16/08/09 - Just the retaining walls front and back (with steps) to do.  The rest of the two terraces covered to prevent weeds growing before turfing etc.

13/08/09 - Nearly done...

13/08/09 - Leveling the bottom terrace for turfing (now next spring).

10/07/09 - Lid off septic tank and bricks removed prior to re-cementing lid (to allow us to lawn over it)...

08/07/09 - The teraced ‘lawn’ taking shape...

08/07/09 - The septic tank exposed to prepare to remove the concrete cap, take 4 courses of bricks off and put it back on again - well that’s the plan! 

07/07/09 - General plot pics showing the landscaping progress - thanks to Piers again for driving the dumper again.

07/07/09 - Rainwater harvesting tanks in place.

02/07/09 - Mrs W’s stirling efforts on the brick & block cleaning front, following the wall incident.

26/06/09 - Some unusual and rather attractive poppies have popped up.

26/06/09 - The garden... covered in tulips for some reason.  Earthmoving scheduled for the 6/7/8 July.

21/04/09 - The stairs in and temp. fixed... 

18/04/09 - The stairs arive!... 

29/03/09 - This is what the ’Purus’ drain should look like once the travertine is down... 

29/03/09 - ’Purus’ drain No 2 braced & ready for screed to go down.  The screed is leveled by laying a board on its edge between the 2 bits of 2x2 (each side of picture at base of wall).  Once the bulk of the screed has gone in, the wooden ‘formwork’ above is removed along with the rails at each side and the holes filled.

29/03/09 - ’Purus’ drain channel No 2,  pre-isnstallation, showing screed anchor and installation brackets (on top).  This one is to go mid-floor and will lie under the shower door...

29/03/09 - ’Purus’ drain channel No 1 installed in big ensuite ready for screed to go down.  This one is fixed to the wall between the service area and the en suite...

22/03/09 - First coat with the airless sprayer...

19/03/09 - Walls masked up ready for spraying...

05/03/09 - Plasterers hard at work...

03/02/09 - Snow in all directions...

03/01/09 - Main bathroom UFH pipe installed bathrooms...

15/01/09 - Mains wiring/trunking in Bed 3...

15/01/09 - Mains wiring/trunking in partition wall between Bed 4 & 5...

24/12/08 - Metal and wood studwork going up around 3 bathrooms...

20/12/08 - Oops! No, I didn’t have an accident with a digger.  Someone lost control of their Jeep. Happy flaming Christmas.

20/12/08 - New wall demolished.

05/12/08 - New sign installed.

24/11/08 - The first ground floor partition wall starts going up bewteen beds 1 and 2 - using the reclaimed 2x4’s from the old house, treated.

23/11/08 - The South gate peir with a mock-up of slate sign and letter box.

14/11/08 - The front wall more or less complete.  Just a bit more flint pointing to do.  The old gate posts will come out eventually once the new gate is built.

14/11/08 - The first  front wall gate pier going up.  This will have a letter box and name plate on it (and maybe a light of some sort) in due course...

13/11/08 - A closeup of a flint/brick panel.  The flint blocks get grouted to mask the block joints.  The dark colours of the flint should emerge a bit more when cleaned.

13/11/08 - The flint blocks start going in the front wall.

08/11/08 - The front wall progresses...

07/11/08 - The builders start the front wall.

29/10/08 - The UFH piping an insulation in the North end (3 beds) down ready for screeding.

03/10/08 - The retaining walls to the rainwater harvesting tank site done.

01/10/08 - The retaining walls to the rainwater harvesting tank site going up...

21/09/08 - The insulation in the North bay going in...

04/09/08 - The base for the rainwater harvesting tanks goes in...

04/09/08 - The concrete for the front wall foundaton arrives...

04/09/08 - The Saab has a home at last...

29/08/08 -  Wall footings rebared and ready for concrete.  Looking South, roughly 650mm wide by 500mm deep.  This section will use around 5.8m3 of concrete...

The front wall plan...

29/08/08 -  Same as below but looking to the North and showing the 2 ‘fingers’ which will restrain the wall from rotating (I hope)...

29/08/08 -  Wall footings between us and property to the South (looking West).  This bit of retainig wall igoing to be in concrete block.  Hence the 9” steps...

29/08/08 -  Wall footings rebared and ready for concrete.  Looking North.  This will have a brick and concrete block retianing wall on it.  Further up it changes to brick and brick, non-retaining...