Source: #CoaTDNews Could Concorde be making a comeback?
Would really like to see Concorde flying again. These planes should be in the air, not rotting away in museums.
Conservatory Re-Build – Furniture
No further progress towards completion as yet. However, we are making as much use as we can. We have sat outside on the decking when ever the sun shines. There is still a lot of heat in the sun but the ambient temperature drops rapidly at the first hint of a cloud. This just drives us inside to sit in our new warm, draught free environment.
Inside just became a whole lot more comfortable as, yesterday, our new furniture arrived courtesy of The Fir Trade Furniture Company.
A year ago we visited their stand at the Garden Show, Stansted Park. Tried their seats and found them to be really comfortable. This year we revisited their stand, retried the seats and were really taken with their level of comfort and with the sturdiness of design. Managing Director Hugh Ross, following my enquiry about the strength of the seats due to the unusual leg angles, and my concerns about the seats ability to withstand my weight, did no more than turn one of the seats upside down. Then he proceeded to show me the large steel bolts securing the legs to the base of the seat and the additional wooden inserts used to strengthen the whole structure.
Knowing we were about to embark on the demolition and rebuild of our conservatory we decided, that once we knew exactly how much space we would have, we would visit the show rooms in Salisbury.
And so we duly visited their showrooms late in August where we remade our acquaintance with Hugh after quite the most horrendous journey . Torrential rain all the way with almost zero visibility on the M27 due to the spray. In a country that is known for rain you would think that our road builders would use quick draining surface as is the case on some of the autoroutes in France.
Anyway, back on topic, we were welcomed with coffee and biscuits and tried nearly all the seats in all styles but were drawn back to the Semarang set. Orders were placed, fabrics and patterns chosen, deposit paid and we were advised that the lead time to delivery would be four to six weeks.
A call from Hugh advised that our order was ready for delivery, unfortunately minus the foot stool, Friday was agreed and the new furniture arrived delivered by Igor, the Italian.
Our original order was for the two chairs, a foot stool and the “gin & tonic” table. As you can see in the photo, the chairs are lop-sided, left and right-handed. The low side provides easy access to the drinks on the table while the high side provides support for when ones chosen anaesthetic, be it G & T or some other suitable beverage, kicks in.
On Thursday morning we decided to add the lamp to our order. After several missed calls in both directions we eventually linked up and the lamp was added to our delivery for Friday.
The previous photo shows the lamp on but it really comes into its own at night-time, providing a cosier level of lighting and the reflections in the glass and tiled floor are really quite effective.
I would like to say that our dealings with this company have been superb. Everyone that we have spoken to has been really friendly and their response to our last-minute addition of the lamp to our order has been first class.
Conservatory Rebuild – Days 35 thru 37
Not much happening since Saturday. Craig and Connor arrived mid afternoon with a barrow load of ready mixed cement and set about laying the final steps and reinstating the side access slabs. Since then the weather has been atrocious with heavy tropical style rainstorms. Yesterday, the final slabs were laid. However, the heavens opened and to quote the song “Down came the rain”. The side access has always turned into a water chute during stormy weather, so much so that we have considered making into a water feature. Yesterday was no exception.
There was so much rain water and the cement was so fresh that the last paver laid has shifted. The guys will have to come back and re-lay it, when we have a dry day. Then they can also grout the slabs on the steps.
Also putting in an appearance yesterday was Angus.
He arrived and fitted the “stay” for the utility room door as well as making good the soffit that had been cut away to make the connection between the bungalow and the new conservatory.
We are creeping towards completion.
The search for the Scarlett Pimpernel goes on unabated and needless to say we are still minus the radiator for the living space, which in turn is preventing the last strip of skirting from being fitted. The bi-fold doors are still missing their magnetic catch, as well as the last bit of rubber seal and the hidey / slidey door furniture is still to be fitted.
We also have some issues with the final finish of some of the plasterwork around the perimeter ceiling but these are all minor items and shouldn’t take long to sort out.
No, the big issue, and the worst irritant is the missing radiator !!
My Prostate and Me – Part 10,
So at the end of my last post I had just escaped from the QA following my Brachytherapy procedure. This was to be a temporary escape as I had to present myself back at the hospital for a CAT scan.
So the following Monday I dutifully presented myself for scrutiny. Unfortunately it was organised chaos due to a lack of availability of notes. This is not the first time that my notes have not been available although it is more usual for them to not be available for an appointment that has been set up for weeks.
I did press the radiographer as to why it was necessary for my notes to be available when they knew that the scan was to confirm placement of the radioactive seeds in my prostate. I said that I assumed they knew where the prostate was and therefore where to target the scan.
She, very patiently, explained to me that having a scan 3 days after brachytherapy was not normal procedure. The norm is to have an MRI after about a month, so they needed to know if there were any other issues that they needed to be aware of. They did their best to find my notes, even going up to the ward to search on the assumption that they, my notes, were “in transit” due to the weekend.
My consultant must have foreseen this as he had provided me with an extension number on which he could be contacted, even though he was in surgery. I passed this number over to the radiographer and after a short chat with my consultant we were good to go.
So after nearly two hours pfaffing around I had my ten minutes of scanning and we were out of the hospital. Of course there is then a period of trepidation, waiting to hear if I was going to have to go back in for more seeds. As time passed I relaxed, no news is good news after all.
A month after the procedure I had the MRI. This was a much quicker visit than my previous MRI. I guess because this time they were only interested in checking the prostate itself and the immediate surrounding area.
Once again, there is that trepidatious period of time where you wait for the bad news phone call. And, once again, as time passed I relaxed.
The next check point in all this was to be a visit to the consultant preceded by a visit to the vampire clinic.
Which brings us up to date.
Last week I gave the blood sample required to check my PSA levels and yesterday I visited my consultant. After all the pleasantries, how is your bladder, how are your bowels, etc. etc. we eventually got round to the important business i.e. talking about my PSA.
Brilliant news !!
Prior to the brachytherapy my PSA was up at just over 13. Now my PSA reads just over 1. Which, in the words of my consultant means that the seeds are doing their job. My next check point will be in six months when I will have another blood test and another consult.
My thanks to Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos, the three fates (Moirai) for watching over me. I think they were watching over me last December when my operation was cancelled due to a lack of hospital beds. When I think about all the possibilities I am so, so glad that I have taken this path.
See you all in six months !!!
Conservatory Rebuild – Day 34
Day 34 and a bonus day. We had 3 tradesmen working today which was a pleasant surprise since this is Saturday.
Richard, the painter, turned up to add a second coat to the walls and perimeter ceiling and to put a finish coat to the hidey / slidey door. He was also able to put a top coat on the pre-finished skirting boards.
George, plastics and glass, arrived to put the finishing touches to the partition wall glazing. He also installed finishing trim along the top edge of the perimeter ceiling as well as the interior trims to hide the last pieces of the roof framing metalwork.
The partition wall glazing is also double glazed !!! Unexpected, but this will help keep the washing machine noise out of the living space.
Externally he has now finished off the guttering …
Looks much better than the temporary fix ….
The ever-present Craig, master of all trades was here to build the steps leading to the utility room door and provide the alternative access to the decking.
We are still awaiting the radiator for the living space. It transpires that despite our choosing the radiator 2 – 3 weeks ago, it isn’t a stock item but is only available by special order. Has it been ordered ? You guess.
So the project is almost complete. Just the steps and the side access paving to be made good. The radiator and skirting to be fitted in the living space, door furniture to be fitted to the hidey /slidey door and then there are a couple of niggley items to do with the finish of the plaster work.
It seems to have been a long journey.
Conservatory Rebuild – Day 33
Today was a smiley day. Lots of progress, both inside and out.
Outside first, the decking has been completed . . .
and we have steps.
Edges have been faced off so we shouldn’t lose any grandchildren underneath. Once the utility room steps are built we will have access to the decking from each end.
As a precursor to the inside works, we now have a tumble dryer vent installed.
And so to why this is a smiley day… after six weeks without a washing machine on hand, we finally have a fully functional utility room.
So, a nice new work top and cupboards. Machines lifted in, from their temporary home in the garage, and plumbed in. This moment has been a long time coming and, to Gerry, is probably more important than actually finishing the whole project. Friends and family have stepped forward and offered laundry facilities but it is something that Gerry has found particularly trying.
Had the plumbers turned to earlier we could have made temporary use of our machines while other works were proceeding. But hey, water under the bridge and all that.
With the completion of the tiling, the hidey / slidey door can be closed. Still has to have the door furniture fitted. And there is another smiley moment. Although I tried to get the furniture from our local DIY stores, both B & Q and Wickes failed to come up with the goods.
So I had to resort to the interweb. And what a service I received. I placed the order on Thursday afternoon and the door furniture arrived, by FedEx, by noon the following day.
Also, almost completed was the skirting boards ….
I say “almost completed” as the final piece of skirting cannot be installed until the plumber comes and installs the radiator. Getting a plumber here for any great period of time has been a major trial. So much so that the plumbers are now referred to as “The Scarlett Pimpernel”.
“They seek him here, They seek him there, They seek that elusive plumber everywhere”
Our particular pimpernel is more elusive than Sir Percy Blakeney, hero of the Baroness Orczy novel. The installation of the radiator is the last major item for the inside and is a major frustration for all parties involved in this project.
Conservatory Rebuild – Day 32
Work is proceeding at quite a good pace now and this was one of those days when the changes are significant and obvious.
The tiling in the utility room is complete and what a difference it has made. Still to be given a final clean and buff but the transition is fantastic.
Still have the work top, cupboard and skirting boards to be fitted but it’s looking good.
Outside is probably where the biggest transition has taken place. The decking guy, Paul, arrived this morning and look what a difference one guy can make.
Hand rail posts are in, just the spindles and rails to be installed. That’s a job tomorrow.
The deck looks to be quite robust. Come the full effects of global warming, when the oceans rise and the A3(M) becomes a canal, I’ll have somewhere to moor a boat.
Back to reality, still to be built are the steps down from the decking, leading to the patio, and the surrounds to be faced off so that the grandchildren can’t hide underneath.
All in all a good days work.
Refugee Crisis
I have held back from commenting on the “refugee crisis” as it is such a complex issue. Like many folks, I am shocked by the images being flashed into our homes by the news media. Images of dead children being lifted from the sea-shore generate many emotions, chiefly anger, and will galvanise a nation to action in a way that no image of hundreds of young men climbing onto trains will do. However, it is precisely the latter that is creating, for me, a growing feeling of disquiet about such a massive migration and potential influx into the UK.
In the first instance, given the general state of alert around the world for potential terrorist attacks, what security vetting is being carried out on all of these “refugees” ? It doesn’t take much imagination to see that this is an ideal opportunity for terrorist infiltration. I’m sure I’m not the only one who sees the potential for ISIS and other organisations to take advantage and sneak a few “soldiers” in under the radar. With such large numbers migrating across borders it is a near impossible task for our security services to carry out proper and in-depth checks into the identity and backgrounds of these people.
Many of these folks are true refugees, fleeing from horrific conditions and risk to their lives. They have truly fled the conflict with just what they can carry. However, many of those seen across the channel, trying to gain entry to Britain are not refugees. These non-refugees are economic migrants, and I use that term loosely, seeking to gain entry to the UK and its benefits system. Some are from strife torn middle east and north African countries. But many are not. Some have left behind a regime or an environment that they did not like, but they were not at risk and are therefore not true refugees.
Can someone explain to me why these people, having escaped the conflict, crossed the Mediterranean and arrived in a “safe” country, continue to travel onwards across many borders heading towards north European countries ?
And that, for me, is why the government is right to keep turning back the hoards, the swarms, the masses of illegal immigrants at our borders. That is why they are right to only take the true refugees who have been through the correct processing camps near to the borders of the countries from which they are escaping. This country, this government and local councils should not have to accept all who present themselves at our borders. They should only have to consider properly vetted refugees.
Secondly it would seem that these folks, wearing the refugee label, are going to take priority over our own countrymen and women. UK citizens all over the country who have been on housing lists for years will suddenly find themselves pushed down the housing ladder. UK citizens, living on the streets, will still be living on the streets. While, for these “refugees”, previously non-existent housing will be found. They, the “refugees” will not have to fight and justify their rights to a home and benefits, just declare themselves refugees and our central government will force local councils to find them homes. Will the government, having created the required housing at a stroke, magic away this countries unemployment figures, create jobs for the refugees, jobs that it hasn’t been able to create for UK citizens ?
The UKs response to this crisis has to be measured and not a knee jerk, emotional response to the medias presentation. David Cameron is never going to come out of this covered in glory. He is in one of those lose/lose, damned if you do, damned if you don’t situations.
Conservatory Rebuild – Day 31
So here we are, Day 31 and various signs of progress to report.
The outer garage wall and “verges” have been made good so we are truly weather-proof now.
The, original, grotty old bit of timber has been replaced by bricks and looks much, much better. The edge of the roof, “verge”, has also been made good. Verge was a term that until now I had only ever associated with the grassy edging along road sides. It appears it is also a term used to describe roof edging, presumably when there are no overhanging eaves, as is the case with our house.
When taking these pictures I did note that the end cap is missing from the plastic sill.
Unable to proceed with the tiling in the utility area Craig has made himself busy in other areas. The access point for the running gear of the “hidey / slidey” door now has a new removable cover.
By the way, “hidey / slidey” is my term to describe the door and its ability to hide inside the wall. I was advised yesterday that the correct term is “Pocket Door” and although it does describe nature of the door I think I will stick with my descriptor.
Also a new step has been constructed for inside the garage.
This step is needed since we have raised the floor in the conservatory to match the floor level in the house. This in turn required the garage door to be lifted making the step down into the garage quite large. The step will make the transition much safer and of course easier on my ageing legs.
Late in the day there was much rejoicing as a plumber appeared. Although not, it transpired, to do all the works on which we are waiting. However, this is a major achievement.
We now have a water supply and waste pipe for the washing machine. Unfortunately, nobody informed the plumber that the spec also called for an outside tap. Which meant that he had to modify his newly installed pipe-work. Still we have moved ahead and although the outside tap isn’t fitted there is access, outside, to water for cement and tile adhesive mixing.
Also delivered today was the glazing frame to cap off the partition wall …..
A truck also arrived to deliver the timber for the decking ….
Looks a bit like a flat pack from Ikea although I don’t think it includes any instructions. This should be the last of the large material deliveries. Speaking to my neighbour, he has observed the expressions of the various delivery drivers as take note of the curve in the communal driveway and the overhanging trees. They have all managed to make it onto the drive and to escape afterwards so it can’t be that bad.
With all of todays activities I think the light at the end of the tunnel is burning a little brighter. Lets just hope it’s not an express train heading this way.
Conservatory Rebuild – Day 30 ?
Seem to have lost count of the days since this began. I believe this is Day 30, only counting week days and allowing for the August Bank Holiday.
The end is in sight but there is still much to do.
Laying of the floor tiles has continued and the living room floor area is now complete and grouted.
Just needs for the tiles to be cleaned and buffed.
Oh, I forgot that the skirting boards and radiator are still to be fitted.
The lack of plumbing support is becoming an irritant now we have been six weeks without laundry facilities. We are farming our dirty laundry out to family members which is all well and good and we thank them for their support but it isn’t the same as having your own facilities readily accessible.
Forgetting about our personal needs lack of plumbing is now blocking the tile laying in the utility area. If the plumbers were to come and just bring the cold water supply up above floor lever with a service valve then the tiling could proceed.
I could do it myself but two things prevent me from jumping in and doing the job. Firstly I am paying for this work to be done. Secondly, and more importantly, I want the work carried out by a professional person who will be accountable should any problems occur in the future. All in all this is very frustrating.
In addition the lack of a water supply means that the guys are reliant on using our kitchen sink for water to mix cement, tile adhesive etc. etc. With the best will in the world it still means dirt and grime is carried into the house.
The plumbers were supposed to arrive Monday afternoon and / or Tuesday morning. Well here we are on Wednesday morning and still no-show.
Watch this space.
WrAnTz 