Big day

Lots to do today. We hired a van this morning (after the sad but not unexpected death of our own van, quietly after a long illness) and had planned to fill it with some of the junk we need to get rid of in the Mad Broken House so that we would have space to fit in all the plasterboard and other supplies, due to be delivered at about 4pm.

So, we settled the kids down (no school today) with games and got on with filling the van. At some point they heard some friends playing and wandered off. We continued to fill the van, interspersed with chats with our retired neighbour who is currently seeking our advice on an impending holiday to Scotland and who was canvassing our opinion on what colour everyone in the group of houses should paint their shutters. When the van was just nearly full, he wandered over and asked where we were taking all the stuff in the van. To the tip we said, wondering if this was a trick question. Ah, but the tip is closed today he replied.... At this point Mr B gave me one of those stern looks that he reserves for grevious offences. But I pointed out my research on the local council website showing beyond all reasonable doubt that the tip was open today.

Katherine's riding lesson intervened and we returned home for lunch and to drop her off. Then off to the tip for a little chat. Sure enough, the tip was closed and all my politest and smilingest entreaties did not change that. So, we had to drive 20km (at great cost to our excess mileage charges) and be very late for Katherine. Happily the man at the new tip was more responsive to polite smiliness and didn't insist on proof of residence (without which we should have paid a king's ransom for dumping rubbish there). Mr B forgot his bad back and went into anti-Womble overdrive and hurled a whole van-worth of stuff into the tip in what felt like seconds.

Then home just in time for the delivery of the materials.....? No. Then home to do three hours demolition and sweeping before the delivery arrived at 6.15pm. Leaving no time or energy to get it all inside the house. So, we managed (with the heroic help of our lovely new neighbours - who pitched in without being asked) to get all the cement, lime and insulation inside. The plasterboard will have to wait. So, let's hope for no rain tonight or tomorrow...

The kids had a ball with their new friends - which bodes well for a long summer trying to keep them out of the building site of our house. One family currently has a 'pet' injured jay. I may try and blip him one day - if he survives. He is apparently very tame and happy to be picked up, but with a broken wing may have to be a pet forever (providing they can keep away the local farm cat who has dinner and a different name at every house in our development. He's a very fat cat.) Conor nearly made an enemy by kicking a football around in the courtyard at the heart of the development we are part of. Happily, the window he punted it through was open at the time...

Tomorrow, into Toulouse to definitely absolutely buy all the stuff we need for the house. No excuses this time. If we come back with one item you can definitely mock us.

This item was staring up at me as I swept the 'downstairs guest room'. Mr B advised against posting this in case I scared you all. But I know you're made of strong stuff.