Yesterday's plan was that The Builder's Wife would make an appointment for The Stairman to come on site with The Builder and us. The phone call at 8.45am I assumed was her telling us of the time of the rendezvous so didn't rush to answer it. But no ....................................
He's here!!
Started off cordially with us showing him what we thought was wrong. He took the position of 'c'est normale' what did we know about making stairs in France. We persisted. He got defensive. When we suggested that we wouldn't pay any more, he threw a major wobbley and took the devis and screwed it up and threw it on the floor and marched off with lots of 'what do you want from me'. He didn't actually leave unfortunately. Lots of 'what do you want me to do'. Me saying I didn't want him to make anything else because I didn't trust him to do a better job, very disappointed, rest of the work has been perfect and this is crap. Maybe your work is ok, conceded a few things, but 'your fitting team is bad and the result is bad'.
By the end he was agreeing that it wasn't good and with Him Outdoors playing the calm one we have agreed to go away and reflect and reconvene on Monday evening with The Builder to negotiate a deal.
Exhausting and all before breakfast!
The day has improved majorly by me calling on the 'beautiful chicken' lady and she saying that she would give me 4 chickens tomorrow. Very exciting. Have been collecting the leftover hay from the field and buying something to feed them with.
Him Outdoors' day has not improved. While I was out he has cut through a water pipe, messed up the first attempt at mending it and is now on the second attempt. I'm sure this will work and all will be well.
++++++++++++++
I suppose, unsurprisingly, the man didn't turn up on Monday so we are getting a letter in french composed and send him a cheque for half the original cost. Then see what happens!
Wednesday, 8 July 2009
Tuesday, 7 July 2009
The progression of the stairs
Well, they carried on putting in the stairs and by the end of the day they had fixed all but the top three stairs............................and their true awfulness was revealed.
Eventually, after Him Outdoors had summoned the Watchmaker and his wife to come and see, we got to the root of the problem.
The Watchmaker has made stairs in his time and after a careful look around everything, he decided that the main problem was that the fitters had made the first cut wrong and so one side of the stairs was fitted 2 inches out of alignment with the other. This has made all the stairs crooked and impossible to fit. Apart from that, practically every joint was badly jointed with holes too big, square recesses drilled for round holes, gaps left. More and more depression.
Today we left for the airport and left the fitter fitting it and he has made even more of a mess of it, scraping great gouges out of the side to fit the steps in. I think he hopes that by applying masses of filler and rubbing that down we will be satisfied.
To add insult to injury we got a bill from Mrs Plug the Plumber today and she has added another 4,000 euros to the original devis. Stupidly we thought that the devis included the price of fitting the baths/showers/etc. We don't mind paying extra for the bits that were needed to complete the baths/showers etc. but we now have another bill for the fitting as well.
This was all too much for Him Outdoors. Major ranting which had more to do with our stupidity and disappointment than what we were actually shouting about.
I need space and he needs to dig, which he is now doing which should work off some of his anger and make him more amenable for when The Builder arrives later this afternoon.
Eventually, after Him Outdoors had summoned the Watchmaker and his wife to come and see, we got to the root of the problem.
The Watchmaker has made stairs in his time and after a careful look around everything, he decided that the main problem was that the fitters had made the first cut wrong and so one side of the stairs was fitted 2 inches out of alignment with the other. This has made all the stairs crooked and impossible to fit. Apart from that, practically every joint was badly jointed with holes too big, square recesses drilled for round holes, gaps left. More and more depression.
Today we left for the airport and left the fitter fitting it and he has made even more of a mess of it, scraping great gouges out of the side to fit the steps in. I think he hopes that by applying masses of filler and rubbing that down we will be satisfied.
To add insult to injury we got a bill from Mrs Plug the Plumber today and she has added another 4,000 euros to the original devis. Stupidly we thought that the devis included the price of fitting the baths/showers/etc. We don't mind paying extra for the bits that were needed to complete the baths/showers etc. but we now have another bill for the fitting as well.
This was all too much for Him Outdoors. Major ranting which had more to do with our stupidity and disappointment than what we were actually shouting about.
I need space and he needs to dig, which he is now doing which should work off some of his anger and make him more amenable for when The Builder arrives later this afternoon.
Monday, 6 July 2009
Stairs
After a wait of 5 months the stair men arrived this morning.
We had called in to the workshop a fortnight ago to see how they were progressing and were promised that it would be ready last week. When it obviously wasn't going to come last week we called again and he promised Monday.
Not surprisingly we were not confident that it would arrive this morning but nevertheless got up at 7.30 to be ready for the 8 am start that was promised. And lo and behold there they were.
Great excitement as it was unloaded into the hall.
Then the emotional rollercoaster begins. It IS beautiful BUT......................... it would be more beautiful if the man had some imagination and they weren't just installing the standard staircase of this shape. The general idea seems to be that if you have this staircase then you have to have it like this, not that this is a good starting point but how can we make it better.
Good effort but could try harder. Still it will be much easier to get the tea tray upstairs in the morning!
We had called in to the workshop a fortnight ago to see how they were progressing and were promised that it would be ready last week. When it obviously wasn't going to come last week we called again and he promised Monday.
Not surprisingly we were not confident that it would arrive this morning but nevertheless got up at 7.30 to be ready for the 8 am start that was promised. And lo and behold there they were.
Great excitement as it was unloaded into the hall.
Then the emotional rollercoaster begins. It IS beautiful BUT......................... it would be more beautiful if the man had some imagination and they weren't just installing the standard staircase of this shape. The general idea seems to be that if you have this staircase then you have to have it like this, not that this is a good starting point but how can we make it better.
Good effort but could try harder. Still it will be much easier to get the tea tray upstairs in the morning!
Thursday, 2 July 2009
Friends
Another difference between Him Outdoors and me which made me smile.
He doesn't get the comfort factor of watching old episodes of Friends. Saying 'I've seen this one' is daft. Of course you've seen it, that's the whole point. It's spending time with old friends. That you know what's coming and even the next line is what makes it good.
It also gains hugely here by being in English. Major comfort factor.
He doesn't get the comfort factor of watching old episodes of Friends. Saying 'I've seen this one' is daft. Of course you've seen it, that's the whole point. It's spending time with old friends. That you know what's coming and even the next line is what makes it good.
It also gains hugely here by being in English. Major comfort factor.
Wednesday, 1 July 2009
A cool afternoon in the car
Decided that a good plan would be to spend the hottest part of the day in the air conditioned car.
We have heard of a wardrobe shop that is about 3/4 of an hour away so if we left here straight after lunch and went to the huge supermarket that is open over lunchtime first, then by the time we got there it would be open. It's no good appearing at any of these shops before 2.30 or even 3.00 to be on the safe side.
Well, the plan worked. Went to Leclerc and had a shop with just a few English people because no self respecting french person goes shopping at lunch time. Forgot the list which never helps but got nearly everything and an extra electric fan which wasn't on any list but may make our visitors more comfortable. Then found the shop and was disappointed to find that most of the wardrobes were either enormous or very expensive or both. Had a very ancient lady serving. After we had explained that they were not right she thought there might be one upstairs - we hadn't even noticed there was an upstairs. While we were upstairs she rang her son in the workshop next door and he had one that we could look at.
We ended up saying that if he did it up we would come back and look at it and if we liked it and he delivered it we would buy it. He said 'quinze jours' and when we laughed he insisted that it would be 2 or 3 weeks and he would ring when it was ready. We live in hope. It's a dark oak one with very pretty locks and hinges and not too huge. (Forgot to check that it was wide enough for a coat hanger - oops.)
Came back to a swim in a lovely warm pool, a read and then supper and watching Wimbledon on the telly. OK by me.
We have heard of a wardrobe shop that is about 3/4 of an hour away so if we left here straight after lunch and went to the huge supermarket that is open over lunchtime first, then by the time we got there it would be open. It's no good appearing at any of these shops before 2.30 or even 3.00 to be on the safe side.
Well, the plan worked. Went to Leclerc and had a shop with just a few English people because no self respecting french person goes shopping at lunch time. Forgot the list which never helps but got nearly everything and an extra electric fan which wasn't on any list but may make our visitors more comfortable. Then found the shop and was disappointed to find that most of the wardrobes were either enormous or very expensive or both. Had a very ancient lady serving. After we had explained that they were not right she thought there might be one upstairs - we hadn't even noticed there was an upstairs. While we were upstairs she rang her son in the workshop next door and he had one that we could look at.
We ended up saying that if he did it up we would come back and look at it and if we liked it and he delivered it we would buy it. He said 'quinze jours' and when we laughed he insisted that it would be 2 or 3 weeks and he would ring when it was ready. We live in hope. It's a dark oak one with very pretty locks and hinges and not too huge. (Forgot to check that it was wide enough for a coat hanger - oops.)
Came back to a swim in a lovely warm pool, a read and then supper and watching Wimbledon on the telly. OK by me.
Tuesday, 30 June 2009
Too hot
Have realised that if I want to comment on other peoples' blogs I had better update my own.
Today is super hot for the third day running. The grass is crunchy and the veg are beginning to wilt before I am really about in the morning. Have just read something on totalfrance.com that was discussing whether you should water your veg every day. I am firmly in the 'not unless they need it' school. But since I am also in the 'idle' school maybe that is the reason. I did water the Bramley apple tree this morning because that is really not used to this heat any more than I am having been brought from England.
We have at last moved into the barn and it is glorious. A wonderful space which delights. It's still not finished of course but we've given up worrying about that.
The stairs would be good. Last week, the man said that he would be finishing them today and might deliver them tomorrow but even from the Happy Corner that is way too optimistic. The door man came to refit the windows that they had done wrong and, guess what, they'd done them wrong again so they will now be ready at the end of July. (Which is good because everything closes for August.) We have managed to jam one of the new wrong windows and the man should be coming today to fix it. It's now 12 so I guess he won't be her euntil this afternoon which means that we could have gone to the market. Ce n'est pas grave.
The shower would be good to. We are awaiting delivery of a bit that has taken 6 weeks so far. Since the other shower is down a glorified ladder, through the main living room and up another set of stairs, and what you need is always in the other space, this gets a bit tedious. But the bath is great, with a stunning view. We decided to have a glass basin which is placed on top of an old chest of drawers which has turned out brilliantly but I can't get used to cleaning my teeth into the chest of drawers :)
Must be time for lunch soon. Went to the supermarket and bought lots of tomatoes so a tomato and basil salad is in order. I was hoping for flats of peaches or nectarines but it's obviously not quite the season yet. The supermarket is full of tourists and what they sell has changed hugely. Lots of bbq stuff, inflatable things for pools, summer clothes, picnic things. Love it.
Today is super hot for the third day running. The grass is crunchy and the veg are beginning to wilt before I am really about in the morning. Have just read something on totalfrance.com that was discussing whether you should water your veg every day. I am firmly in the 'not unless they need it' school. But since I am also in the 'idle' school maybe that is the reason. I did water the Bramley apple tree this morning because that is really not used to this heat any more than I am having been brought from England.
We have at last moved into the barn and it is glorious. A wonderful space which delights. It's still not finished of course but we've given up worrying about that.
The stairs would be good. Last week, the man said that he would be finishing them today and might deliver them tomorrow but even from the Happy Corner that is way too optimistic. The door man came to refit the windows that they had done wrong and, guess what, they'd done them wrong again so they will now be ready at the end of July. (Which is good because everything closes for August.) We have managed to jam one of the new wrong windows and the man should be coming today to fix it. It's now 12 so I guess he won't be her euntil this afternoon which means that we could have gone to the market. Ce n'est pas grave.
The shower would be good to. We are awaiting delivery of a bit that has taken 6 weeks so far. Since the other shower is down a glorified ladder, through the main living room and up another set of stairs, and what you need is always in the other space, this gets a bit tedious. But the bath is great, with a stunning view. We decided to have a glass basin which is placed on top of an old chest of drawers which has turned out brilliantly but I can't get used to cleaning my teeth into the chest of drawers :)
Must be time for lunch soon. Went to the supermarket and bought lots of tomatoes so a tomato and basil salad is in order. I was hoping for flats of peaches or nectarines but it's obviously not quite the season yet. The supermarket is full of tourists and what they sell has changed hugely. Lots of bbq stuff, inflatable things for pools, summer clothes, picnic things. Love it.
Wednesday, 3 June 2009
The Happy Corner
Always put hope over experience, it's a fundamental requirement of being in the happy corner. The expectation is that everything will go well, people will try their best and keep you informed.
Today the electricians and plumbers were supposed to come. We are now waiting for the electrican to come and finish and connect up the electricity, the plumber to come and finish and connect up the water, the window man to come and finish so that we can have windows in the utility room and the downstairs shower room and locked doors, the woodburner man to come, and the stair man to come.
Him outdoors is in the utility room fixing plinths and handles to the units. This is a very fiddly job with a lot of swearing involved. It has taken the best part of two days to do these but it looks lovely. (Not my sort of thing at all, I'm way too impatient.) One day we will have the washing machine in there, the freezer, microwave and large fridge and all sorts of kitchen stuff from the attic so that I can lay my hands on it rather than it being in that box under that box behind that..........I think. Can't wait.
The woodburner team are supposed to be coming tomorrow. Last time they were very prompt and very good. We live in hope. (Happy corner.)
Today the electricians and plumbers were supposed to come. We are now waiting for the electrican to come and finish and connect up the electricity, the plumber to come and finish and connect up the water, the window man to come and finish so that we can have windows in the utility room and the downstairs shower room and locked doors, the woodburner man to come, and the stair man to come.
Him outdoors is in the utility room fixing plinths and handles to the units. This is a very fiddly job with a lot of swearing involved. It has taken the best part of two days to do these but it looks lovely. (Not my sort of thing at all, I'm way too impatient.) One day we will have the washing machine in there, the freezer, microwave and large fridge and all sorts of kitchen stuff from the attic so that I can lay my hands on it rather than it being in that box under that box behind that..........I think. Can't wait.
The woodburner team are supposed to be coming tomorrow. Last time they were very prompt and very good. We live in hope. (Happy corner.)
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