House renovating, Alvechurch, beer festival, Bristol

Brian removing the old kitchen cooker hood

I think this has been the longest time without writing a blog, ever!

We have been very busy, stripping, sanding, scraping, filling and even a tiny bit of painting. This however doesn’t make for good blogging, but has made us very tired.
The house now looks far worse than when we arrived, but it has to get worse before it gets better, so keep everything crossed, that it ever does... Just at the moment that feels like it’s getting further away. Paul, the contractor, started yesterday, digging the floor in the lounge, at what used to be the junction between concrete kitchen and wooden lounge floors. So why is the concrete raising slightly? Well that’ll probably be what comes from half the chimney just being built on floorboards, which are slowly levering the concrete up! Couple of lintels, that should sort that out. That was this morning. This afternoon the hole had got bigger as the un-reinforced concrete was just supported on a bit of galvanised tin, which was looking a bit sorry for itself. Hmmm, bit more work there then! Hope he gets it done before the kitchen arrives!

Helen, Ian, Iain and Jackie on our walk through the bluebell woods near Bristol

Jackie and Helen. First brewery, a bit cold, but at least we had a table

There has been a lighter side, we’ve been out for curry with Helen and Ian, and then two nights later with the Monday club. We’ve been away for a weekend at Iain and Bev’s, in Bristol, with H&I. This was great fun, lots of drinking and chatting on the Friday night, and that was before the serious business of the weekend started - 5 of the 19 breweries in Bristol had opened their doors, set up bars and organised food wagons for a brewery crawl. We joined many others walking the trail, fortunately, despite being only 11 degrees, (in May?) it was sunny with blue sky, so sitting on whatever could be found, from pallet, to bread boxes, to a carpark space was ok. The beer varied, but on the whole was good, and we did feel very smug at Monday club saying “oh yes, had that one (of the 14ish available at the new bar in Kings Heath) from the brewery on Saturday....!

Second brewery, Jackie, Bev, Helen and Ian

Third brewery, the best we could do was a pallet to sit on

Having pre-prepared H&I we had a mad couple of hours in the garden on our return on Sunday, their wood chipper is a magnificent thing, which in conjunction with mum’s recycling bin, and Sue and Richard’s from up the road meant we got rid of three trees without leaving anything for the skip, yet to arrive.

With the skips arrival on Tuesday, along with Paul jack hammering up the floor, we were in the Garden with Abi. Much better to be outside, but I’d sooner paint, however now we can see the wood for the trees, it is hugely improved, but there is still more than I want to think about to do. 

Fourth brewery, now its bread boxes with motorcycle tyres backrests

Thank goodness it rained today and we could go out, after meeting the double glazing man, looking for fires, bathrooms and lights. Tomorrow however? No rain till after lunch, guess that’ll be the garden again then, we have yet to get rid of the gravel, order topsoil and turf, get rid of all the weeds, dig it all over....

From yesterday, we are housesitting, at our postal address. For the first time in 6 1/2 years post that comes through the letter box, may be for us, how very strange.... Apart from that the only other thing to say is having crowed, and congratulated the car, we went to it a week ago, and..... nothing..... no engine, no starting, no clicking. So the battery hadn’t done so well after all, but a quick jump start and a trip to Halfords later and all is well.

Fifth and final brewery, now its only tarmac to sit on. Oh well, now its off to the curry house for food - and more beer!

Back at the house in Alvechurch with Ian and Helen about to start in the garden....

2 hours later and we've made considerable progress

And another days work, more still

Here's the lounge after we'd cleared it and with Paul about to start. You can see the crack in the concrete section of the floor

And here it is today, a very large hole that was covered by a thin sheet of steel supported on those bits of steel and the had concrete poured over it. The RHS of the chimney breast was built straight off the suspended wooden floor causing it all to drop. It was done before Jackie bought the house 26 years ago so, surprisingly it did last for a long time 

Our writing on the wall after we stripped the wallpaper from the last time we decorated the kitchen

Jackies 26 year old artistic handiwork on the wall in the bathroom (now all gone)

Takeaway Chinese with Helen and Ian after we got back from Bristol on Sunday

Alex paid us a visit and he she is having a catchup chat with Jackie

One of our jobs is to clear the loft out of our old memorabilia and, here I found my old collection of 200 plus beer mats from the 1970's. Anyone want them?

And a quite large collection (more than shown here) of my Birmingham City Football Club match day programmes from 1975 and 76

And a collection of photos, including this one of Jackie and her graduation ceremony

And now we're housesitting in Alvechurch for little fluffy Socks for Sarah and John, during our house renovation