roberta's blog

hi
It's 2009.

I have been dreading this to be quite honest but I have some very good friends who have helped me tremendously. It was difficult at first though, when they insisted that we start clearing my house in time for the building work to be done.

However, I have now sorted out the top bedroom and ALL my fabric and art materials are all stored there in a better order than ever before, so far so good.... after cutting the shelving units in HALF in order for them to fit under the eaves!

Wednesday and I was convinced by a friend that we had to clear some of my stuff ready for the builders, so after humming and harring we started.....

Then as we were getting boxes ready, I had a phone call. Earlier in the week I had been told that due to the icy weather, other jobs had been put on hold and the work would probably start next week. sigh of relief. BUT then they phoned back on Thursday, they were waiting for a window for another job, could they come tomorrow and do the piling. er er er......

OK. So having been convinced by my two friends that all my glassware and ornaments and pictures would end up on the floor smashed - we had to put them away in boxes until after all the work is done.

It was upsetting, I can tell you. In fact, don't tell them but I have sneakedly put the photos and some pictures back! However, most are away in boxes in other people's houses, so I can't get to them. Charity shops have also done quite well out of me, with my one friend's car boot being filled with assorted items to be given away. In actual fact, it's quite nice to have got rid of stuff.

So now the first stage of the work on the house has been completed! It was very quick and very efficient. The three men who came were very thoughtful and nothing was too much trouble.
The actual work was done in a morning, which was amazing: first they drilled in the metal pegs into the ground, then the metal supports were fixed and attached to the foundations. After being checked by building regs, they were then concreted over and now you would not know that anyone had done anything!Except that now my house shouldn't fall down.

Attached are photos of holes in ground with metal piles before being covered for ever, I HOPE!

It now has to set for a few days, before they come back next week to do all the outside brickwork.Here hoping.

I will continue next week... all being well.