An Architect and Builder’s review meeting this morning to deal with the priorities in completing The Hayling View followed by the arrival of the telephone engineer and then some problems and frustration running my final security cables. This during a very cold and icy spell that freezes the river and as the European Consortium ups its bid for Westland and The Marquis of Blandford is jailed for possessing heroin
A lay in after a tiring evening and then straight to the shower room to get washed, as I was expecting visitors for an early meeting. Just time for toast and fruit juice before my builder, and architect, Mr Cheeseborough and David Stokes arrived for a site meeting. An hour and a half’s discussion, tour of the building and agreement on the form the new alterations will take – opening out of the downstairs shower room to the garden, new furniture and complete tiling of the walls and floors. Upstairs, the joining of the bathroom en-suite to the main bedroom, with high basin and cabinet to contain it. A problem emerged over the reversing of the stairs, as there does not appear to be room for the staircase the other way! They are going to take it out anyway and remove the surrounds to see how to proceed.
Once they had left, I settled down to my journal from yesterday and read the paper until late morning. Then the telephone engineer arrived and we sorted out the routes for the new telephone cables. And so to lunch of pork chops, which was appetising on a cold day. The frost last night was very severe and the river had frozen right across this morning, for the first time this year. My alarm system this afternoon and evening, but much slower progress than yesterday. Dithered before finding the best way of running cables, but did the majority of work for the last internal zone (upstairs) and will be able to finish it off quite easily in the morning. The last one will be the worst, as it involves all of the upstairs balcony doors. The frames and connections will be OK, but the magnets have to be set into the underside of the doors, which means taking them all off – not an encouraging prospect, as the weather turned into a blizzard later today! By 9.00 pm I was too tired to continue and rather demoralised by me working each evening, whilst Daniel and Diana relaxed watching recorded TV films and so left my work in a muddle and watched the TV news myself. Main story was of the European Consortium increasing the cash part of its Westland rescue package, to beat the Americans again. Also the largest Westland individual shareholder, Alan Bristow, publicises his backing for the European deal. However, next week’s meeting is still planned to proceed without this alternative bid being considered. The political row continues, with a Labour call for a leak enquiry into the publicising of the Law Officers letter. Drugs seizures this year in Britain have reached a record £70 million and heir to the £50m Blenheim Estate, Marquis of Blandford, is jailed for 3 months for possessing heroin in breach of a probation order.