A Welcome Break

Last evening after the events at home over the last four weeks we thought we deserved a evening out so we decided to go for a meal at the Cuckoo up the road but on arriving the car park was heaving. So we did an about turn to the Nene Park at the Showground only to encounter the same problem. The advertising at the Showground gave us the reason. An antiques event all weekend.

Driving and discussing where to eat we decided to give the newly reopened and refurbished Willow Restaurant at the Windmill Pub in Orton Waterville a go.

It turned out to be a good choice. We knew the food would not be the cheap and cheerful deal we had aimed for, but, what the hell......

Ohhh...my..... this place was plush. you could definitely see where the money had been spent. It use to be old oldie worldie, stone walls and oak beams sort of pub. A village pub. Now its bright contemporary and luxurious.

The black table arrangement behind in an alcove me seats 14 and is a horseshoe arrangement with the food being served from the space in the center. A baby grand piano plays soft mood music and there are five sparkling chandeliers lighting the room.

This plush red room is the Ladies loo. I'm afraid I didn't investigate the gents loos, sorry.

And the food. Well the menu was good and Dave's meal was excellent but mine was a bit disappointing. Crayfish salad sounded good but the chef was just too heavy handed with the dressing. Too much Rose Marie dressing on the crayfish and the salad was drowned in dressing instead of drizzled. I suppose I should have sent it back but you didn't realise the flood of the dressing until about a third of the way though. I couldn't eat it all and I did say why. The pud, mmmmm.... was out of this world though. White chocolate and ginger cheesecake. Sorry I was concentrating on savouring it instead of photographing it!

The Final Countdown???or is it.....

.............So, here we are on day 26. Tony decided the sink goes in Tap or no tap. If the suppliers hadn't rang him to say the tap had finally arrived then he would go and purchase one from another source. On his way to do just this he had a call to say it had arrived.

Sink and tap are now installed. Are we finished? Noooooo..........two weeks ago the cupboards handles were supposed to have been ordered. Were they ordered? NO. So now we waiting on them otherwise we're done.

I decided to pay the fitter's for their work myself and deduct it from the showrooms bill. Now I'm going to play their game and keep them waiting for the final settling up of the bill and I have to haggle over the wet wall panels I was charged for and could not use.

How hard can it be to order a tap!!!!!!!!

We are now on day 24 of the shower room renovation. What happened to the 'Oh don't worry, it'll be all completed by 8 days'

This is the space where the sink should be. I know its not the plumbers fault. I've just rang the Bathroom Company yet again. Still no tap for the sink. Suffice it to say I registered my extreme displeasure. I think I deserve a big discount after all these delays.

If anyone locally reads this - DON'T USE A PETERBOROUGH FIRM CALL 'SIMPLE BATHROOMS'

Day 22

It's been a strange day . It started off OK. I went for my swim followed by a jaunt into the City for coffee and to look for a new bath mat. I think M&S have what I want a bright pink to match the wall.

The sun was out and it wasn't too cold so we saw at the tables outside with our coffee. The Cathedral Square renovations are still causing havoc everywhere and since my last outing for coffee, before my renovations started, the site guys had removed two magnificent mature London Plane trees from our little throughfare precinct. It does look bare with out them and we will have now lost our summer shade from.

The new look Square should have been finished last November, then January, then April and now June. We'll wait and see. Personally I cant see it. I haven't met anyone in Peterborough that approved of the Councils idea of how the Square should look.

So, back to my shower room progress. Well the news is there is no progress. Hopefully tomorrow!!!

Today we have just rested and relaxed and ignored all the bother that has been going on in the bathroom. We couldn't even be whip up the energy to go out. It had been our intention to go out car hunting again today as the time grows closer when my old faithful work horse will need to be pensioned off for good. Winter has not been kind to her and her bright red paint work is mottled with dark brown rust patched. The fan belt screeches unbearable at any sign of damp or wet weather. It's needed adjusting each winter as it protests against the cold and damp.

At long last Spring seems to have arrived on our doorstep. There seems to be some controversy about the arrival of spring. When I was a kid it was always on the 21st March but some websites now seem to be saying the 20th and to confuse matters even more the Met office seems to call the beginning of March the beginning of Spring. Anyway the weather during this last week has definitely perked up and the warmer temperatures and sunshine had made all the spring plant grow at such an unusually rapid rate.

The little Daphne bush is in full bloom and its scent is just so delicious. The original bush I had on this site died one winter, was dug out and consigned to the plant graveyard. This shrub is self sown from one of the first plants little red berries. Its a miracle it managed to survive and grow each year from a tiny unprotected seedling, considering the cats that scratch in the garden and Daisy that rampages over and flattens any tender plants or just eats them.

........and so to Daisy we've heard some faint scratchings coming from her hibernation box this week, so today we decided it was time for her to emerge. Himself unburied her from the depths of the garage and we lifted her out into the daylight.

After a warm bath and her shell oiled she sat in the sun on the patio for a short time. I wonder how long it will take me to get her to eat this year. Some years it can be several weeks. I'll try her with her favorite food, grapes tomorrow.

Day Nineteen

Not allot of Shower room progress today. The basin conundrum hasn't been resolved. I came home this morning with a basin that the tap fits only to find that there was other fitting problems with this particular basin. Tony the Plumber's taken it back this time.

On a brighter note spring has finally surfaced this week and with a garden recorded temperature of 18 degrees yesterday green buds are appearing on the shrubs and we've finally got a daffodil in flower with all the others bending their buds ready to burst open. A little tour around the garden if now revealing the winter damage and the work that needs doing to recover it.

My bamboo plant actually flowered in 2008, so last year it looked very unhappy and I was convinced it was dying. A search into the habit of bamboo's on the horticultural sites told me that they mostly died after flowering which they do very infrequently. I don't think I can afford another bamboo at the present time as they are quite expensive so I need to research another plant that will like that position.

18 days and counting

The Bathroom Showroom guy told me they take eight days to complete a bathroom renovation as they like to get jobs done without delays and they do no more than three jobs a month. So were now on day 18 and have encountered yet another delay. The tap I chose will not fit the available hole in the sink. This guy just does not know his products. So now I need to take the basin and tap back to him in the morning and have it all out with him. I'm not good at confrontations. Miss Lee where are you when I need you?

At least we now have a loo albeit not useable until tomorrow when the sealer has gone off and set. Tony the Tiler wasn't able to come today because of Tony the Plumber taking up the workable space. I suppose I've gone past banging my head against a wall. It's too painful. I just have to bite my tongue and bide my time.

Pulling out the Stops.

Tony the Tiler returned this afternoon, worked his magic and laid the floor tiles in record time. Its beginning to feel as if my super new shower room will soon be completed

Just a loo and basin and we're in business, well except for some small snagging jobs. I decided to have a few more tiles on the wall and Tony's coming back to do that along with a special sealing coat for the grout to help prevent any mould occurring.

Over lapping work scheduals

We made some progress yesterday.

Tony the Plumber managed to get the cabinets to fit against our wonky walls and installed the super duper posh radiator 'Himself' and I had sourced and fetched from a Radiator Company near Leicester. I couldn't find a towel rail that would fit the area and that I liked so I searched the Internet for alternatives and came up with this.

I must admit it makes a statement and was worth the struggle Tony had to make it sit on our walls. He also sorted out the under floor plumbing ready for Tony the Tiler this morning.

So here comes the next delay......

Tony the plumber hadn't time last night to lay the ply wood across the floor boards for the tiles to sit on. Tony the tiler arrived promptly this morning expecting it done. So, now he has to source and fit the wood before tiling. Now, it's thrown his schedule out. Hopefully he will manage to get back this afternoon and get the timber down........and maybe the tiles. I also asked him to apply a treatment to the grout to help prevent mould that plagues tile grout in damp areas.

The Plumber back from Poland'

It's now the middle of the afternoon and I'm spitting feathers, desperate for a cup of tea. I've even considering skipping across to the cafe in Ferry Meadows for one. Tony the Plumber switched the water off and drained the system this morning before I came back from my swim. He never thought to make sure the kettle was full so I only had enough water for a mid morning coffee.

At lunch I managed to find a lonely can of Zero Coke lurking in the depths of the fridge. After lunch I took myself off into the garden to do the first bit of gardening of the year. It's a good job it's warmish and sunny as well as dry 'cos when I'd finished and came back in I realised, no water to wash hands. It's a good job I have some hospital style cleansing gel!

This is what I have to clamber over today to reach my bedroom or the study. Tony's popped out to get some more 'bits' so I thought I'd get some more 'progress' photos!

See, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Although I think it's still a fair way off yet. As you can see the sinks progressed from the spare bed to the office floor and the loo's still on the half landing of the stairs.

I had to cope with 'Himself' throwing a hissy fit last night when we discovered, as we thought, the Electrician had installed the lights that didn't look 'in line' I must admit I was also quite mad. However this morning 'Himself' got out the tape and discovered the lights are inline, the walls not, so it causes an optical illusion.

The neighbours have disappeared on their Annual Vacation so I can't beg a cupper there. Tony's '20 minutes' seems to have been greatly extended, so Ferry meadows it is!

so... now... where's the plumber?

The weekend saw us frantically painting so the Electrician and Plumber would have a clear run this Monday morning.

You wanted to know what the colour was like, so here it is. Forget raspberry pink, it's actually called Foxy. Cleaver name, hey, obviously not coined up from Reynard. Oh and thats not a pole dancing pole! but the chrome edge to my lovely glass shower screen.

.........a funky foxy colour.....

........and a lovely funky foxy shower rain head and controlls. No fiddling to get the water temperature right now.

Prompt at 8am this morning, recovered from his fall through a loft hatch, the Electrician turned up. Job done by 10.30. So now we have light.

But still no loo or basin. No sign of the plumber today and no luck with his cell phone. Now I'm wondering what else has gone wrong. Maybe he's not made it back from Poland........

a little splash of colour

Well Himself and I have painted the shower room. Bear in mind it's a small room with three walls with white tiles and a white ceiling, so there was only half a wall, above where the sink and loo will eventually be installed, to go mad with. Yesterday I chose a muted aqua colour from B&Q. When I got up this morning I looked at it again and thought noooooo. It wasn't the impact I was looking for.

Over breakfast I studied the colour charts once more. Colour picked. Himself reluctant at first before resigning himself to my 'good taste and design skills' (tongue in cheek)

So back to B&Q with the offending pot of colour and home with the new choice. Its promptly opened and splashed on the wall. Didn't take long to cut in and fill. Whoooo, well, that certainly makes me smile. It's certainly "in your face" just what I was aiming for. I wonder what Ma will think! OK I know she won't approve, but how about the kids? Who cares. I like it and I can change it if I tire of it.

The colour.......... well, its a bright raspbery pink!

and non-progress

....Oh dear, I spoke too soon. More delays........The Electrician chappie fell through a loft hatch this morning (not ours) and is now slightly incapacitated. Luckily no broken bones but bruised, battered and shaken. Apparently some idiot moved the ladder he was using to get into a loft. He called on his way home to rest to tell me and see what work we need doing. Seething inside I had to accept with good grace that he wasn't up to the job at the present time. He assured me he'd be here 8.30am prompt on Monday morning.

Do I believe this????

Is there much more than can go wrong with this job????

Will I ever get this shower room done????

Oh well we can take our time painting the little bit of wall that needs paint. I had a root around the garage this morning and found the special undercoat paint for new plaster so at least I don't need to buy that. Oh yes, and that's a job we shouldn't have been doing, but the team of Guys sent to do our job don't actually decorate. I definitely chose the wrong Firm to deal with.

Other things to worry over..........do I need any more? Er it's Mothers Day on Sunday and I haven't even thought about a card or pressy...... no wonder my blood pressure refuses to settle. I'm not sure how much longer I can con the Surgery Nurse into giving it more time to go down. She wants the Doc to see me to up the medication and I don't want too. I had to talk my way out of standing on the scales last time I saw her. I'm trying desperately hard not to stress eat! I got just another week to get it to settle. The way this shower room is going I don't stand a cat in h...s chance.

Oh Joy!!!!

Progress

I've had to forgo my daily swim once again as I'm waiting for the Electrician to come and wire in the shower pump, the extractor fan and the lights. As soon as he's gone I'm going to christen the shower. Whoope. Oooh, I HOPE it doesn't leak as Tony the Plumber has reluctantly been dragged of to Krakow for a weekend break by his long suffering wife. He didn't mind the break but he would have preferred to go to somewhere warm after our long cold winter. Mmmm.... I'm with him there!

It's looking good. I've come to terms with the tiles and I'm going to get Tony the tiler to put a special treatment on the grout to prevent any black mould occurring. He has to come back to lay the floor tiles when Tony the Plumber gets back to install all the other stuff, like a loo and a sink. Trying to get downstairs during the night with sleep stiffen joints is a big pain. Literally! I'm hoping the delays will have all been worth it. Himself's not as agitated about the delays as I am.

We've been debating what colour to slap on the small area of wall left untiled. It needs to be strong I fancied a in your face lime green but Himself rebelled. I've narrowed it down to a bright rather acid yellow or a strong aqua shade. I need to get bought today so I may just toss a coin!

A Day Away from chaos

Yesterday Mad Moose and I took a break from the building chaos at home to spend a day in Peterborough. Being mindful of saving money, quite a laugh if you think of the amount we're spending on renovations, we waited for the morning rush hour had passed and travelled in to the City on the bus with our free bus pass.

Our first job was to go into John Lewis to look at the choices I had made for the next Reno job. Carpets and curtains for the lounge plus a few other bits and bobs. Decisions made, we took a break in John Lewis's 'The Place To Eat' before heading for St Johns Parish Church in Cathedral Square.

I had never been in this church before despite it being slap bang in the center of the city. I'd often wondered why a church had been build so close to the Cathedral until I realise the Cathedral had been an Abbey and the church was there before the Cathedral was built. Inside it's really nice with big stain glass windows all around the building. We were there for one of the Lunch time lectures. This one was by the Landscape manager of the Nene Valley Park and was looking forward to how they expect the park to develop over the next 10 years. As we live within a stones throw of the Park this was of interest to us.

After the Lecture was over we headed for the Town Hall for the annual lecture given by the Peterborough Local History Group, hosted by the present Mayor with the profits from the talks going to the Mayors Charities.

This years talks were by Neil Mitchell who gave an interesting look into his personal photo and postcard archive. He had put together a slide show and talk on the buildings many now long gone of the city. The second talk after a tea and biscuit break was by Steven Perry and was an entertaining look at the history of Cowgate.

We have attended this event for several years now and have always enjoyed them. When a city is constantly changing it is sometimes hard to recall how things use to look. I remember coming to the city as a child with my Grand parents and having afternoon tea at Adcocks Tea rooms. Dave remembers the Dance Halls and Pubs that he came to as a teenager. My teen years were spent in Kings Lynn so I don't have quite so many memories if Peterborough.

Bathroom Disasters

Early in 2009 we decided in our wisdom that the little stash of money we had managed to accumulated would be better spent on doing some much needed renovation work to the house. I figured that spending the money on a brand new car that depreciated by the hour was not a cleaver move and that bringing the kitchen and bathroom up to modern standard was going to be a much better use of the money and should appreciate the value of the house.

So with not a jot of knowledge of what would be involved I set about planning .........and planning.......and planning.

Accurate measurements and a floor plan of the rooms seemed to be the first move so I measured all the walls from every angle. On my old computer I used the the Publisher program to draw up plans. Then we visited nearly every kitchen and bathroom showroom in the area. Choosing, rejecting, debating, until we had refined our wish list. The next move was to get quotes for the work we wished to have done. That step was an eyeopener. It's amazing on how the same set of plans and a wish list varied when the quotes came back. Eventually I sourced and purchased all the kitchen myself at a far more reasonable price. To help keep the cost down my builder Brother in Law agreed to come down from Yorkshire and with my son as a labourer they fitted a new kitchen.

July last year saw the completed the kitchen and I was very pleased. It looked as I had visualised it and is so much better to work in. It had come in just over my original budget.

A little while later I started to tackle the bathroom. It seemed to take me much longer to get my head around what was needed. Advise from a plumber friend was asked for. Showrooms visited and revisited, more quoted were obtained. For some reason these plans were taking much longer to refine. The budget escalated. I realised to get the quality and finish I wanted I had to up the budget. I decided that for this job I needed to get a firm that could do a complete job from start to finish. Builder Son wasn't always available and Brother in Law was busy building his Grandsons homes. That pushed the budget up further. Eventually after several unexpected, unrelated delays I chose a firm to do the job. Work was schedule to commence on March 1st 2010.

The Catalogue of Errors Commences.

The Bathroom firm guy decided he didn't need to survey the job. First mistake, I should have insisted he did it. The Thursday before the job was to commence the plumber hadn't made contact to see what the job entailed. First phone call to the Bathroom Firm produces a call back from the plumber who promptly visits to reconnoitre the job. He turned out to be an efficient softly spoken Irish guy who turned up promptly on March 1st and striped out the old bathroom and disposed of it.

Tiles clattered off the walls showing flaws in the under rendering. This indicated a mistake in the make up of the original rendering mix and is most probably the reason hairline cracks have appeared in the rooms.

Plumber Tony went to the Bathroom firm to collect the good that we had been assured were already in waiting to be collected. Wrong. The Toilet unit was not the design I had indicated that I wanted, so that was returned. Worse still the shower tray hadn't arrived. It was vital that it was in positioned before the plasterers commenced their work. Two days delay followed.

Enter the Plasterers. They hadn't been primed on the full extent of the job. Far from the simple one day job they expected this would be a two day job which took them into their weekend. Oh yes somehow they managed to cause a pipe to start pouring water. They stopped it somehow and wedged a tilted bucket under it. A little later the when off to 'get some bits'. While they were gone I heard water running and investigating found to my horror water running through the ceiling into the lounge. As fast as I found a bowl to catch it, it cascaded through in another place. four bowls and buckets later I realised I had to give up and dashed upstairs to try and stop the deluge. Water was pouring from the pipe and cascading out of the bucket in to the floor space. I yanked the bucket out and threw the contents out of the window and shoved it back. A desperate call to the plumber got his answer phone. A call to 'Himself ' was the only answer I needed help desperately. Struggling with the controlls on the pipe I actually managed to get it to stop and I went down to survey the damage. My saviour in the form of 'Himself turned up and fixed the pipe so it couldn't leak again and we set about mopping up.

The plasterers eventually returned after the emergency was dealt with and did their job. Some of the original render had to hacked off the walls and replaced. The remaining original render just sucked up the PVA applied to it before the plaster could be applied. The guys weren't the tidiest of workers. The dust I sort of expected but plaster from back garden through the house to the front garden I didn't. They did clear up. Well, in their fashion. It took us both, several hours to clean after they had gone.

Tony the Plumber turned up again Monday morning to experience another another setback. The lovely smooth glossy white wet wall shower panels I had hoped for would not sit against the walls as hoped. The walls were just too irregular. The original builders obviously didn't know what a plumb line was for and the plasters had follower the original contours of the wall. Enter Tony the Tiler. A lovely little Italian guy. The plumber and the tiler had a conflab and came to the conclusion that the wet wall panels would not be suitable and leaking problems would soon develop after the job was completed.

Severely disappointed and dispirited at 4.30 in the afternoon I got in the car to search for suitable tiles before they all closed for the night. After a search of the Tile Warehouses I eventually arrived home with 12 square meters of white tiles and another box of floor tiles as the original estimation of the amount we needed for the floor by the sales person was wrong.

Tony the plumber had also returned with the replacement loo. Ok, it still wasn't right but I can live with it but It didn't have a soft close lid which we wanted. Another replacement is being awaited for.

Tony the Tiler arrived promptly this morning and set to work tiling the wonky walls. It's not proving to be easy for him but he so far doing a great job.

Well thats the tale of woes so far. Please, please let the rest of the job go smoothly!!!