An erection in George Street
Only delayed by a week, due to the fairly relentless rain, the scaffolding at the George St flat has been erected. I was on hand with my camera to record this momentous scene. Andy from upstairs ensured that the scaffolders were well fed by preparing a huge mound of rolls and sausage- surely the feed of the gods!- and serving them up in the garden. Even the clients at the centre across the road, which caters for adults with learning difficulties, got involved by directing the traffic past the scaffolding lorry.
It was all very exciting.
Inside the flat all the wallpaper is off, and we have had a …ooh, what is the collective noun for workmen? A traipse? A grimace? A clutch?? Anyway, lots of them have come in, looked at the damp and deathtrap electrical wiring and mentioned sums of money that seem more like ransom amounts than reasonable quotes to do the work.
The bad news is that after months of wallpaper stripping, it would appear that most of the plaster will have to be hacked off, on account of the damp, you see.
The good news is that once that’s done, we will have lovely ,dry, smooth new plastered walls.
The electrician has been, and knows a plumber- hurrah!- so really, it’s all moving along nicely , if still requiring lots of dosh to be spent.
Although my wallpaper stripping seems to have been a bit pointless, it has uncovered the original stencilling in the hall, almost intact on one side. apparently, painters and decorators carried a limited number of stencils, so whole tenements often boasted the same pattern and colour ways on their interior walls.
I’m not sure what Bob the beetle, who lives in the bathroom, will make of all the upheaval. He likes to hang about the shower tray, and despite Big Man evicting him several times, he has returned, often bringing his larger, more excitable, big brother, Bruce, with him.
Photos? well, I have none of Bob and Bruce, but here are some of the flat. What ? you thought this blog was going to be about something quite different? What do you mean?
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- before the scaffolding..
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- ready to be roughcast
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- stencilling in the hall
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- Back of the flat
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- We want our breffus!
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- crazy golf is quiet..
August 25th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
Such a brave women to undertake such a project. This will be so lovely once you’ve restored it to life. Can’t wait to see the finished flat. Will you try to save the stenciling?
August 25th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
How about a’ barrowload of workmen?’
August 25th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
Oh aye, a barrowload is good.. any more?
August 25th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
A wastage of workmen…not that I think they’ve been wasted on your erection landlady, but it seems a bit of a lost opporchancity for the Girls to keep their hand in
Then they could have been a wantonness of workmen…Oh dear I’ve just thought of something else…sounds like fank…no wait… 
August 25th, 2009 at 6:19 pm
Erections are always Very exciting
August 25th, 2009 at 8:04 pm
Especially at your age Darling..
August 25th, 2009 at 8:10 pm
You are only as young as you feel
August 25th, 2009 at 9:09 pm
August 25th, 2009 at 10:50 pm
Sometimes you just have to be grateful
August 26th, 2009 at 12:50 am
At any age LL.
August 26th, 2009 at 8:00 am
Having just got the estimate from the electrician, I believe the correct collective noun for builders is ” A , how much ? “
August 26th, 2009 at 9:32 am
Sounds about right LL. Though watching the ones allegedly working across the road I’m more in favour of ‘a tea caddy off…’ Please note I am only watching - there’s none of them worth a leer!!
August 26th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
Oh really, you wimmin are AWFUL! Returning to the subject of the blog, ’tis good news that the walls did not come tumbling down when all the wall-paper had been removed. New plastering, new plumbing, new electrics - what on earth do you expect, LL? Of course it will be expensive beyond belief.
Going off sideways as usual, I was amazed to learn last week that the “new” Forth bridge is in imminent danger of falling down whereas the old one isn’t. And now a third Forth bridge is in the planning stage (obviously this will be less expensive as it will be a 3/4 of a bridge). Ye GODS! A bridge a day makes the taxpayer pay. Scottish engineering my *rs*. Eh? Built by furriners? Where’s the proof?
A further tangent: subject, British houses. It makes me laugh like a drain when I think that “Jerry building” is supposed to mean “poor building”. Compare the comfort of the average German (or Swedish for that matter) house with a house of the same price in the UK. Sorry, dear readers, but that’s the bottom line. What is a “damp course”? A. Newmarket on a rainy day B. The course steered by a tipsy skipper C. A device used by British builders to lead damp from the surroundings into a house that would otherwise be dryish D. A device used by continental builders to prevent damp from entering the foundations of a house.
Right answer: C and D. You have now won 10,000,000,000,000 Zimbabwian dollars. Congratulations. How much? About 50 p, dear.
August 26th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
You are right Barney, We watch the house shows from UK ie Location Location etc.
For the same price they pay for a home. You could get a Mansion in Canada or USA.
unless it’s New York We are amazed at the costs , though I do like the Countryside views. A Miners row house was 220,000 Pounds (440,000$) approx. I was also amazed that my sister had to pay extra for Agent to show home at weekend.
The Scots get ripped off bigtime.
August 26th, 2009 at 6:21 pm
Have you noticed, though, that the best property developers all have big bazoombas? Sarah Beaney? Kirstie Alsopp? Me?
I have to agree that we lag behind horribly in both value for money, and best building practices. Particularly from energy saving angles!!But only until Perfect Daughter finishes her Uni degree in Architecture and Engineering. Then a new standard of building will begin!!
Mia, you win the prize of a brickie’s barrow for ” A tea caddy of builders” with second prize of a builder’s cleavage going to KC and the Sunshine Band for a “W**k” of builders. Come up to the stage to collect your awards!
August 26th, 2009 at 7:57 pm
I really don’t mind coming behind Mia… honest:lol: But I’m quite miffed you lost the superb alliteration of a W**k of Workmen landlady dear. I want my 2nd Prize and I want it now! With all this worshippin’ and stuff me’n'Marmers have been enjoying, I do not tolerate dilatoriness of any kind.
The Builder’s Cleavage must be accompanied by a Bronzed Builder’s Biceps. And a sexpack. At least I think that’s what fpu said…
August 26th, 2009 at 9:03 pm
Will the barrow be lined with your second best ermine? will there be snuggles? fpu is being very hopeful in the biceps and sexpack department…if recent viewing is anything to go by. I draw a decent veil over the subject of builders cleavage/crack/chasm (take your choice!)
August 26th, 2009 at 10:24 pm
Hopeful…and increasingly short-sighted
August 27th, 2009 at 8:09 am
August 27th, 2009 at 10:53 am
Purrlease don’t mention it Oh Mistress of the Holey Teacosy…
You have to love ‘em. I hope the craic’s good
August 27th, 2009 at 5:10 pm
Terrible mistake Bute getting rid of the crazy golf. I might need to visit Millport for a wee shot.
August 28th, 2009 at 8:21 am
Sorry ALZ, just found your comment in my tin of spam- Big Man and I have discussed the stencilling, and feel it’s too dark to keep- the colours are russet red, chocolate brown and beige- not sure that they were the colours when originally applied! So we intend to seal it, photo graph it and paper over to preserve for posterity.Then we’ll hang the photo of it in the hall, maybe…
August 28th, 2009 at 8:33 am
August 29th, 2009 at 2:11 am
LL, Kirsty has more than Big Boobs, a rather Bis E-se also. Barney Zim now uses US $,
I have relatives live there.
August 30th, 2009 at 9:47 pm
I would have thought that was obvious taddoe - you get corny comments
Unlike in here…NOT…
August 31st, 2009 at 1:23 pm
i do love collective names! My friend and i spent a looong journey to stratford last year and this was how we filled it…modern collective nouns i can’t remember most of them now…a fix of junkies and a pudge of dieters was another…
…a bumcrack of builders?
August 31st, 2009 at 6:39 pm
Ah yes M’socks- a bumcrack indeed… -I’ve seen a fair few of them this weekend…
September 1st, 2009 at 3:21 pm
Is this an obsession of yours LL?
maybe you are no paying enough for them to buy new jeans 
I stop the cracks now as I’m going away for 3 weeks.
September 2nd, 2009 at 8:28 am
Have fun, Darling!
September 2nd, 2009 at 6:40 pm
If you stop the cracks how do you…er…you-know-whit?
September 2nd, 2009 at 10:34 pm
Vrebal, Verbal FC
September 4th, 2009 at 5:15 pm
Verbal you-know-whit is something we islandbloggers and off-islandbloggers are so very very familiar with