We will be going back to finish our Barrou project on our return to France part of which will be replacing the downstairs loo, the wooden handle of which had broken just days before we left. My trusty 'mole grips', which I bought as an apprentice in 1970 came to the rescue. Will probably still be there for a few weeks after we go back!
Actually I don't have the time to care - maybe I should but I of an age where I am getting more and more conscious of how quickly time disappears...it is actually 9 years (can't be!) since we bought our little house here in Barrou in Centre Val-de-Loire and 9 years to the day since Pauline had her first glimpse of it. I had actually bought it with Pauline only seeing it on the web but it was love at first sight...
Then I could maybe put a bid in for this wonderful Charles Rennie Mackintosh designed house advertised in the Telegraph ...my dream house? quite possibly!
Our last house in Scotland was built by a CRM enthusiast and had a few features linking to his designs with the stair rail having the four square hole design that is a much used in his furniture design...
like our dining room suite which was a replica of the famous 'Main Street Dining Suite' that he had made for his own house in Glasgow.
When we bought the house all the woodwork was dark rosewood - CRM style but we decided to change it -Pauline almost wore her fingers down sanding it all - and go for his white look.
For the handrail separating the dining area and lounge I designed a sort of 'negative' in metal of his design which I hope he would have approved of.
BTW the dinning room suite has been in our barn here in Barrou since we moved over to France 6 years ago as it was just too big to accommodate in either of our houses but we have plans to restructure the lounge here in Barrou to bring it back in use - we are looking forward to sitting down to eat at it again.
Footnote: Post title is a line from one of my favourite songs by Clifford T.Ward
'Home thoughts from abroad' - here he is doing it 'live'
