Microwaves and Dust

Home Improvement - Day 42

Apologies, leaving home early and coming home late has not been conducive to many photos or the urge to write. The cold and damp by not having all the external walls intact has forced Mrs CT, Smudge the cat and I to retreat to the only usable room downstairs, the dining room. This we are sharing with the fridge/freezer, a kettle and a micro-wave. Oh the culinary delights that have created over the last 3 weeks are something to behold! For those readers that know us I am pleased to say that despite the cramped conditions, so far neither of us have resorted to murder.

Here is how we left the project last time...................

...................and here it is now

There has been a little pain and discomfort in getting to this stage. The demolition of all the internal walls for one. We were prepared for a little dust and debris but good grief the mess that can be caused by 3 men, 1 stone chisel, 2 lump hammers and an angle grinder is quite impressive. Not to mention the 2 huge skips that they filled with rubble. During this Smudge the cat was packed off with her blanket, mice and ball with a bell in it to The Ringsted Cat Hotel where she enjoyed a fully inclusive week away.

In an attempt to prop the house up whilst they took down the kitchen walls there were some interesting additions to our rooms upstairs as you can see from our en-suite. It made using the loo or having a shave an interesting exercise for a few days!

Thank goodness that the extension was finished when it was and the whole thing weather tight before all the rain we have had over the past couple of weeks. So where are we know? Well the rooms have now been created and plaster is starting to go on the walls.

On the right hand side is what will become the new cloakroom and utility room. This area caused much discussion last week when we realised that to use the WC you would have to perch on it or aim from a distance! By moving soil pipes and turning the item by 180 our future guests will be pleased to know that comfort has been restored.

Smudge is built in a similar fashion to me - overweight, a belly and short legs. Her new cat flap is somewhat higher than the old one due to Mrs CT insisting on glazed doors. It means I have had to erect a temporary "cat step" to allow her to get in! No more magnets hanging around her neck though as modern technology means that the lock reads the micro-chip in her neck. Why can't we have that, would save on looking for you keys all the time!

No it's not a new outside loo but the base for the new greenhouse when it eventually arrives. It's going to be a hectic 2 weeks with 1 ton of floor tiles arriving Monday, then several thousand boxes containing the kitchen I imagine.

PS I have now given up smiling politely at people who say "it will be worth it in the end" I now just shrug my shoulders and sigh loudly whilst thinking fondly of my next microwaved delicacy.

All the photographs of our project so far can be seen here:-

Home Improvement

Location:Courtman Rd,,United Kingdom

This Country runs on Tea

Home Expansion Day 19

It will come as no surprise to anyone that in order to improve the work-flow and concentration of any builder or craftsman in this country, a constant flow of tea is required and most gratefully received. Our tea-bag and sugar supply is fast dwindling along with the washing-up liquid required for all those mugs.

Today has been no exception and the hot reviving cuppas were almost compulsory to stave of these 200 mile an hour winds  - well that's what they feel like coming down the Nene Valley.

What quite Smudge's excuse was to get involved in this tea habit I am not too sure!

Despite the atrocious weather conditions progress has been good with several layers of block and brickwork completed. Kitchen has been ordered as has the cloakroom bits and pieces. Not too many decisions left to take, only the lighting, heating, paint colours, position of switches and power etc etc etc!

Any way we are having a day away from all this tomorrow. Mrs CT is taking me to watch Villa v Fulham. Not a top of the table clash I agree but she got the tickets from a dodgy looking bloke down the pub at Christmas. Don't know who he is but I hope the tickets turn out to be right!

Living in a Prison Cell

Home Expansion Day 17

The walls are now starting to emerge from the ground even if they do look a little like the inside of a prison cell (not from personal experience you understand, just my vision of what a dingy prison cell would look like). The window frames look a bit flimsy though!

Biggest discussion of the past few days has been what to do with Smudge's cat flap, the new one. As we are having glazed doors with no solid panels the question of cutting the glass arose. After consultations with the suppliers it turns out you can only cut round holes in double glazing and not square. This requires a special finishing set. This cat, once rescued from a centre for £3.10, is becoming a major expense. Mrs CT better hurry up back from Halifax before I get Jack the bricky to incorporate her in the building (Smudge that is not Mrs CT).

Well at least the bricks turned up earlier this week which means that progress should speed on weather permitting. Hopefully the dining room furniture will be sold this week allowing us space to set up camp in the only usable room for the next 4 weeks or so - well that will be cosy!. (See separate page for items for sale).

Cats and Concrete - not a good mix!

Home Expansion Day12


Looking at the pictures not a lot has happened in the last 9 days or so it would appear. The builders did a great job of leaving the site tidy and clean last weekend after pouring the concrete which is to become the floor of the extension.


We came home late last Thursday and opened the front door only to be met by Smudge (she of 4 paws) coming the other way at the speed of an exocet missile. "Wonder what's the matter with her" exclaimed Mrs CT? This was somewhat explained when opening the back door to examine the building progress to find that the cat flap had been nailed shut. Poor thing must have had all 4 paws crossed for some time. Why this sudden persecution of the cat by the builders - quite simple they had spent the afternoon pouring several toms of concrete and smoothing it to a fine finish - naturally they didn't want little marks all over it - oh dear, my brain was far too slow in computing this as Smudge came hurtling across the still wet and soft surface heading back for her now overdue tea. So now not only are there indentations all over the extension floor but there is by now a corresponding pattern in concrete splodges on our clean kitchen and hall floor. I wont repeat what Mrs CT said but needless to say it was all my fault! (Sometimes I do have to wonder at female logic).

Anyway back to the delays. It is all to do with bricks or the lack of them or to be more precise the lack of matching ones. The original builders of the house had used a job lot of since discontinued brick which were prooving hard to match. Hopefully they will be here sometime next week. In the meantime, Jack, the bricky had a couple of days off to "recharge his batteries" and the site was left empty. Over the last couple of days the patio has been relaid in its new position and I might even get a table and couple of chairs out tomorrow.

Onwards and upwards - I hope!


PS Does anyone want any replacement kitchen cupboard doors? We have quite a number to offer as our existing kitchen has to be demolished in the next couple of weeks. Good condition. Let me know and I will send details and pictures

Home Expansion - Day 3

Behold - the birth of a new kitchen breaking free from mother earth

Nothing much more to report really. The digger has gone so no more trenches thank goodness. Mrs CT deciding that London was not far enough away from the chaos has evacuated herself to Halifax - not too sure which is worse!

So that leaves just me and Smudge, who is still not happy at the state of her garden and even less so as the vet has told her that she is fat and needs to lose 2 kgs so is on a strict diet. If she meows at me for food once more, she might just find herself part of the foundations..............(not really!)

Home Expansion - Day 2

Where's my garden gone?

Looks like something out of Time Team. Any more trenches and I think I will be able to sell the lawn mower! whilst it is in this state I just hope the rain stays away.

Yet another truck with robotic arm greeted us at sunrise dumping all sorts of goodies onto the drive.

After yesterday's  initial shock to the system (picture above), Mrs CT has abandoned ship and gone to London. At least she wont see the devastation of her clean home as it happens. Smudge (the cat) still not happy as she now has a 1 foot leap to and from her cat flap.

Home Expansion - Day 1

So the day has finally arrived after 7 months of planning and research..............and we had somewhat forgotten. Only the sound of a lorry drawing up outside and the clanking of a mini-digger being unloaded provoked Mrs CT and myself into action............the builders were here!

There were cups of tea to be made, questions to be asked and reassurances sought. The slight drizzle that was now falling made me think that today was not going to be the tidiest or cleanest. Mrs CT, I am sure, still thought that all of this was going to be achieved with the minimum of mess and chaos............

.................this was soon rectified when Jack decided that the digger was not going to get into our back garden and proceeded to belt seven bells of whatsit out of the garden wall and back gate with a lump hammer..........the blood was already draining from Mrs CT's face.........as the wall was finally demolished and lay in a neat pile on the front lawn. "Can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs" declared Jack. Sod the eggs it is the mud, muck and dust that Mrs CT is worried about.

As the day went on a large proportion of the back garden was dug out and transported to the front garden to be met by a over large Tonka toy with a grab bucket and neatly transported away. Surveying the trench that now surrounded the back door Mrs CT was now quite excited at the progress being made. "The concrete truck is on its way" someone declared at which she decided her sister's was beckoning as a safe refuge and would have a working toilet as 2 of ours had been disconnected.

So that was it, all that remained was me, the building team of 3 and Smudge the cat..............oh crikey I had forgotten about Smudge who with impeccable timing was making great muddy paw prints through the kitchen, hall and now was busy decorating the dining room window sill.

Oh well it least it wasn't me wrecking the house........this time!

Braised lamb shanks with crushed herb potatoes recipe - Recipes - BBC Good Food
Good simple food - today’s lunch - looking forward to it.