roving paparazzi) - photos of the fete and raft race are up on the village website.

7th August 2006

It's been one of those mornings.

We are trying to get a courier to take our granite worktop template (it's 1:1 scale) down to Leeds to get the granite cut.

The first two couriers turned us down as they don't pick up from residential properties. The next two turned us down as the parcel is 2.4 metres long. The next one turned us down as they don't travel that far north. Finally we found one that could do it on a 'three day guaranteed'.

We booked them on Friday, but of course they couldn't come on Friday, so we expected them today, but their three day guaranteed means three days to PICK IT UP - then three days to deliver it. As this takes in two weekends, the 'three day guaranteed' will take 11 days.

So... next is the removal firm, who I have just phoned to book for Tue 29th August...

The conversation went something like this...

I'd like to book the removal vans for Tue 29th August please.

That is bank holiday week.

You don't work that week?

Yes

Fine.. so can I get our stuff picked up on Tuesday 29th?

We'd have to charge you more.

Why?

Because it's bank holiday week.

You have a bank holiday week when everyone else has a bank holiday weekend?

Yes

Why do you charge more in the week containing a bank holiday?

We just do.

Why?

We just do.

How much more?

I don't know.

er...

I'll have to ask my supervisor. I'll ring you back.

I've got half a dozen more house related phone calls to make this morning... maybe I could just go out and lie in a field instead.

8th August 2006

I just penned a post listing the 41 people I had contacted so far this week regarding the build and the move.

Assuming that some of you out there have lives, I decided to save you time by replacing the whole list with one name.

Uncle Tom Cobbly.

If you want the whole list: 1/ It's here 2/ You might just consider getting out more. (Says Mr Kettle to Mr Pot)