Having read back over the last few blogs I now realize that I truly am way behind with recounting all that has happened.
The last month has seen real progress. We now have our new septic tank installed & working. The contractors are great & we get on very well as we do with all the tradespeople we are working with. They have also put in the car park which looks splendid. There is ample room to park 3 cars & it could probably take more. They are now lowering the kerb at the front to allow easier access from the road. Before Easter(when I had a kitchen) I got a bit carried away with home cooking for them. It started with bacon sandwiches in the morning & then homemade biscuits in the afternoon. And with the run up to Easter I decided to make homemade hot cross buns! They went down very well. The better half & I decided we had better practice our bread making skills in preparation for the B&B. Well the 1st attempts were bad as I didn't put in enough yeast but after that they improved no end. In fact at Easter we didn't buy any bread but made it all. Easter was really lovely.We had all our friends up from London again. The weather was a bit of a shame as they had all brought gardening clothes to help with planting out. Never mind we did some painting instead. I say all, but P doesn't do DIY so instead he provided & cooked all the meals, & excellent meals they were to. Easter Sunday was the better half's birthday,& earlier in the month when the weather had been better, C suggested that we take a picnic to Kessingland beach for a birthday party as it was her better half's birthday as well. As Easter approached & the forecast became more gloomy we were unsure but hoped it would still happen. Easter morning with the snow coming down, the better half woke up & said "I am not having a **** birthday party on the beach!" So instead everyone came to us. There were 12 of us & C did the most fantastic food with a large carrot cake for a birthday cake. We all had good fun.
All my friends have been so generous with plants & seeds for me. I would like to say a big thank you to them all.
So with Easter out of the way we had to knuckle down to serious work in the house. 1st priority was to rip out the old kitchen & lay the new floor ready for the kitchen to go in. Then we had to take out a couple of radiators in readiness for the new french doors. Unfortunately as one came off we couldn't stop the water coming out so it drained the system. It is a very old central heating system & the better half couldn't sort it out. So now we have no hot water or central heating. It is amazing how quickly you get used to being cold. It took me back to my childhood days when CH didn't exist. We do have a wood burning stove in the sitting room & an electric shower so not all was lost. Th plumber doesn't start just yet so this is an ongoing situation.
The kitchen people turned up with the electrician on Monday to sort out power etc. He is also doing a lot of other work for us & was having a general look round We have to have a new circuit board(apparently ours is illegal) & when he looked at it he said he could smell burning! To cut a long story short there were sparks & we had to turn the power off. So now we had no hot water, no heating & no electricity which meant no shower! This situation lasted a day & a half & he came & sorted it, all but temporarily so things are slightly better. I knew moving to the country would mean a simpler life but this is crazy.
I said the guys were coming to put in the new doors, well they arrived only to say that the holes should have already been cut in the walls Our builder said they were doing it all so with a bit of toing & froing they are now being fitted next week! Sometimes I just wonder how it all gets done.
Another auction tomorrow, lots of teapots apparently which are very important for a B&B! But I mustn't buy anymore occasional tables, we now have more than enough. We nearly bought a piano for £10 but decided as neither of us plays it wouldn't make much sense.
Next week the kitchen gets finished & the plumber starts. We really are moving on though our planned opening date of 1st May wont happen, we think the end of May now.
So we are going down to London to visit our friends over the May Bank holiday. What fun.
I think I had better do some work now. I will try not to leave it so long next time.