Monday 6 May 2024

It’s trying. Sunshine interspersed with sprinkles. We might be on to some good weather. Emma Louise is excited at the prospect of the big concrete wall in the garden coming down in the summer when the big excavator can get onto the lawn. It’s a monster wall, 30m long, 2m high and about 8 tons of concrete, all slotted together like leggo. Oui, oui says the excavator man. Flashy gets the impression that if he was an Aussi digger man it’d be ‘piece of piss, mate.’ She is awaiting his quote.

We have been briefed on the garden responsibilities for the next couple of months, which includes some shrub removal and lawn mowing and most importantly, the supervision of the pool’s summer commissioning, when the French pool man arrives in June.

There are plans for an extension into the garden, once the wall is removed. This would entail a new kitchen and conservatory like room. Lady P is drawing up the plan to scale so EL has something to play with and get quotes. Looks like spicy carrot soup for lunch.

The tiler and his mate arrive after lunch to look at the dodgy concreting job around the pool. Much sucking of teeth and shaking of head. It looks like all our suggestions of concrete grinding and using beautiful 20 mm thick 600 mm square tiles can’t be done At least Christoff the tiler has a solution using 10 mm tiles. What area and how many tiles? Based on Johnny’s rough estimate of size and without measuring, Flashy had calculated around 50 sq metres. To much laughter and derision, albeit in good humour, the measured area was 71 sq metres. Close enough, you reckon? At least they shook my hand and said good bye. Some mutterings about trusting chefs amid their laughter.

The girls talking to Laura Jane via Whatsapp
Artichoke. The pot is full of melted butter. What country would we  be in do you reckon?
Tackling the artichoke
Lady P drawing up EL and J's proposed extension
The concrete wall. Hardly a challenge for a big digger






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