Loft Accessible only by Perilous Ladder

Our loft is developing so rapidly we can't believe it! The hatch in our bathroom is now boarded over so the only way up to take a peek at the work is via this ladder. I was a bit nervous at first, but now go up and down regularly. In the loft space we have the front roof eaves. In the apex of the roof we have put our big water tank (so we get better water pressure). The back roof is starting to be removed and the day light is streaming in for the first time in over 100 years. The floor has been framed over the metal beams and is now boarded over. The neon lights are still on but no longer on the ceiling. They just lean against the wall. The shower room is plumbed in (far corner) and once the roof is removed the whole wall will open up. More pipes. To the left you can see the small side skylight window feature going in the front roof. This whole area with the tools will be boxed in to create the eaves storage. The wall will be about 3 feet high. Above is the removal of the back roof. The stack of old timbers that I am getting to cut up for a wood burning stove lies on the floor. As a result the skip (garbage dumpster) remains relatively empty. I photograph the front apex terracotta tiles as the pattern is a bit off and there are one or two tiles missing. It is best to get that fixed while the scaffolding is up. The wood feature needs repairing too. Our gutters both front and back are also in horrible condition and need replacing. These are thing we will get on top of while we have scaffolding. Look at the original Victorian cast iron fire I just got on eBay for a steal! This will go in our living room. The tiles are changeable too. Next we find this smaller than normal cast iron bath in mint condition that will actually fit into our tiny bathroom. We have yet to buy it though. Nice claw feet!

Bow Studio

The weather has finally started to warm up which means I can get back into my studio which is a big old stone nunnery with no heating and very draughty and very miserable for most of the winter.

Leicester Square?

I am worried. Right before New Years I notice Leicester Square boxed off as though under huge construction. I wonder what they are doing for News Years, I think. And I wonder who made the mistake of signing it "Getting Ready for 2012". New Years comes and goes and the fence remains around my favourite square. This must be the 2012 Olympics they are getting ready for. I am now worried as I think they are ruining the square. It has such an old charm to it and of course is the square lined with movie theatres where all the stars come on their opening night to walk the red carpets. I peep in a few holes and can only see bulldozers. Gasp.

Wales: Day 2 Afternoon

Again, I am not sure what Welsh town I am in. But this one has an impressive river running right through it (the ruins sit above the town). If you look closely at the small building you will discover the handy shop called "Riverside Taxidermy". I wish I had taken a picture of the display window! The town also impresses me with its fudge shop. We are taken to see an unusual canal feature. Canals were built centuries ago all across Europe to use as transport and trade routes. There are thousands of miles of them in the UK including locks so that the canals can travel uphill. Canal boats are unique and can be day tours, owned and lived on, or hired for a holiday. The great thing about them is you stop at pubs along the canals for meals and a pint. This canal bridge is over 200 years old. I have never heard of one before. In 200 years it has not leaked. To explain...you have two canals on two hills and a huge valley in between too steep to build locks on. So instead you build a canal bridge to bridge the canal over to the opposite side. Now what looks like just a casual sidewalk and a small canal beside it is actually a towering bridge hovering hundreds of metres over a valley. The valley. Looking over the edge of the canal at the valley below. This side walk is very narrow. So narrow that you sort of have to hug it to let someone going the opposite way by. Not only that, but the bars are almost a foot wide between each rung. I could fit through and a child could definitely fall through. Not only that, but the railing isn't that high. So combine all of that: water trough on one side and sheer drop on other...and I am very nervous crossing the thing. The view from the crossing. Then out of nowhere, paddling-surf-board-man makes his way down the cannal...STANDING...NEXT TO THE GIANT OPEN DROP...WITH NO RAILS. I make it to the other side and know I have to walk back over it. It is quite amazing and the return journey is less harrowing.

Wales: Day 2 Morning

Day two in Wales begins. The only other time I have been over the Welsh border was for a U2 concert in Cardiff. You know how sometimes you visit people in places you are unfamiliar with and they take you everywhere and you are never quite sure where you are? Well, that was this day for me. We all drive to a hill and park and get out to hike to fortress ruins that are at least 800 years old. Mind the sheep poop! If you look at this picture you might notice two sheep. If you look really closely you might notice two boys lounging on the hillside. (click for a larger view). As we climb higher and higher the sheep get smaller and smaller. An impressive view surrounds us. Then we are at the top. With some sides a pretty steep cliff looking down. The ruins are only vaguely standing. Now where did Nigel go? There he is. Over on the other hill. We all sit in the "dungeon" as it is called and have a snack. I am not sure what town I am looking down on. Wow, imagine living there!

Wales: Day 1

Because Nigel does on-calls on certain weekends he gets certain Fridays off so that we have a long weekend more often than most. We decide to get out of London on these 3 day breaks. On this occassion we get in contact with British friends who were living in Malawi at the same time we were. Rob and Nigel both worked at the hospital in Blantyre. While Gill was a creative type into graphic design, publishing, editing, and writing. I really took to Gill as she was one of the most energetic people I had ever met and didn't let having kids stop her from doing all sorts of things. She also liked to rock the boat and found some loud African fabric with a giant Catholic image of the Madonna and Child which she had made into a dress and wore especially when around the conservative protestant missionaries. It actually looked really cool too. I went out and bought some of the same fabric. Thier two boys would strip off all their clothes and run around naked in their Malawian yard pulling up carrot sticks from the garden and eating them fresh, dirt and all. I only heard from them again when I recently got a baby announcement saying they had just had a girl. They were living just inside the Welsh border in a tiny village near the slightly larger village of Oswestry. We arrange to drive up and visit for a couple of days. They take us walking near their house the first day. Sometimes up sheer slopes. The view is amazing and as it is lambing season there are little lambs everywhere in the herds of sheep we pass. Through a forest at the top of a hill. And down the hill again. The big tree is pointed out to me. It is amazing and just doesn't seem to capture as well in a photograph. We wander into their village to the local pub (on the right), kids and all, for drinks, crisps and peanuts. Then back to the large house they are renting. The only address is "The Old Vicarage" as it used to belong to the village church.