West trench

North trench

Trenches trenches...

We have been so lucky, weather has stayed dry all week for the most critical part of this phase: trench digging. It could have been a quagmire. Graham, Kevin and Louis are real artists and have carved beautiful straight trenches through a stiff multicoloured clay showing bands of yellow, pink, grey and dark red. Neighbour John, a potter has asked for some and might make a pot with it. It is a shame we have to put concrete in those trenches!

Nipper the jack russell

Digging foundations

A perfect sunny day (quite miraculous) for digging clay..and pouring concrete

Demolition

There we are, the project has started. Today must be a quagmire though! Rain & rain....

Beach Cottage, project starting at last

Beach Cottage as it has been  the few years we have own it...after 2 years of drawing, planning, thinking, spending, discussing and all over again a few times we have started at last! Maybe I should have started writing about this project from the beginning of trying to gain planning permission, but it has been so frustrating that we couldn't have spent more time agonizing over it.

So, here we are.

John and I removed (carefully) the asbestos (thankfully a few bags full only) and after obtaining a special permit (free! - the first free bit of paper we have received so far...) deposited it at the dump.

Demolition today under the very capable management of Louis, but still a couple of conditions from Planning, some clarifications from Building Control and the wretched Party Wall Award to be given before excavations can begin.