The Patio Is Done

Resetting the pressure on the heating system has not worked. The process only lasts for two hours.

This morning I spoke to Elaine at Tom Sutton Heating, leaving a twofold message for Ronan: First, would it help to turn off some radiators?, second, was it safe to keep repeating the adjustment with that frequency?

Later, she rang me back, to say that it would destroy the system if we continued at that rate. She did, nevertheless, have some good news. Having earlier told me that the pipework could not be carried out until 29th March, she was now able to inform me that she had managed to swap our date with another client, so ours would now be 13th.

Trusting that the new appointment day is not auspicious – after all, the Ides are not until 15th, – there now does seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel.

Martin stayed a bit longer than expected today, because he was determined to finish the project on this visit without skimping on any of his legendary thoroughness.

The final grouting and cleaning of the paving, the sleeper step up to the Dead End Path, the low rock wall at the corner of the Pond Bed were finally finished to the craftsman’s satisfaction.

Before he left, he power washed the ageing patio furniture and settled them back on board. We will need them to suffice for another summer.

I enjoyed reading through my August 2012 posts up to the 12th, all of which contained their photographs and headers. Although I would be unable to move them without putting them into the WP gallery, this is not something yet necessary.

This evening we all dined on succulent rolled breast of lamb; boiled new potatoes; crunchy carrots; tender cabbage; crisp Yorkshire pudding; and tasty gravy. with which Jackie drank Hoegaarden and I drank Valle Central reserva privada Syrah 2021.

Headers

Today’s good news is that the Modus brakes have been fixed.

Today’s not so bad news is that the patio grouting is still too wet for Martin to proceed. He came to check on it and undertook to return tomorrow.

Now for the bad news:

The radiators had been cold again since yesterday lunchtime. Ronan from Tom Sutton Heating visited and established that there is a water leak somewhere in the system draining the radiators and causing pressure to drop. This will require new piping work which he will schedule as soon as possible. In the meantime we can keep adjusting the pressure, by the method he showed us, when it drops below the required level.

Soon after 5 p.m. the radiators were heating up.

I feel a bit drained myself, so I settled for a little more work on picture recovery.

and

required the “Attempt Block Recovery” treatment which worked to reveal the photographs, and in each I was able to place one picture into the WP media file to produce a header.

“Would You Believe It?” proved somewhat more difficult and I managed to lose a couple of the images, which I can live with. The portrait of my Dad that appears in the text is the photocopy that I had used, that being my only medium at the time. With Mum’s death last year the original that I had given to her was returned to me. I therefore made a new header of that.

This evening we all dined on spicy chicken thighs, new potatoes, crunchy carrots and green beans, with which Jackie drank Hoegaarden and I drank more of the Merlot brought home from the Smugglers Inn two days ago.