Scaffolding, and the Driveway again

As I write, it has all gone quiet outside.  The scaffolders are here removing the scaffolding, but I think after 30 minutes work they have decided it's lunchtime so they have downed tools.  Mind you, these are probably the same wussy ones who didn't put it up (see "The Rebuild Continues") for fear of a bit of rain, so I shouldn't be surprised.  Why turn up at 12.30 and then stop for lunch 30 minutes later? Why not have lunch first and then
get on with the job?  It'll be good to see what the new building all looks like without the scaffolding.

I'm now tackling the finishing off tasks, such as fitting the previously mentioned cavity closers (see this page) and the windows, and I hope to get the electrician in next week.  In the meantime, Colin the groundworker is coming back this week to lower the inspection cover for the main drains and so finish off lowering the ground level beside the house.  He'll also dig a soakaway for the rainwater, so I have the archaeologist coming back as well.  Let's hope we don't find any mediaeval graves or it'll all grind to an expensive halt.

The noise outside restarted for another 90 minutes, and when they were almost finished I went outside to be met with an apology.  They had dropped something (a pole, presumably) onto the plastic surround for the new inspection cover (250mm diameter) which of course had broken it.  I was actually most relieved as I was afraid they had damaged the new window cill which Pete the brickie cast in situ and it would not be easily repaired or replaced.

Later the same week:  happily they came later in the week and replaced the plastic cover without quibble, so I was not really bothered by this.  Mind you, those bits of plastic don't come cheap - I didn't want to ask how much they paid for it, but Colin told me that he paid £46+VAT; I personally would have had to pay nearer £90+VAT as he gets a good trade discount.  I like contractors who pass on these savings rather than treat it as another way of making a profit.

Colin has now done his stuff and the archaeologist has been.  Again, we found nothing to delay the work so I am happy, apart from the four figure bill for the archaeologist!  We did find a "feature" where the natural yellow gravel/brash has been cut away vertically and is now infilled by soft brown earth.  The photo right shows the yellow in the middle, with the infill on the right; the vertical line is above the angle in the blurry root at the front.  (It's quite difficult taking clear photos in a hole 2 metres deep!).  Also, having NOT found anything suggests a limit to the area of interest next door.

The driveway is finished - it looked wonderful when Colin finished, but then today (Monday of the next week) the nursery came as per my master plan and planted the hedge and four semi-mature trees, as per the landscaping plan approved by the planning department.  Hence, here's a pair of photos (left) showing the house as it was when we bought it, and a new picture this week.  Just for good measure, here's another old photo (right) showing some of the (now felled) trees at the front, the wall before the driveway and the house next door.  NB on Streetview, you can't even see our house for the trees!

It seems that this work has caused much talk locally.  (I rather thought it would, which is why I wanted to go from the old trees to the new layout in as short a time as possible.)  All this talk seems to be positive - people have been stopping to talk to anyone working near the front, and one man on Friday evening admitted that he'd had his eye on the house for years and was actually jealous of me!  I haven't heard of any negative comments at all, which is nice.  Thinking about this bit more, I realise that in this town there aren't many formal front gardens like it; in fact, I cannot think of any at all which are on busy streets - certainly there are none near here.  So I think we've done something noteworthy!