The Build - Week 3

Ever watched paint dry?,,,,,well that is what week three has all been about - activity has been a plenty but crikey it`s been boring!!!

Lots of brick cutting, measuring, more brick cutting and laying - more measuring an so on. I suppose every project has a period when despite there being a lot going on - little appears to be progressing.

Anyway, having said that all the bricks that need to have been laid, have been laid and the lintels have gone up together with the wall plates (note, I`m trying to make this sound interesting!)

Next week sees the roof being constructed which should - no - will be a jolly site more interesting that the week just gone

The only consolation is that Ruby, the bricklayers Terrier seems to have taken up residence in the house!!!!!!!

Have a look at these pictures and judge for yourself  how dull this week has been!,,,,,,,,,,

The Build - Week 2

Hello everyone,

First - apologies to those of you who have contacted me to say......where is week 2!!!!!!

Well, here it is.........

Quite an uneventful week as it happens -well, in comparison to last week that is! The phrase "it always looks better once it comes out of the ground" was used as lot this week - and do you know....they are right. Once the blocks and bricks appear then it takes on a whole new character. The other interesting thing is that the footprint, once outlined by the blocks, ALWAYS looks smaller that the finished job - never really understood that one?!?!?!

Building inspector continues to appear happy after each visit - Idon`t talk to him (I let Dan do that) but as I sit watching them, through the dining room window while I`m working on the PC, I`m reminded of scenes from that very funny Eric Sukes film "The Plank" much gesticulating, pointing and head scratching and no audible conversation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyU6SonN6mc

The promised wet weather has also kept away which is brilliant - mind you as I`m writing this, the skies have taken on that look of old weathered church roof lead - so lets not get too confident!!

As ever with any build much discussion has been of creating features that don`t appear anywhere on the plans!! - "can we have that window there now"........ "how about putting some stone on that bit rather than brick"....... "lets make that opening a little wider" .....did I really ask for that?

Many more of those conversations to come I suspect....

So, foundations in, DPC membrane laid, first stage of sub floor on and set, three courses of brick laid - we`re all happy!!!!!

Speak to you all next week with more news of progress

The Build - Week 1

Hello there,

We are having some alterations done to the house in order to give us some more space (not a lot more in reality - anyway the more you have the more you need!! as some of you will know?!?!)

Rather than send random pictures to those that are interested It has been suggested that I post the developments as a weekly Blog - thereby ensuring that those who have no interest in the project don`t have to be subjected to a boring set of pictures! - anyway enough babble and onto the detail.

Week One

Monday.
The beginning of the dig, quite exciting after a two year planning and discussion process. All went well - top-soil scrapped off and given to my neighbour John in return for the loan of one of his fields - I needed somewhere for deliveries, spoil and machinery parking etc etc etc- thanks John!
Next came the levelling process - quite a bit of soil had to come out - say 2-3 grab lorry loads. Then came the digging of the footings - 2mtrs down owing to the clay around here - then came the building inspector who said oh, I would have been happy with 1.5! but you know what would have been said if we stopped at 1.5.........?

Tuesday
Now, Rob is a great driver, very careful and nimble with a digger - all is going well we are digging away. By now it`s 4;30 and nearly time to go home. Dan, (who's company I`m using) is in the kitchen talking to me about bricks and stuff when a head pops around the corner and says - Dan we have a problem..............
The front teeth of the bucket has gone through the mains water pipe!!!!!! the mains valve is in the driveway under gravel, under a rusted cast iron cover, sat in a sodden pit 2 feet deep with a rusted valve at the bottom of it!........Dan, we certainly do have a problem!!...... Twenty minutes and  many tens of gallons later we have the water off, repairs underway and a 3 foot deep miniature ship canal in the garden!!

Wednesday
A 7am start this morning. Pumps are in place and the process of emptying  the canal is underway - no real pressure !!!- building inspector is arriving at 10 am, 9 cubic metres of Redimix arriving at noon and still a small footing to finish!! Somehow it all happened on time and by 6pm everyone was ready for a beer!!!

Thursday
Blocks arrive!!!!!! and brickies get to work. It is now taking shape - ground works are always tricky - and never look like they have taken a lot of effort but when the blocks start going up - that`s when it looks like progress!

Friday
More blocks, more shape and form and most importantly............no disasters!!
The boys have tidied up, packed away and gone home for the weekend.

.......and I`m having a beer!!

More next week

Smaller, Lighter and Portable!!!

Well, after over a year I`ve finally decided to get smaller, lighter and more portable - unfortunately I`m not talking about my overall physical shape but rather the camera kit I now use.

I`ve finally traded all my heavy Nikon kit for the much more portable Fuji X Pro 1 together with a 35mm  f1.4 prime together with an 18-50mm f2.4 - 4.0 zoom.

So far, extremely happy with image quality, feel, weight and portability - this set up is a real winner for me - forget all that negative stuff on geek sites about AF not working well - the latest firmware updates have dealt with all that very well indeed

It calls for a different style of shooting and you have to have a more considered approach to the shot and the learning curve is little steep unless you have experience of using a rangefinder then the fundamentals are easily understood

I`m really enjoying it and will post some examples soon

If anyone else has experience of the XPro 1 do let me know

Mille Miglia 2013

Well what a trip!!!! - The wettest Mille Miglia of the modern era! Nevertheless it did`t

spoil what is the best classic event in the world

The annual drive from Brescia to Rome and back began in torrential rain but by the time the cars returned to Florence the sun was out and every one was in good spirits.

We spent a day in Ferrara and a few days in Florence before returning to to the UK via Pisa - let`s hope that 2014 is somewhat drier!!

Oh...and the odd famous face!!!

Wonderful Cuba - Intoxicating Havana

Well, as promised I`m now back and ready to post my visit to Cuba - well, Havana to be precise. This place is a photographers dream - architecture, 1950`s cars, revolutionary history, faded decadence, very, very interesting people. but....catch it before it changes - politics are being relaxed, commerce is being more widely adopted, Raul Castro is talking about many changes - some of course for the better but some will inevitably mean the loss of it`s unique charm and attraction - so....take my advice and get yourself over there in the next 4 - 5 years

Hello!!

I know it`s been quiet, but I`ve been on my travels - more to follow shortly starting with CUBA!!!