Connor and Josh completed their work on our floor this afternoon.
The last stages had them working on different locations alongside each other, and finally together as the work was completed in the vestibule.
Connor’s fitting of the tiles round the WC bowl and macerator; and his joins at the corner of the doors fit perfectly, and the link between the hall and vestibule is a seamless operation.
After spending some time putting things back together again, I scanned the next three of Charles Keeping’s exemplary illustrations to ‘Dombey and Son’,
‘There was a labyrinth of scaffolding raised all round the house’
‘The afflicted foreigner remained clasping Miss Tox to his heart’
‘Mrs Skewton smirked at her cadaverous self in the glass’
This evening we dined on second helpings of Jackie’s wholesome, well-filled beef and onion pie with accompanying vegetables, with which she drank Hoegaarden and I drank Patrick Chodot Fleurie 2019.
Before going out yesterday we set up the Christmas tree in anticipation of decorating it today. That was not to be.
We had to decant it into the garden.
Upon reflection it is a good thing that I was up at 6 a.m. this morning. Upon an early doorbell ringing I unlocked the front door to find the cheery face of Connor from Crestwood who had laid our kitchen floor at the beginning of 2018. He was here to lay a new sitting room floor. No-one had told us to expect him. He was to take three days over the work. My first thought was https://youtu.be/nR0lOtdvqyg
The next hour or so was spent trying to create clear areas for our craftsman to make a start.
My desk area in the hall gradually filled up; there was more to add after this; the kitchen and the stairs collected smaller items. Ascending the latter will be an assault course this evening, and there is no room to sit at the dining table
Connor moved the sofas. In the bottom right corner of this photograph can be seen the barcode on a random bit of beading which is a common feature of the work done by our predecessors.
Dismantling the wiring to our various internet devices was a major problem. Opining that I felt I was about to negotiate Birmingham in a car, I observed with phenomenal sang froid that I did not know how I was going to get it all back together again. For those who are not familiar with the so-called Spaghetti Junction of roads that surrounds that city this was a reference Connor well understood, having been there a couple of times.
He rather sensibly suggested that I should photograph all these
If these photographs are a little topsy-turvy that is because I didn’t know whether I was on my head or my heels. Please don’t look too closely at all the fluff.
What are the chances that this will make any sense to me in three days time?
Connor, on the other hand, knows exactly what he is doing. He began by taking up the old flooring;
then cutting sheets of ply to shape
and tacking it to the original floorboards
which, carefully applying a spirit level was covered with a screed which was then blown dry.
After lunch, having moved the sofas again he was ready to start on the other half of the room,
which he did with careful measuring.
There is only one thing to do when your kitchen is full of extraneous furniture and its table covered in nick-nacks. This evening we did it and dined at The ever friendly Wheel Inn. Jackie’s main course was a creamy mushroom and tomato linguin, followed by créme bruléei; mine was rib-eye steak, perfectly cooked medium rare as requested, chips, mushroom, tomato, and onion rings, followed by bread and butter pudding and custard. Mrs Knight drank Kaltenberg and I drank Ringwoods Best.
CLICK ON ANY IMAGE IN A GROUP TO ACCESS ITS ENLARGED GALLERY, EACH MEMBER OF WHICH CAN BE VIEWED FULL SIZE BY SCROLLING DOWN AND CHECKING BOX AT BOTTOM RIGHT.
Compared with that experienced in other parts of the world, including the rest of the UK, the Christmas cake icing barely coating our garden when we awoke this morning could hardly be called snow. It was a little thicker later on,
and by late afternoon could even display avian footprints.
The Waterboy’s fountain was so frozen that its pump had to be turned off.
Despite a heavy cold, Connor turned up early this morning and completed the flooring. Some of the furniture had been placed in the far left corner to enable him to cover all the other areas. When he was ready to fill that space he rang for help to move the items off the previously prepared screed. Within ten minutes Andy arrived to help. A sheet of plywood was utilised to protect the new flooring. Andy, working at his usual rate of knots, didn’t even take time to remove the hooded jacket that had protected him from the sweeping snowflakes.
Once the final screed base had dried, Connor, carefully, cutting to shape where necessary, completed the job to an exemplary standard.
The fact that we ate at The Royal Oak for the third night running had more to do with the treacherous weather conditions than anything else. This was no hardship. I enjoyed my chicken ham hock, and cider pie in short crust pastry with red wine sauce, broccoli, manges touts, peas, and mashed potato accompanied by Razor Back beer; Jackie was equally happy with her barbecue flavoured macaroni cheese and garlic bread. She drank Amstell.
SINGLE IMAGES CAN BE ENLARGED BY CLICKING ON THEM. A CLICK ON ANY IN A GROUP ACCESSES A GALLERY. VIEWING FULL SIZE IS FACILITATED BY SCROLLING DOWN ITS PAGE AND CHECKING BOX AT BOTTOM RIGHT.
Richard was still working when Jackie and I went out for our meal last night. Using a scribing block, in preparation for the Crestwood flooring people tomorrow, he marked out a threshold, cut it to shape on his chop saw,
and pressed it neatly into position in the doorway to my study area.
He then found he needed to remove the door, shave a little off the bottom, and screw it back up again.
When we returned we found that he had not only left the place spotless, but had also fitted the cutlery drawer.
This morning, Connor arrived to prepare the floor for its covering. His yellow knee pads are essential protection for joints that are constantly bending and sliding across floors. First he sanded smooth the screed applied last week;
then swept it clean; mixed up a firmer base with which to cover it; and spread that smoothly.
It was then dried with a machine that sucked in air at room temperature and blew it out again. He delegated to me moving the dryer across the surface at regular intervals whilst he went off to another job.
In the afternoon he returned and once more smoothed the second screed before laying out the panels of pale limed oak Karndean flooring in two directions so we could decide in which direction we wanted it.
He then proceeded, with the edge of his long metal straight edge helping him transfer and mark his line, to cut his shapes;
apply his glue;
pressing the boards down by hand.
Elizabeth popped in for a while, and she and Jackie impeded my photographic progress by standing, squealing with glee, in the doorway.
This evening we dined at The Royal Oak. My meal was lamb shank served with an array of vegetables and bacon and spring onion mashed potato. With this I drank Ringwood’s Best, now termed Razor Back, apparently to appeal to a younger clientele. Jackie also enjoyed her chicken burger with fries and salad, She drank Amstell. I polished off the last of her fries.
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This morning we visited Crestwood Showrooms on the Ampress estate in order to select flooring for the new kitchen. We then took our sample to Anne at Kitchen Makers in Sway. Anne will organise the installation. Jackie also discussed various other options while I wandered around with my camera.
The kitchen showroom is tastefully laid out with examples of appliances, cupboards, and surfaces; with carefully placed ornaments and accoutrements.
Milo, the dog, sat on the stone floor reflecting on the proceedings, as
Anne explained how appliances such as the microwave oven worked.
This evening we dined on Jackie’s flavoursome cottage pie with cheesy topping; firm Brussels sprouts and carrots. She drank Hoegaarden and I drank Mendoza Beefsteak Club Malbec 2016, a very good Christmas gift from Helen and Bill.
