‘Birdsong’
My daughter arrived home from London this morning on a short visit and came along to the site meeting with me this morning. Anyone who has a daughter will appreciate that this was an important event. Firstly, although London has been her base for the past 5 or more years, our present house where we’ve lived for the past 20 years, will always be the one she thinks of as ‘home’ and so to see it being slowly ‘dismantled’ as I steadily sift through cupboards and shelves and make plans to fit into a much smaller space is probably unsettling for her.
Home for the last 20 years.
She visited the site before the previous house was demolished and I think she – along with many other friends and relations – struggled rather to envisage how we were ever going to create a new, welcoming home there.
The Original Street Frontage.
But today, with the upstairs walls going up and some of the rooms actually starting to take shape, I think she was reassured.
Mark (our contractor) explaining the dimensions of the patio.
The conveyor belt in position.
The conveyor belt is now in position and was in action today. It is being used to carry building materials up to the first floor. In the photograph above you can also see the openings for two north-facing windows in what will be the living room of the cottage. Above the garage is a window that has somehow made a completely unplanned appearance and no explanation was forthcoming this morning… It will have to be bricked in. While we have made a change to the window schedule for both the cottage and the guest-suite, this opening does not fit with either the original plan or the new one so someone was a little confused. We have had very few errors of this sort though and nothing that couldn’t be easily fixed.
Today’s View to the North.
Bernard and Rupert discussing the changes to the guest-suite windows.
Standing Upstairs and Looking South towards the Street.
The weather seems to have stabilised and it’s great to see measurable progress from week to week.
home-in-the-making 
“Birdsong” looks beautiful – I can see why there could be tears! On the other hand, I’m surprised how large your new place is looking… Downsizing is relative! Enjoy your daughter’s visit.
I love that you name your home, is there a name in the works for the new home? I am trying to think of a fitting name for ours. Is your current home also made of brick? Your new home is really coming along. And your North view is fantastic! Love those beautiful trees.