On up to Scotland to our temporary home at Tony and Nicky's for the duration...

Walking, last week, near Lockerbie, Scotland

As per the last post we didn’t rush to Nicky and Tony, though we didn’t do any sightseeing either. Our first stop just north of Stoke-on-Trent on somebody’s drive was a funny little stopover but suited us perfectly (location: 53°03'33.9"N 2°19'04.8"W). We arrived there and were welcomed with a handshake. 

The next stop was very close to Lockerbie where Doris decided that the bridge was closed (it would be on Monday) but that’s what we employ her for so we did the unnecessary 30 mile detour. We’d booked this site the previous night and been informed we were welcome but there would be no contact and if we could pay by BACS bank transfer that would be

Our last motorhome stop before arriving at Tony & Nicky's near Dundee

great. On arrival we had a lovely chat with the lady of the house, keeping the required distance (location: 55°07'39.9"N 3°27'17.2"W). We then went for a little walk passing other groups of people either walking together or chatting as they’d met. The final site was just south of Dundee, he took our money and gave us change, but that’s all the contact we’d normally expect anyway! As far as we are concerned nobody is wrong we’ll just go with the flow (location: 56°24'08.6"N 3°11'58.5"W).

And finally...Big Ted parked up at Tony and Nicky's for the duration

We arrived at our destination about lunchtime with cream, butter and custard powder but no flour, bread flour or normal, in three days and three supermarket visits. As ever, we were welcomed here with big hugs!

With that it’s like we’ve never been away, lunch before into work clothes to prepare the floor of the new porch, layer of plastic, layer of 100mm insulation, a layer of plastic, a layer of rebar reinforcement. The underfloor heating pipes and padding were added the following morning just before the cement lorry arrived....

Tony and Nicky's splendid property. On the far left is Big Ted outside garage number 1 (about the size of a normal house), centre is the one half of the steading that they have now converted into a luxurious, very large house, almost self sufficient on generated electricity and solar heating, right, with the green roof is the second half of the steading that we'll be working on for the duration. The green is the base layer applied to the roof before tiling. To give an idea of size, the green roof you can see is 100' (30m) long. Further right is garage number 2, and with an upstairs and downstairs, is the size of a very large detached house. Just to the right of that is a huge polytunnel where they grow a lot of their own fruit and veg. The photo is taken from near one corner of the grounds, but behind and off to the right is a large area that houses chickens, ducks, geese and guinea fowl plus a lot of fruit trees. We can get tired just walking round the property, isolation here is not really a problem

Straight to work. This will be a porch and boiler room. Underfloor heating coils in

Went to bed on the news that the caravan and motorhome club have closed all its sites, so two of the three we stopped at on our way up. Glad we arrived when we did!

Cement lorry on Monday, not the big rotating thing you see on the roads that does large quantities, but one that mixed and poured there and then, more suitable for small loads. The day was rounded off with the news that the country is going in to complete lockdown, no unnecessary journeys and only essential stores open.

The concrete truck arrives!

The roof trusses were due to be delivered on Tuesday but would they be and what about our other timber, sand and building material requirements? Travis Perkins was shut, what about his rival, Doug, at MKM? Finally, we got through. The trusses would be delivered and if we sent him a shopping list..... Sadly he did say that the roof joists are on a lorry, but in Glasgow, we are not getting them! Hmm ok, plan B....

With no delivery drivers and only open by private arrangement more wood was collected on Wednesday. We could now start our own wood yard and have shifted an awful lot of wood.... got to do something to balance the huge amounts we are eating!

Today B and I unloaded the final trailer load (it was just too much yesterday) and then sorted out Ted, drained down his water and stripped the bed. We don’t think there will be much requirement for ‘our room’ in the house for Airbnb.... Tony is in theory working, he’s a part time college lecturer. Lecturing in CAD (a drawing package) remotely is never going to be easy, except that none of his students have replied to emails, logged in, or in any other way shown willing. There’s only so much he can do, so blog for us and we’ll see about tomorrow when in theory he is also teaching....

And we were straight into it. As you can see, it was cold, but we didn't have time to notice

We were all working quite hard and fast

We even managed to get a photo of Nicky. There she is in the background all wrapped up taking photos. After falling off a ladder last year and having her leg pinned, she's not yet fully mobile. Tony, on the other hand is here working at his usual pace

Tony and Brian finishing off, Jackie spading in more here and there to get the level

We achieved a good, smooth finish, but one little pussy cat didn't quite appreciate they had to keep off until hardened!

Here's Gummy cat in his usual place on the woodwork 

And Ghengis cat asleep on our bed with Teddy

They have enough fitness equipment to equip a small gym, which Nicky uses for her rehabilitation. Brian's been using some of it, particularly the jogging machine, which saves running outside along the roads 

Jackie feeding the geese. You can see, even if you can't hear, they are making a lot of noise!

Part of the chicken, duck and geese enclosure

This is the view from our bedroom window

I went to take a photo of them all pecking in the lawn, but when they saw me they all came running over to the fence assuming I was going to feed them!

The half of the steading thats finished

Work in between work. Stacking a delivery of wood pellets

And Brian got thee job of packing them into a confined space

When things became really restricted on Monday we were worried we might not get enough supplies to keep us building for six months. Fortunately their local supplier remained open for them (not the general public),  so Jackie one day and Brian the next went with Tony to get as much as possible. Here's one delivery with Tony's trailer groaning under the weight of materials. It was the 'A' frame we were most worried about, there's about 1 tonne of wood gently bending the top bar (plus he has a tonne of sand, six concrete lintels and a few bags of lime. Good job its a 3.5 tonne trailer!

Wood bought in and stacked, here, and by Jackie over there.....

And another pile over here. That should keep us going for building for at least 6 months

So, inside that big 100' building with the green roof, here's what Tony (and a bit by us last year) has built so far

Another view inside of the ground floor, rooms and corridors built...

And here is what is yet to be done. That's what all the wood  is for. There's a stairway, hallway, huge kitchen and utility to go in here. Then upstairs, five large bedrooms are planned, complete with external balcony and walkway. Our work has barely started! Two years ago there was no roof, only stone walls open to the sky. With Ian and Helen, two years ago we fitted all 96 of the 'A' frame trusses on the roof. The porch that we put the floor in the other day and will build this year, will provide the main access and is outside on the left through that window/door you can see

Meanwhile, Ghengis finds it all a bit tiring! Photos of the other pussy cats in the next blog, there are five of them in all