Paul Adshead has been here for a week decorating (many thanks to Judiths parents for the wherewithal, take a bow Jean and Harry Werrell)) doing a sterling job on the hall and stairs/landing which now looks great, even though we still don't have the carpets down yet.
The cat has been really put out as the stairway was her personal romper room and sun palace, and the cold hard reality of uncarpeted wood was really a change too far so she put up a dirty protest and peed on the bottom step! Out with the feliway spray and chuck her in the Catnip bush and now she's a happy as Larry.
We had some friends Kate and Martin round for dinner recently and I set Judith the task of cooking a whole Rainbow Trout . Apparently you cut off the head and tail, cook the rest , then join torso back to head and tail using the magick of culinary artifice (prawn sauce) . Only don't go out of the room leaving the head and tail to the mercy of a hungry cat though! Nobody noticed ...
We have been very grateful to the previous owners , the Adamses, for leaving the potato plants behind, there has been a bit of a glut. Now, neither of us are gardeners exactly, but we had to laugh as Judith did not understand that the potatoes fell off the root as you pulled them up from the ground. The first one she dug up did have some still clinging, so she naturally expected all the others to behave in the same manner. Naughty potatoes! She pulled one up and the root was bare, so, looking dejectedly at the ground she said 'this ones a dud too' We eventually found the missing spuds a few inches below the soil surface. Very satisfying eating your own veg. Tasty too.
This is Paul Adshead, the chap I met down the social who is a semi-retired painter and decorator. He did the whole job in 4 and a half days, even repairing the old doors.
John came back from his holiday bringing his son Lucas as a helper to do the last minute snagging. Nice lad, brilliant at languages and the apple of his dads eye.
I had to take up the carpets and these things, gripperrods I think they are called. Rods of the devil more like. they have very sharp spikes that help stretch the carpet and keep it down on the floor. Don't sit on one though. My arse looked like a pin cushion.
I have had some fun and games putting up the ceiling roses and 3 small chandeliers in the hall/stairs/landing. Thank god for no more nails. I tell you, the house will fall down before these roses come unstuck. This is the one in the newly decorated landing looking out to Joan's garden via the lovely window. We had Paul take down the curtain pole and paint the window frame. Its all looking very clean and now without the curtains and the yellow below the dado rail, I like to think we are restoring some of the original feel to the place. And that Waring and Gillow bannister looks splendid.
Its not all work though. We went for a walk to Langcliff and the weir there behind the mill. I wanted to check this out before the salmon start leaping some time in September.
This is the salmon ladder , but I have seen YouTube video of them leaping right over the big drop too. There's lots of water at the moment, I hope they can get up when the river is in spate.
Know that saying 'calm as a millpond'? Well this is where it comes from. Its about 2 meters above the level of the river Ribble . About 30m wide and half a kilometre long. Stuffed full of fish and a haven for wildlife in general. Must find out who has the fishing rights.
Another view of Langcliffe weir with the old quarry in the distance, the setting sun making it look rather nicer than it actually is.
So, this is the last bathroom just about completed. Judith is this very second touching up the paintwork where my hand has strayed off course with a brush. Its all looking lovely. I'm glad we recycled a lot of the architrave and skirting boards, gives the rooms a bit of history .
This is the hallway from the front door , showing off the new paintwork and my jauntily angled light fixture,
Ed came back for a while to sort out our small drain problem. When you let the kitchen sink drain, the drain by the garage door made this unpleasant glug glug noise and the basement was getting really damp. No access to the drain run meant he had to take up some flags (again) and break into the drain run and rod it out from there. I wont show you what came out, too disgusting, suffice to say I wont be pouring any more fats down the sink. £200 fatberg anyone?
Well, that's it for now. Judith's dad is well on the mend, Laurence got into Uni in Southampton, and our friends Dan and Robert are coming tomorrow for a day , so we are having a short break Monday from decorating.
See you in a bit.
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