One week away

If you want a building report, look away now and come back in a week.

Building work begins again tomorrow, but will be disrupted by the arrival of belongings from London, the drag of my common cold and, if the MOT smiles upon my Berlingo, going to Glasgow to collect Tash, grout and maybe Martin.

Foolishly, I again trusted Avanti west coast to transport me and, same as last time, someone somewhere jumped under a train. Half an hour before my booked train was due to leave I joined a queue for the three cancelled southbound trains, of which mine was one. It ran from the barrier, across the concourse, out of the entrance, across the bus lane and fifty metres along the pavement, where Steve and I loitered with intent.

Fifteen minutes after my train should have left, the queue began to flow. I reached the barrier as it closed. The train left. Steve hung round a bit for continued moral support. Ten minutes later the barrier reopened and I got on a train. The first must have been packed solid, so perhaps I was lucky to avoid it, though somewhere near the middle of England a goods train broke down in front of us. Of course, it took time to fix it and there was then no driver to move it. At least our train had two working toilets. Eventually our train crawled into a station to wait some more, after which we were told to go to a different platform and a different train.

So, half an hour after my non-existent booked train should have departed, I left on what was the train before, arriving in Euston at one in the morning, two and a half hours after I should have done. Mercifully a night bus was waiting just for me and an hour later I was in Tash’s arms. Does travel broaden the mind? Discuss.

I was in London to help Tash finish packing her flat, so that she and the contents could come north. We’d expected to take a day or two off to see some art (Strange Clay was top of our list) but in the event we lifted our noses from the grindstone only in the evenings, though as we had three suppers with friends and family and saw two films we didn’t feel too deprived. Pictures were wrapped and bundled. Boxes were labelled and colour coded and things located in a particular room, depending on their initial destination – Glasgow container, neighbour’s barn or Nether Auchans. Quite what will actually fit in the two Luton vans is at this point unknown.

Though a minor hiccup in the building programme Tash’s flat sale and final move is a major milestone and a long awaited moment for us. Although we’ll miss some of what her lovely flat had to offer it will be a relief to step away from the absurdities, complications and anxieties of someone else owning the freehold of your home.

Up here bank notes feature mackerel and quotes from Scottish nature writers (Nan shepherd) on the reverse…

Walking the streets of Clapton, Dalston and Stoke Newington was an interesting change and, though short on Scottish wildlife, had its own charms…

Squirrels scampered and a fox or two walked indolently through Tash’s garden

This coming Wednesday one of the Luton vans will arrive here. I’m hoping to have actually done some work by then, more tiling, grouting, sealing round the bath and structure around basin…

And I need to start learning about my new router so I can make a good job of the various shelving units and cupboards I have yet to build or finish, as well as the kitchen’s drawer fronts.

But it’s great being back here so I went for a drive and a wander with my camera…