Slightly odd juxtaposition?

Having had both our plans for Saturday and Sunday cancelled owing to the forecast snow, and seeing only what was left from yesterday [about and icing-sugar shaker's worth!], I was watching the BBC to see what was going to happen...

I was just telling David that London's snow IS coming, when two parakeets flew past the window. David had just turned and left the room when the snow started with real intent.

I know there are parakeets naturalised around here, but I've never seen one so close, and I still struggle with the idea of them in the snow!

Cutting back the ivy

We've got a really great parking space at our new home - Gordon has let us (for a very reasonable charge) park the motorbike in front/behind the car as the space is longer than the standard size.

The only downside is reversing between brick walls!

When we got there the ivy was totally overgrown, despite having been "cut back"...
Hmmm!

Not my idea of cutting back.

We did our best, but were defeated by shortness of stepladders...

Steve said we could borrow his, so the only delay was waiting for the weather to improve.

This morning I couldn't find any more excuses, so we got the remaining flowering spikes off.

When I say "flowering", I mean "had flowered and are now covered in berries which the blackbirds find irresistible".

And with blackbirds it goes in one end and comes out the other [I remember from the patio at ivy berry time - little purple "offerings"].

We do NOT need the car redecorating, thanks!

Windows: "before" & "after"

Peter dismantling the frame of the old Crittall window - the fixing screws had become so rusty the workmen couldn't take the window out in one piece. So, they had to resort to "plan b"...

Mm mm mm! The smell of the angle grinder & hot metal. And "special" dust - think very dirty talc; gets everywhere!

Still, we knew it was going to be worth it, and no remodelling work on a property happens without grit.

We were everso lucky with the weather; even the Thursday & Friday, which were supposed to be rainy, stayed good - apart from a little shower on Friday after the glass was in!

We wanted to replace the windows with metal framed, Crittal-type windows, but Paul said it would be twice the price. We were still thinking about it, but then realised that because the freeholders have allowed such a variety of replacements, it would be a total waste of money.

Everyone else would still have nasty plastic ones!

Mick had made all the uPVC windows off-site, so installation was much easier than getting the old windows out! The sealed glazing units were then fitted once the window was in place.

We had to have some of the windowsills replaced; the metal frames of the old windows seemed to actively encourage condensation!

We've already become accustomed to the lower level of noise; it's never going to go away - we are on the South Circular, after all.

But it's already seeming like money well spent! And given the rust on some of the frames, done not a moment too soon!

I seem to spend my life clearing up mess after work!

Good job I'm getting so much less concerned about mess - I've done a fair bit of cleaning up after builders in the last few years of my life! I do know that you "can't make an omelette without breaking eggs", but sometimes I wish eggs were cleaner!

Seriously, Paul & his crew did clear up better than this! It's just that the grinder dust is so fine that it gets everywhere.

I've dusted in our bedroom five or six times; it's better, but we've still got a "crunchy" feel to the bedside tables. As they are new, I'd really like them to stay unscratched...

Oh well, more dusting!

I think that's why I like decorating or gardening better than housework - the effect lasts longer.

Progress

The required scaffolding arrived yesterday, but by then the fitters had already started on the windows round the corner...

Today we are having the kitchen & bathroom windows changed.

Already the one in the kitchen is in and glazed, just awaiting all the finishing touches...

Hammering from the bathroom [and the smell of hot metal!] tells me that's not too far away either.

Another lovely day, but with less sun the air is colder...

I'm looking forward to being able to close all the doors and windows when I get cold!

[Obviously, to do that we need a full complement of windows!]

Take 2

Scaffolder's back...

Sometimes my psychic abilities amaze even me

OK, so let's front up: I'm not remotely psychic.

I do believe that our brains can take on signals that our conscious mind is not aware of, and the subconscious mind can put 2 + 2 together and come up with the right answer.

But I don't believe that's intuition or being psychic, just letting all our faculties do their job properly.

Either way, when we were organising Paul to come and fit the windows I really didn't want to be the one organising the scaffolding [probably Jill's experience of thoroughly unprofessional scaffolders in Brixton breaking windows/my tree and constantly swearing might have coloured my judgment!], even though Paul said he couldn't get it at a discount.

"We don't mind; please arrange the scaffolding, as you know a firm that you've found reliable."

Well, scaffolder turns up minus the last storey worth of tubing.

Much swearing, and he's off to Biggin Hill an hour (or hour and a half?) away to get a few more bits.

It's not a problem; Paul & co. do another window, it will all happen in the end, but thankfully it's SEP, and more importantly it's NMP!

[Someone Else's Problem/Not My Problem]

And it's leaving me totally untroubled: all I feel is mildly amused - the scaffolder [having worked in the block before, doing the stairwell window right next to the kitchen window] had been twice to measure, and had agreed a price with Paul, so there's no way I'm paying more for them to learn a valuable lesson about double checking your measurements!

Spot the difference!

I was just getting used to all the light flooding in through the "picture window" [picture-effect non-window?], but not so completely happy about air temperature.

Being tied to the flat I've decided to do some housekeeping on my photos [Flickr, watch out, here I come!], so I'm just sitting here at the table, tapping and clicking away - not enough activity to keep me warm.

It's a lovely sunny day; a real feeling of spring being on the way, and quite warm when you're out of the wind...

BUT, the air is still nippy.

Very glad to see the new windows coming in through the door!

And now:I was so engrossed in sorting out my photos, and I'm very happy working with background noise, so I almost didn't notice the work happening.

It's very quiet now...

But there will be a second instalment tomorrow!

Even as we speak!

As you can see, we are getting new windows fitted at the flat!

We've not been able to lock the french window for a long time [not much of a problem with bolts, and being on the fourth floor!], and the spare room/bathroom/kitchen windows have been steadily rusting away...

Paul & his crew have finished taking out the living room and bedroom windows, and are bringing up the new ones.

The old window fixings were completely rusted, so the windows had to be dismantled using an angle grinder, and then bashed out in sections.

We've decided to go for uPVC replacements; we weren't at all keen, but the Crittall type would have been twice the price, and the freeholders have already allowed such a variety of uPVC ones to be installed that we weren't prepared to pay the extra to retain the integrity of the 1930's "look" when no-one else has used like-for-like!

Shame, but it will be better insulated.