Summer Escapades

With the new frontage on the forge, and the new windows installed in the two first floor bedrooms, the house was beginning to take shape. It took us some time to install the windows and at the same time we completed the decoration of the two bedrooms, making them all together more homely.







We also spent time tiling and decorating the hallway, which also helped to improve the inside of the building, making it lighter and brighter.














With the landing painted white and the glosswork finished on the woodwork (thanks to mum and dad for that!) the first floor was complete!


The garden (aka the Jungle), however, is a different story!

Despite lots of effort to try to tame the garden, it continues to grow at a rapid rate.

Horror! We discovered we have an invasion of Japanese Knot Weed, which will need to be virtually nuked out of the garden to get rid of it. According to our reading on the web, we need to inject the plant using a hyperdermic syringe with systemic weedkiller at regular intervals for at least three years!

And the garden furniture still leads a little to the imagination - however, it is sufficient to enjoy a barbecue and a bottle or two of the local wine. At least the builders have completed the installation of the french doors in the forge; we however await the installation of the back door to the forge in the Autumn as this has to be bespoke manufactured.

Before and After

The working "holiday" now over, we made out way back to the UK. Simon, Mark, Danni and Liz returned on 11th August and Steven and Michael returned in the van on 14th - making it back to the UK on a wing and a prayer with the clutch on the van about to give out.

Here are some before and after pictures of the house. We have lots more yet to do, but at least we have a sound roof, a functioning bathroom and an almost finished kitchen.

Clearing out, plastering and general renovations with the Motley Crew

Internal renovations started, which involved patching up some of the old plaster, which had departed company from the walls; in other places we left the stonework exposed.

In the hallway, the small rusty firegrate was removed and some of the plasterwork fell away to reveal a large stone fireplace which added great character to the hallway.



Danni sanded down the wooden "shopfront" windows from what was formerly a bike bits-and-pieces shop. A lot of the nails were removed from the beams in the "shop", although some required the use of the angle-grinder.



Meanwhile, Simon H discovered the joys of making a hole through a 30" thick stone wall to allow us to fit the waste pipe in the bathroom to the sewer outside!

More Pictures

We got round to downloading all the pictures from our camera today. These help to give a clearer idea of just what condition the building is in.