sweet sights

Keith’s planer thicknesser, arriving after a year to take its rightful place in the garage / workshop

Our very own telegraph pole.

It is too much to hope that BT could actually have connected us to the exchange. At the very moment the pole was being erected, BT were ringing to say that as it couldn’t be put up until the 2^nd April, they wouldn’t be connecting us until the 3^rd!

We have been given 2 different telephone numbers, and I don’t know which will be connected (very probably neither)

thanks

First of all to Sarah & Bob who came with champagne & home-made chocolate cake, to see how we've got on and join us for dinner at The Cock.

Thanks to Peter, from Bews Electrical who, to his great relief, has finally fitted our ovens, hob, fridge/ freezer & dishwasher. We chose them well over a year ago, after visiting Miele, (their experience days are very good). As many of you know, we were very impressed with the appliances we left at Crosslands (15 years old & going strong).
I can't really get to use my new ones yet as the rest of the kitchen is unfinished, but it feels like another good step along the way.

We have taken to sitting by the brook in the early evening, with a well-deserved drink, but this evening we are back at the pub, using their Wi-fi as BT's "case management" isn't working, and neither apparently are their contractors. I cannot know who the contractors are, when they are likely to do the work, and cannot talk to them.
Anyone reading this blog is unlikely to have swallowed the Government propaganda about "any qualified provider" doing NHS work - this, I think is what it will be like, and about far more vital things than an internet connection!

granite

We met Denise & Barrie from CGL granite at one of the Home Building shows. They are friendly & reasonably priced, and this week they sent Martin & Mario with a slab of granite, already cut into lengths.


They fitted and sealed them and so our kitchen continues to take shape:





This week we have been visited by a spotted woodpecker




The BT / Openreach saga rumbles on, and we are now being "case managed" which I am trying to think of as a Good Thing.

The Cock Inn at Denford is definitely a Good Thing, and as I write, Sam (one of the landlords) is trying to find their Facebook page: I'll add a link when he does.

birds

We are used to the swans, ducks, geese, moorhens & gulls that visit "our" brook & the flood meadow.
We have a robin in the garden, and occasionally catch sight of a wren.
This week we have seen the heron again, a spotted woodpecker, a pair of chaffinches, and, the only one I managed to photograph, an egret:


Edmund came to help us move stuff, including carrying the bathroom tiles upstairs. Keith has been continuing to make the kitchen units, and I have been tiling the wet room, and trying to make sense of the BT / Openreach saga (I have written a letter to both saying "if you find this letter confusing, it is a fraction of what I feel")

By the end of this week we hope to have our kitchen worktops in place. Whether the wet room is completely tiled, or we are phone / internet connected is quite uncertain!

spring

We have been enjoying watching spring unfolding, whilst Keith continues work on the kitchen, and we are both tiling the downtairs shower room & loo.

The swans have been frequent visitors, and 2 pairs of ducks as well as the usual morrhens & geese. Most mornings one of the egrets can be seen, and the heron paid us a visit this morning.
We were also delighted to see Joe, who brought his parents to visit on Monday, on their way back from Eye Kettleby where Katie had organised a hen weekend.

We are still trying to make sense of BT who have still not connected us; and are waiting for the garage door - the fitters arrived today, but no door!

I write this at 9 o'clock on Sunday morning, outside the pub, watching the early morning horse riders, dog and children walkers. The daffodils are out and the chef has just arrived to prepare the Sunday roast.
Just to give you an idea of what work is being done:

Here is our luxurious shower:

Keith has been making the kitchen units:

Palladio came to fit the lovely new front door:
And the swans keep a watchful eye:

BT however, have been unable to put up a pole yet!

we've moved in!

We moved into The Bright House on Thursday February 23^rd – many thanks to:

Dale & the crew at Ace Removals, including Quincy Kane who would rather be acting than shifting the enormous amount of stuff we seem to gather wherever we are.

Our new neighbour Sheila, who came round with a delicious casserole & a bottle of wine.

The village pub, The Cock, who provided sandwiches, and are also showing the 6 Nations matches.

Sami - half of the landlords (Dan is in the kitchen)

Our Irthlingborough friends, Jackie & Rob, who came to see our new home and bring home-made cake.

All of you who have sent lovely cards & good wishes.

We are living in a strange mix of luxury & makeshift: a lovely raindrencher shower, and bare wood floors; our bedroom has very nice downlighters, and also holes in the ceiling awaiting loudspeskers, controllers etc.

This is the stage we are at:

The garage is finished, apart from the doors

The bedroom and shower room are habitable & usable. The old (34 years now!) lounge curtains are doing service again.

The utility room is acting as a kitchen: I have no proper oven or hob, but am using a slow cooker, Remoska, and a small 2 ring electric hob. This was used for cookery demonstrations in the village hall and has kindly been lent to us.

We are using the unfinished back bedroom as an office and dining room.

We are connected to all services apart from a phone line – so no internet. We have to trek the 100 yards to the pub to use their Wi-Fi.

Keith spent a day tidying up the garden, including cutting back one of the hazel trees. At the end, we had a grand bonfire & sat by it with a beer, watching the sun go down and the fire sink to a glow.

My sewing machine & overlocker have gone in for service, the rest of my sewing stuff is stowed in the small front bedroom. I can’t wait to get it all out and started; however, there is still a lot to be done:

The rooms to be finished are:

2 bedrooms, bathroom & WC / wetroom

Kitchen & living room

Hall, landing & study

All the florrs need laying

The garage & porch need ceilings & fitting out

Outside, we need to put decking in the back garden (so we don’t have a metre drop outside our living room doors!)

And I am sure there is more!