More work being done.

 

Dear family, friends and followers.

There is never a dull moment in my life. I am not one for sitting about and so again today, Keith and I have been outside working on our terrace staging. 

Keith and I have fixed more shuttering in place. We have run out of screws, they should arrive Monday. The final shuttering has been cut and is ready to be fixed when the screws arrive in the post.

Keith cut the front posts to height and we have fixed a rope handrail attached at the top of the posts. I am thinking of getting some lights to go along there as well.

We still need to put fillers in at the front of the steps, so we do not snag our toes.

I did some more digging out to finish off the shuttering on top of the bank. This will all be fixed in place next week and then I can back fill behind the shuttering. It has been hard work, what with all the digging out of the soil and the working out and fixing everything down, but it has been so worth it.

Tomorrow I will be looking at putting down chicken wire on the treads to make them non-slip in the Winter. We are almost there.😊

Pop back soon xx

Lots going on.

 

Dear family, friends and followers.

Rain has stopped play for me today. It seems like an age ago, that we have had lots of rain, but it rained all night and it has not stopped. It is still chucking it down and we are now at 14.43pm. 

Back earlier in the year, I took up the terrace staging across the top of our sloping garden, because it was rotten, dangerous and leaning. 

All's I left was the the bearers, which were also pretty tatty. Two weeks ago, we finally began the task of putting new terrace staging in, so that I can cut the hedge safely. We asked two friends to come and help us, because with Keith's back, we could not depend on him being able to get the job done.

We had to dig out a lot of ground to drop the level down by over a foot, which meant new posts and bearers going in.

All our timber is recycled from a pontoon and fencing on site, which was a blessing, because the timber would of cost us a fortune. Les and I worked well together, she is very much of the same mindset as me and was happy to work on till 8pm two days running, which helped us crack on.

Whenever a snag cropped up, we were able to work it out together. Keith did all the sawing of wood for the floor with the rotary saw and I then took over for the shuttering boards.

Yesterday we finished off the floor in the rain, but it was something we wanted to get done and we also concreted some more posts in.

Keith has been cutting more shuttering boards, which I have been screwing into place. Les left us last night and so Keith and I will carry on to the end of the job, which means more shuttering, cutting to length the posts, adding the rope and then I will get on with trimming the hedge and planting out. We are so pleased with what has been done so far and oh boy have I worked hard. I have dug out tonnes of soil, sawn and screwed timber. I have found muscles, which I have not used before. It has been great fun working with Les and Simon has helped out a bit. Keith and I always work well together, we have an amazing partnership. I will post photos when it is all finished, but this is what I have been doing for the past couple of weeks. Oh and in between doing this huge job, I have been weeding the gardens in the Arm and seeing friends who have popped in for a distant cuppa and a natter. It has been lovely to meet up with friends, but we are both still be careful, because even though we have had our vaccines, the numbers are creeping up again. I long for the day, when we no longer have to talk about Covid-19.

Pop back soon xxx

We are open.

 

Dear family, friends and followers.

It has been a crazy few days, but the Arm is now open to boaters and the public. We opened the gates on the 1st June and welcomed in our first visiting boaters. Everything is being done to keep everyone safe from Covid-19. Having had my second vaccination, I like so many am feeling much happier, but neither Keith or I are eager to get out and about, because the world and his wife has been descending on Warwick. On the first of June, we did have a bit of excitement, when we were asked if we would be interviewed by ITV news for a piece about life afloat and why people are buying boats in big numbers at the moment. We did an hour and half with the reporter and cameraman for a few seconds at the end of the piece. It was good fun and they were both lovely. Everything was done within the government guidelines for Covid-19. It is not the first time we have appeared on TV, we have been on ITV and the BBC. I personally hate seeing myself on TV, but if we can help to get a message across about the canals, then we are happy to do it. 

In March, I began to strip off the rotten timbers of our staging, which goes across the top of our garden which is on a slope. The staging was unsafe and had to be replaced. We have a quote from friends and awaited the time when they could fit us into their busy schedule.

Today was that day when we would start to get a new staging down. We took up the old uprights and cross beams, because they were also rotten. Les and I started drilling the holes for the new posts and then Simon cemented them in with postcrete. Keith began the task of cutting up the new timbers, which were recycled from the fencing we have replaced in the Arm. I am all for recycling and the wood is in great condition.

The first of the new panels is in place, so we can get our levels, because we are going to have to go uphill, otherwise we will have to dig out too much soil to get it level. 

Tomorrow, we will get on with more of the digging and ground preparation, now we know the levels. It is going to be much safer for me to do the hedge and I will also work to smarten up the bank in front of the hedge. I feel happily pooped tonight. I cannot wait to see it finished. I am hoping to get it all done, ready for a special visit later in June, which I will post on after the event. But to say I am excited is an understatement. 

I hope you are all keeping safe and well out there?

Pop back soon xxx