Lights are on, but no one is at home...

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It's not that bad is it?

This is the living room as seen by Rita, the meter maid.

Well, we're making progress.

Starting prep work now. I re-routed some cables and put trunking on the walls ready to plaster over cables. Fixed wall boxes to the wall etc.

I'll post soon with a plan of action, as I think come the end of April, I'll be kicking back with a beer in our living room thinking about what to do next (well... maybe I know what we'll be doing next - there are plans to re do the top coat of render outside with something called eco mortar. I'm much better at plastering now, and there are problems with the top coat I've done so I'll go back to that and make it good. There is also the garden to do, which looks like a builders yard... kind of because it is!).

And I expect the snag list will last forever too.

Anyway back on track.

I have permission from conservation to replace the wooden window lintel in the living room. So I'm busy sourcing a piece of oak locally which is 230mm x 240mm x 2.1m. Turns out B&Q don't have any...

The structural engineer was excellent - Marsh Design - use them, they're ace. Quick, well priced and good. Extremely helpful. I'll put some drawings up that he did with loads and stuff - interesting if you like that kind of thing.

So I need to source wood and book a builder to put the beam in.

Also, we got a quote for the fireplace including cleaning, repair, lining, hearth and plate - it was a bit much so I rang up and said 'make it cheaper', so he is. Once he's done that we'll get him in, although finding a replacement jamb for the right side of the fireplace is proving less than easy.

So a vague plan of action for the immediate is to continue prepping the living room with sockets and trunking etc. ready to plaster, clean beams and wood. Also, we have brother in law Ben Ward coming for a few days at the end of next week to help wire brush down and rake out the pointing on the stone wall behind the dining table and stairs. Hopefully a one day job, but planning for 2 in case.

After that it's pointing of that wall and final prep for plastering the living room - there might be a spanner in the works there though as we can't do that until builders have replaced beam. hmmm.

I'll be taking a week off work to get 2 coats of plaster done on the walls - that is when things will suddenly move on I think.

Anyway, tea break over, must get on.

toodle pip.