A day of high building activity with electrician, carpentry and ground works despite it being cold and snowy whilst we have a visit from Diana’s parents who were very impressed with progress and manage to get our table and things back into a completed kitchen. This as concerns about our finance and banking industry continue, the Anglo/Irish agreement is ratified by both Houses of Parliament and South African guerrillas fire rockets at an oil refinery.
A better night after the upsets of yesterday, but cold and snowing. I heard a few sliding sounds from the roof last night and checked the roof for lost tiles this morning, but it seems to have been snow sliding down onto the gutter. Awake to my morning tea as it continued cold and then down to have breakfast in the new kitchen/breakfast room for the first time. A pure luxury being able to use a table at last! Up to shower, wash my hair and the warm water bringing nice relief from the tensions and deprivations of our recent past. Dressed and across to unlock the house for the builders. A full complement of workers today. The electrician arrived a day early to commission a lot of the power supplies, the carpenter was working with his aching back, Richard was out excavating the front path for the ramp to link the two levels via a patio, the two youngsters were in the bathrooms removing the tiles, and Mr Evans was along to fill in the holes in the kitchen and make good the plaster to the new kitchen units. First I got the youngsters to remove the old cooker and sink unit. Out then to the doves, who all fed at the bird table without conflict, but also without any cross-fertilisation.
The gardener was raking up the leaves from the lawn and just managing to separate it from the thin layer of snow. Then to the ducks and to turn off The Lady’s heater that protected it well from the frost last night. In after to use the decorator’s rose white emulsion to touch up Debbie’s room ready to have the curtain rail replaced. The salesman from the Carpet Scene arrived and measured the hall, stairs and landings and also the two new bathrooms. Morning coffee, a bit more work and then Diana’s parents arrived and it was time for me to change and get ready for a trip to the Little Chef for lunch. They were impressed by the building progress and particularly by the large light rooms and the Smallbone kitchen. Smallbone sent a number of spare knobs today and I also ordered a gallon of matching varnish for the wood (but it cost £25 + VAT!) A nice lunch and then this afternoon I started screwing down the floorboards in Daniel’s room. The electrician had then finished putting the power on to the sockets and we can now use the fridge/freezer, the cooker and the hob. We still have to wait for the microwave oven and the dishwasher. Then I brought across the Ercol table and chairs to replace the small table after tea. We are starting to claw our way slowly back to normality. News tonight of confirmation that there was fraud in the case of the Johnson Matthey Bank collapse. This after there had been a campaign by Labour MP Brian Sedgemore and a series of demands by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. There is pressure by both sides of the House for a Public Enquiry. More criticism for the government over plans to privatise British Gas and fears over the monopoly of a public service in private hands. South African guerrillas fire rockets in a disturbance at an oil refinery and, in another incident, a land mine killed the occupants of a vehicle. The Irish Republic Senate voted overwhelmingly for acceptance of the new Anglo/Irish pact and now both parliaments have approved it in spite of Unionists opposition. The Unionist Westminster MP's are resigning to force a mini-election in the New Year and it seems Enoch Powell will resign, but has not done so yet. Another heavy frost is forecast for tonight.