Jan/Feb/Mar 2021 ….. almost the last brick in the wall

24 January – Hazels does not often look like this!

It’s Layla here and I cannot resist saying that I think most of our readers need to go to Spec Savers! Strongly encouraged by me, Moses was very clear in his December 2020 posting that we three would not be issuing any more updates until the house was more or less complete (inside at least!). And then what happens? After 31st January and 28th February (and now even into March), we have been inundated with messages via email, WhatsApp, text and (wonders will never cease) telephone, querying whether an important entry had been missed………

So, much against my superior feline judgement, I have been persuaded to publish this ‘update’ in late March. However, even I can admit that Mr Rod and SWhoMBO have taken some tolerably good snaps in recent months, particularly when we had snow at the end of January.

24 January – Even the driveway has a smattering

24 January – The South Face

24 January – View from the Gardener’s Loo

24 January – View from Oriental Bedroom

24 January – View from Oriental bathroom

24 January – View from Scandi bedroom

Freddie is where he should NOT be

Progress – Staircase

19 January – Equipment in place

19 January – The first two steps

19 January – Main flight in place

19 January – Phil shows his strength

19 January – Equipment does its stuff

19 January – Michael gets down to business

19 January – Old Staircase Repositioned

20 January – New Staircase Standing Proud

20 January – Michael Works on Bottom Two Steps

09 February – New Staircase Waiting for the Glass

09 February – Work on the Balustrade

09 February – Looking down into the hall

04 March – Glazing applied to balustrade

04 March – Glazing Applied to Bannisters

04 March – Looking up to the landing

Progress – Fixed Glazing Repair

The fixed glazing panel over the front door failed and so the oak frame company (Oakwrights) had to return to replace it. This proved to be quite a big job.

19 January – Scaffold Tower in Place

19 January – Ready to Go

19 January – About to take out the old glass

19 January – Ready for the New Glass

19 January – New glass in place

Progress – Utility Area

19 January – A Proper Door at last!

19 January – And the Skirting Boards have it!

19 January – Skirting boards move round the corner

09 February – Ready for the hanging out the rainy day washing

Progress – Kitchen

09 February – Carol working on internal dividing doors

23 February – Brick Slips Ready

23 February – Brick Slips halfway there

25 February – Clock Wall completed

25 February – Smaller Wall completed

Freddie checks out the new tap!

Progress – Wood Burning Stove

23 February – Brick work completed

23 February – ready for the wooden shelf

25 February – Ready for the first fire

Progress – Oriental Bedroom

19 January – Dennis and Mr Rod put together the wardrobes

09 February – And then there were doors

09 February – ‘Her’ Wardrobe

09 February – ‘His’ Wardrobe

09 February – SWhoMBO just loves that fan

Progress – Sauna

We think that this will definitely be one of Mr Rod and SWhoMBO’s favourite places in the years to come. (I really cannot see the attraction myself!) The sauna cabin kit arrived from Finland, to great excitement.

22 March – It’e even starting to look like a sauna!

22 March – “Come on in”

22 March – Insulation and supporting frame

24 March – Lined with aspen woods

24 March – Just the benches and the stove to come

STOP PRESS:

The sauna stove arrived from Finland on the afternoon of Friday 26 March.

Post Bag

Moses was relieved that he can still draw in the fan mail. This first one is from the Compton Couple:

“Hello Moses (and your two underlings – SWhoMBO and Mr Rod!)

Thank you for the last blog of 2020 which was a glory to read and behold! It was good to see that you, Layla and Freddie are taking it easy at last. 

Here we must also mention the talented Witley artist whose beautiful picture may just appear on The Antiques Roadshow in 100 or so years!

Well done … that familiar phrase “Didn’t they do well” springs to mind! Apart from you, please remind us who exactly is the driving force behind this project as they deserve many congratulations on this wonderful achievement!   We’re sure they would be much in demand to oversee a similar venture ….. did we just hear a few expletives?“

He was also delighted to hear from Apple:

“Thank you for the Christmas edition – your new home looks amazing. You must be thrilled that all your plans came together and it must have been lovely to be able to celebrate Christmas there. That will be a special memory. With love and very best wishes for your new life. in your new home.”

And Guildford Girl did not let him down either:

“Well Moses, I’m sure you must all be exhausted after so many years of meticulously organising and reporting back on all aspects of the build, but think of all the experience and skills you have acquired. You could set up your own project-management company and offer your services to mankind in perpetuity.
Or just rest for a year or two in order to recuperate from all your hard work……….. Well done and congratulations to all of you on such a splendid result!”

Moses hoped that the Chief Spa Sister would be enthusiastic and so she was:

“Wow! Your new place looks simply fantastic – thank you so much for sharing the journey with us all, it’s been an amazing ride!”

He was thrilled to hear again from the Surrey Foundling:

“Great news that you are comfortable in your new home. Your taste is great – I absolutely love the cascade lamp, really beautiful. The bathrooms and kitchen are magnificent and as long as there are enough cosy places for the 3 of you, everything is perfect. Definitely a good end to 2020. Love the photos and cartoons as well – so, thank you.” 

Moses always looks forward to receiving photos and jokes from Helsinki, and he has not been disappointed in recent months.

Helsinki Sailing

The final note is from Mikal’s Mate:

“Just read the blog. It looks simply wonderful. Minimalistic Scandinavian style. The photo with all the wooden arcs and white walls has something zen-like in it, you can just admire it and let your mind rest. And the waterfall lights, stunning detail that one as well. And the Scandi bathroom’s play of lights and, well, everything. Top notch! By the way, I thought the ladders are just the right thing in the Scandi bedroom.”

Topical Humour

 

Trump Humour

I never thought I would miss all the humorous potential of the previous incumbent of the White House. But, life can seem quite dull without the frisson of excitement about “what will he do next?”

So, I could not resist sharing these three below:

What’s Next?

I have to say that I could not resist a little smirk when I heard that Mr Rod and SWhoMBO were telling anyone who would listen that the builders were finishing work for Easter on Wednesday 24 March and the intrepid pair were planning to move in just before Easter. You should have seen what the house looked like first thing in the morning!

08:00 on Wednesday 24 March

08:01 on Wednesday 24 March

However, I have to say that even I was impressed by the transformation at 4 o’clock!

16:00 on Wednesday 24 March

16:01 on Wednesday 24 March

There is still a long snagging list but they truly are very nearly there.

The deep cleaning company and the window cleaner are booked for Sunday 28 March and the plan is for everyone to be moved in by Friday 2 April 2021.

There will be a final blog at the end of April to show you what the finished product looks like.

Until then – this gives you a flavour of our spring entertainment

December 2020 – More Home than Building Site!

Hazels – View from the South

Hello everyone! It is Moses here for the final new Hazels blog of 2020.

I do hope you like this stunning picture of the house by a very talented young artist from Witley. (Apparently, the mathematics required were especially challenging!) It was a surprise Christmas gift for Mr Rod and he is absolutely delighted with it. He now wants to find the perfect display spot to show it off to its best advantage.

I am aware that SWhoMBO was not at all sure whether it was appropriate to post anything this month, bearing in mind the increasing challenges of the virus and its new strains. However, Layla, Freddie and I (with a little assistance from Mr Rod) have persuaded her that it is indeed necessary as a ‘thank you’ to the small group of people who have worked so hard in recent weeks to ensure that it was possible to ‘move in for Christmas’.

So, this blog posting is dedicated to Michael (kitchen builder and supervisor of everything coming in and going out); Phil (bathroom fitter and creator of cat ramps); Dan (electrician and magician for creating the cascade light); Carol (determined painter of blue and yet more blue); Dennis (furniture builder and lover of cake); and Robert (turns his hand to anything Mr Rod requires). Thank you all SO much for your loyalty, your attention to detail and for never losing your sense of humour. You are all worth your weight in pot noodles.

And, of course, the three of us felines have been extremely busy in the last month planning our strategy for when we finally move out from the barn and take possession of our new abode. You can see evidence of all this hard work in the photo below:

Please wake us when it is all over!

Building Progress in December

There has been a flurry of activity during in December to transform the building site into something resembling a home. However, it has also been quite stressful too with 18 internal doors being ‘lost in transit’. It’s not complete yet but we are secretly delighted with how it is looking so far.

14 Dec – SWhoMBO is so pleased with the cascade lights 

18 Dec – Kitchen island awaiting overhead lightbulbs

18 Dec – Pantry (with wine racks already filled – Mr Rod always gets his priorities right!)

18 Dec – Pantry open for business! 

18 Dec – Utility (now only need to decipher how appliances work!) 

22 Dec – Cleaning complete and ready to move in

22 Dec – something to frighten the deer!

24 Dec – Ready for the first bath

You may recall that this was a little closer to the bathroom Mr Rod was hoping for, so he may be just a tad disappointed!

24 Dec – Ready to make a splash

24 Dec – Oriental bedroom ready to roll!

24 Dec – After this bed, Mr Rod can tackle any furniture assembly

24 Dec – Scandi bedroom all ready for guests who cannot stay!

24 Dec – Freddie has his eye on that sofa!

24 Dec – Mr Rod is not yet persuaded about the ladder……

24 Dec – Scandi bathroom

24 Dec – Scandi Shower

24 Dec – Kitchen ready for Christmas

24 Dec – Well, the island is ready!

24 Dec – View of kitchen and oriental bathroom from outside

25 Dec – A beautiful sunny day!

25 Dec- The long view of the kitchen

25 Dec – Table set for Christmas lunch

25 Dec – we cats love all the light

Freddie’s December Postbag

Perhaps unsurprisingly, there were a number of comments about the kitchen, and especially about the island unit.

Puttenham Pal “I can’t wait for the house opening. I see the kitchen is all prepared with the must have telly!!”

“It really is beginning to look like a fantastic house and we hope you are thrilled with it when you finally moved in. We think the kitchen with its perfectly sized worktop is a triumph. You will remember we are great believers that small(er) is beautiful.” Francophile Friends. They also sent this amusing piece:

“We have started to select my eight discs to take with us if we ever get stranded on that kitchen island.” Pewley Pair

“Oh my goodness Freddie, we just love the comment regarding the Desert Island Discs!
What amazing progress! Your blog is great but could we venture to mention one possible typo?
We refer to the two photos of the pantry, the first featuring his and her wine fridges and the second entitled ‘ready for the ice sink’, we are certain that this should read ’mice sink’ for where else will Mr Rod be able to wash the muddy rodent offerings you bring to him?” The Compton Couple

They also sent this great card, which of course is my favourite one as it features me (…………………ok, and my friends!)

“Oh Freddie, you have managed to paint a very descriptive picture of life at Hazels. It’s been a very emotional month for everyone and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Mr Rod and SWhoMBO finally celebrate their 1st Christmas in the new Hazels. Wouldn’t that be something!” Guildford Girl

Thank you so much for the latest Brick in the Wall – I’m so glad the three of you were able to bring peace between Mr Rod and SwhoMBO and I hope in the planning of their new home they’ve considered that you need easy access to various cosy corners – I seem to remember you had to negotiate a rather precarious ladder to get into the Barn if they were too busy to open the door for you. We all loved the Trump jokes. Now your literary skills are so well honed, we look for more things to cheer us up once the House episodes are complete – do you think it will ever be really finished? Maidstone Mister 

Mikal’s Mate wrote: “Just read the blog and, as a true storyteller, Freddie kept the most important piece of news until the very end – celebrating Christmas in the new home. Wonderful! The kitchen looks very nice and the quartz countertop evidently should be considered exactly the correct size!” She also sent this wonderful photo of an iconic Helsinki building on a dark December evening –

Helsinki City Theatre sings the covid-blues

and also this picture of one of the largest Christmas trees ever seen in Helsinki (20m tall and weighing nearly 5 tons) –

Senate Square

Finally, the Malax Macaroons sent this wonderful photo of their gingerbread house to die for:

and also of this year’s special Christmas mulled wine:

Cat Christmas Humour

SWhoMBO was disappointed this Santa got lost!

We Three Kings from Tier ?

The best laid plans!

Driving Home for ……..????

I wonder what would have happened if SWhoMBO had tried this?

There’s nothing like panto humour!

What a shame we have no doggies to blame!

Layla looks just like that……!!

That’s certainly one way to celebrate…..

Thanks very much to Putney Playmate for the last two.

 

What next?

This is the 33rd posting and we will probably be publishing just one more blog – but only when all the internal work is finished. Thanks very much for all your support and encouragement over the months.

The travel plans for the New Year celebration later tonight are now all sorted – Mr Rod and SWhoMBO cannot wait!

I would just like to wish you all a very happy 2021 with the hope that the next year will be far less challenging than this one has proved to be.

These final pictures provide hope that spring will soon be on its way: 

Thursley Common

Come on you reds!

Great George Street

********************************************************************************************

November 2020 – Kitchen Kapers

Freddie here this month. Before you all start shouting, I know that ‘Kapers’ is spelt with a ‘C’ but I just thought it looked good starting with a ‘K’!

I believe the new house is now looking pretty good from along the lane. We three felines are not supposed to run the gauntlet of combustion engine and velocipede, but how do the humans think they are going to stop us walking down to the road?

House framed by autumn branches and hedges

The lull before the storm

Goodness me, what a time it has been here at Hazels since Layla last reported in to you at the end of October. Actually, we three felines felt had exhausted a month’s worth of emotional angst by the end of the second day, as you will see below.

Arrival of Kitchen Worktop – Monday 2 November

This was indeed an auspicious day as the quartz kitchen island worktop was due to be delivered. It all started bright and early and SWhoMBO was there ready and wielding the camera on her trusty mobile phone.

Island in Readiness for Worktop (1)

Island in Readiness for Worktop (2)

Drawers ready for action

The team arrived early and soon got to work manoeuvring the pieces of quartz into the house. Each of the two island slabs weighs about 300kg! (Apparently, the wheel contraption they use to help weighs almost as much!)

Unloading 300 kgs of Worktop (1)

Unloading 300 kgs of Worktop (2)

Carefully does it!

Hmmm …. how do we manage this?

Half in Place

Both Pieces in Place

Pantry Slab

Finishing Touches (1)

Finishing Touches (2)

All Done!

When SWhoMBO came over to check that all was in order, she was so pleased UNTIL the moment when she noticed that (stunning though it was) the worktop was 30cm short (3.9m long instead of 4.2m) – there was overhang on the western side but none on the northern end! As I am sure you can imagine, she was not at all happy. But when I casually mentioned to Layla that in my view pandemonium had broken out, she was at pains to assure me that SWhoMBO’s reaction was certainly not one of ‘unrestrained disorder or tumult’, and that there was no scene of ‘wild riotous uproar, utter chaos, or abode of demons’ – you could have fooled me!

Mr Rod was summoned immediately from the Godalming office and he too was somewhat shocked for a while after inspecting the worktop. He had been the one who particularly wanted to have five bar stools round the two sides of overhang. The stone and granite company readily admitted that the error was indeed theirs and made a number of suggestions to resolve the problem, including replacing the whole thing. However, having taken such a long time to find exactly the piece of quartz they wanted and knowing that the second lockdown would make identifying a replacement extremely difficult within the timescales, Mr Rod and SWhoMBO reached a compromise with the company. After all, it is a first world problem!

They decided to keep the worktop (in fact, it is now perfectly symmetrical and the requested item would have been quite long anyway), accept a refund plus the offer of making a garden table from an ‘off cut’. There will now be three stools at the kitchen island unit and our intrepid pair have alternative plans for the other two.

Phew – major crisis averted!

Further Kitchen/Pantry/Utility Progress

Kitchen – Winning the battle of the doors!

Pantry – ‘His’ and ‘Her’ Wine Fridges

Pantry – ready for the Ice Sink

Utility – Just waiting for final touches

Let There be Light

Our electrician, Dan, has been working wonders to get all the lights in the house up and running. He has complained (softly and only occasionally) that Mr Rod works on the principle that if you can have one electrical socket, then you might as well have two (or three, or four)!

One of 32 uplighters!

Looking up to the Landing

Looking West

The Scandi Triangles

Scandi Shower Room

Looking South

The North Face

The South Face

The Staircase Arrives on 27 November

But, where are the apples?

35 Packages – who’s good at staircase jigsaws?

What’s New in the Postbag

Kitchen in Bacchus Marsh, Australia

Only a few hours after the October blog was published, the whole family was delighted to receive this photo and message from the Down Under Dudes (aka Colin and Ali): “Gudday! Well, isn’t it coming along brilliantly.  When saw pictures of your kitchen was amazed how close in colour to ours and so thought would share.  Hopefully we can come and see Hazels first hand some time soon!  Similarly, very much hope we see you out here at some point. Take care and love seeing the brick coming flying.”

This was swiftly followed by a message and photo from Hong Kong Buddy: “Thanks Layla for the informative and funny posting! I am pleased to see real progress is being made. Hope you will all be cozily settled in the manor by Christmas…. such is my confidence in the builders and from personal experience !!! They seem to take forever and really test one’s patience! Well the end is here now so we can chill our champagne and wait to hear more good news !! You and your feline siblings better mark your territories now before Mr Rod and SheWhoMBO get there before you.  Take care and keep the blog coming.”

‘Cheers’ from Shatin, HK 

And of course Layla was pleased to receive yet another encouraging note from Guildford Girl: “Well, another superb blog from one very talented female feline. So near, yet so far from moving in! Keeping my fingers and toes crossed that you will be in for Christmas. Who would have thought that the build would take so long? Keep up the outstanding work and the next weeks will fly by.”

She was also interesting to receive the following missive from the Compton Couple, with the tantalising challenge at the end: “When we saw your Blog heading we were worried that the entire Hazel’s work gang, SWhoMBO and Mr Rod had succumbed to a new virus – Wintirfylleth! We should have realised that such an intelligent cat would want to share her knowledge on October facts and not another pandemic! We were thrilled to see such progress in the house, now fast becoming a home. Have you chosen exactly which drawer in the blue kitchen island unit to store those little rodents  you bring in for Mr Rod? We hope that SWhoMBO’s driven STAKE of moving in by the end of November comes true and that a celebratory STEAK can be prepared by Mr Rod with the inevitable glass or two!” 

(It needs to be stated that an end of November move-in has not happened but SWhoMBO is holding Mr Rod to a celebratory steak and the inevitable BOTTLE or two when that day does occur! Ed)

News of Mr Rod’s love of sunflowers has clearly spread far and wide beyond Hambledon. He was both amused and excited to receive this jolly looking face mask from the Pilates Princess.  

Mr Rod’s Favourite Face Mask

Mikal’s Mate wrote from Helsinki: “Luckily you managed to do the essential IKEA shopping before the restrictions got more strict! It was so exciting to see the interior photos showing progress- and I stopped for a while to admire the view from the bedroom windows. Beautiful! The blue kitchen will be equally beautiful. Hopefully, the quartz countertop has arrived safely and matching perfectly. Maybe I have been watching too many TV renovation programmes in which there are always last minute surprises………… Let’s hope your ‘Grand Design’ project will progress steadily and the move in day won’t be too far from the planned date.” (How little did she realise the truth! Ed)

Then, Espoo Espresso (Mikal’s Mate’s sister) was very quick off the mark (there is an obscure joke here) to share with us the ‘white stuff’ photo and a Finnish funny.

Tapiola, Finland – Early morning snow 

A prize for who can tell the difference!

It seems that everyone is out walking, walking, walking during these days of lockdown and some days have even proved to be sunny! Thanks to friends who sent these photos.

The seemingly endless Thursley Common

The beautiful Hascombe valley

Cat Humour

It certainly makes a change from ‘sleeps’!

I thought of the Young Master when I saw this

The old jokes are still the funny ones! 

This really could be Moses and Layla talking!

  Oh no! Call the RSPCA! Just because you don’t want us to walk across the Zoom screen…..                                                                             

Next candidate please!

How about this for a novel Christmas Gift?

Trump Humour

My fellow felines and I will be very sorry indeed when this current source of humour dries up. In the meantime, please enjoy my favourite ‘the Donald’ jokes from recent weeks.

It’s a brave person who dares to contradict………

Now why would he say that? 

Groan!

Time will tell!

Let’s wait and see!

A message to us all

You could (almost) feel sorry for him…….

NEXT MONTH – DECEMBER!

As you may just have noticed, moving in by the end of November has not been achieved – these final tasks taking far far longer than ever envisaged, and there are STILL yet more decisions to be made! However, it looks as though some of the rooms – kitchen/family and ‘oriental’ bedroom/bathroom – will be sufficiently finished in December so that Mr Rod and SWhoMBO can spend the five days of Christmas in their new home.

In the meantime, Moses, Layla and I will continue to enjoy strolling down the lane to enjoy the longview of the house from the road.

October 2020 – Wintirfylleth

 

Exterior View of Hazels from the North

Exterior View of Hazels from the South

 

Enjoying the last of the autumn sunshine

Layla here again reporting for duty and, whilst absorbing the rays, I have been musing about the various associations with the month of ‘October’:

• The Saxons called the month Winterfylleth because it had the first full moon of winter season.
• October 2020 has had two full moons. The first  – the Harvest Moon – appeared on Thursday 1 October. The second – the Hunter’s Moon – could be seen earlier today on Saturday 31 October and is special for two reasons: it’s a rare Halloween full moon and also a Blue Moon. (I am convinced that this Blue Moon must have influenced ‘some one’s’ crisis of confidence about the two-tone hues planned for the kitchen……………….)
• The Welsh for October is Hydref (originally Hyddfref), a word signifying the lowing of cattle;
• The ‘October Revolution’ in Russia in 1917 took place in November, but at the time Russians had not yet changed from the Julian calendar;
• October is not mentioned in any Shakespeare play or sonnet.

I am incredulous that our intrepid duo ventured to IKEA in Southampton today (Halloween), in advance of Boris’s latest message to the nation this evening. They have returned safely with some ‘stuff’ and are still married (just!) 

The stake of moving in by the end of November has been planted very very firmly in the ground by SWhoMBO but even she appreciates that some things just cannot be rushed. And now that we are about to enter a second phase of lockdown, there could be further inevitable and unavoidable delays. 

I can hear you ask what about progress on the house build? Well, what about the progress indeed! There has been great activity on the part of Michael/Tonic, Phil, Dan, Carol and Robert, so the interior is now starting to look more like a proper dwelling at long last.  

Progress by Tuesday 6 October

Dining Hall

Garden Loo

Hall

Kitchen – undercoat applied

Pantry in the making

Utility Area in the making

Sauna/Bastu area being painted

Phil at work laying Landing floor

Landing Lighting

Landing beams still clad

‘Oriental’ Bedroom Floor Complete

‘Oriental’ Bedroom Looking North

Study – Car Boot Sale anyone?

‘Scandi’ Bedroom awaiting wooden floor

View from ‘Scandi’ Dressing Room

‘Scandi’ Bedroom – and the paint goes on (and on)

‘Scandi’ Shower Room – tiling almost complete 

Progress by Friday 9 October

Kitchen Family Area

Kitchen Island

Kitchen Island ‘feeling blue’!

Utility Area Tall Cupboards

Utility Washing/Drying Area 

Pantry

Sitting Room

Landing Wooden Flooring 

‘Oriental’ Bathroom

‘Oriental’ Bathroom Shower Area

‘Scandi’ bedroom flooring nearly complete

‘Scandi’ bedroom men at work

Progress by Tuesday 13 October

Kitchen Craftsmen

Cutting in for electrical sockets

Progress on Monday 19 October 

Hall

Dining Area

Atrium

Bath In Waiting

‘Scandi’ Bedroom Floor Completed

Progress by Wednesday 28 October 

Ready for quartz work top to be fitted on Monday 2 November

And the ‘blue’ goes on!

Painters Paradise

Utility Area taking shape

Post Bag

I was so amused to observe that after Moses completely failed in his duty to issue his September blog before the end of the month, some readers added to his shame by commenting upon his lapse! The Compton Couple even wrote a poem:

“We’re sorry sweet Moses
In doghouse you poses
But now we supposes
You’re back on your toe-sies
As info you noses
So all will be roses
By weekend we’ll know-sies
How progress did grow-sies”

“Can’t wait Moses. Get your pen out.” Puttenham Pal

The ‘usual suspects’ were then very quick to wield their quills once Moses had finally got his act together:

“Oh my, Moses! This is all becoming so exciting! The end is nigh, in the nicest possible way.
What on earth will you three do when SWhoMBO and Mr Rod finally move in and there’s no more reporting to do??? Can’t wait for the ‘almost there’ blog.” Guildford Girl

“Looks fantastic and what great progress this month. As you say ‘not long now’ but I do hope Layla Moses and Freddie have sorted out where they will be claiming as their spaces in their new home. The jokes were fun as well and I particularly like the idea of a wine bed.” The Foundling

“Well done Moses! It all looks wonderful especially the beautiful beams against the newly painted walls. We were very relieved to see those ‘electrifying’ photos, taken on SWhoMBO’s birthday, of the trench connecting the house to the mains. They were particularly apt BUT, knowing SWhoMBO and Mr Rod’s penchant for chilled G & T’s, rose wine and champagne, can that little cable really provide sufficient power to fulfil their needs?” The Compton Couple (What can they possibly mean? Ed)

“Another brilliant blog and I’m so thrilled to hear that you should be moving in by the end of November. Can’t wait to see the pictures when it’s all finished and ready to go.” Spa Sister

Maikl’s Mate: “Just read the blog and wondering if you will be able to sleep or are you fine-tuning the plans and schedules. Or maybe you will take the more feline approach – ‘wake me up when it is all over!’ Cannot wait to see the painted kitchen cabinets.

I thought you might like to like to see this ‘environmental art with power’ in Helsinki –

The little watermill produces the power you can see……..

……… in the meter reading above

– and the USB port gives passers-by the chance to charge their mobile phones!“

From further to the west of Finland (on the Gulf of Bothnia) the Ekman family sent these photos in relation to their own exciting new building project:

Sunset near Vasa/Vaasa in early October

The new Bastu/Sauna – by night

The new Bastu/Sauna – by day

A little closer to home, Nick the Lens shot these stunning photos in Hambledon Hurst:

Magical toadstools

Tree mushrooms

CAT HUMOUR

Mr Rod celebrated a significant birthday this month. (Mind you, considering that he is supposed to be a grown up now, it is extraordinary how much pleasure he derives from three and a half weeks’ proclaiming he is a year younger than SWhoMBO!) Moses, Freddie and I were very entertained by a number of his greeting cards:

Guess how many of these I have tried?

Team Sport!

Some of Mr Rod’s friends have such vivid imagination!

Definitely my way of thinking…………..

Again, I felt compelled to include some topical humour here:

So many questions………….

Well, it’s very possible!

You couldn’t make it up!

A good read!

It just might catch on

Last weekend I understood just how he felt!

Looking forward to November

There is the excitement of the quartz kitchen worktop arriving on Monday 2 November and further work will continue in the kitchen, utility area and pantry, as well as in the bath/shower rooms.

Just in case they want to build another house, never say I don’t do my homework!

Maybe there will be a crock of gold at the end of all this…!!

September 2020 – Counting Down the Days!

Oh dear, oh dear – I was in such big trouble with SWhoMBO on the evening of 30 September when the blog was not ready to roll. Very patiently, I tried to explain to her that WordPress has moved into the next century with a new block editor format (which is not all intuitive, at least not to me) but she was having none of that. I also pointed out that she was not around when I needed her input most, because she had swanned off with Mr Rod and friends to enjoy herself. But, this too fell on deaf ears. ‘Moses’ was not a name she used together with any kind words for a few days.

Of course, Mr Rod and the Young Master did not help the situation on Wednesday by maintaining to SWhoMBO that it was really of very little consequence if the September blog was not published in September. I am sure you can imagine that this assertion did not go down particularly well (especially as it was the first time this has happened!)

Am I bothered? Not really, I only care about being fed!

Anyway, onwards and upwards. I am pleased to report that the dust has now settled. There are so many more new decisions to be made that SWhoMBO has not got the leisure of time to be cross with me for long.  

Well, I am delighted too report that we are now all daring to start to count down the days to move in. At the beginning of September, the ground floor painting started – far easier than on the first floor because the ceilings are so much lower.

10 September – Ground Floor Painting (1)

                                                     10 September – Ground Floor Painting (2)

And ground floor tiling expended by the day to become an ocean. It then needed to be covered with a protective cloth so that the kitchen units could be stored prior to be fitted. 

                                                          10 September – Utility Room Tiling 

                                              10 September – Ground Floor Tiling with Cover (1)

10 September – Ground Floor Tiling with Cover (2)

 10 September – Ground Floor Tiling with Cover (3)

10 September – Ground Floor Tiling with Cover (4)

Thursday 17 September was a most auspicious day, with so many deliveries that the ‘Oh dear, what can the matter be?’ visitor arrival tune was called into action more times than any of us could count. In the late morning, I spied some white vans and wandered over to see what was happening – the units for the kitchen, pantry and utility room had arrived.

17 September – Kitchen etc Units Arrive (1)

                                                    17 September – Kitchen etc Units Arrive (2)

17 September – Mr Rod Checks off the Kitchen Units

17 September – Kitchen Units etc Arrive (3)

Once in situ, they will be painted – pale (‘Swedish’) blue for the tall kitchen units and the utility room, and darker (‘Baize’) blue for the island unit and the pantry. A gazebo has been erected outside in the garden to do the spraying there.

I have to say that I reserve judgement about this. For once, I agree with Layla (and she is never one to hold back on the barbed comments) that perhaps next time Mr Rod should miss out the middle man and put the cash straight into the bin!

17 September – Gazebo for painting the kitchen (1)

17 September – Gazebo for painting the kitchen (2)

The electricity used for the various trades in the house had previously gone to the small ‘tea shed’ outside. At last, electricity would be connected directly to the house. The saga about how difficult SSE have made this (seemingly simple task) could run and run.

  17 Sept – Final trench to connect electricity to house (1)

17 Sept – Final trench to connect electricity to house (2)

17 Sept – Final trench to connect electricity to house (3)

I can report that Monday 21 September also proved to be a very busy day indeed.

                                         21 September – Ready for the Cabinets & Appliances (1)

                                       21 September – Ready for the Cabinets & Appliances (2)

21 September – Kitchen Cabinets Revealed (1)

21 September – Kitchen Cabinets Revealed (2)

21 September – Kitchen Cabinets Revealed (3)

21 September – Kitchen Appliances Arrive (1)

21 September – Kitchen Appliances Arrive (2)

                                              21 September – First Floor Wooden Flooring Arrives

26 September – Kitchen Starts to Take Shape (1)

26 September – Kitchen Starts to Take Shape (2)

26 September – Kitchen Start to Take Shape (3)

After all the beams were covered up earlier in the year (as above), after being cleaned but before plastering and painting, it was so exciting to see the first floor oak revealed once again in all its glory. 

26 September – First Floor Reveal (Scandi Bedroom) 1

                                               26 Sept – First Floor Reveal (Scandi Bedroom) 2

26 September – First Floor Reveal (Scandi Dressing Room)

26 September – First Floor Reveal (Oriental Bedroom)

26 September – First Floor Reveal (Towards Oriental Bathroom)

26 September – First Floor Reveal (Oriental Bathroom – 1)

26 September – First Floor Reveal (Oriental Bathroom – 2)

September Post Bag

Thank you so very much to everyone who sent such supportive messages of sympathy about SWhoMBO’s special friend Julia. A large number of you reminded her that, despite being unable to share any more lunches, visits or laughter together, she still has all those wonderful memories about those ‘fun times’ that will keep Julia firmly in her mind.

First out of the bag in September was this from Maidstone Mister: “Dear Freddie, Thank you so much for the most interesting tour in August. I thought the diagram for the ground source heating was in fact Mr Rod’s computer wiring to improve his sunflower’s even more! “

I see what he means!!!!

But HongKong Buddy was also most intrigued about the ground source heating plan, as you will see: “Hello Freddie, so excited to read all about the news at Hazels. It seems much has been achieved in August – no doubt SWhoMBO must be cracking her whips!!!! The Ground Source Heating Pipe Plan baffles me – why do you have to heat up the whole of Surrey before heating up Hazels?!! I I am also intrigued to know what is Floor Decoupling Membrane ?! I must get in touch with the 22nd Century technology !!!! Please convey my congratulations to Mr Rod for his magnificent garden …. I am so envious of all the homegrown vegetables not to mention the Olympic size Sunflowers !!!!! Hope all is well with Humans and Felines at Hazels?“

I do hope I can reassure Hong Kong Buddy by confirming that the Ground Source Heating System takes the solar heat stored in the ground and amplifies it to heat the house (the opposite of a fridge). Also, a decoupling membrane is always recommended where there is a large area of tiling, to stop the tiles from cracking if the foundations expand or contract.

SWhoMBO was also delighted to receive from Hong Kong Buddy this photo of her 60th birthday supper with ‘the girls’ in Bel and the Dragon. How little did we realise that this sort of gathering would be illegal only five years on!

No more than 6 permitted now!

(And this was the birthday girl in September 2019)

Puttenham Pal always makes lovely comments that make Mr Rod’s head swell: “I just wanted to say what wonderful Sunflowers! Well done Boss!”

Guildford Girl was not far behind with: “Dear Freddie What a huge step (paw?) forward with everything at Hazels. So exciting that the plastering and floor tiling are all but now complete, but sad that Mr Rod’s sunflowers have bitten the dust for another year. A month of highs and very sad lows. But perhaps the fact that the end is getting closer, will cheer everyone up.“

The Picket Pieces (formerly Folkestone Friends) kindly sent this ‘blast from the past’ photo:

Hand or Push Plate

This plate once adorned a door in the old Hazels – great to see it used again in more sympathetic surroundings. (Apparently, a push plate should be positioned with one edge 1 1/2 inches from the outer edge of the door and approximately 42 inches from the floor – I will closely question Brother John about this when I next see him!)

Mikal’s Mate sent another stunning Helsinki sunrise photo with the message: “Really glad to see the progress inside the house – and the cornucopia of Rod’s vegetable garden.”

Finally, from the Surrey Foundling: “Another great update and home is looking great with tiles now down and paintwork getting done. Almost there!”

The World According To Moses

I am disappointed to report that I do not have many entertaining pictures illustrating our current times to include for you. (Whilst there were some very amusing jokes – mainly from Mr Rod’s Andorra ski friends and Lady MeadowStray – most of these were firmly vetoed by SWhoMBO!)

So, that’s how you do it!

Undoubtedly a grape experience!

 I was very amused by one of the gifts SWhoMBO received for her birthday!

Putney Playmate drew this charming picture of ‘birthday relaxation’

For some reason, many people send SWhoMBO birthday cards with cats on the front. Why is this? 

I do not remember posing for this card!

This one captures my wide-eyed and innocent look……… 

What Happens In October?

• Kitchen units and appliances fitted and units painted
• Electrics completed
• Laying of first floor wooden flooring completed
• Bathrooms completed
• Sauna ordered
• The Pinnochio room in the barn continues to fill up with purchases for the house

• Mr Rod and SWhoMBO make final plans for moving in by the end of November, so they really will be counting the days!

“Wake me up when it is all over!”

September 2020 – Where did that month go?

Dear Readers

Moses here – there should have been a blog posting ready to go tonight.

However, Mr Rod and SWhoMBO returned late this afternoon after a few days away to find that I have been slacking on the job and have not yet completed my task.  Therefore, I am in the doghouse!

Many apologies but I truly hope that normal service will be resumed by the weekend and then you will be able to discover just what has been happening at Hazels during September.

August 2020 – “What fun!”

It is Freddie here this month as your tour guide. I came across this most strange diagram below and thought I should share it with you. It seems that the blue box at the bottom shows the location of Hazels new build, with the red and the yellow lines superimposed on the north field indicating the positioning of the ground source heating pipes.

Ah, so all this explains the large trenches that suddenly appeared in the top field.

House Progress

I am delighted to report that Dermot and his boys made an excellent job of the plastering. I felt quite sorry for them as they had to finish the job during that early August heat wave. However, because the house is so well-insulated, it was not nearly so hot as it might have been and all the doors could be left open. Recent visitors have all commented on the high standard of the plaster finish, and Mr Rod and SWhoMBO were very pleased with the final look.

The painting on the first floor is all but complete, with just the ‘snagging’ work outstanding. There was a little bit of excitement during that very gusty weather a week or so ago.  A firmly-closed tin of white paint was blown off the balcony and exploded open on impact, covering the kitchen patio doors and walls. Fortunately, it was spotted quickly by Phil and Dan, who worked really hard to clean it all away.

Simon and his team (Chris and Tyler) then arrived to lay the stone floor tiles on the whole of the ground floor and in the upstairs bathroom and shower areas. As with all jobs – the better the preparation, the better the end result. Simon spent a number of days preparing the floor and laying the decoupling membrane.

Simon then took his time to work our exactly where he should start and where the expansion joints should be placed. The first phase was all the difficult areas.

August Postbag

As ever, Guildford Girl was quick off the mark to respond to the July posting, but she really should not praise Layla so much: “Well, Layla, (the clever one), as always, you’ve summed up the last month most eloquently. Delighted that you’re all getting plastered so effectively and also that Mr Rod’s sunflowers are doing so well. All mine were eaten by some very persistent slugs that kept coming back for seconds, thirds, fourths…. you get the idea! Keep up the good work – not long now until the house warming”

Not far behind was Mikal’s Mate: “Great to see the progress of the interior work.  I had to google the ‘dram’ of the Pepys’ quote and the first hit was Dynamic Random Access Memory …….!! Thank you Layla for the entertaining selection of funny pictures. I also enjoyed the peaceful green views of the tea table near the weeping willow – the name of that tree is so poetic. Mr Rod’s vegetable garden is a delightful mix of precision and “flower power. However, I do not know who made the comparison between Michelangelo and the magic touch of Finnish sauna beer, but it is Karhu and certainly not Lapin Kulta! ” (Oops, I think SWhoMBO thought she would get away with that one!)

Remembering Julia

This blog post is dedicated to Julia Anderson – one of SWhoMBO’s dearest friends – who bravely (but sadly) died earlier this month after a fairly short but brutal illness, just a few days before her 66th birthday.

Julia was a very elegant person who had that enviable knack of choosing exactly the right outfit and accessories for each and every occasion. She was loyal, hard-working, set the highest standards for herself (and invariably for others, often to the rueful resignation of her adored husband Peter!) but she was very modest about all her achievements.  It is probably no exaggeration to say that she ‘ran Imperial College’, and was ‘a prime mover and shaker’ at the very least.

Whilst they had known each other from school days, it was mainly during the past twenty or so years as the ‘Ladies That Lunch’ trio (with Fantasy Flat Friend) that they had become particularly close. At least three times a year, it became their tradition to enjoy lunch at a different Michelin-starred restaurant, with a glass of champagne to start ‘just because it was a Friday!’  Julia was thrilled if she could combine a lunch with some retail therapy, as she just loved shopping.

SWhoMBO and Fantasy Flat Friend always remember Julia saying, ‘What fun!’ about so many things and marvel about how enthusiastic and supportive she was about everyone else’s plans and successes. Julia would have hated the safari holidays Fantasy Flat Friend goes on but always wanted to hear all about them, and was delighted when she started writing books. She loved all the plans for the new Hazels (although she could not comprehend how patient they were with the time it was taking), and she was often one of the first to comment each month on the blog.

Julia loved her garden in West Wickham and spent some of her happiest times either pottering about there or just enjoying what she had created. Her tulips brought her particular joy.

Dear Julia, we all promise to ‘have fun’ as often as possible and we will think of you whenever we do!

Mr Rod’s Sunflowers

All our readers cannot fail to be aware that Mr Rod is a most enthusiastic gardener:

Whilst his garden has yielded some very tasty vegetables this year (especially runner beans, potatoes, carrots, courgettes, peas, onions and sweet corn), it is his sunflowers that have the provided him with the most pleasure.

What a difference two weeks can make ……….

Everyone wants to get in on the act!

It seems that Mr Rod has definitely set a trend and all his friends want to prove that they are as clever as he when it comes to sunflower growing!

The Horsley Horticulturalists undoubtedly have a very beautiful garden and their sunflower specimens have reached a lofty height:

Fantasy Flat Friend shared these two photos of the sunflower on her balcony in Pimlico:

Mikal’s Mate sent this picture of the sunflower growing in the backyard of the house next door. It looks like it really wants to escape:

Finally, here below is a very fine photo from Czech Chick in Athens, taken whilst on her recent holiday in her motherland:

August Humour

I have been told that the statues at Helsinki Railway Station are wearing masks to remind commuters of the recommendation to use masks when travelling, at least during rush hours when social distancing is not so possible.

It would seem that on 26 August 2020, Finland considered that only Estonia, Latvia and Hungary were the only low risk countries in Europe!

What’s Happening in September?

• Floor tiling (ground and first floor) completed
• The ground floor painting completed
• Protective covering removed from the oak beams
• Bathrooms installed
• Kitchen units delivered and installation started
• Permanent staircase on its way

Moses will see you all at the end of September.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

July 2020 – We got plastered (well, nearly!)

At long last, we must be on the downhill stretch after many months of a roller-coaster ride of uncertainty, disappointment and excitement.

These next four photos (taken by the Witley Wonder) demonstrate that it is all worthwhile after all.

Layla (the clever one) here this month. On the hottest day of the year so far, I feel so sorry for the plasterers having to work in the house. I did overhear them saying to She Who Must be Obeyed (SWhoMBO) that, because the house is so well insulated,  it is not as bad as it could be.

House Progress

I am delighted to be able to report that the builders have moved on in leaps and bounds.

First Floor Plastering

Ground Floor Plaster Boarding 

Exploring the Grounds 

I am particularly fond of this ‘frame’ of the house, taken from the wood. (Shame about the green sheet to protect the window frames from the plaster.

Postbag

Puttenham Pal was quick off the mark to comment: “Well Moses, you have overseen a lot of hard work this month. It’s beginning to look habitable…..have you decided which bedroom you and your friends will occupy?? The Scandi or Oriental??? They both look much the same at the moment but I guess work during July will make a lot of difference!! Keep a watch on those wonderful Sunflowers ….they are clearly very important to Mr Rod”

Moses was absolutely thrilled to receive this from the Spa Girlies Leader: “Another lovely blog, which had me amazed, enthralled and in fits of laughter, THANK YOU!”

He was equally pleased with the comments from Mikal’s Mate and delighted the nod to Finland had been spotted: “As always, interesting to see the details of the different stages of interior work that needs to be done (and it always amazes me) but was nice to see progress with the vegetable garden. I know there are birch trees in England but, for me, the picture you chose for the atrium landing represents something Nordic / Scandinavian.” 

She also shared this photo of a concert last weekend in Helsinki:

Another Finnish friend sent these amusing picture pairs:

Fantasy Flat Friend always shares her best SW1 photos:

The Witley Wonder is sad that she cannot compete with the height of Mr Rod’s sunflowers but she is very proud of the colour of this one.

Maidstone Miss made a late, but welcome, entry with this fine, tall specimen:

Mr Rod Sunflowers

Vegetable Garden

Container Sunflowers

Mr Rod Garden

Someone else seems to like Mr Rod’s vegetable garden. And it drives us wild when we cannot get to him…………….

Layla Humour

During the last month, I have been gathering up all the funny pictures sent to SWhoMBO.

What’s Happening In August?

I can report that next month it will be all hands to the pump to move this project on.

• Finish the final plastering on ground floor
• Painting (everywhere!)
• Laying stone tiles on ground floor
• Laying wood on first floor
• Installing the bathrooms

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June 2020 – Plaster-Boarded (almost!)

It’s Moses here this time, to guide you through the month’s excitements. Although I have been sleeping for much of the time in June when it has been so hot, I have still been sufficiently alert at key moments to appreciate progress in the new house and, more importantly, the growth spurts in Mr Rod’s garden.

Layla, Freddie and I love to keep him company when he is tending his vegetables. (He should also have been nurturing the raspberries too, but some deer have beautifully ‘trimmed’ the tops of all the bushes!)

One of our favourite views of the new house is looking over the vegetable garden towards the east end.

PROGRESS REPORT 

Having carefully ‘wrapped up’ all the cleaned beams, it has been a long slog this month for Phil, Robert and Tonic to attach all the plaster boards. All the areas on the first floor have been particularly challenging as every section is a different shape, so there is no such thing as a standard template. I expect they will be absolutely delighted to finish this phase of the work!

The ‘blue’ plasterboard is acoustically insulated and is VERY heavy.

No, those black ‘medieval look’ beams will not feature in the final reckoning!

The atrium has been the hardest area to do – and if you do not have a head for heights, then this is definitely not a job for you!

So, the upstairs area is all but complete and the guys will now move down to start on the ground floor, which should be so much easier.

One team out from the upper floor, and another team in!

Bright and early on Tuesday 30 June, Dermot the plasterer arrived with his trailer-load of plaster.

By 16:00 he had ‘prepped’ the upper floor, ready for his team of four to start plastering on Wednesday 1 July.

Having waited nearly a month for a part to arrive from Poland, the wood burning stove was finally fully commissioned on Tuesday 30 June.

Mr Rod and SWhoMBO are very excited because they have chosen the miniature picture (created by Katherine) of birch trees that will be enlarged to become a feature picture on the atrium landing.

POST BAG

Freddie was very proud of the correspondence he received following his May posting and basked in the reflected glory of some complimentary comments:

Pewley Pair: “Love the long view, the house looks as though it has been there for ever.” 

Guildford Girl: “Another amazing account of life in Hambledon, Freddie! Progress has been phenomenal this month, with so many fabulous photos to back up your account. What on earth will you do with yourselves when all the work is finished and Mr Rod and SWhoMBO move into the completed house?”

Silva Soul: The house is really taking shape, and now that all the “boring” parts are taken care of, you all have the interior design delights lying ahead!  The house is very impressive, and sits beautifully in the landscape – a big improvement on its predecessor!   

A number of readers were particularly sympathetic about the annoying tune triggered by the movement detector on the driveway. (Note to Mr Rod – fix, fix, fix!)

The Foundling: “Well done Freddie, and what with having to cope with the sibling pair! Your new home looks fantastic.  I think “ oh dear what can the matter be” on multiple occasions would send me scatty ! Love the jokes as well –  could sadly relate to female coordinating clothes and masks problem as well!  Won’t be long now………….” 

Puttenham Pal: “Well done Freddie! You have been working very hard over the past month……sorting out the builders, the gardener, the heating system etc. Do let us know how the test run goes with the heating after all the trench digging and pipe works! I hope the boss has managed to stop ‘oh dear what can the matter be’….so annoying to have your sleep disturbed!”

As ever, Mr Rod and SWhoMBO are so pleased that our dear Finnish friends continue to take such a keen interest in the new build at Hazels:

Mikal’s Mate: “Delighted to see that lots of work has been finalised. The house looks beautiful (as do the Surrey surroundings) but I could never have imagined the huge amount of work needed  to have an energy efficient house with ground source heating. 

I know it is a long project but not as long as building the Isaac’s cathedral in St Petersburg. It took 40 years (from 1818 – 1858) and gave us the saying ‘rakentaa kuin Iisakinkirkkoa’ – it is built like the church of Isaac, when speaking of long-term construction projects. Let’s see what kind of timeline will match the saying ‘It was built like the oak frame house at Hazels’.”

Tapiola Tap-Dancer: “Greetings from Espoo! Thank you for a fantastic blog. I took a look into the future and saw this sunflower field in front of your new house…………”

Since ‘lockdown’, The Queen has been isolating with Prince Philip in Windsor Castle. Whilst she may not be spending any time in Buckingham Palace, we are pleased to note that she is maintaining the grand display of flowers outside, as demonstrated by the photo below from Fantasy Flat Friend:

Fantasy Flat Friend also sent this sign.  But, what did SWhoMBO mean when she said that anyone not singing ‘wombling free’ after seeing the photo must surely be under 50?

 

SPOTLIGHT ON PHIL 

Please allow me to introduce Phil, the ‘quiet man’ of the Hazels build. Phil has worked on and off for Mr Rod for over 15 years and is a very important member of the team.

…..Phil can turn his hand to many things.

SUNFLOWERS RULE OK

No Hazels-build summer blog would be complete without a section about Mr Rod’s favourite flowers. Those planted in the vegetable garden have gone from strength to strength and some have been measured well over the 2 metre mark.

However, the sunflower plants by the blue container are not achieving quite the same success, but Mr Rod lives in hope ……………………………………………………………

I was amused to see how this pretty pink poppy was thriving in the barren rock pile, without any nurturing whatsoever from humans.

EMERGING FROM LOCKDOWN HUMOUR

Even though this was perhaps a little premature about the date, it does raise a smile.

And if you were wondering how ‘on trend’ our world leaders are with their lockdown tresses, then you need look no further than here:

DEJA VU?

When I was idly looking at Mr Rod’s laptop, I almost did a double-take when I spotted these photos from the Spanish Flu Epidemic of 1918.  Has anything much changed in the 102 years since?

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN JULY?

All the plaster boarding and plastering work should be completed,

before the jobs of:                                                                                                                       painting, painting, and more painting;                                                                                               laying the flooring – stone tiles downstairs and engineered wood upstairs;

Before I sign off, I just wanted to share my latest frustration with you. Our very favourite place to be is on the spare bed and, furthermore, to be as close as possible to that sweet spot between the cushions close to the headboard.

But, either Freddie or Layla somehow always appear to achieve pole position, whilst I (the Alpha Male of Hazels) am forced to ‘know my place’.

Ah well, if you can’t beat them, you just have to join them!

However, the three of us felines are all united about one thing – why bother with using the cat flap when you can have Mr Rod and SWhoMBO to open the door for you?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May 2019 – Back to Work!

Freddie here to guide you through this month’s progress. Well, I say ‘this’ month, but this is really a whistle stop tour through three months of work and I must apologise that there are rather a lot of photos in this posting. We decided in March and April it was not appropriate in the circumstances to publish anything more than a minimum, although the text was accompanied each time by some light-hearted humour.

However, whilst work on the house did slow down considerably in March and April due to the Covid-19 lockdown, it never completely stopped and there was a single trade working in most weeks. So, perhaps surprisingly, there is a fair amount to report.

Exterior Progress

Final Windows and Doors

The long-waited arrival of the outstanding external doors and windows finally happened   in the middle of March, so these were able to be installed just before official lockdown.

 

 

Ground Source Heating

You may remember from Layla’s post last month that three enormous trenches were dug towards the end of April, in preparation for ‘Energy My Way’ to lay 600 metres length of ground source heating pipes. Since then we were fascinated with how they looked from the first floor. Anyone would think that Mr Rod was trying to build a golf course!

Christophe and his team returned this month to continue the work, starting with the manifold.

They then had to feed the pipes from the manifold at the far end of the field into the house. (That job was very difficult indeed, and they even had to enlist the help of Mr Rod and some of the other builders.)

The system was then pressure-tested before back filling……………..

…………..and the system was then pressure-tested again to ensure there were no leaks. Fortunately, there were none.

‘Energy My Way’ are due to return in early June to complete the plumbing and commission the controls.

A rude awakening and the black ‘Periscope’

Moses, Layla and I have discovered a most entertaining pastime, much to Mr Rod and SWhoMBO’s consternation. For security purposes, Mr Rod has set up a movement detector in the driveway. SWhoMBO was a little annoyed that, whilst other tunes or signals are purported to be available, for some reason the system currently only works in one of two modes – playing “Oh dear, what can the matter be”, or “Off”. And I can attest that it does grate when you have heard it more than a dozen times in one day!

So, the game is that the three felines wait until Mr Rod and SWhoMBO are in a very deep sleep, usually identified by loud and persistent snoring (from whom is classified knowledge I am not prepared to divulge) and then one of us leaves the cottage to creep up the driveway and set off the tune. To those of us remaining within the house, the satisfaction from hearing the dreadful ‘music’, followed by humans stirring and ‘discussing’ who might be approaching at 2.30am and then arguing about who should be the one on this occasion to ‘repel all boarders’, is so intense that it is almost delicious.

It was after one of these early morning morning sorties, following which I took a well-earned nap in the hedges, when I was on my way back up the drive.  To my utter amazement, I spotted what could only be a large black periscope sticking up above the roof line. I think I could be forgiven for wondering whether Mr Rod was trying to re-enact his time in Her Majesty’s senior service?

But, I was wrong!

Interior Progress

‘Greening’ plus final external doors and windows

Before any plaster board could be applied, every surface of the house having contact with the outside had first to be covered in green plastic to help with insulation and before the pressure test was undertaken.

Oak Cleaning – First Floor

You will recall that the ever-cheerful Sholto started to clean the vast area of oak beams just before Easter, and in the April posting we showed a number of ‘before’ photos.

Oak Cleaning – Ground Floor

Pressure Test

To confirm the energy-efficiency of the house, a pressure test had to be conducted in order to measure how quickly the air escaped. Prior to that, every joint linking to an outside wall was carefully sealed. The building was pressurised by blowing air through the fan on the back door and measuring how quickly/slowly the pressure equalised over 20 minutes. The expected result is based on the volume of the building. In order to ‘pass’ the test, Hazels had to get a reading of ’10’ or better.

Mr Rod was delighted the house scored an excellent 7.9. Because the pressure test (unusually) had been carried out before the plaster boarding was completed, this means that the finished house should be even more energy efficient.

‘Wrapping’ The Beams

The three of us were smugly pleased with how good the oak beams looked after their cleaning. So, I was somewhat perplexed to enter the house to find it looking as though the builders were in the throes of wrapping Christmas presents – there was so much paper and tape everywhere.

But, it seems I had jumped to the wrong conclusions yet again. (I am beginning see why Layla accuses me of being first rate at hunting but not much else!) The beam cleaner says he achieves a much result if he cleans before the plastering is done. But, having been beautifully cleaned, the beams must then be protected. Hence the reason for wrapping.

Plaster Boarding

Mr Rod was very concerned that further work on the interior would have to cease until plaster board became available to source again – production had all but ceased for nearly two months during lockdown. However, fortune smiled on him once more and 220 boards and a large amount of equipment was delivered in the final week of May.   Happily, Michael/Tonic and Phil were able to start work upstairs after all.

May Post Bag

Perhaps not surprisingly for the time of year, the postbag has been full of references to flowers. The colours have been especially vibrant, but maybe we have all taken more time ‘to stand and stare’.

Almost as soon as the April posting was published the West Wickham Wanderers sent a lovely message saying they had really enjoyed the text and all the photos, although the Trump jokes were particularly amusing. (There is another for you this month – Ed.)

Nearly, but not quite, as quick was Guildford Girl who was most appreciative of “the jokes, cartoons, pictures and definitions, and hopefully there will be more next month?”      (I don’t think you will be disappointed! – Ed)

The Ockham Observers sent SWhoMBO this message “On May 1st the French like to give gifts of lily of the valley to friends to wish the recipient happiness and good luck for the coming year. It dates back to 1560 when Charles IV received some and liked them so much, the following year he started the tradition. With social distancing and being discouraged from making inessential car journeys, this is the only way we can send you some with good wishes for a happy ending to the current year!” accompanied by this photo of some beautiful lilies of the valley in their garden:

The Graeco-Czech Gang have shared these two photos from Greece.

On 4th May Mikal’s Mate wrote from Helsinki: “We are here in a totally different zone regarding the amount and size of new green leaves on the trees  Did you know that we have a specific word for these first green leaves? In Finnish ‘hiirenkorva’ which means ‘the ear of a mouse’. We can say ‘Birches are mouse-earing already’!”

These next two photos are from a little closer to home:

Fantasy Flat Friend sent these from her early morning ambles around London:

Putney Playmate continues to hone her considerable artistic skills and (in between working on a commission for SWhoMBO) amuses her friends with craft pieces, drawings and doodles – such as this:

Feline Musings

We do not usually have much time for canines, but we make a very special exception on this occasion for Billy Fi-Vans the black Labrador. Following a vicious attack by another dog at the beginning of May, he has been very poorly for most of the month, with his wounds requiring considerable attention from the Noel Fitzpatrick veterinary team. And clearly humanoids have a most strange approach when dealing with sick animals.

Whilst I have a reasonable relationship generally with my fellow house-cats, brother and sister do have a bit of habit of ganging up on me. So, when they are both in this sort of mood (below), I try my very best to avoid them.

However, on other occasions, we cooperate very nicely.

Then – we were all more than a little bemused to see that Mr Rod has planted even more sunflower plants, this time in front of the delightful blue container.

Lockdown Humour

I expect you will have noticed that the original non-stop torrent of lockdown humour (from the darkly comic, through the absurdly hilarious, to the downright ridiculous) has slowed to just a mere trickle in recent weeks. However, there have definitely been a few this month that were worth saving and sharing with you all.

Sign Off

Well, that’s all for now (and we have to say there really was a lot of ‘all’ – Layla and Moses). At the end of June we hope to bring you news of further progress inside the house: plaster boarding, plastering, and electrics.

Before I go, I just wanted to share with you another of our more satisfying pastimes – it provides great entertainment for us and is a source of sleeplessness and extreme annoyance to Mr Rod and SWhoMBO!