After jacking up the garage and meeting my neighbours to talk about the road repairs, I bricked up most of the courses below the garage walls on all sides and had the difficult job of cleaning off the cement mixer and all of the tools in the dark and then struggled to get all of the equipment back into the car so as to be ready to pack and set off home where I found Diana still up and chatted to her about the news of Daniel and my weekend's achievements.
I must have been quite the worse for drink when retiring the night before but, after the room stopped swimming, I slept quite well and woke early on. It was a much colder day but, after getting breakfast and having a quick shave, I went out in good heart and started work. I jacked up the remaining garage corner and perched it on to a cross timber that was outside the building line. Then I mixed my first load of mortar and made a start on the bricklaying. I rested after this first load to have a coffee but then mixed two more batches and spent the rest of the day until dark without further rest. During this time, I saw Mrs Vincent next door and the Treasurer of the Ropes Hill Dyke Residents Association, but the road contractor, Mr Smith, did not come down to see them as expected. They had been critical about the standard of the road work, but I thought the contract had been completed quite reasonably.
** "Read More" BELOW for the complete story **
By the end of the day, I had bricked up most of the courses below the garage walls on all sides, though not quite up to the full height in the front. I then had the difficult job of cleaning off the cement mixer and all of the tools in the dark and then getting all of the equipment back into the car so as to be ready to pack and set off home. I was so tired and hungry at that point, that I then went inside to make myself a pot of tea and some ham sandwiches to rest and get my strength back before the journey. Once home, I found Diana still up and chatted to her about the news of Daniel and my weekend's achievements.