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Today work began on our fireplace. First Baz and Owen inspected the prospective purchase at Gordleton Barn, pronounced it suitable, and set about making ready for it.
This is the doubtful D.I.Y. effort that started the day in our living room.
Barry and Owen Chislett-Bruce are New Forest Chimney Sweeping & Repairs. This father and son team are personable, thorough, efficient, and work quickly, cleanly, and tidily.
Here they are at work removing the orange shelf and the bodged tiling.
They were pleased not to have damaged any of the tiles, which Owen stacked up neatly.
They then carried out the task of clearing the raised rock-hard concrete from the open space,
hoovering as they went along.
Baz and Owen then collected the Victorian replacement from the barn, and contemplated it for a while.
This involved Baz sticking his head up the chimney.
There were several possible options for ensuring a tight fit, the preferred one being removing a row of the original hearth floor tiles, and removing more of the concrete. This required considerable effort.
The cast iron tiled fireplace was firmly fixed, ready for the next stage.
A final vacuuming was carried out,
and this is how they left us until further elements are obtained and fitted.
Observant readers will have noticed that the men, while working their socks off, do so in their socks. This, the groundsheets, the hoovering,
and bagging up the rubble as they go along, demonstrates their careful attention to the homes in which they work.
Whilst at the barn, I took a few more pictures of the interior.
It is now soon after 3.00 p.m. We will be driving over to Elizabeth’s for the three of us to attend Margery’s exhibition at Southampton Art Gallery, after which we will have a meal together. I will then have no time (or energy) to post this, so I will do so know and report the evening tomorrow.