Building work this past month/Barry update

It rained here a few weeks ago. I mean really rained. It was torrential. This was the day that Cappy and Barry came up to 'sort out' the drain. Part of living in a really old place on top of a really big hill is one has to live with really old infrastructure.

All the pipes in this building, whatever they contain, go into one drainpipe. Which meant that the 'boys' had to dig through layers of squelchy mud and muck to get to the ground level to lay the new ones.

Barry was out there shovelling gungey mud for hours, the rain dripping down his nose. I felt so guilty. This was greatly increased this week when his son told me that the surgeon told Barry back in Feb that he woul recover but that he would never work again. I assuaged my guilt a little by baking.

So once the drains were sorted we just had to wait for the doors and windows to arrive so things could move on. This picture is taken from where the window over the sink used to be. The large black area would be home to doors (when they eventually appeared).

And as if by magic here are the doors!

Black tarpaulin all vanished and glorious Sapele hardwood doors left in its place. Mike the builder returned last week. He hasn't been here for ages. "Those doors are great, aren't they?" he said to me.

"I like them." I said
"Yep, lovely doors, beautiful finish." (honestly, it sounded loads less like The Monty Python 'Parrot Sketch' when he said it.) "What are they made from?"
"Sapeeely." I said.
"Oh Sapehleh, hey?"
"Really lovely finish on them. They almost look like PVC."
"Oh, shit!"

It was compounded when the boss plasterer turned up here on Monday, looked up at the ceiling, turned to Mike and said "Oh. I thought it was a large ceiling? This isn't as big as that one we did last week down at Oke Childeford. You said it was a big one?" I looked questioningly at Mike - "So this is a crappy little extension with plastic windows then?"

My Assistant was disgusted that her access to the new kitchen has been obstructed.