This day was dominated by me trying to resolve the issues of building control permissions for my new boat shed and it started with a meeting with Mr Cooper at the North Walsham office before 11.00am. He raised several problems on the structural and fire-protection side which I was left to resolve. After reviewing these with Steven and Nigel, I then accepted an invitation for drinks to Mr and Mrs James and Bernice Dunham at Timmerslot.
As well as discussing these issues with James as an architect, we also chatted about boating, Holland and Broom boats. Back to Heronshaw to update todays' journal and then more time on the boat-shed specs and plans to consult an engineer. Today had started very wet but the weather cleared up later on.
I had stayed up later last night than I intended but at least that meant that I achieved a few things. The trouble was that I did not sleep very well; as often happens my mind was too active with my thoughts of the evening! I had a slow start but then cleared the table tops and prepared for my meeting this morning with the building control inspector. This took some time, but I drove off and arrived at the North Walsham office before 11.00am and met Mr Cooper there. I had trouble getting him to spend time going through the points and he was quite negative so that I had to be quite diplomatic and insistent to get through them all.
** "Read More" BELOW for the complete story **
He raised several problems on the structural and fire-protection side so that I was left with lots of items to sort out. I then drove back to Wroxham and there telephoned Steven and Nigel, enlisting their help and they were contacting other friends to get help on the specifications. The whole matter seemed more complicated that it needed to be. Then to Jewsons where I got the prices for the timber that I had been waiting for and also some thoughts on fireproofing treatment for the timber which might have been one solution. Evidently not, according to my next telephone call to Mr Cooper and so I seem left with heavy plaster boarding etc.
Home and along to Mr and Mrs James Dunham to pass on the Ropes Hill Dyke Residents Association File and I stayed and chatted to James and Bernice and sought their help on the fire regulations as he comes from a family of architects. They invited me round to their house for drinks this evening and, after I had my sea food for tea and re-read the building regulations, I drove over there and enjoyed their whisky and chatted about Norfolk, wherries and boats.
They are considering exchanging their Broom 37 for an Ocean 42 after their trip to Holland this summer and then to go through France to the Med the following year. They lent me book on Wherries and left me with the offer of the use of their heated indoor swimming pool for the girls any time they are down. Back to Heronshaw to update todays' journal and then more time on the boat-shed specs - this time writing to the structural engineer for the further advice and calculations that I required. Today had started very wet but the weather cleared up later on.