Week 5 started well when on Monday morning I saw my first swallow of the year. Whilst I realise this ‘doesn’t make a summer’, it does at least make me feel like the weather is heading in the right direction. Unlike the building work which feels to have slowed down somewhat, and with loosing 2 working days over Easter, panic is setting in as to whether we will be able to move in by the end of May, as planned. (This will become an issue in the next 10 days, as we have to give a months notice.)

Monday also saw the return of National Grid, not to pick up where they left off last week, but to infill the various holes and make good the hard standing next to the house, a little premature in the circumstances. It would appear that, as we feared, their computer system thinks the job is completed. I may yet be frying my eggs al fresco!

On Tuesday morning work began to move the window from the old bathroom to the new hall, a matter of only about 18″, but it will make a huge difference.

windowmove

Danny and Lee fit the window whilst Peter looks on.

windowin

Elsewhere on Tuesday morning there was just one small area of hedge at the very end making a determined, if lonely stand, as you can see here.

lasthedge

By lunchtime it had disappeared. It’s amazing how such a simple job (notice I didn’t say ‘easy’) can make such a huge difference. The white bush which you can see in this next picture is in the garden and hasn’t had so much daylight in years. We don’t know what it is, but we call it the ‘firework bush’ as it reminds us of a Roman Candle.

finished

I’ve shown you previously what a demolished shed looks like. Ever wondered what half a demolished hedge looks like? Well wonder no more!

fallout

Behind the huge pile of trimmings you can just about make out Peter’s head, slightly right of centre, supervising the window installation, and the red and white stripes of the 2nd National Grid hole can be seen on the left. This is where we want the meter and as I’ve said we’re waiting for them to ‘join’ the 2 holes together. They said they would return this week, but haven’t.

On Wednesday the skip, which had started to attract other peoples rubbish, was removed, and the staircase arrived.

Wednesday also brought some good news that I will be writing about later.

On Thursday the plasterers called, but didn’t stay, as things aren’t ready for them yet.

Four days of rest now, but I’m not sure how relaxed we’ll be, worrying about National Grid and a hundred other matters.

Happy Easter.