Been a long week

[Gary820]

Got back home today after spending all week in Disneyland with the family. Feels like it was longer though!!!
It's been non stop as little un been really excited so very little sleep for us

Took the new motor and returned a healthy average of 62.6 mpg even with half of every shop in the back coming home lol, done just under 1000 miles in total.

Did it properly and stayed in the disneyland hotel (food was really good in the restaurant ) so bit of luxury.
Did all the character meets, they wander round the hotel and come in the restaurants at meal times etc too, even booked the dine with princesses which little un loved, all the pretty woman dressed up were a bonus

She watched the parades and stayed up late to see the fire works etc and I really don't know where the constant energy came from, we were worn out and she was still running around!!

Got another week off work to recover and do some jobs at home. According to the camera we took about 2000 photos so I've got all those to sort through too!

We're at a 4th birthday party for her friend tomorrow morning too so more fun!

 

[Chris]

Sounds, errm. Lovely. Ideal. Yuk.

Hey I am in York on the 4th. We could meet up and look at the photos of the pretty ladies.

 

[Gary820]

That sounds a plan that Chris, I should have something for you too.

Not my ideal holiday but I had mine in Wales lol

 

[Gary820]

Well in total contrast to last week I've done a bit of proper work this week...

We wanted to get the garden tidy again after it got neglected, we'd extended the house then had a gap of nearly a year until the patio got done and a new fence etc (my builder is a mate and fitted me in to get the extension done earlier then planned originally)

Over last few weeks we've planted various things in the planters built into the wall but wanted to sort the back out too

All a bit overgrown

Cut down the conifer, had a good trim and built a new rockery
was going to winch the conifer out but dug out easily.
need to put a few small plants in between some of the rocks at some point.

Plants growing well

The sun flowers are the what the little un planted! The 2 big ones started in the dining room in a pot and just keep growing

raked a ridiculous amount of moss from the grass and not even done half!

The 80 has worked hard too, all the rocks were one load (some are rather heavy) 12 bags of slate and 6 bags of 20 mm gravel another load, a cut up conifer in the boot another load, not the trunk though as a mate is having that for his wood burner.

Few bits to tidy up tomorrow then need to get some top soil to level the upper part, it's sunk where settled to the wall (we had a hill when moved in 6 years ago, dug it out and built a retaining wall)

At some point we're going to build a fence/erect trellace against next doors fence (on the right with concrete posts) as they've done a cheap/quick job and you can tell! Won't allow us to paint it either and it just doesn't look nice.

 

[clivehorridge]

Nice bit of a tidy up there Gary, my back started hurting just reading your post

 

[Gary820]

Nice bit of a tidy up there Gary, my back started hurting just reading your post

I ache that's for sure!! Those rocks look small in the pics, the bigger ones are bloody heavy. One of the few times you regret having a lifted truck!! It was a bit lower by the time it was loaded up. Still pulled like a train though

 

[clivehorridge]

I ache that's for sure!! Those rocks look small in the pics, the bigger ones are bloody heavy. One of the few times you regret having a lifted truck!! It was a bit lower by the time it was loaded up. Still pulled like a train though

I put over a tonne of white granite rockery rocks in mine once, then drove 450 kms.

It was heavy, but rode really well.

 

[Gary820]

This was when we moved in.....

This took some work few years back, had to demolish part of it when extended the house (a lower flower bed)

Retaining wall is 4 ft! We have a gate for the bottom step so young un doesn't go up on her own, going to fit a metal railed fence round the top of the wall at some point for safety.

 

[Shayne]

Looks good there's nothing better than when you can stand back when all the works done and see what you've achieved in all its glory . Well done

 

[clivehorridge]

Yeah, neat job Gary, Shayne's right, very satisfying!

I built a wall to separate my cottage garden from the roadway, in a little village in west Wales (Hermon Glogue), before there was just a slope down from the asphalt.

If I googleearth that cottage now on street view, the wall is still there from 17 years ago, along with the wooden gates I made.

 

[Gary820]

Cheers, yeah it's very satisfying. We've done a lot to this house in last 6 years and it's nice to look at the old pics from before anything got done.

Wasn't all me with the ground works was dug out by hand, same when extended the house, footings were by hand too as no space for a digger.
Luckily a good mate is a builder so looks after me and let's me work with him to reduce costs.

 

[Chris]

Gary, let's hope it's sunny in the morning then. We can sit outside. Tea or coffee, don't mind. White no sugar, ta.

 

[Gary820]

Gary, let's hope it's sunny in the morning then. We can sit outside. Tea or coffee, don't mind. White no sugar, ta.

If it's sunny or just not raining I'll be round the back Chris, gate at the side (on the left as looking at the house) will be open just wander round. Like I said other day just park behind the 80, can't really miss my driveway.

see you about 10 am

 

[Gary820]

Raked out a load more moss, stopped for a chat and cuppa when Chris popped round, raked some more moss and dug out loads of weeds. went for some top soil, Took a load of bags and got about 1/2 a ton. All gone up top and looks a bit more level now. Chucked some seed down and some lawn feed etc etc.
Raining now so we'll see how level it is when the soil has settled.

Back to Work tomorrow but only half day so ease back into it lol.

 

[Chris]

Thanks for the cuppa and the tank straps Gary. Lawn looked hard work but it WILL come back and look fantastic. Extension looked absolutely fantastic and has clearly added not only value but another dimension the house. Was some shocking traffic today, but for once it was ALL on the other side! I guess everyone was going to the bicycle race?

 

[Chas]

I guess everyone was going to the bicycle race?

 

[Gary820]

Your very welcome Chris, we got there in the end with them!

Cheers, taken some work but will be worth it. It's a nice room to sit in and will be even better when the garden is back to its best.
yeah the race route runs just down the road from us on Sunday which means we're going nowhere on Sunday unless leave the house before 6 am or park elsewhere (all the roads will be closed) we'll have a wander down for a look tbh as trying to drive anywhere will be impossible!

Chas that's brilliant

 

[Chris]

Just hit home this evening and took a call from two colleagues in Property Services about tables heights at balustrades and....whoa, F that. It's Friday. They were headed up the A1 for the weekend to see some cycling. They were stuck at Peterborough!!! I had bad news for them. That was the end of the queue.

 

[Gary820]

Just hit home this evening and took a call from two colleagues in Property Services about tables heights at balustrades and....whoa, F that. It's Friday. They were headed up the A1 for the weekend to see some cycling. They were stuck at Peterborough!!! I had bad news for them. That was the end of the queue.

It'll be busy that's for sure!! At work in the morning then a bit of shopping to do, that'll be bad enough with traffic.

Sunday I'm going to wash both motors and polish the 80. Might even bolt the 35's back on and refit the stuff in the boot for the 19th.

 

[Ben]

Nice work Gary.

Cant believe you dug all that out by hand!