Alvechurch update

Freddie cat helping with paperwork

Reading the last blog I’m wondering how come I haven’t finished the porch yet? I suppose it hasn’t had my full attention, the last day and a half have been spent scraping paint off a wall in the bathroom, the only one not to be boarded, that Paul mentioned as a throw away comment as he left on Friday, unsure whether PVA and plaster might pull the paint off.... thought I’d finished with that sort of tedious malarkey! The front door has been fitted and looks fab, so I didn’t want to get in his way, Paul was up and down stairs, in and out the front door mixing plaster, so I didn’t want to get in his way.... Brian has been playing endlessly with radiators, fitting, exchanging, attempting to improve old ones before giving up and ordering new ones..... It’s just as well the lovely Tim, the plumbers merchant virtually drives past the house on his way home so deliveries haven’t been a problem. The gas man comes on Wednesday to turn on the gas and commission the boiler, so they all have to be fitted, leak free by then!

And watching TV

The lights are up in the lounge and it’s been tidied up so just the carpet, same for the bedrooms though they are full of bathroom furniture and tiles and tools. Colin did think he might be bringing someone round this weekend, though there was no sign yesterday. I hope they have a little vision and can see the work that has gone in and appreciate new kitchen, bathroom, carpets.... keep everything crossed!

We were there yesterday, as Paul wasn’t, so B could fit the radiator in the bathroom. We were also fortunate that James, Brian’s daughter Fiona’s partner, an electrician, could pop over to run the electrics for the bathroom. We really appreciate their time, they were out on Friday night, had guests round for dinner last night, and today are hosting ‘Christmas’ for all the family which we are really looking forward to, and still managed to fit us in!

Very comfy Freddie cat

It’s been a lovely week, Alex and Rob came over last Sunday afternoon which was great and meant Freddie got loads of fuss, Al loves cats, but Rob doesn’t, so, like me, she grabs her cat fixes with both hands. We had dinner on Sunday with H&I, who we then went out with on Thursday too. The local pub was hosting a theatre company for three nights so we saw a really interesting, funny, well performed play while enjoying a couple of pints. Great evening. Ted has had his habitation check, which is effectively his MOT for the house bits of the van, so gas, fridge, water, electrics etc. It’s not a legal requirement, but is a good plan to keep everything in good working order.

It was dusk and foxy came to see us. He's been across his track that you can see worn into the grass and now he's just sitting on the lawn watching us watching him from the bedroom window at about 10:00pm

Here's a close-up of him

Friday was my ‘works’ Balti, which just happened to be at our favourite, Diwans, where we can walk to from here. Of the 13 people present, (2 never worked in the department (Brian and Aklaq’s wife)) only 2 actually still work in the department with another 2 working elsewhere in the BBC! Still it’s lovely to see everyone and catch up, though sadly Sarah, who organised everything, rang in sick so missed out!

New windows and posh new door on the house!

Yesterday Manu and Crystal had a BBQ planned in advance, for Manu’s birthday, somehow they managed to book the weather too. The only day so far this year suitable for sitting out in the evening! We thought we were going to miss out as the original start time was 14.00 which we just weren’t going to make, but what sweeties, they dropped it all back so we would be able to make it! Lots of yummy food with homemade spicy marinades.... we were very happy! Feeling slightly jaded today we have a few hours, before heading over to Fi and James for roast turkey and all the trimmings. It’s all go!

Are we nearly there yet?

Are we nearly there yet?

I truly hope so.

The windows are in, though I have rejected the very large double glazed unit in the lounge, there are spots on, or in the glass! So that’s being changed, the two failed units upstairs are also still on order as is the front door. The window men were at last ‘proper’ workmen. They drank tea and ate biscuits and were a good laugh. They’ve also replaced the soffits of the kitchen which we only thought about at the last minute so hadn’t had Colin (the letting agent)’s man quote on, and still came in £800 less...

Parakeets in the back garden at our housesit in Moseley

They have left a little touching up to do in the kitchen, but so have Brian’s feet as he’s been into the loft there to fit insulation. The kitchen is virtually finished, just grout on the last few tiles which sadly aren’t quite the same as all the rest. Paul finished the walls and grouted and it was only after that that I noticed that 8 tiles although the same design were gloss instead of matt, they’d sent two incorrect boxes from Colin’s kitchen place. We’d been told to stay away from the kitchen delivery, if we damaged anything there would be hell to pay, so we did, sadly it would appear this meant no one checked! The matt tiles are discontinued, so we were left with the choice of ripping them all off which no one wanted to do, or leaving them up and working something out. So we’ve gone with gloss in one of the small window reveals and on the flat of the big window in the hope that with the light falling in the window and the fact they are horizontal it won’t look completely ridiculous! I also rejected the cooker Colin had proudly presented us with. The door doesn’t hang straight and looks quite peculiar....

There's a fox in next doors garden. In case you can't see it...

With the windows done we can now crack on with the porch which will only take a moment and Paul has finally started boarding in the bathroom. Are we really on the final ish leg?

In social news we’ve moved house again, we are neighbours to Helen and Ian looking after little old Freddie cat. It’s a lovely house with foxes and parakeets in the garden. Freddie is a sweetie and the neighbours aren’t too rowdy!

We’d only been here about an hour when Helen came pounding on the door, “can one of you come round the corner with me to Doreen please. I was round at Lavinia’s (her neighbour on the other side) and Doreen’s rung saying she’s had a fall!” We arrived to find a closer neighbour and two paramedics on the door step with the paramedic on the phone to Doreen saying “Just stay where you are love, there will be a couple of loud bangs as we kick the door in and we’ll be with you “ it was scary how easily they were in. At this point I stayed well out of it, she was chatting to the paramedics and clothes were being sorted for her to take to hospital. The next door neighbours (with a key) arrived and said they’d wait for the people to come and board the door up. At this point we left, a little bit of drama but all seemed well, except that sadly that night, Doreen died. Very sobering.

There he is!

We went for beer and curry with H&I on Friday, well you’ve got to keep in with the neighbours and are having dinner with them tonight. After afternoon tea with Alex and Rob. I’ve caught up with Alex a couple of times but we haven’t seen Rob, so that will be good and hopefully won’t exhaust Al too much, her new treatment is leaving her very fatigued and nauseous. 

Interesting flowers on the cacti in Fiona and Petes house

Brian has been to the dentist and for a skin check up which were both fine and yesterday we went, with mum, to see Jonathan, Lucy, Charles and Caroline. We had a lovely day. Charles is off to Nepal in about a month on World Challenge. He spends a fortnight ‘on project which in this case is further building work on a school, followed by a 10 day trek and a few days R&R at Chitwan National Park where we spent a very enjoyable few days ten years ago. He’s had to raise £4000 which he’s done so now it’s just going through the kit list. We went down laden with duffel bags, rucksacks, waterproof trousers, gaiters and all sorts of other things. I think we were almost more excited than he was! We had a lovely day, it was great to catch up with them all.

We think Freddy has forgiven our late return last night

All this meant we were back late for Freddy cat, but we had made arrangements for a neighbour to come in and feed him at his usual meal time. We're in with him all day today to make up and we think he's forgiven us as he's been up on the bed this morning having lots of fuss. We're enjoying it here and we hope Freddy is too!

Still dragging on in Alvechurch

Brian chiseling the plaster from the walls in the bathroom

So last Sunday was a lovely day, there were little goats to stroke at farm day and we had a lovely afternoon with Fiona and James. We’d taken over a box of ‘stuff’ from the loft, we weren’t sure what was in there, but knew it had all been Stuart’s. Old school notes, letters and various other treasures. It was bittersweet, bringing back some memories for Brian and Fiona. We could all laugh at a letter with notes on the outside with comments on the outside along the lines of: “you’re dead if you read this and you are not Stuart” and “Don’t let anyone, particularly Fiona read this”....

This was followed by our meal at the Merry Maid, the pub looked horrendous from the outside, but once inside it was much more pleasant and the Indian food, jointly ordered and shared between 9, was delicious.

Perhaps not the material Jackie envisaged when she asked me to fill the bathroom sink! Note the 'Alvechurch' imprint in the bricks, from the local brickworks, long since closed that supplied many 1920's houses built in the village. They are old imperial bricks (larger than modern metric versions) and built sideways to save bricks

Pauline's new giraffe, Gerald. He's as big as she is

Apart from that it’s been a quiet week, we are having our day off today, Friday, as the kitchen work surfaces have finally arrived, so dust and noise, but once done will leave us space to paint in the living room over the weekend. Typically though today it’s done nothing but rain. Fortunately we went down the pub, with mum, for a bottle of wine in the sunshine yesterday. The main excitement for the day has been re-homing Gerald. For some reason mother has hankered after having a giraffe in the garden for years, and today it has finally happened! We’ve sorted out a housesit for the end of July into August near Glasgow for some R&R with two cats after we finish with Tony and Nicky doing whatever task they have in mind as we go up with Helen and Ian. 

Trying to find a suitable place for Gerald in the garden

We just need to get the house finished! Everything is ordered, carpets, tiles, windows, the bathroom is in one of the bedrooms, we just need Paul to board, skim and fit it....

His final position. Looks like he's chasing Brian away

Farm day at Forge Mill in Redditch and the goats had escaped their pen to sample the delights of the local brambles  

Yes, this was a game for the kids, but adults can join in as well. Strategically placed cats placed around FM with a little punch to mark a card. Here's one...

And there's another one on that old cast iron water wheel. We got 35 points, but needed 50 to be considered a good spotter. Ah well, we'll leave that for the kids!

We're still here in Alvechurch!

Brian and Jackie with Monty dog. Thanks for the photo Helen

Done by the beginning of June? Pah, WE always thought it was a long shot.... The kitchen still isn’t fully in, two of the three work surfaces arrived damaged, replacements were immediately ordered, though apparently replacement plinth was actually ordered.....nothing to do with us, the kitchen is Colin’s Baby!

We have now ordered bathroom suite, double glazing and carpets and vinyl. We’ve bought lawnmower, lights and curtains for the living room. Upstairs (except the bathroom which still needs boarding and plastering) is painted. The living room floor is being boarded on Monday before the work surfaces arrive, so I’m hoping it will remain clear so we can paint in there. It’s all going very slowly!

Now you see the tree in the front garden....

On the social side.... Sunday we dog walked (to the pub) with Helen and Ian before going to another pub, and on for a curry. We’ll get up early Monday (Bank Holiday) take the wood chipper to the house to deal with the tree in the front garden and speak to Paul to confirm he is willing to continue working through the bathroom fit (he says he is, but till I see it happen....) before returning the chipper, having brunch, and talking to H&I’s neighbours, Fiona and Pete, about housesitting for Freddie cat when they go away mid June.

....now you don't

Its amazing what you can get on a car roof (and inside)

All going according to plan, we left Alvechurch at 10.45 only to drive past a patio set, “free to good home” about 10 mins into the journey! Roof bars still on the roof, rope still in the car, but sadly with the wood chipper only 3 of the 6 chairs would fit so we had to do a double shuffle, but what a find! Finally arrived at H&I at 12.15, so everything slipped a bit!

Tuesday was only a half working day as we then had to scrub up to go to Stratford upon Avon for a little bit of culture. The wine club Mum is a member of is a group of friends drawn from the various theatre, musical and Gilbert and Sullivan society’s in Tring where I was brought up. 

But what a find!

They were having a couple of nights away with a trip to see Taming of the Shrew and dinner at the Shakespeare theatre and a posh dinner the second night. Two tickets had become available for the theatre so would we like to take them and partake in the dinner at the theatre? We really enjoyed the play, actually understood most of what was going on, after the initial confusion as they had swapped the sexes of the main characters so was a man, the meal was lovely and catching up with people I probably hadn’t seen in 30 years slightly unusual! We left mother there for the second night, aiming to collect her from the train on Thursday. As it turned out I collected her from a pub where two more people had appeared for lunch. My overriding memory of Richard is when I was probably 7 or 8. During a party at our house he was being carried upstairs past my bedroom door, by a person on each limb, at the start of the third flight of stairs up to the spare room they banged his head, he woke up, and walked himself back downstairs probably to carry on drinking!

Pauline and Jackie in Stratford-Upon-Avon outside the RSC consulting the man himself

Kurzi lamb in the New Dilshad in Alvechurch with Sarah & John

Wednesday we had dinner with Sarah and John, our thank-you for receiving scanning and sending us our post is a great excuse for the kurzi lamb at the local Indian. A set meal of which the main course is a shoulder of lamb, marinated and slowly cooked. It has to be ordered at least 24 hours in advance and arrives so tender you can carve it with a spoon.... it is however huge and none of us are renowned for our self control....!

Saturday we pottered before going to Abi/Sooty and the carpet shop, to add cushion floor for the bathroom to our order and to H&I to return their jet wash which we have made full use of.

Typical Jackie pose

Serious discussion about door planing

Today? Our weekly day off, to include blogging, Farm day (hopefully with cute lambs to stroke and a hog roast to eat which seems all a bit counter intuitive) at Forge Mill and a trip to Brian’s daughter Fiona to deliver long lost ‘treasures’ from the loft. Before Sunday Tea Club at ‘The Merry Maid’ a place we haven’t been to that serves Indian food where apparently Crystal orders, as she does at the Chinese, and every thing goes into the middle. Really looking forward to it and glad the invite from Thursday, when we were both feeling slightly bilious after our overindulgence on Wednesday, could be rescheduled!

Oh, this is what she does when my back is turned

Kitchen on 27th May....

Kitchen on 31st May

And this is how it looked before the builders started in April