I can’t remember if I’ve already told you that Steve managed to break his plane? Apparently it was quite old, having previously belonged to his dad, and had probably never been used quite as vigorously! He did attempt to fix it but the bearings were completely shot so unfortunately it had to be retired and replaced. We spent a bit of time weighing up whether it would make sense to buy a battery operated replacement or a low wattage electric one that, hopefully, our little generator could run. After a trip to Brico Depot, we discovered that the battery operated one plus battery was going to cost well over a hundred euros but we could get an electric one for as cheap as 20 euros – the only issue with this was whether or not our generator was going to be man enough. We then had a look at the generators in-store and there was one for 236 euros – which could run all Steve’s power tools. So decision made, we would buy the cheap electric one and if the generator couldn’t cope we would buy him a big brother! Of course our next purchase was the bigger generator!! We spent some time discussing how we would get it from the store to the property: home delivery – exorbitant cost; hire a car for a day (my favoured option) – not particularly cheap; bus – cheap, but would they allow a generator on the bus? And then Steve’s brainwave idea – he would cycle with his trailer! Brico Depot is about 15 kilometres away and Steve’s bike has a range of about 30 kilometres so it would be touch and go – especially coming back with a heavy trailer. So we got the bike trailer back to the boat and waited for a “not too windy day”! As it was, in the end, he didn’t cycle for it – he decided that he would go for the bus option on his own (that would save me the embarrassment of being refused entry onto the bus, if that should happen!) He got up and caught the 7.30 bus, made his purchase and was on his way back to the bus-stop before I’d even got out of bed!! Having seen people transport large suitcases on the buses before we thought there wouldn’t really be a problem and they tend to have externally accessed storage areas on these modern buses don’t they? Well, not the one Steve caught! The very nice driver allowed him to get on in the middle of bus and even jumped down from his seat to scoop up Steve’s other bag! He arrived back at the boat at 10.30 – thank goodness I had got up by then!! Phase two of the plan was the next day. He loaded the generator into his bike trailer (a perfect fit, like it had been made for it!) and we trundled to the property via the petrol station, he wanted to fill it first rather than have to make a separate journey with his fuel cans. I found it relatively easy to keep with him this time, perhaps I should always insist that he pulls a heavy load!!
Not content with only purchasing the generator, Steve also bought the first construction materials of our build so far – a tub of nails (build cost to date – 30 euros) – they have been useful to mimic the original construction of the windows but he definitely prefers making and using wooden pegs! He also bought us our Boite Aux Lettres (post box) and has fitted it on the tree stump near the shed door – it may not stay there permanently but it is a good place for now! I transported that on the back of my bike and we were passed by a cycle club group, who, I think, may have slightly taken the mickey out of me – I’m sure I heard the word ‘courier’ (mail) as they hurtled past!
Now that Steve had made the replacement window frame, we thought we should go ahead and fit it. We made sure that the surrounding cob and stones were sound and mixed up a batch of ‘almost’ cob. (We don’t have any straw yet!) We used a board and Steve used a shovel to mix it, wetted down the existing surfaces and Steve started smothering them with ‘cob’. We then placed the window in and he did some fancy finishing – I think it looks brilliant and just like the original – well, apart from there’s no woodworm, metal braces or chicken wire!
As Steve has taken a bit of time off from his roof, I have managed to negotiate a few jobs out of him that will assist me as I am preparing for cob!! I have been doing crack investigations, crack enlargements and poking odd bits of stick into odd holes and removing what I find! When we first bought the property I was scared of even touching the walls because I was afraid they would fall down. Now, after having removed several square metres of the stuff I know just how strong it can be so I no longer fear it! At the end of the garage there is a small storeroom which we were going to block off and knock through into what will become our kitchen. However, as we now think the kitchen will be big enough without it, we have decided that it will make a good bicycle shed, so instead of just removing the old frame and cobbing, I got Steve to make a replacement frame – now he just has to make a door! I have asked him not to over-engineer this one as I have to be able to open it!
Steve has now also made the frame for the window in the new extension. He has done this in the same style as the original window and we have placed it (with some oddly positioned props) in position as, bizarrely, Brico Depot do not sell ‘sky hooks’! These odd pieces of timber are likely to remain in position and be built into the wall – similar construction to the small window. We managed one of our ‘laugh out loud’ moments, when Steve realised that the window would be at a perfect height to frighten the neighbours with his tendency to walk around without a stitch on!!
As he seemed to be in the mood for window frames I thought I would get him to make the replacement timbers for the small window on the wood side. We do like looking through this window from the road as you look into the darkness and this then gives the impression that it is not actually a window rather a cinema screen – although the picture doesn’t change much and is much more akin to the BBC test-card (albeit a pretty one). If you don’t know what that is, better ask your parents, or maybe even your grandparents!! I got the job of removing the old frame so that Steve could copy it. Apparently it must have just been a bit of wood the original builders had lying about as it looks very much like it started life as a child’s yoke with beautiful round ends! Steve did a really good job of replicating it and spent the best part of two days on it – he did say that if he had just used square (well, squarish) wood he could have done it in about ten minutes! Again he got to have his twig inserts (two this time as that is what had been there originally)!
I have also spent some time gardening! Well, not really gardening in the true sense but we decided to clear the bushes at the end of the garage to reveal the stonework from the roadside, as it is probably the prettiest part of the building! This also involved some tree-surgery so Steve accommodated. However, our gardening styles differ greatly – I thought we would remove some of the bushes and tidy up the remainder whereas Steve said “no, let’s really clear it out”. We managed to remove the tree branches without affecting the telephone line they were resting on (well, we think we did!) I removed the old compost bin, the roots of the bushes and shovelled load after load of leaf mulch – it looks so much better!
We decided that it was also time to straighten up the doorway between the extension and the two-storey building. This was also one of my jobs (hold on a minute, reading through this it seems like Steve has piddled about with a few bits of wood and I’ve been working my backside off, yes, I know that does make a change!) I used the cement block saw – big, gnarly teeth and about three foot long! Steve did suggest that perhaps he should have bought me a left-handed saw, along with the left-handed screwdriver he’d promised me but had to admit that you can actually only get them in the same shop as the sky hooks he couldn’t find. It is amazing how much bigger the doorway now looks, considering I only really took out another 10 inches at the base, and it looks pretty straight – which it can’t really be as I can’t cut anything straight!
I spent a good couple of hours brushing off the old wooden beams that had been set either side of the fireplace – we think they may have been part of the set up for cooking. We have decided to put them back in place in our attempt to retain as much originality as possible. This took a little bit of manoeuvring but with the aid of the step ladder and our new and improved muscles it didn’t take too long at all. Making them level has now shown us how un-level the property is and Steve will definitely have to make our bed unless we take the lee-cloths from the boat to stop us rolling out!
It has been a year now since our offer was accepted, things certainly look different (including us – we’ve both lost a bit of weight, I could afford to, but Steve is starting to look a little scrawny – a 6′ 5″ stick insect and not the brawny beef-cake I married!!). That is not unsurprising as we often work for about six hours a day including the trek there and back. Having re-watched one of my favourite programmes (for the umpteenth time – Somewhere At Sea with Timothy and Shane Spall, we noticed the Land’s End to John O’Groats sign. Thinking that we have cycled a little bit over the last year, we wondered how we compared. Apparently the recognised cycle route is 1407 kilometres. So since last September we have cycled the equivalent of Land’s End to John O’Groats and back again – no wonder my shorts are falling down! And I can finally get out all those clothes I had hidden away with the hopes that one day I would get back into them – the funniest thing was one sweatshirt that had been too small is now too big!!!
Fate Or Folly 