Ground works

There has been much activity at the Oldbrook flats over the last couple of months and I bet the neighbours are wondering when it is all going to end. As well as renovating the interiors of both flats (still ongoing) we have also had work done in the gardens. Neither Phil nor I have much expertise in gardening so we got in some help. We got Will Tricks (the tree surgeon) to spray weed killer on the gravel gardens and driveways and we also got him to chop down a couple of trees. Harriet got her uncle Shaun to erect a fence and gate and I paid him a family rate. Harriet and Shane painted their panels and I have put a coat of creosote on all the panels next door.

The council have been and collected most of the rubbish and all that’s left to do in the outside department is to get a new fence and gate at no 10 and Will Tricks is coming into pull down the tree and hedge outside Jill’s front door. This is not going to be as straightforward as it sounds (well it never is it) because we have checked our title deeds and Derek, the owner of the flat below us has up put a gate into his garden which is actually on our land. Really his gate should be by his window and hopefully he will play ball and re-site it to the other side so that we can put up our fence and reclaim land that is rightfully ours. I am tempted to just up a fence anyway but we have email contact with Derek and I suppose Phil is right, we must keep him in the picture before we go ahead. I don’t think this will be a problem because we have paid out hundreds over the years for maintaining the communal driveway and have never asked any of the neighbours for a penny.

It certainly has been all GO GO GO but I think I can see light at the end of the tunnel, not sure about Phil though. He went to the flat at 6.30am this morning, I was tempted to go with him but I have to stay and wait for the Wickes kitchen, which is being delivered anytime between 7 and 11. Phil is doing great with the Oldbrook kitchen but it has been slow progress. The Homebase instructions are really crap and it is the first time that Phil has installed an integrated cooker unit. It took him hours but we have the same thing going in the NH house next week so at least he would have some practise. A few weeks ago we brought loads of stainless steel splash back panels from IKEA, they were greatly reduced and we saved a couple of hundred quid. Phil has fitted them all on one wall, managing to cut holes for all the electric sockets and they look fantastic. I thought if he didn’t master the knack of fitting them we would have to take them back for a refund but luckily, the boy did good and we can use them in the NH house.

On Monday we went to CarpetRight to order a new carpet for the lounge in the OB flat. I was checking the receipt later that night and I remarked to Phil how expensive it was. Phil checked and we realised that we’d been overcharged for 6 square yards. We went back into the store yesterday and our usual sales guy said we’d been charged extra as it was the end of the role. Anyway, turns out that we have enough to do all the stairs and landing which I am really pleased about because it means I can do a proper job of the glossing now. The new carpet is being laid next Wednesday so I am going to have to get my finger out so it will be dry before the fitters come in.

Poor Phil’s knee is really hurting him and Shane helped out yesterday by putting on the knee pads and grouting the bathroom and cupboard under the stairs. I did my bit by cleaning up afterwards but Shane had the hard graft. All that’s left to do is lay the tiles in the hallway but the new plumber is going in after work tonight to fit the sink, radiator and the back-to-wall toilet so this job will have to wait until he has finished. Phil has done really well on ‘my diet’ and has lost 11 pounds in 15 days. He has been really good and I am proud of him for not cheating. The weight loss hasn’t been as fast as he would like which is not altogether surprising because we haven’t cut out the booze and without a proper cooker and with only a 2 ring hotplate plus only a third of a kitchen, cooking at home hasn’t been easy. Things should be easier when we get the NH kitchen installed and we get a proper oven which will be a novelty in itself because we haven’t had a proper oven since we moved out of the GP house 9 months ago.

We have given Shane the morning off work today so that he can catch up with job applications, most of which he has to do online. They don’t have internet access at home so he is coming round here at 8am to use my laptop. I need to catch up with housework, washing, ironing and paperwork and take delivery of the new kitchen. Guess they could arrive anytime now so I suppose I ought go upstairs and my teeth in and run a brush through my hair. A good girl guide should always be prepared!!!!!!!