Monday 16 August 2021

When being shot at dawn seemed a tempting option!!!

 


Well, it has been a busy few days here.  Having been let down by the plumber who originally came out to quote for the bathroom refit, on Friday we had the "Quote from Hell" when a plumber came out to quote  and was here for FOUR HOURS.  He kept going on and on and drawing diagrams and trying to impress us.  He told us the toilet we had bought for the shower room couldn't be fitted and even phoned the company to get it returned.  At first he seemed to be being helpful, but then he literally assumed he'd been given the job and was very manipulative.  It reminded me of those Time-share interviews when people said they just couldn't get away and would have agreed to be shot at dawn just to escape!  We probably sound gullible and a pushover but he appeared to be very helpful etc. . . until we had time to think it over!

    Fortunately after THAT experience, we found the sheet of paper left by the people that used to live here and it had the phone number of a good plumber they'd used on it.  He came out on Saturday, and whilst we have to wait a couple of weeks for his quote as he is so busy and has a week's holiday booked, he knew our house and our water supply and was very helpful and we could work with him.  He has also suggested going on the mains which goes up the lane - it would mean getting someone (local farmer probably, who lives further up our track) to dig the trench for us, but then it appears to be not too much of an arm and a leg for the actual Waterboard connection.  So, that's on today's list of things to do.

Before it got too wet to do it, I have been cutting back the grass on the bank where I planted 3 David Austin roses back in March. A job for the shears as I couldn't face trying to use the strimmer (dust from dry grass etc).  Progress has been made and I also weeded and cleared another corner bed of sorts which had been totally overwhelmed with wild strawberries, which love it here.  Much as I enjoy eating them I really don't need half an acre of them!  I shall get some fresh bulbs to plant in there this week.  I got a lovely Autumn crocus bulb to plant in a corner but then discovered every bit was toxic so when that goes back I shall replace with non-toxic bulbs.  The main bank really loans itself to having bulbs there so indeed it shall.


On Saturday Keith went for a wander round the 2nd hand shop in town whilst I walked up to the shops (couldn't park anywhere nearer).  When I came back I found he had negotiated for a Smoker's Bow Windsor chair with a cane seat (which could do with replacing - a job I can do).  Then we got home, and whilst checking values on similar chairs, I came across an absolute bargain Smoker's Bow, on a buy-it-now listing and bought that, to replace a little kitchen chair we had, so yesterday we drove to Ross-on-Wye.  This also doubled up with a long-overdue visit to my friend J, to take her a rose from our last home which had been languishing, very pot bound, for the last 4 years or so and lots of Aquilegia seeds.  In a swopsy, I got a baby from the Japanese wineberry I gave her years ago.  Hers thrived and the last one I had died on me. I have a good size one and a small one - they tip root easily, so I will make sure I do that with the bigger plant.  We had a lovely chat - just wished we could have stayed longer but I knew that Keith wanted to go to the car boot sale at Madley on the way back.  We weren't tempted by the masses of unwanted china and children's toys, clothing, CDs etc on offer, and just bought Discovery apples (my favourites, along with Russets), Morello cherries and huge blueberries (all locally grown).

    Now I need to make a fresh loaf of Granary bread and some soup - not the warmest of days as there's a Northerly wind and it feels quite autumnal.  Where's that heat-wave they promised us?  (Which I could do without heat-wise, but some more sun wouldn't go amiss before autumn does properly arrive.)

14 comments:

  1. Just the thought of some autumnal coolness is so inviting. Weeks of unrelenting heat and humidity here...not to mention torrential thunderstorms where 2" (50mm) can fall in 20 minutes. The other night we had a storm with non-stop lightning that went on for hours. Ugh. Ready for autumnal coolness.

    Had to look up the Smoker's Bow Windsor chairs (clearly, not up on furniture styles) only to find I have two of them and another four similar chairs, but without the arms. Solid maple. All Ethan Allen furniture, so not antiques, but around 55-60 years old. Could use someone with Keith's expertise to fix one of the spindles. Also have maple table with three leaves. Furniture belonged to my in-laws and we inherited it.

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  2. I would find that weather SO wearing. When we went to K's brothers in East Anglia there used to be terrific electrical storms - we would sit and watch them over the sea from one of the bedrooms.

    I'll put a couple of photos up of our chairs tomorrow. Shame we aren't separated by so much water as Keith would be glad to help! If the spindle is loose, wood glue is the stuff to go for! All the spindles on the chair with the cane seat are loose - perhaps we could do a tutorial.

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    1. Thanks for the thought--the spindle is actually fractured right where it insert into the top bow and the spindle is also missing a small piece of wood, less than 22mm long by 6mm wide, and slightly angled on one side of the spindle, so even if I glue it to correct the fracture, I'm not sure what I could do to repair small the missing piece. Any thoughts? Love the idea of a tutorial.

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    2. I'll ask Keith and I am sure he will be able to help, plus we'll do a glueing tutorial!

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  3. I ran right off to google the chairs as well. Can't wait to see yours.

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    1. Hahah - Mr Google must be wondering why there's a sudden surge in searches for Smoker's Bows!!

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  4. I will need to look up those chairs, but it sounds as if you got a great deal on them.

    Wild strawberries have such a wonderful taste.

    God bless.

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    1. Photos to follow shortly. The wild strawberries are SO sweet.

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  5. I've been wondering what you'd gotten up to! I think after the first hour I'd have been ushering the would-be plumber to the door--and if I didn't, I'm sure J. would have done. What a pushy fellow! I hope the man who is familiar with the house can get you sorted.
    The gardens here have been getting too much rain--not the usual dry August--and are being taken over with weeds.
    I look forward to soup weather.

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    1. It is a very good soup too - some of the bottom-of-the-fridge veg for a base and chunks of a bacon joint we roasted at the weekend, with tomatoes, borlotti beans, a big onion etc. The sort of soup you can stick your spoon upright in!

      We did think we might be stuck with that plumber as lead times with others are so long due to Lockdown - we might have been looking at Christmas before it could be done! The trouble is us Brits are bought up to be polite and whilst we desperately wanted to tell him to shove off, he seemed like our only option for a while! No wonder he could do it in a week's time! He had no other customers!!

      Sorry you have had so much rain - it's hard to keep on top of the weeds at the best of times. I have the number of the chap who used to do the gardening here - will get him out to bring the paddocks back under control this autumn. The lawn is getting away from me again - we have too much of it! Keith always did the grass at Ynyswen but the steroids have made him so weak and so it's my job now. I nearly expire from doing it - if it's dry enough to cut, it's too hot for me to work long! I end up in an absolute muck sweat - not a dry hair on my head!!

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  6. What a nightmare that plumber's visit sounds - awful. So glad you found an alternative plumber that knows the house - connection to water supply sounds good too.

    Good to read about your gardening efforts. I love seeing local fruit etc for sale when we go to Herefordshire and so many houses in autumn seem to have boxes with home picked apples saying help yourself! I must make sure I go back to Brockhampton this year and pick some damsons again.

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    1. I'd settle for a few sloes - we had such hard late frosts (well into May) that it zapped all but the underneath blossom, which has produced a few small shrivelled fruits. My friend in Ross reports good quantities near her so I shall go visit!

      Glad you will be able to get local fruit when you go to the site. Not seen any free apples (they are very pricy in Hay, but lovely old varieties). We'll have to go for a goodly drive in the autumn.

      Glad we found the other plumber's number . . .

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  7. Plumbers are a prized lot these days. The last one to do something for Church House, did not charge me anything though I plagued him with emails for the bill. I think he was just interested in seeing the house which had been on 'Escape to the Country' years ago.

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    1. Well that was a bit of luck for you. It was a special house - I remember it looking brand new and minimalist!

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