Front door and window

Work began on restoring the front door and side window yesterday. The glazing company recommended we completely finish the door and window frame before the replacement secondary windows are screwed on so we never need to do it again.

I popped in to the local glaziers on the high street to ask for advice - they specialise in period windows. Apparently I need to rub down the glass with wire wool before I treat the lead with a special coating to bring it back to its original colour. Rubbing down the glass has something to do with oxidation but I'm not exactly sure what. They are coming to quote to restore the windows and put them into double glazing so I will ask again to make sure. If their price is reasonable, we might forgo the secondary glazing.

Apart from the glass and lead, I need to sand down the paintwork, fill the holes, prime and then gloss in white before the secondary is fitted. So much to do.

Green fingers

I joined the lovely Eastcote Horticultural Society today however, my first vist was not a great success. The society is based in a large shed full of gardening products and behind it are the local allotments. I arrived with David in the single pushchair and Chloe in the sling and all started out well. A lady took down my details whilst a lovely man called Alan gave me some advice about sourcing local manure. Apparently there is a stable called Jacks on Fore Street where they give away rotted manure for free - you just turn up and load up.

David was desperate to get out of his puschchair so I made the fatal mistake of letting him wander around. Just as I was paying my £2 sub, buying some garlic and chatting to a lady about transplanting my roses, a man appeared holding David's hands out in front of him. They were covered with a black gooey substance. Apparently he had undone the lid of a can of something potent and definitely poisonous and had managed to smear it all over his brand new Gap jacket - thank goodness he hadn't put any of the stuff in his mouth. By now several other people were milling around as I tried to sort out the mess with a protesting Chloe strapped to my front. Luckily everyone was very friendly. One old boy chuckled as he watched me attempting to clean David's hands with babywipes, "I hope this doesn't put you off bringing the young lad again - he's at the perfect age for this now".
Friendly, yes. Helpful, definitely not. I made a hasty exit with my garlic and newly acquired knowledge about local manure and roses.

The garden

We've decided on a basic plan for the garden and are trying to get as much work done as possible before the weather turns nasty.

Felling the tree

The ash tree is coming down - all 70 foot of it. I feel like I am murdering a tree but we will be keeping the wood to burn and using all the brushwood as mulch for the garden so at least we are recycling it. To prepare for its demise we need to create an area to store the logs and build something out of wood and chicken wire to hold the mulch.

Compost bins

The compost bins will be moved to the end of the garden - we are in the process of collecting pallets from around the area so Matt can make a structure containing three or four sections to rotate the compost as it goes through it's different stages.

Allotment

We've decided on a four bed crop rotation system at the end of the garden. I had mixed success with the veggies I planted in spring and I'm quite pleased they did so well considering I did absolutely nothing to prepare the soil. Our intention all along was to put as much goodness as possible back into the soil over the winter and start planting in the spring.

Two of the four beds have been dug and prepared already and I am conducting a little experiment suggested by my green-fingered friend Helen. One plot will be overwintered with green manure (mustard seed), the second will be overwintered with manure purchased from our local horticultural society. It will be interesting to see which method works the best. The third and fourth plots will be dug up next summer as we have run out of time this year. Ultimately, we will build four raised beds and create brick walkways between them.

Shed

The garage is freaking me out as it looks as if it is about to fall down. Bits of wood have started falling away from the lintel supporting the roof so it's only a matter of time before the whole thing collapses. Before we demolish it we need to buy a large shed to store all the garden stuff but before we buy a shed we need to prepare the ground for the shed to stand on. It's going in the allotment and I want a patio/seating area in front of it. The allotment will then be fenced off with a trellis and gate.

Roses

The roses are going to be moved to the front garden as soon as I have researched the best time of year to do it and the best way of doing it. I'm not sure what will replace them. I'm imagining a couple of fruit trees and a wild meadow with flowers to cut for the house during the summer.

Hopefully all of this will be completed by Christmas. Maybe I'm dreaming?

Major project number four: replacement windows

I signed on the dotted line today - most of the old windows are going and instead of the critttal windows and ugly secondary glazing we will have practical uPVCs instead. It would have been lovely to keep the original windows but the glass was practically falling out and the sills were beyond repair. As a friend of ours said, "You don't live in a museum" so as much as we will try to keep the original features of our home, some of them will just have to go.

We paid a 25% deposit which in itself was a huge amount and the work will take about a week to do. I have no idea what I am going to do with the kids whilst the wind whistles through our house and a team of men rip the windows out. Hopefully Grandma and Grandad will come to the rescue.

Where are we now?

At times our progress seems infuriatingly slow. A while ago we agreed to only spend one weekend day working on the house. The other day is always going to be a family day as the last think we want is to be worn down by the amount of work that needs doing and more importantly, the kids need us.

David's room

David's room is almost finished. I'm waiting for the curtains to arrive and then he can move to his big boys bed. It needs accessorising but i can worry about that over the next few months.

Chloe's room

A shelf needs putting up, along with Mum's wall hanging. I also need to find a bookcase.

Our room
The mirror has arrived and I'm about to order the main light and the mirror light. We still need curtains, side tables and a chest of drawers. I also need to restore the 1930s wardrobes but that will take quite some time. I'm still not sure whether or not to paint them white or keep them as they are and restore them.

Garden
Half of the allotment has been dug over ready for winter. The tree is coming down and we're going to buy a shed

Halls, stairs and landing
Undercoat is finished. We now need to finish sanding the woodwork so we can start glossing. The major work here revolves around the staircase so I will need to get a few carpenters in to quote for the work. trouble is, I'm not entirely sure what we want them to do so the only thing I can do is get them in and ask their advice.

From House and kid chaos

David helps Grandad with the painting