More plans and some deliveries

I'm not sure where I had got the notion that the gable windows were expected last week.  It was a bit silly of me to have thought it, really, because I wasn't aware of the measurements having been taken, although we had (what seems like ages ago) talked about the basic design.  Perhaps it was wishful thinking, because now that the stairwell is open to the roof, we are definitely aware of the open gable. The aperture is covered with plastic, and roughly boarded over before Andy and Mike go home at the end of their day, so it's watertight and pigeon-proof, but the house has been feeling decidedly chilly of an evening...  Anyway, it was the windows man who was expected last week, not the windows. And he got held up on some other job and couldn't make it here till Saturday morning.  But once he got up to the loft, it became evident that we were a man short: we really needed Malcolm or Andy there, too, because Ian and I didn't know enough about what was required. I'm happy to report that the measurements have since been taken (yesterday evening) and the design discussed and agreed. It will be nice and simple: four tall panes of equal width; the two middle panes being an inward-opening door, while the two outer are fixed.  We can't wait, but I suspect we will have to exercise a little patience!

Meanwhile, there has been considerable progress with the bathroom. Tony from City Plumbing came out last week to see the proposed layout of the walls and take measurements. And we visited the showroom again on Saturday morning to see his plans and choose our suite and fittings. It's far too easy to spend huge amounts of money on a bathroom! However, we managed to keep our heads and not go over the top. Mostly.

There'll be a decent-sized bath for me, set a bit away from the wall (because of the sloping ceiling); Ian's snazzy quadrant shower will be to the left as you enter the bathroom, with the basin and cabinet between it and the bath.  The loo occupies the area under the large Velux, to take advantage of the extra head-height that the Velux offers (not to mention a very nice view!), and there'll be a heated towel rail behind the door. And today Chris (the plumber) came back to do the first fix of the plumbing.

Pipes and stuff

Yes, I agree: it's hard to get excited about that, really. But I am!

Andy and Mike carried on preparing the access hatches for our now somewhat reduced storage space.

Frame for hatch to storage space in the eaves

The one pictured above is going to be especially useful, as it goes out over our current bedroom, which has a gable window, so there's definitely somewhere for all those Christmas decorations. Phew!

And the Velux windows arrived this morning and had to be lugged upstairs by the long-suffering Andy and Mike (who, apparently, spent a good deal of yesterday carrying awkward and heavy loads up ten flights of stairs in Ocean Village – and without cups of tea to fortify them! I could tell they were glad to be back here today).

A heavy load of Velux windows

Tomorrow's jobs include making a start on fitting the windows. I think there will be some tiling on the gable, too.

A landmark event today: Phoebe, our rescue cat, has been very distressed by our disappearing into the loft, but she's been uncharacteristically anxious about actually venturing up after us. She just sits at the foot of the stairs, right down in the hall, and miaows at us. But when Sarah and I went up there this afternoon, it was more than she could bear: she finally gave up her anxious and noisy vigil, and risked the new staircase. Now we have to make sure she doesn't take to going and hiding herself in cosy insulation in the unboarded sections of the eaves!