Stuff about lintel removal

I got home from work to a dust filled house yesterday through which I could just about make out the figure of some one bashing big holes out of the wall by the window. Turned out it was Andy the builder, which was good, and oddly enough his Geordie wife who was very nice and whose sister lives just up the road from Hannah's parents by the Ship pub. Always nice to talk to a Geordie.

Any hoo.

Andy had managed to exchange the incorrect beam for the correct one and had managed to get it in to the living room, but was awaiting the availability of his chum to lift it into place.

Hannah and I went up to Shildon so I could get my back treated and by the time we got back at 1am the beam was in place - so some how they managed it. The ceiling was still held up by acros and the beam hadn't yet been packed or mortared, but he called this morning to say he was on his way to do that today.

So that is that. A nice bit of progress. even if there is a good layer of muck and dust across the house - and the cat gets ever more grubbier!

here are some pics, but I've not taken one of the lintel which was removed - which is amazing. it is so rotten and infested that one end of it is pretty much dust! I'll get a snap of that and post it soon. There are also some pics of the new fireplace - which is almost done. More on that once the stove is fitted hopefully.