Landscaping, crows and "Vision Technicians"

Following on from the recent granting of Planning Permission and Listed Building Consent for our proposed driveway (through the foliage on the left of the photo), there are conditions: one is that we have to get a landscaping plan approved before we can start work on it, and another is that we have to provide two off-road parking spaces and a turning space BEFORE we can occupy the house.  I was surprised by this second one as the absence of the driveway does not prevent us from occupying the house now, and so personally I'm not sure it is legal.  However, as things stand, we need to get on with getting the plan produced and approved.  Hence, this week, I have contacted a landscaper who sent a designer along on Thursday; she will send a plan very soon and hopefully we can avoid any hassle with the Council by just doing what they want.  In any case, I know I need some advice on what to plant and where, as the garden is very prominent and I don't want the passers-by to be upset when we cut down the huge cypress, the ash and the laurel.  The council Tree Officer thought that none of the trees had any particular "amenity value", either singly or as a group (which I was very pleased with!).

This week I have fought a battle against some crows, who were intent on building a nest in one of my chimneys, as evidenced by the twigs that kept falling into the lounge fireplace.  Despite the lovely weather this week I have lit a roaring fire on three days, sometimes with freshly cut yew producing some lovely smoke.  However, I have to report that I think I have lost as, today, there were no twigs in the fireplace but the birds can still be seen putting them in the top!  Now I shall have to wait until the little blighters have produced their family before I can clear the nest and put something over the chimney pot to KEEP THEM OUT!

There seemed to be some possible progress in The Mystery of the Free Step Ladder (see entry in March).  In church on Wednesday one of the churchwardens asked for my help in a task but said that the church stepladder (aluminium, very light) had gone missing recently.  I said that I had a couple of stepladders in my house and could fetch one in a couple of minutes, so I brought the "new" one (aluminium, very light) across for her.  We were now pretty convinced that it was indeed the missing one, but then someone found the Church's ladder in the church hall, so we still have no idea as to where the mystery ladder came from. 

Other highlights this week included successfully doing a trial fit of a bath measuring 150 cm long in a space 148 cm long (right - note recesses in the plaster on the walls); I have put two coats of satin black on the new front door but am still unhappy with the finish; and I have bought from Adam the joiner 20 metres of specially moulded skirting board which is now being installed in the lounge (left).  One other task was to repair some of the many damaged floorboards; I asked a local pine shop if they could produce two specially sized small boards of less than half a square metre, and thought that a trained man with the right machines would do it in less than 15 minutes.  However, I was astounded by the price - £60! - so I turned them down and, with some small difficulty, did them myself (lower right; ignore the gap to the lower board which is yet to be replaced).

Finally, we often have visits by interested parties, or friends of one of the contractors, or even their wives and children just passing!  On Friday it was a friend of Phil's who was wearing a useful looking leather belt/holster, so I asked him what his trade was.  "Vision Technician" he replied, without hesitation.  Seeing my slightly bemused look, Phil clarified things for me: "He's a window cleaner!"