Hole In Wall

Right this minute there is a hole in my sitting room wall. Panic not, people, it goes up, before out. When I left the house early yesterday evening the landlord was perched on top of the chimney mildly cursing...as landlords do?

You want the story?

Installation of a closed stove. Pending installation? Potential installation?

Some of you will know that its a rather old (in places dodgy) cottage I live in, so it will surprise you not at all to learn that the installation was not progressing as hoped.

The plumber, referred to as 'yon fella' by the landlord,R, arrived yesterday about 2 o'clock and within 30 minutes had  the carpet rolled back, furniture moved (myself having emptied the room of sundries last Wednesday when Yon Fella was first expected), ripped out the 1950's? '60's? fireplace surround and were navigating around the piano with barrow loads of shovelled rubble and debris. Next the  back boiler was dismantled and hauled out, soot and substantial trickles of water all across the floor. Luckily there's no foundation so I guess most of it just soaked into the ground between the tiles.

I will post photos when it is done, because the remains of the original fireplace which emerged were quite interesting, typical 18th C rural Irish, which is appropriate to what I know of the house.

Apparently the chimney has to have a 'liner' inserted, so next thing R. is strolling around the roof with the QE2 on his shoulder...actually its more of a long metal bendy tube which had to be slid down the chimney, with a rope attached to the end so that it could be pulled from below in case difficulty arose, which of course it did.

A sample of the conversation being yelled between Yon Fella, crouched in the fireplace with his head up the chimney, and R. sitting atop the chimney:

YF: Let it down easy now, I've the rope, twist it as ye go.

R: Can ya see it? I've a good part down.

YF: (tugs on the rope) Not a bit. Would there be a kink in this chimney?

R: There could be anything in this chimney for all I know. Have ye got it yet?

YF: (tugs again) Nope. Can ye see anything?

R: I'd say it was relined recently, its definitely not the original chimney.

YF: Recently?

R: 20's maybe, good strong brick. (no body asked 'which '20's?' 17s?18s?19s?) Throw me up another bit of the ould tape till I try something.

YF: (goes out to van, rummages, tells me to duck and fires a roll of tape onto the roof which R catches) How can ye not know which way the chimney goes?

R: Was I here when they built the damn thing? Try now...

At which point I unfortunately had to leave, but I expect my absence freed up their language which probably expedited success. By the time I returned last night the lining was through and various  cementings had been done, the water had gone and there were no dead or wedged bodies that I could see.

And that, dear readers is how it stands. No sign of them this morning but sure its early yet for Yon Fella to be about. I swear R will have him murdered before the job is done. Like many plumbers round here he is as unreliable as an Irish Summer but just as pleasant when he finally arrives.

Sos and the Teletubbies!

The farmer across the valley has been cutting his summer silage so his fields look all neat and tidy. I wonder whether he'd come and do the girls' bedrooms?
You know the way when you watch schools of fish they cluster together, then dart here and there in a swarm, with the occasional one drifting away and rejoining, or another being left behind then frantically chasing after the others to catch up? I think herds of teenagers are like that...Last night about 7pm onwards they arrived, milled around, grazed, dolled themselves up and then around 10.15pm departed. The amount of smells, stinks and pong needed to gird themselves for a night on the tiles!! Afterwards B and I had all the windows open! Anyhow here they are, only five actually, but it seemed like more.
I was standing at the stove chatting to them at one point and suddenly all the washing up toppled off the draining board. It was the funniest thing watching the boys try to catch five baking tins, several wooden implements, two mixing bowls, two jugs, all the washed tetrapack recycling, cooling trays and a saucepan! Not rugby players for nothing! I wasn't quick enough to get a photo unfortunately, but it was terribly funny!

At 4pm this afternoon this is all that's left...

well, besides the empty fridge, empty packets, dirty dishes, cold tea-pots and mugs, sleeping bags and duvets around the sitting room and general rubble. I love it that they come and go from here. I love the conversations they have and the way they leap from serious to daft and back again.

It would appear that they didn't eat the dog food though.

The Hub returned from work having stopped at the Hardware Store, with a roll of felt for the shed roof. After several incredibly windy days the weather is both calm and warm today so it's a good opportunity to put it up. In fact the weather is gorgeous!

I've been working hard at the little quilt and the end really is in sight. I have to say I'm rather tired of it now. Maybe two hours of quilting and then the binding. If the next post starts with 'Yippee!' you'll know I've finished!