Such sweet sorrow

Good (Sunday) evening everyone. It was a strange old week just gone. Judith was away from Monday till Saturday when I picked her up from Lancaster. She had been visiting her parents down south, and I'm very glad to say that her dad seems to be getting better. Unfortunately she couldn't get to the funeral of her friend (time constraints) so the new black hat had a return trip. I will be quite happy if it doesn't get any more outings for a very long time to come.

So Its befallen me to look after the plumbers,

Neil,

His dad Barry

 

 

And Howard, who is a bit camera shy.

The outside of the house continues to look great as everything in the gardens is growing at a seemingly exponential rate. The Wisteria is flowering, as are the huge poppies, the lupins and the peony. Its an inverse proportion to the insides though. I thought all the messy stuff had happened, but no, more holes in walls and a serious plumbing failure in the Attic which I will not mention here for fear of offending readers of a delicate constitution. But you can probably guess what it involved.

 

 

 

John who is the main contractor has been doing sterling stuff , this is the new front bathroom with a large walk in shower. I went off to Skipton to Oldfields to buy a chandelier and some special spots for the shower. Its going to look great.

 

 

 

Of course, throughout it all the cat loved nothing more than to find a really dusty spot, preferably with some sun pouring in and act all cute for the builders. Such a tart.

I take pictures every evening documenting everything that has happened that day, so I have hundreds that I could put up, but that would be particularly uninteresting, so here's a few only of what the gas /heating/hot water engineers have been up to this week.

 

Basement room before,

 

                                                                                                                                                                            

 And after. These are the 2 hot water tanks to service the possible 3 baths and 3 showers that may be going at the same time. I think its a given that paying guests have plenty of hot water on demand, one of the reasons this project has cost an arm and a leg. We looked at this installation and thought they looked vaguely human, and we decided to call them  Scylla and Charybdis which are from the greek myths, neriads who were turned into water monsters by jealous lovers. They guarded either sides of the Straits of Messina and gave Odysseus & co a bit of bother. We also thought of tweedle dee and tweedle dum, Dennis and Margaret (bit creepy having them in the basement).Gilbert and George may have worked.  They are monstrous and deserved fitting names.

The business end of these is the 2 large boilers in the futility room and the big box called a low loss header which links the two together. I think we could heat the water for the whole road from the output of these two bad boys. God, I've turned into a plumbing geek.

 

 

So we also now have a personal bathroom, sort of, and I have been trying hard to get it looking ok for Judith's return. Once the last bit of plastering has been done we can decorate and put up some decent lighting and seal the floor slates, phew.

 

 

So that's it for the week, not a lot of sight seeing or humorous anecdotes, its not all gravy you know!

However, we may go to this in a few weeks time. Judith likes Jacobean Ruff (there's a joke there somewhere but I fear for my manhood so I'm staying schtum). Also a boyhood mate of mine is playing in a band called Wire (Colin Newman) We used to get drunk on cheap cider at the monument in Newbury when we were teenagers.

Oh yes, Martin Stevenson and the Daintees are playing a free warm up gig at the Victoria hall this Wednesday , en route to Glastonbury, so may have to miss my SAOS rehearsal. Oops.

Rain....

There's a lady who has been doing the teas at the half lime interval at the meeting of SAOS (Settle amateur operatic society) for a mere 60 years and she retires this summer. As a fitting send off we are doing a recital of some of her favourite numbers from the biggest shows, so I'm learning the words to 'Another opening another show' which has some interesting timings in it. One of the long serving members, Audrey I think her name is, reprised her role as mother superior from the sound of music and gave us a near perfect edelweiss, brought a lump to my throat.

We went out on Saturday night to the Victoria halls to see the Dougie Maclean trio who were very good, although it was a bit like being back at school as he strove to teach us the choruses of some of his songs. 'Caledonia' is his most famous one , I think every Scot who has ever travelled away from home must know that one.

The new bed that arrived last week has finally gone up in our bedroom. Its reclaimed wood and looks quite in keeping with the rooms other furniture. Thank you House of Frazer.

On one of our shorter walks through upper Settle we came across the local art gallery, possibly the smallest one I have ever been in. Its very Craggy Island. The current exhibition is all to do with local produce and there are recipe cards you can take, and a small video playing all about the artist, who's name momentarily escapes me. Just behind Upper Settle is a hill called High Hill. The interesting bit is that the main part of this lovely part of the Dales is called High High Hill, but the bit just here is Low High Hill.

 

 

I like the mosaic tiled floor.

Its been a busy week building-wise, We have two new members of 'Team Settle'. John has been here all week creating artistic arches , tiling our downstairs bathroom, and hopefuly we may get a useable bog by the end of next week. George the Surveyor/project manager has told us that it should be all finished by the end of July. And the cheque is in the post....

Turns out that this may be true as John is off on his holls in August, so time is of the essence.

 

 

 

This is our plasterer, he introduced himself as 'Big Al the ladies pal'. We told him about Judiths Big Al, that wiped the smile from his face, but only for a bit.

Here is a shot of him plastering our bathroom ceiling.

 

And this is Josh who works for (with?) big Al, putting the finishing touches to the wall behind which the poo pipe runs from the newly created front bathroom.

 

This morning we went out VERY EARLY to catch the dawn chorus over near Giggleswick.

Its funny how a ridiculously early start can mess up your whole day. And we didn't even get to see any new bird life, except a pair of Dippers near the Ribble beach.

It was very pretty though, the sun comes up a bit later than advertised due to the peaks being in the way to the east of us, and it was a bit cloudy, but that just adds to the scene as the rising sun finally reflects off the gathering thunderheads and makes for a spectacular show.

 

 

 I really must get myself a polarising filter, it looked much nicer than this, honest guv.

 

Cattle seem to roam free across the hillsides here. You have to remember that cows with calves to foot can get angry if you seem at all threatening, so probably best to detour round a group like this. The Longhorns up on the tops look much more dangerous than these, but apparently are as soft as puppies.

 

Well , its Sunday now and I was pleasantly surprised this morning when Judith brought me tea in bed and two cards from my daughters Zoe and Kirsty for fathers day. She had hidden them from me as they must have arrived last week. Its amazing how much joy a hand written card can bring, especially when you cant just pop over and see them any more.
This morning we went over to Langcliffe to an open studio event where 3 of Yorkshires finest artists were exhibiting their paintings and sculptures. I'm glad to see that a fair number of pieces had red dots on them, I'm told that means they are sold.

I'm a bit sad as Judith is packing to go see her parents for a week as her dad's poorly, and her mum needs her there. I will just have to deal with the builders on my owneo. There is also a funeral for her to go to on Saturday, a lovely girl called Jo who's life has tragically been cut far too short at the age of only 33.

Time to don some old clothes and do some wallpaper stripping  (John sets us 'homework', menial stuff so he can get on with the real buildery, artistic bits)

See you in a week or so, as long as I survive the builders.

End of the third week, the Somme revisited.

 

 

 

So, its the end of week 3 and much has been done. We warned that there might be a couple of weeks where 'It might be a little messy'. They were right, its like every room in the house has been destroyed. we now have to go to the loo in the attic conversion bathroom. When you want a bath, there is a great big hole in the wall opposite.

 

The partition that is to be the en-suite for the 'Green room' has moved on apace and now looks like Mr Fritzel might be proud of.

 

Its very dark in there. To the right will be a built in wardrobe.

 

The drains are all but finished , Tom the new boy has done a sterling job at creating a new manhole. Artistry in brick and cement.

 

During the week we decided to replace  the Kids safety mats that had been laid in the turf under their swings. Judith phoned the local supplier who for some reason or another didn't want to meet us at the depot, but at at a lay-by near Skipton. We needed about 20 Sq M and it came to £30.

Its pretty easy to lay as long as the ground prep has been done.

So this is 30 quids worth of grass we bought off a bloke in a lay-by near Skipton. The prosecution rests its case, Your Honour.
We have also been back to the woods near Astwick . I know we keep banging on about this place but it is truly lovely. At the moment the bluebells are out in force and on a clear day you can see for bloody miles over the sweep of the moors.

On the way to Oxenber woods we heard a strange bird call, and over a dry stone wall was an odd looking bird with a distinctive bent beak. My photo of it is rubbish but here's one from the net.
Its a Curlew, I think.

 

I'm usually behind the camera, but just for a laugh Judith took a picture of me in my shorts . Hope this doesn't put you off.

 

We also went over to Lancaster well, Silverdale and had a lovely walk across the bay, stopped at the wolf gallery for tea and cakes. On the way home we went on the back roads across Benson Moor . Just driving up a steep incline we spotted a Hare, first one I have ever seen up close. Far too quick for my camera though.

Instead, here is a bad picture of some shell ducks (I think) looking for small crabs in morecambe bay, just off Jenny Browns point.

 

As is the Perkins tradition, I have decided to do some thing so far outside my comfort zone its almost painful to write about it. Ive gone all Am Dram. I went to my first rehearsal at the old courthouse in Settle  (every Monday 7:30 sharp) and was SO nervous. Haven't been on a stage since shifting scenery in the 4th form at my old skool,  Hoverer, I'm on sort of familiar ground here as I'm a bit of a fan of the film and know most of the songs off by heart. I don't read music so getting the timing right during the men's bit in the chorus of 'Whip crack away' proved somewhat embarrassing as I kept on coming in during the Girls part. Tickets for the show in autumn will be on sale here. I expect many of you to swell the audience if only to jeer.

 

Well, that's off my chest at last.

We also went over to Hawes in the Wensleydale area of the N york moors on Thursday for a short walk up to the waterfall with the longest water drop in the UK at Hadraw , Hadraw Force.

Its quite nice but we found Hawes a bit too touristy, theres loads of pubs and tea shops and bunting everywhere. The falls were OK but you have to go through a pub to get there, the Green Dragon, which is really old and lovely, actually much nicer than the falls...

 

The building comes on apace, Its not quite so much of a swamp now, the Sparky arrived today (Sam) who is a wiry red headed young man who has just too much energy. He has been attempting to sort out our ground floor bathroom but we think you may have to stand in the bath to put the lights on, something not quite right there.

 

Today (fri 7th June) Ian the delivery boy (he's 67) from Merritt and Fryer's turned up with all our bathroom stuff. Judith couldn't resist a lie down in one of the slipper baths. All the gear is spread over the top floor and we have to inventory the lot this weekend to make sure its all there.

And finally, here it a shot i like of a drystone wall up on Gigglesworth scar. Is it sheer bloody-mindedness that makes someone build a wall to separate one area of Limestone pavement from another? This slope is about a one-in-three gradient and must have taken forever as its miles from anywhere. Not even the sheep go there.

Well time to go , We are off to see a band tomorrow night at the Victoria hall in settle, My sis sally may come over and I may attempt to cremate some beef on the barbecue if this lovely weather holds up. Oh, and I'm very proud of myself for fixing the electric roller door on our garage, thank you Youtube for the video on how-to, saved us a whole stack of cash.

 

 

 

 

The Builders have arrived..

So the builders have been here for a week now, turning a perfectly habitable house into a dust-covered building site. What have we done?

 

This is John and he works his socks off from 8:30 till 4:30 with barely a break.He is knocking the new doorways through and putting in the new soil pipes for the 2 new bathrooms too, and will be putting up partitions and installing the Suites as and when

 

This is one of my favourites, a channel to carry waste pipe from new front bedroom into cellar. Good thing we are going to re-decorate the hallway. Have you fallen asleep yet?

 

They have had to move the tank out from under the stairs temporarily to enable the new access from the 'yellow room' to make it en-suite.

 

 

This is Ed who works with John. Hes a big bloke and lives in the remotest house in Yorkshire with Wife and 2 small Daughters. Won 'Villages strongest man' 2 years on the trot. He is the only man in Cosh though.

 

Nice pic of Judith knocking a hole in a wall. Please note lack of hi-viz, hat and boots.. Health and safety be damned.

 

Its not all been stress though. It was bank holiday weekend so we thought we'd go for a short walk to Long Preston as the signpost said it would be 2.3 miles so about 5 miles return trip. More like 10 miles. My legs have been aching since we woke up on Monday morning and its now Tuesday evening. We did get to see one of these though. Wheeling up into the mid afternoon sky on the thermals created by the slope of the dales. Also Skylarks and small brown bird i have yet to id.

Judith very excited at wild bilberry which grows all over. The bluebells and wild garlic are also out in force,

 

 

Buzzard (not my pic, thanks Google)

 

Since then we have had a meeting with George our project manager who apologised profusely for cocking up the dimensions of the tank to go in the basement (too wide) meaning the rest of the house has to be dug up to get the new drain in. Oh well, at least we are about to order the new bathrooms, it is a bit of sanit(r)y(ware) in a sea of madness. We are having to scale back a bit on fixtures etc as our budget is now being stretched a bit too thin for comfort .Les the plumber came round today to case the joint before ordering in the new boilers , Yes, plural. Boilers.

Below is a pic (most unflattering, sorry Judith) of the stud work going up in the rear 'green' bedroom. Its going to have the smallest bathroom but will be very modern and hi-tec. Also the least expensive room.

 

This is Ed digging up the rear courtyard for yet more drains. Its taken through the lovely tall domed window that mirrors the ceiling contours. The previous owner had it covered with some huge drapes so that you couldn't see it, not any more. We have removed them. Cant wait to see it all finished, though this seems like a very long way off at present.

 

But the house is looking lovely from the outside, the garden has sprung into life, Raz caught her first vole yesterday and all is calm in happy valley, Until the builders start again tomorrow, that is.

 

 

Off to see the people at Merritts in Skipton tomorrow , am going to ask very bluntly for 20% discount. Wish me luck!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May 2013

We went for a short walk today as the sun had at last deign'd to make an appearance. Went up to Austwick again to see the wild flowers on the hills. Oxenber woods populate the area bounded by a short walk from Austwick, on to Feizor and then round the hill back to Austwick again. Lots of limestone pavement and its still a bit too early for the full spectacular that will be the bluebell extravaganza that is just around the corner.

 

God I look fat in this picture. And I've been to the gym today.

Its quickly becoming one of my and Judith's favourite spots. Its an easy walk and the pub 'the gamecock inn' is a nice reward for an hours toil up into the dales. There are orchids, wild violets, wood anemones and bluebells out at the moment, and its glorious.

Wild orchids

 

Kids playing in the stream, and yes, we did ask the responsible adult who they were with if it was ok.Its a shame you have to ask, but there it is.

The stream , a bit further towards austwick.

We got back an hour or so ago and the sun was still out so I took some photos of the outside in the setting sun. It rises over these hills to the east , and sets behind the garden by the tree house.

Ive no idea why this bloody awful pic of me has appeared again, but I'll be damned if I can find out how to get rid of it!!

Google need friends at the moment, if anyone from there would like to send me on a bloggers course, I would be most humbly accepting.

Visitors, Clapham and cake!

Well, I know its been nearly a month since our last post, apologies for that, its been a bit busy here in Yorkshireland.
Above is a picture of our new bedroom prior to us decorating, with the aid of our good friends Charlie and Sandy from Kent. Charlie is the one on the left.

 

Its all been filled, sanded and painted, the carpet cleaned and our furniture moved down from the first floor (thanks David from the DIY store) to make our new bedroom prior to the builders arriving on the 20th.

Here is the completed room sans furniture.

This next bit from Judith.

 

 

Just as we were flagging . . . . .  the painting party arrived from Kent.  They worked like Trojans and were paid in cake.

Thank you Sandy and Charlie!  Thanks also for the beautiful barometer and the sander - henceforth to be referred to as the "Hendry Memorial Sander".

We managed some lovely walks too, and dinner with some new Settle friends.  We had a good laugh and learned that the town's hotbed of intrigue is the vets' surgery.  Hilarious.  Alan Bennett is a regular visitor to Settle and it is clear where he gets some of his inspiration from.

We went for a nice walk after the guests had gone, over to Clapham and the nature trail up to Ingleton cave. Clapham is a picture postcard village set by a babbling brook. It has some delightful cafes and a pub with a notice on the bar that warns 'No Dad Dancing'. I think they knew I was coming. We were doing our usual huffing and puffing on the climb up to the caves, pretending to be interested in rhododendrons etc whilst sneakily stopping get our breath back. Then , to my shame, an elderly lady in tweeds with the sweetest Labrador whispers to us ' Don't worry, its easier on the way back'. Women from Yorkshire don't mix their words and seem to have boundless supplies of energy, even in their 90's.

We have also started doing up the shed/summerhouse and got Ginge to come over and put a new window in, to replace the rotting one. We ummed and ahhed about wood vs UPVC but plummed for the UPVC as its not adjoined to the house so the aesthetics are not so important (and it was £200 cheaper)

 

Then it was a few days away in London. Me to see my Girls and Judith to see her parents. Thanks to Brad and Zoe for putting me up, and putting up with me. The food in Zizi's in Epping was lovely.

Equally the Tapas in Walthamstow village was something else, I particularly liked the green bean with Parma ham. It was Kirsty's 25th birthday and I think she has just about recovered from her meal the following night with her mates. Some of those facebook pictures I now wish I hadn't looked at.

On the Friday we went to look at Kirsty and Kyle's new place and had to wear Hi-viz jackets and hard hats as its still being built.

 

I know, too cute for words.

 

And then it was time to be back in Yorkshire and get on the train from Euston. Well worth booking a seat, Its so fast and convenient, and to get to London and back is really easy, Some of the people I have met here in Settle go for day trips.No kidding.

Saturday night we went to see Spiers and Boden at the Victoria Halls in Saltaire, just outside Bradford. Its about 40 minutes from here but well worth the trip to see the Mill alone. Titus Salt was one of those megalomaniac northern mill owners who named absolutely everything after himself, in cluding the local hospital (now luxury flats, naturally) and many of the roads have girls names. I fancy they were named after he had had his evil way with them. Spiers and Boden are 2 lads from Bellowhead, the bizzare folk band whom I love, but haven't seen yet. Judith thought the audience were all on drugs, there was some serious flinging about of ones self at the front of stage during the last few numbers and the encore 'new york girls' (can you dance the polka?) I was nearly up there myself, dancing like a true dad. Not quite a mosh pit, more a posh pit. Great evening had by all.

 

Too much "hey nonny no" for me. J

 

I will try and be a bit more organised in the future and keep the blog going whilst the builders are in (1 week and counting) M