Working in with the builders to maintain progress on a milder day before driving off to Bedford to see Debbie’s swimming display as controversy follows the awarding of damages to both the raped and rapist in high court decisions
Slept well, but still tired in the morning and wanted to go back to sleep. Up eventually and the last one to breakfast. One slice of toast & marmalade, as Daniel had two, plus a large bowl of corn flakes! It seems I am an old man of spreading proportions and he is a ‘growing lad’. Showered, shaved, but not ready by the time the decorator arrived. I left him to roll certain of the floor mats up and the rest stayed down for the day. When ready, the rest of the builders arrived and wanted to take the kitchen-to-hall door off its hinges. There being no carpenter (and my being concerned that there was not secured outside doors to the utility room and hall), I decided to help them and we put an old door in the frame of the utility room with nails and battens and then I spent a couple of hours making a beautiful job of fitting the new door to the hall myself. I also added a couple of security bolts for good measure. The washing machine gave up last night and would not empty satisfactorily, as the pump is either faulty or blocked.
The electrician also came later this morning with his super heating control diagram, wired it up and spent all day failing to make it work. Meanwhile, Mr Cheeseborough and builder John put in the new kitchen door frame (for an inside door) and then rendered all areas that were still to be done. By lunchtime my door was done and Diana and I settled to a splendid lunch for once. Di had cooked me steak & kidney pie, carrots and peas, with apple crumble & ice cream to follow. All this with her new vision see-through utensils, hob and microwave. She had also returned from her slimming club with the news that a further 2 lbs had been lost and she was now within 2 lbs of her 10 stone target at 10st 2 lbs. This afternoon I tried to help the electrician with the boiler wiring, in vain, before the girls pulled me away to go to Debbie’s swimming display at a Bedford school – Dame Alice Harpur. Plenty of traffic on the St Neots to Bedford road and, once there, a tiresome time sitting in a humid atmosphere, watching a disorganised party of children misunderstanding some party games. Home after to see the builder’s final progress. I had to make my own tea and then press-ganged Daniel into helping me clear the house up, for the decorators, in particular, had left a right mess. Then to clear the box room and to start drilling and screwing down the floorboards with 1 1/2” No 8 screws, until my combination drill bit broke and forced me to leave off. Today my two security light switches and rechargeable light arrived and I fitted the first two to the link landings and the entrance hall. They came on at dusk automatically for a determined period to give the impression that you are at home. Then to put away the ducks, clear and lock up and stagger into the shower, tired and dirty. My journal and then to bed with no chance to see the TV or news. The pound has fallen further, with weakness in oil prices, Protestants were involved in violent anti-government demonstrations in Northern Ireland as the Dublin talks continued and the rape compensation controversy rolls on. The weather was much milder today and our uncontrolled heating is now making us too hot.