Wednesday 7 October

[Kath Mulligan]

Just looked at the Minack webcam and it appears to be rather wet in Cornwall this morning. Sorry, Jane I seem to have brought the good weather home with me cos it's bright and sunny here at the moment! Hope the house-hunting with your friend goes well.

Kath

[Linda]

another person moving to Cornwall....! ooohhh!

its raining here too! was sunny and was hoping to get out in the garden...

[Brenda]

Raining here, too, for most of yesterday and overnight, and starting up again this morning at about 6 am. Dull, dull, dull. The woodstove is blazing, however, sending out a nice toasty warmth, and I'm going to bake oatmeal raisin cookies today for my little grandson. Shaping up to be a good day!

Brenda

[Linda]

mmmm! they sure sound good!
...think I'll just pop by for coffee....can you imagine that...no don't.... :)


now wouldn't you have got a shock if seconds after reading this the doorbell went....hmm?? hmm? :):)

[gloria townsin]

Wet here in this bit of Herts. and in Mullion. Eddie has postponed his trip to the dump (where else?!) Plumber hasn't turned up to connect the hall and bedroom rads and neither has the electrician to install the new Central Heating thermo. which was booked in mid September. Thus far Eddie hasn't managed to contact any other builders for estimates so all in all not sure what we have to do to get work done at Bryher, other than do it ourselves. Kath and Jane will well realise how much we have to do and the conditions we live in while there, in the Summer we got away with it but I remember all too well how it felt staying there in March..........pretty chilly.

[Kath Mulligan]

Certainly couldn't give Cornish tradesmen a good recommendation based on your experiences, could you Gloria? Can't believe neither the plumber nor the electrician turned up. How very frustrated Eddie must have felt.

Still dry here although clouding over now.

Kath

[jane jackson]

Yes Kath you do seem to have taken the good weather back with you, the forecast is for a much better day tomorrow so will keep our fingers crossed. I enjoyed the house hunting even though it was SO wet which didn't make it easy to look around the outside of the properties but my friend has seen one she likes so has gone home to mull it over. It was a day trip from Exmoor for her so she'll be quite tired by the time she gets home.

I can understand what you mean Gloria about staying at Bryher through the winter, it would have been so great to have been able to get the building work finished. I can't believe you're having all this trouble with builders/workmen except that we did approach a local builder for a small job and he just disappeared and we're waiting now for a tiler for the bathroom. It is frustrating so I do feel for you. You have a lovely view from Bryher and it will be wonderful when it's all done. I liked the lilac colour in the wallpaper and the tiles in the bedroom, really lovely and also the hall wallpaper and the arch which Eddie made.

Those cookies sound good Brenda! We'll all call round for tea. That was interesting that you know another Jane Jackson. When I googled my name there is another one who's an author. It amazed me when researching my family history how many people have the same christian names and surnames. Thank goodness for middle names or it would be very difficult to trace people.

Enjoy your Spring approaching Barbara, I expect over there you're assured of a hot and sunny summer. I think our Indian one has gone now!

[Brenda]

mmmm! they sure sound good!
...think I'll just pop by for coffee....can you imagine that...no don't.... :)

Well, now that you know the way...:canada: :hug:

Brenda

[Janet Swan]

Plumber hasn't turned up to connect the hall and bedroom rads and neither has the electrician to install the new Central Heating thermo. which was booked in mid September.

I fear this problem with skilled tradesmen NOT turning up as arranged is probably happening all over Britain. It is just so upsetting and since they all have mobile phones, why on earth don't they just call and say what's happening? I had similar problems with finding a roofing contractor, to fix a small leak last year, to come and quote and actually return to do the work. Finally I found a gem through 'Trust a Trader' website, and have recommended the website to several friends since. Sympathies to you and Eddie, Gloria.

Janet

[Linda]

Interesting about the problems with trademen as we have it all the time here...but have noticed that a lot of mainland tradespeople are now on the island and come over each day...

we thought that maybe the people here arent interested in small jobs and only the big ones where they can add more onto the final bill when there maybe unknown quantities they can say occurred??

I cannot understand why with so many tradepeople we have such a problem.

Thats a good tip Janet will have a look at that.

[adesmith]

We are still in shock after we had a quote from a company that fixes double glazing for £60. When they arrived and took the windows apart they said it would actually be £300! I made them put it all back and a few weeks later we found a man who did it very satisfactorily for £50. The trouble is is that we are in their hands. I hope that things get moving soon Gloria. It is going to be great when Bryher is finally completed.

Brenda, how do you think those cookies would fare on a journey to South Wales. They sound delicious and the wood burning stove is very enticing - it has suddenly turned a bit chilly (probably chilly in a British sort of a way and not up to Canadian chilliness!!)

[gloria townsin]

I did look at the Find a Trader web-site when you mentioned it before Janet and meant to let you know that there isn't anyone listed in the Mullion area or even near it, so sadly that path wasn't one we could go further with. But Liz mentioned the various builders associations so I gave a list of builders who come under the Federation of Master Builders, most of them not on the Lizard though, and those are the ones Eddie has been calling. He's rung land line numbers and mobiles all with no answers thus far. The job at Bryher is a big job so not just a few odds and ends to do. The roof has to come off about half of it, plus deep footings have to be dug first to support the upper floor. I expect Eddie outlined what we are planning to do to Kath and Jane and I kind of explained to Adrian and Rachel when they called. Oh well .... hiccups seem to go on and on. If I didn't have the problem of Faith's weekly injections which might now go on longer than six weeks so my vet says, I would be down there and getting down to the organisational side as Eddie hates to do that side of things, he would much rather get down to the nitty gritty. Oh by the way Kath did you see my handiwork on the garden bench? It better not fall apart in the Winter weather now!!

[Kath Mulligan]

No, I forgot to look at the bench, Gloria! But yes, Eddie did show the plans to Jane and me and pointed out what work would be done as we were standing outside on the lawn. It's certainly not a job for the faint-hearted, just wish you could strike lucky and find someone who is ready and willing to take it on for you.

Kath

[gloria townsin]

You'll have to see it next year now then Kath, in fact, she says with every finger crossed which is making typing this difficult, we might even be able to offer you a nice cuppa and you can have a sit down on it. :biggrin: