Favourite bit of recycling...

We  love how our former guard rail for the back window to the former shop has come into its own by a simple 90 degree rotation and wall mounting. Oh and we also like our wire brolly that a friend had destined for the decheterie!

 

Repair or replace..

 

The side entrance to our courtyard which has survived the test of time and many repairs had to be replaced or have this century's repair, we chose the repair option. 

A friend donated some weathered oak which I used and am fairly happy with the result. 

BTW if anyone needs this type of bolt I have plenty you can have. Bizarrely it's cheaper to buy 50 off than 12 off in Bricomarche. Sizes 7 x 70 and 6 x 45.

Something to celebrate...

Gates are on, could not have done it without help from my good friend Dennis, definitely two man job!

Sometimes worth remembering how far we have come!

Hall change...

 

While the building work was going on outside we were working at redoing our hallway inside - something that we would not have considered in the past (rework) normally we moved!

Managed to bring my mum's 1920 (ish) mirror into the scheme!

Awaiting gates...

Getting the courtyard back into order after the builders have finished. next to fit our new gates.

Still drying out but very pleased with the work.

Progress...

 

Our courtyard plants are eating dust at the moment all in the cause of progress!

Going, going, gone!

 

Our builders started on the side of the house yesterday as planned with the first job being the removal of the unpopular roller shutter door that formed part of the security for what was the shop part of the house.

The year of the roses...

 

Our climbing rose we planted last May has come on a bundle!

This was it back in June!

A full day...

 

We had a full-on day yesterday, started at 8.00am with a second coat to two of the nine doors in our hall (the house isn't that big!) which we are currently upgrading. Idea was to get to them before the full (rare) sun hit the courtyard. BTW have we told you we have been doing this DIY stuff for 50 years...we really do need to stop! Next we headed over to the decheterie in Descartes to empty our trailer of the rubbish I had taken to the one in LGP on Wednesday which was of course closed for the holiday - you would think after all this time here we would have sussed this already!!

Then it was down to Poitiers with the empty trailer to pick up our new gates for the side of the house. Then a stop off at Leroy Merlin for some stuff, before having an alfresco lunch at the nearby 'La Taverna' where we hadn't eaten in years, after a disappointing lunch we remembered why! 

Then as we were passing we made use of the large Auchan  nearby to do our weekly shopping (why not?) before heading home after feeling as if we had been mugged.  

We even managed a short walk in the beautiful evening sun after a wee refreshment!

 

Pot plant patio...

 

In preparation for the start of the work to the side of our house next week (fingers crossed) we have had to do a bit of pot plant moving in our little courtyard so as not to interfere with the work and to protect them from the inevitable dust over spray.

Looking forward to saying goodbye to our industrial door!

Stepping out...

We are working on our staircase and backdoor exit at the house  which until now was perfectly usable but not as we wanted it.We had a mismatch of tiles and some rotten floorboards.

A friend gave me some replacement tiles and after after cutting back the boards we have a new exit and are now working on the staircase itself.

Wednesday for windows - a little topper.

 

Finally got around to undercoating the last bits of the front windows plus fitting a zinc topper on the former shop sign, Had been quoted 500 euros (!) by one company and my other request for a quote fell on deaf ears. A friend supplied a bit of zinc and I fitted in myself - job done!  

Chambré evolution...

 

I enjoy a challenge...part II

 

...and there you have it -  chambré made 😁

Pleasant surprise and battling the elements...

 

We had a call early yesterday morning from our window installer that he was coming to finish of the former 'shopfront of the house', he had indicated it would be after the holidays before he could fit it in so it was a pleasant surprise.

On a day when the airport at Tours had to close due to high winds they were hit by a series of downpours and wind gusts but were not to be deterred and did their usual excellent job.

 

I enjoy a challenge...

I have set a target of just over two weeks to get the former grenier habitable as our bedroom before Pauline's sister Eileen arrives. We actually used it last September when Michael, Rose & Ada were over for a visit and we did a quick bedroom setting.

It is not as if we have been idle since then as we decided to use our time in finishing the last third of our courtyard.