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This page chronicle our progress, warts and all!

You can E-mail us at  Phoenix House   with your comments or questions

January 2002

• We apply for listed building permission to replace the gates and unstable wall to Stable Courtyard
• We hear that stories are still rampant about building Phoenix House this time we did it without planning permission and when we did get it we built different different to what was approved - both are untrue of course

• Graham is now back to finishing all those all those odd jobs again as the company he was turning around is sold to a competitor so he was no longer needed!
• Graham’s first attempts at staining the window sills sends him back to do it again the second time it is very good! It was like working with treacle
• We have some problems with the boiler – it keeps cutting out – eventually a cry from Sue "Graham there’s water coming through the ceiling……." finds the problem. A joint is leaking – fortunately it a Hep20 joint so it is easy to fix however the 1ft square hole in the ceiling is another matter!
• We have the boiler serviced as it has now been in service for 12 months – it appears that it was operating not as EcoHometec would have expected. The heating downstairs has only been on during the night for all this time. We hadn’t noticed! It does say a lot for all our insulation though…….
• Our gas consumption for the year has been some 37000kwh that for our size of house is quite good. When we do a cost comparison with other energy providers we find that we can save some money (about £230 pa) so Amerada here we come for our gas and electricity
• Briefly Graham gets very exited - he has been approached about running a company in Ohio US for 6 months or so but after some discussions it does not come his way 

• Graham is busy jetting around Europe on his latest assignment so odd jobs on site slow down
• The grass is certainly growing well and so are all the weeds – we will be able to deal with them next year by a deluge of chemicals

August 2001

• We start August by sowing the grass seed - Roy lightly chain harrows the soil and then gets his bucket and starts broadcasting
• The day after the lawn is sown we have 12 or so now plump pigeons in for breakfast!  Not for long though as Roy returns and rolls the grass seed just under the surface.
• By the 9th of August we have the first grass shoots - wow!
• Eamon and Graham pave the area adjacent to the under stable
• An article on our self build under a 'new from old theme' appears in the September edition of Self-Build & Design magazine
• The NHBC sign off the last part of the house build so we will now formally receive our NHBC 10 year Certificate.  Although there were other schemes eg Zurich we felt that this is better know by the public when we come to sell in future years (about 20 or so!)
• After some while Mundy Conservatories come along and replace our cracked glass
• We seem to be spending a lot of time weeding

July 2001

• Sue relinquishes the post of site agent/chief tea maker and general "Sue..............." as she has secured a job with a local company - well done
• On July 14 & 15 we held our "Phoenix House Open Week End" - we had some 150+ so Contractors and Suppliers, Old Friends, New Friends and even  a neighbour or two!  Saturday was a bit wet but Sunday was nicely sunny. Our visitors were very generous with gifts including:  a Japanese vase; plants; candles; a very useful boot scraper; flowers; chocolates; mugs; and quite a few bottles of champagne! Thank you all - we hope that you all enjoyed yourselves
• Upon our return from holiday (with a tan and having eaten too much) we see our beds planted up
• One couple of house martins have built a nest and have started to lodge with us
• Sue buys 3 small Koi for the pond - unfortunately one of them dies after a couple of weeks
• We desperately need a few good hours of heavy rain (yes in the middle of summer!) to soak into our top soil so we can roll it to break it down to a fine tilth, presently it is far too rough
• We do get the rain so Roy turns up with a chain harrow and some extra wheels for the tractor and breaks the soil down nicely. Eamon then gets the rake out to remove the remaining stones and lumps of soil.   Unfortunately it rains very hard after all this is down so we almost have a clay court surface
• Another couple of panes of glass are cracked in our glazed link - Mundy Conservatories hear from us again

June 2001

• The drive  is completed - well the first 50% - the rest can wait to next year when we complete the landscaping at the western end.   Many tonnes of hardcore are laid followed by blue scalpings and the top surface of red gravel.  It looks good!

Now doesn't that look better!

• The garden irrigation system is completed - we switch it on and quickly turn it off to tighten some joints - at the second try all is well   Programing is a little more interesting - as ever when things don't quite work out reach for the instructions!   Water coverage is good only a few dry spots in the garden
• We were  approached by a freelance journalist who has now written an article about our house. The theme being new from old. It will appear in the August edition of Self Build & Design
• We are pleased to shown 2 different sets of people our decking - we have allowed Kedros (tel: 01905 828077) who built it (a good job and on time!) to use us as a reference site
• Paddy completes the last of the electrics - the garden irrigation system and some odds and ends
• We have sent all the invitations to our house opening weekend on July 14/15 - we have invited all the companies and tradesman who built our house as well as old friends from Maidenhead and our new friends from Herefordshire and its surroundings
• Mundy Conservatories return to check out a few problems with the glazed link - after what seemed a little reluctance initially they now start to put a few things right
• Lords of the Manor prepare and plant out our first planting
• The terrace balustrade starts to go up in its finished form - it looks good - well done Dave Preston
• Graham goes off to talk to a UK cooker company who are in a few troubles
• In mid June we go off to Corsica for a couple of weeks holiday - after 2 years of building Phoenix House it will be great not to have any contractors around 

May 2001

• Colin Kent, a well known artist calls by to talk about painting a landscape that would include our house and the surrounding hillside.  We are delighted as we already own several of his works - we will await to know of the cost with intrepidation!
• We start the final landscaping by harrowing all the subsoil to break it down and then start evenly spreading our 900tonne pile of topsoil

Spreading it was easy... now to break it all up

• Within the walled garden we lay a terram liner and cover it with gravel - this will make it maintenance free and give our tenants somewhere to sit in the sun, to say nothing of looking considerably better for our immediate neighbours!
• We have a visit from Kevin Bishop - Planning Officer - to finalise the outstanding planning approval issues. He confirms agreement to the balustrade, colour and the hard landscaping adjacent to the terrace south wall.  We had advised the Planning Dept some 6 months ago that we had issued the order for the making of the balustrades etc after telling them some time earlier of our proposed design.  Whilst we are talking he agrees with our proposed brickwork and ironwork to the gap between the garage and 1 Stable Courtyard.
• The last major construction task is started - finishing the drive.  We build a block wall (which will be hidden underground from both sides - this is probably just as well as Graham was laying the blocks!) and cement in the curb.   This will set the starting level for the rest of the drive. Now we will start laying a concrete 8x6" wall for 50m along the drive using a cast/shuttered technique.   When this dries out we will cement the curbs in place ready for the final aggregate and gravel. 

What a difference the hard core makes in bring up the level	Another £250...
Ready for the top layer of red gravel

• We have some overseas friends from Sri Lanka with us for a while. Neil, Chandani and his son Manuja  have watched our progress via this web site and have now had the opportunity to see it for real.   We should perhaps change the name of our house to Pineapple House as they have bought a dozen or so with them!  They are delicious.

• Dave Preston has now almost completed the balustrades so he is now putting them up as a trial before sending them off for hot dip galvanising

April 2001

• Eamon helps us to de-weed our site prior to spreading our 900 tonne of top soil
• The Timber Frame Industry Association call us to ask if they can feature our house in their forthcoming newsletter as an example of a good timber frame design and in sympathy with local buildings. Naturally we are pleased to assist them - this will be the fourth article featuring our house - all of which have been un-solicited.   We look forward to receiving a copy of the magazine  The picture to be used is below, and is just before we sow the grass seed

It looks good.....

• Over Easter we confirm our garden border shapes and lines and do those almost endless list of little jobs
• Graham has a resting period having just finished an assignment as MD of an international distribution company (well they did have an operation in Dublin!) so we continue to beaver away at all those little tasks and see where we still have to spend some money!  Needlesstosay he looks forward to
• that phone call so he can get away!

1,2,3 and over the wall as the wall garden topsoil is removed	Roy starts to play with his new toy!
.
We use the very good topsoil for our flower beds

March 2001

• The glazed link between the original stable building and Phoenix House is completed
• Over 3 days we transfer some 900 tonnes of top soil that will form the bed for the grass seed.  On the morning of the second day, two of our neighbours complain to the Hereford Council about mud on the lane from our lorries!     The Highways Dept who visited us were very helpful and did not consider it to be a serious problem.  Unbeknown to our neighbours, Graham had arranged for a sweeper vehicle (from Landers in the Forest of Dean if anyone would like to check!)   to sweep the lane at the end of our lorry operations, however given their petty small minded attitude this is cancelled.  Tony Peake, another of our neighbours, calls round a few days later because he is concerned by mud remaining on the lane - it has rained almost constantly since we started to transfer the top soil and looks worse than it probably is.  We tell him that we cancelled the sweeper because of the attitude of our petty minded complainers  - had they talked to us they would have been advised of our plans to sweep the lane. We were pleased that he had come round to talk about it.   The next day (the first dry day for some while) when Eamon is with us, he spends an hour or so brushing up the entrance to our drive and the 70m to our closest neighbours.    
• We spend some time tidying up all the various stables that have become home to so much of our bits and pieces. We almost have enough to open a builders merchants!   We do  have another glorious bonfire.
• Another day is spent clearing out our garage so we can now park our cars - no doubt this will (at least according to our neighbours) ease the tremendous parking problems in the lane - strangely it has never been a problem!
• Slowly Graham goes through those almost un-ending lists of little things to do or put right - wives seem very good at adding to these lists!
• The pond is emptied, cleaned and refilled ready for plants and some gold fish
• We order a garden irrigation system to water all of our site using rainwater stored in our under terrace collection tank

February 2001

• A quiet month as we savour the joys of being in our hew home    Just where are those...........?
• We negotiate for a further 900 tonnes of topsoil for £2000 to at as a 100/200mm top layer for the grass
• We have still not heard from the Herefordshire Planning Dept about our balustrade design approval - this is now the second time we have told them of our proposed design!
• Paddy (our electrician) is now re-doing some of Graham's electric's in our stable property to make it more suitable for our needs 

January 2001

• We have an excellent holiday in Canada, see Niagara, ride snow skidoos and go sledding and at minus 12° C or so
• When we arrive back we find that the boiler has gone out so we have a cold house!    The fault finder lists about a dozen or so possibilities - Graham presses "re-set" and it comes back on - a call to Owen is made!   The boiler fault is corrected and a few other plumbing bits finished
• We start to landscape the grounds - another 200 tonnes of top soil arrive - lorries get stuck - JCB's are called out and they say "don't worry dear" to Sue!

December 2000

• We move in at the beginning of December - it feels good even if we are still surrounded by debris and contractors
• Room by room we remove all the bits, materials and rubbish and get them ready
• Owen finally completes all the plumbing so all the bathrooms are complete
• We now have all the curtains up
• Kingswood floors fail to complete the edging and whats more they dont tell us that they wont be coming! A lesson in customer service is needed
• CC Ceramics complete our fire place plinth - it looks good and considerably cheaper than the £3500 we were quoted for marble
• On the Thursday before Christmas Graham's parents arrive and are immediately pressed into service
• Our friends, Vera and Nigel arrive with their daughter Rachel for Christmas - we have a good time.  Nigel and Rachel play carols from our minstrels gallery
• At midnight on Christmas day we have "you have water pouring from the ceiling into the corridor" Somewhat boozed and tired Graham rips away part of the ceiling and pushes together a joint on our water system (it passed 2 pressure tests and  our plumbers installation checks and had been in use for a couple of weeks!)
• After everyone departs we have a lazy afternoon, but on the following day we start to check out the strange (sewage) smell in our bedroom. We eventually establish that one of our contractors has drilled 4 (yes four holes) into the sewage down pipe and that's after going though the bricks, air gap and 200mm internal walls!  We stop using the facilities upstream of the damaged section
• As it has snowed and we are unsure what it id going to do on the Friday morning  we quickly pack our bags for our 7 days in Canada and depart to stay overnight with Vera & Nigel near Heathrow - we do however turn off the water just in case!

November 2000

• We frantically complete (or try to) all the outstanding tasks so that we can think about moving in
• Owen finds that after connecting the gas supply at the meter and purging the pipes we still have gas coming out somewhere - eventually we find 2 screws have gone into the supply pipe,  and whats more our Plumber was watching when our Chippie screwed them in!!  It gets sorted but.....
• Along the way we have a few problems - water pouring though the larder ceiling is dealt with but does show up the potential problem of joining plastic to copper pipe-work with Hep20 - always unscrew the joint and check the o-ring
• Paddy competes the electric's (at least for moving in) and Graham continues to put up light fittings

w/c 30 October 2000

• The kitchen is just about installed - it looks good!
• Kevin is coming to the end of his carpentry role - there is probably about another 5 days
• At long last we receive the coping stones from Bradstone - but why the wait!

w/c 23 October 2000

• Another very wet week - the loads of top soil keep coming.   Our contractors have to park on the road as they cannot really access the site. Normally we have been able to keep them from parking outside of a neighbours property, however, we fail this time and we have  grumpy neighbour!! So whats new?
• We have our replacement paving from Bradstone - at least one pallet is damaged!  Another one is on its way!
• The kitchen is delivered and looks good.  John Pearce will be back next week to complete the installation.  When we open up the boxes for the 2 hob units we find that we have 2 electric hobbs instead of one gas and one electric!   A gas hob is on its way.  Within minutes of starting work they have managed to fuse all the power circuits.  Fortunately Paddy, our electrician is already on his way
• Paddy completes installing room thermostats and starts to check out all the circuits.   We find that the main hot tank has a faulty thermostat.  David Robbins Underfloor Heating have arranged for a new one to be delivered - excellent customer service.
• The majority of the oak floor is layed - it looks very good.
• CC Tiles are back tiling bath 1 and 2/3 - both look good!    Graham is doing some plumbing this week ( as Owen has got himself over-committed) to keep ahead of the tilers.
• On Saturday we change our thoughts for tiles for the kitchen. We were going to have a cherry red/orange tile but with our units having red doors we have a bit too much red.  We decide to use the same tile that we have in the larder with a decorative panel behind the hob. Graham has promised to clean it!
• We have had a quote for using marble for our fireplace plinth - £3330 and that's with a 5% (very generous!) trade discount.   In talking with CC Tiles we find some very large 70cm wide marble tiles for a considerably lower price - guess which route we will go!
• We order the carpets (nothing is cheap - £5800 inc vat). They should be layed in about 3 weeks
• We are now trying to keep the house very tidy as we head towards moving-in in about 4 weeks.
• Will Owen turn up on Monday - watch this space - any report of the unexplained death of a plumber should be ignored!    

w/c 16 October 2000

• Another busy week - Owen Pell complete most of the terrace brickwork and are ready to start laying the paving slabs. A small problem arises - the Bradsone slabs are far from perfect.  When they were made the moulds were over filled so they are varying thickness and there is a flash of the slab material all around the slab.  Bradstone agree to replace them all!!
• We now have the render painted on the southern house face - it looks very good
• When Kingswood Flooring come to start laying the oak floor they find that they have the wrong flooring! Panic sets in whilst they track down the right floor panels.  Later in the week they get under way -the floor looks good, although we have a few problems about the 10mm gap at the edges and how it is going to be filled.  After some discussion they agree to have some specially made mouldings produced.
• Owen completes (nearly anyway) bathroom 1 ready for the tilers
• Over the week we continue to receive trailer loads of top soil from the works that Owen Pell are completing in Ledbury - they need to dispose of the soil and we need it!
• John Pearce (our kitchen builder) rings to confirm that they will start installing the kitchen next week
• We have a visit from the Hereford Planning Dept - they are in the area and came along to talk about the proposed planting plans for the terrace area. They would like a few more details to discharge  the planning condition - as ever we are pleased to assist them.

w/c 9 October 2000

• Graham manages to complete installing all the light fittings - a mystery why does one of  the external lights come on and where is the switch?
• CC Tiles arrive on Tuesday and spend all day laying all the 100mm sq tiles to the larder, the pictorial tiles look great
• Kevin keeps working away - the carpentry also never seems to finish - we now have the cloakroom and bathroom 4 ready to tiling
• Owen manages to keep just ahead on the bathroom plumbing so that Kevin can do his bit before the tilers knock on the door
• A surprise as a couple of 'old' contracting friends turn up with  the first load of top soil - Owen Pell have a job in Ledbury and want somewhere to dispose of top and sub soil - and guess who needs it?

w/c 2 October 2000

• Owen arrives on site to start all the bathroom pipe work so that we can be ready for the tiles who are due in a weeks time
• The oak balustrades now look good as they get a coat of varnish
• The weather is kinder to our outside contractors, Owen Pell, so they are able to proceed with the terrace - all  the beams are in place with blocks in between so that we can now walk right across the complete front of the house
• Graham continues to install all the internal and external lighting - do they never end
• Kevin completes  the gallery in the living room - it looks excellent - almost like a very long pulpit!
• We order the bathroom work surfaces
• We think that we have now completed choosing all the carpets
• We end the week by tidying the house and removing all the debris ready for the laying of the oak flooring in a weeks time

w/c 25 September 2000

• The weather does not help our terrace constructors - they keep going out when the rain stops

w/c 18 September 2000

• Again we start the week with all and sundry on site.  Progress will continue
• The Ledbury Reporter carries notice of a planning application for a house opposite Westhill House.  It is a Border Oak design and will look out across Westhill House! . The plot belongs to the owners of the Malthouse Restaurant. A previous application for the plot next door was turned down and lost at appeal.  We hope that they are more lucky!  Part of their logic is that, as permission was granted for our house (1994 and revised in 1997) and it is baronial and out of keeping with local buildings,  theirs should be granted permission. It will be interesting to see how the Bradlow residents react - it will be the same people who were so adamant that our house should not exist!  But now the "new planning permission applicants" are related to some of our objectors so will the co-ordinators against our terrace application now back this application  - what will be the outcome? 

w/c 11 September 2000

• Graham is at home all week having finished his work assignment bringing commercially to a dot com and before starting a new role back in basic manufacturing with an ailing company
• A week of odds and ends.  The external sewage pipework and the rainwater piping to the storage tank are complete
• We start to paint the exterior render at the north off the house - it is hard work getting the brush into all those nooks and crannies
• Kevin beavers away at the range of carpentry work.  At the end of the week we have all the bathroom boxing and panelling complete; just about all the doors hung; much skirting and architraving; gallery ballustrading and the start of the curved ballustrading
• With constant rain on Thursday and Friday the Owen Pell team cannot work
• We receive a letter from Tony Peake asking when we might be moving in - apparently  the septic tank into which we discharge is being troublesome again.   We have installed our own sewage works so when we eventually move in we will not use the Peake's facilities.
• With the fuel shortage we do not venture far away - our lights which are ready for collection in Hereford have had to stay put
• We now have a first coat of paint in Bed 1, 2 & 3 and the solar is complete  

w/c 4  September 2000

• Owen Pell continue to build our terrace walls
• The alarm company complete the installation and spend some time testing the system as their is an earth fault
• Our neighbours might like to note that whilst the alarm guys have their ladder up to the roof ridge we take the opportunity to measure the overall height of the house from top to bottom - it is just 200mm (or 8 inches) more than our approved original 1997 planning drawings show. This confirms all the earlier measurements and is well within permitted tolerance!         Yahboo!!! 

w/c 28 August 2000

• The week starts well with a bevy of contractors on site - chippies, brickies, decorators, alarm installers - Owen our plumber is possibly very wise and will be back in a weeks time

w/c 21 August 2000

• Owen starts to install the bathrooms and the boiler - we place everything in position to start to work out the piping runs. I forgot the waste from the cloakroom wash basin!  Owen suggests a way out and all is well. The kitchen man will now have to modify his cupboards to allow for the waste being on the kitchen wall for a couple of feet!
• A couple of decorators have been along to quote for the hall, living room and solar
• Graham buys a pressure washer - just the thing for removing rook s***t from the decking balustrades!
• We have now painted all the downstairs ceilings - Graham does not want to see another ceiling for a long time - unfortunately there is still the dining room on the first floor!
• We finalise our tap ware needs and ask for quotes - prices vary from £3500 to £4600 for the Hans Grohe units we have chosen - the winner seems to be bathrooms.com, but our local builders merchants has still to quote - but can they beat the lowest quote?        No the order goes to bathroom.com

w/c 14 August 2000

• The Shaw's (Vera, Nigel and Rachel - friends from Maidenhead) arrive. We put them up in the Grooms Flat.  Whilst some go off to enjoy themselves Nigel and Graham paint away.   We manage to get the the first coat on the ground floor ceilings.    Many thanks Nigel.

w/c 7 August 2000

• Over the week end we prepare the kitchen walls and ceiling for painting and then get going with the Paint Mate!
• On Monday our screeding contractor turns up with 2 teams and by mid afternoon we have the floor screed layed - it is a 75mm concrete layer
• Wednesday is a a good day - the Herefordshire Planning Committee approves our planning application for our terrace - the contractors are called in !

w/c 31 July 2000

• Fintan puts up the plaster light coving - it looks good - it is quite large and presently stands out against the plastered walls
• On Monday we take delivery of various of the kitchen appliances ready for the installation of the kitchen cupboards
• Paddy returns to continue with the electric's
• The floor screed is delayed until Monday
• After filling in the small gaps in the coving wall/ceiling gaps we are ready for painting the ceiling

w/c 24 July 2000

• We continue with the installation of the ground floor heating system and on Saturday complete the last circuit.  We spend some time tidying up the pipework where it joins the manifold and then we pressure each circuit for leaks etc. There are no problems.
• Fintan returns to complete the plasterwork - we are nearly there
• we get a call from the tiling shop - can they came and start the kitchen floor on Monday?  There is no problem so they tile away - it looks good!
• A Planning Officer visits us on site to acquaint himself with our planning request for the patio
• During the coming week is struck down with gastro-interitus  - Graham cancels several business trips and whats more the old adage no show no pay applies in his profession!

w/c 17 July 2000

• Andrew Bryan from Kedros comes to see us to see if we have any problems - apart from a couple of minor points we are very happy
• On Sunday it is Sue's birthday!  -  we have the plans of an easy day but it does not work out that way  Graham is struck down later in the afternoon with a virus by all accounts (there's a lot of it about!) and for the next week he is not a happy bunny

w/c 10 July 2000

• Owen Pell return briefly to cast the base for the stairs - they have completed all the work we have asked them to do at this stage - we will now have to wait until we have received planning permission for the terrace
• Kedros return on Thursday to install the stairway to the west decking - it is quite a complex structure.  It really looks good!  They also paint the slope up to the road with an anti slip finish  There re some minor points regarding the visibility of screws - on the decking railings the screw heads are on the inside so the 'outside' appearance is good, whereas with the stairs they are quite noticeable.
• We continue to work on the underfloor heating

w/c 3 July 2000

• Kedros continue  building the west decking and by the end of the week it is complete apart from the stairs - it looks good
• Owen Pell install the rainwater tank and Graham starts to connect the rainwater down pipes from the gutters  to the tank
• The Ledbury Planning & Economic group of councillors visit us to look at our proposed plans for the patio - they are very astute - ask al the right questions and put local issues into perspective 

w/c 26 June 2000

• Kedros return to continue building the west decking. Scaffolding towers are needed at this end because of the height off the ground.   After a few days work we are able to walk outside on the decking.
• Fintan completes the hall plastering - well almost - it was quite a task - we expect him to carry on with the coving but he disappears. 
• Owen Pell have another busy week - the brickies put the facing bricks on our garage retaining wall - soon we may actually be able to put in some plants!  The last of the 100m of sewage drainage pipework goes in and the topsoil is made good.  The two inspection chambers either side of the Entec are completed together with the the incoming pipework.  We decide on the location of the rainwater soakaway and Robert starts digging.
• The 10,000L rainwater tank finally arrives from Northern Ireland.

w/c 19 June 2000

• We start the week by digging the sewage outlet trenches - 100m are required as the soil is so impermeable.
• We are a little disappointed to have the Kedros decking team going off-site for 4 days just as the west end is ready for them.
• Over the week end we lay the underfloor heating pipes to the Study and Bed 3 - it is very easy compared to the method used for suspended floors!
• On Saturday night Sue takes a 20 minute call from Tony Peake who has been actively complaining about our house and its planning approval.  He opens saying that he is concerned about the poisonous attitude on the hill - we can only agree - it is a pity that there seems to have been so much mis-information about our house and planning approvals.  Much of the time he comments that planning approval should not have been given - but it was both in 94 and again in 97!  After a while Sue asks him what was the purpose of his phone call - he repeats his comments about the poisonous attitude. Sue reminds that the house was built to the correct slab level and the overall height of the house is within 250mm (10") of the approved 1997 planning drawings!   The conversation turns to the terrace - he agrees that the slope is a problem - Sue offers him the challenge of giving us a design of patio and terrace that he would prefer to see - you never know we may even like it!   He tells us he still intends to object on the grounds of privacy and bulk 
• For the record the 1997 dpm/roof ridge dimension is 8.4m and the actual as built, again dpm/roof ridge, according to both the approved minor amendment drawings and actual measurement is 8.65m.  This difference of 250mm against the approved 8300mm is 3%!!!  This as any architect/planner /builder knows is well within accepted tolerance.   Those who think that it is much larger have incorrectly read the drawings.  We suspect they have used drg 124:24C which shows the proposed patio level and is below the correct dpm reference point!!  We lowered the patio level to lessen any potential neighbour problem.
• Sue also has a conversation with another neighbour, who believes we should not have built at all despite the approvals and says we are insensitive to the feelings on the hill.  As no-one had told us their feelings until we obtained a copy of the letter sent to Councillors this is not surprising!  He does not seem to consider we have feelings too.
• On Saturday our house is open as part of  the national Self Build Week - overall there are 20 houses open to the public.  This event is sponsored by the Association of Self-Builders, the Building Centre and the Self Build & Design Magazine.  Our house is now to feature in "The Marches" which covers the Welsh marshes.  It will be a case study.   BBC radio have also requested an interview.
• Graham visits our neighbour to the west, Mr Jones, to talk about our entrance from the road - our works could affect him so we want to make sure he is happy with our plans.  After explaining what we would like to do he agrees   that it is a good idea, however before starting we will write to him confirming our plans and his comments.  Before starting in a month or so we will ask him to come and talk again at the entrance.

Under floor heat pipes in	Coil of heating pipe

w/c 12 June 2000

• Some fun and games as our Entec P12 sewage works arrives - after having made specific requests that it be delivered on a rigid lorry with a crane, the transport department forget and send an artic - Entec are embarrassed!  After some reversing and help from Owen Pell it is taken off.  Well done Robert!
• A hole for the Entec P12 mini sewage works is dug and the unit put into position

Now down into the hole we prepared earlier	Now a little twist

• The foundations for the west deck are now complete so Kedros will be able to transfer to the other end with no delays

Tamping down	Pouring	Another 3m goes in

• Prior to the planning committee, the 22 councillors were sent a 14 page circular with a reply address to our neighbour David Williams. It is signed by 12 people in the immediate area (well one was 2 miles away!).  As with any story there are 2 sides so we delivered a relatively brief response and ask our neighbours to consider our comments before becoming involved with other responses regarding our amended patio designs  We also invite them to come and discuss it with us. The coloured sketch below shows the situation

w/c 5 June 2000

• Owen Pell arrive to undertake the  decking foundations, Entec sewage plant installation and other approved works
• Kedros continue to build the decking so that by the end of the week we can walk in at first floor level! 
• At the end of the week the foundations for the east walkway are complete

It will go!	Just one more push and.....	Now what do we do?

  w/c 29 May 2000

• Over the weekend we start to install the gallery in the living room - it takes a lot of time for what seems little return, but it still looks good
• Kedros arrive on Tuesday with 8 tonne of timber to start the walk ways and west decking.  We are pleased that the "horribly spindly legs" as one of our complainers puts it, are correctly made from the centre heartwood of the American trees
• 11 lengths of light coving arrive for the drawing room arrive somewhat unexpectedly - it will be interesting to see how the room looks when they are put up and have lights in them
• We have received the quotation for the tiling of the kitchen, utility, larder, cloakroom and sun room and given the go ahead for the work
• We talk to a local kitchen maker about supplying and installing our kitchen and await his price  

Ready for the decking	The first beam goes in	The bridge from the south	Sawing away

The bridge from the west	The foundations for the east deck go in	Just another spade or two

w/c 22 May 2000

• The week starts well with another written confirmation from Hereford Council telling us that our house has been built to the height and level actually approved.
• It ends well too with the Hereford Council Planning Committee passing our minor amendments!  There was much rhetoric at the meeting and certainly some incorrect statements.  The items for discussion were minor amendments eg minor changes to window positions, one additional window at the front, 2 new roof Velux windows, some changes in building dimensions eg an increase in room size to the east 'wing' to facilitate the actual timber frame construction, small changes in window sizes, and of course the finial was changed!  
• As our Planning Permission has become such an issue we have decided to create a Planning page to our web site to put the facts!  If you hear something and it is not stated here -  question it, it is probably not true!!!
• Our house is to be the lead article in the forthcoming special supplement to Self-Build & Design magazine for the National Self Build Week to be held from June 17 to 24.
• We have submitted our planning application for the terrace where we are seeking approval to replace the 2 separate paved areas and ornamental pond with one area with a retaining wall. We await comments!  No doubt we will have them!   
• We award Owen Pell the contract to undertake the foundations works to our walkways, pond and paved areas that are approved under our 1997 Planning Approval.

w/c 15 May 2000

• Our living room now plastered and looks excellent!  Well done Fintan.
• We receive a good price from Kemps for our Entec P12 sewerage plant - we will order it shortly as soon as we have finalised discussions with Owen Pell.
• Graham visits our architects as he passes by their offices - there is talk of our house being entered for an award!
• We start discussions with a local landscape company to undertake the hard landscaping and clearing our site of the multitude of weeds!    
• The week ends superbly with the Herefordshire Council confirming in their report that our house has been built to the correct slab  level, is to the correct height as per original planning approval  The minor variations, generally differences to window dimensions and doors that would normally be expected occur as one goes from planning  sketches to working drawings are recommended for passing to the next planning committee meeting. It is only going to the committee because of the generally unfounded complaints.   

w/c 8 May 2000

• It appears that our neighbourhood complainers have been busy with their pens again!  The letters make interesting reading as they are somewhat offensive and factually inaccurate.  The height of our house seems to be the point of contention.
• Fintan continues to plaster away - he has spent some time arranging scaffolding for the living room, as it goes right up into the roof.
• Our decking contractor has advised us of a starting date for the east decking. 

• We start to explore the immediate countryside around us and take to the footpaths - don't tell anyone as Graham has spent years building up an image of non-exercise!  Actually once one climbs the north wall of the Eiger just behind our house the views are superb and the woods were full of bluebells

From a nearby hillside

w/c 1 May 2000

• Very little work this week from us - it was our 21st wedding anniversary so we had a very enjoyable weekend in Ludlow.  We stayed in one Michelin starred restaurant with a meal on the Saturday night and enjoyed an excellent meal at Shaun Hill's Michelin restaurant the Merchant House.  Words such as self-build and all building conversation was banned!
• Paddy continued to second fix the electric's for a day.

w/c 25 Apr 2000

• We are one year into the building of our house!  Yes, a year ago it was a green field.

w/c 17 Apr 2000

• We install the staircase to the second floor - after much heaving, grunting we have it in place!   After a quick sanding we put a coat of varnish on.  It really looks good.
• We are visited by another curtain maker and we spend some hours deciding on colours and curtains for the dining, living room and our bedroom.   We will be having curtain poles with draw cords.

w/c 10 Apr 2000

• We spend Saturday in Gloucester choosing a safe, taps, curtains and poles!
• Sue shrieks in ecstasy as the first light bulb comes on - well done Paddy!
• Fintan continues to plaster the kitchen, utility and larder as we prepare the rooms he is heading towards.
• Owen Westmacote arrives to install the gas and other pipes to the boiler.
• As we install the first floor staircase we find that it has been made to a wrong dimension.  We arrange for it to be machined locally.
• We start looking  for curtains and realise just how many windows we have!
• We write to Owen Pell Limited with the terrace details for them to quote.

Caught in the act!

w/c 3 Apr 2000

• The ground floor west wing is all plastered and looks good.
• We take photographs of all the first floor rooms prior to plastering so we have a record of all the wires, pipes and miscellaneous items that will be hidden away!
• On Saturday we go to Hereford to choose all our light fittings and then across to Malvern to talk tiles.
• We have a visit from Beam vacuum systems - they would like to use our house for a staff training session - we are rewarded with a £50 silencer kit.   Many thanks Beam.

The wall with all the wires etc prior to plastering	The ceiling!

w/c 27 Mar 2000

• The oak staircase arrives in lots of parts, but all very well labelled. It looks excellent.
• We tidy the site and have another bonfire.
• Paddy (our electrician) comes and continues his work. With Fintan, the plasterer, he agrees about boxes, positions and things.

w/c 20 Mar 2000

• Fintan returns to site to carry on plastering - all the plasterboard we have stored outside is all ok so we have no waste.
• We put up the oak door sets on the first floor - they look good when they receive their first coat of varnish.
• Graham starts to fix all the window boards in  place after Sue has stained the backs.  The tins of stain from Allen Brothers are all different!   We decide to buy new supplies according to the agreed spec.

w/c 13 Mar 2000

• The window boards we have had made specially are delivered and look good - now we have to stain and fit them.
• We have another visit from some people who have been told about our house and want to see what we have done - they go away very impressed.

w/c 6 Mar 2000

• The Ledbury Society respond to our letter -  they are concerned about the wider issues of development in areas of outstanding natural beauty. They would like to visit us to talk things over - it is a pity some of our other complainers do not share this approach!   We can only support their endeavours. In our case planning approval was given in 1994 and again in 1997. No doubt Malvern Hills District Council took all appropriate views into account when giving both approvals.  
• We meet with the Chief Planning Officer and his team.  It is a very constructive and helpful meeting. They concur with us about many of the comments about our house.  The agree with us that the house is built at the right level, to the right height and in the right place exactly as per our original planning approval.
• We stuff insulation into the ceiling voids now that the first and second floor heating system is complete and tested.

w/c 28 Feb 2000

• At long last the conservatory roof is complete as Phil does the leadwork.
• Graham puts in all the outside taps before the downstairs walls are plastered.
• Before the scaffolding comes down Graham puts up the guttering around the conservatory roof.
• Connect It arrive to start wiring the house for cat 5 wiring.   We will have sockets in most rooms for a computer network, all phones, Hi-Fi, TV and CCTV.
• A Building Regulations man comes along to measure the height of the house again.  Our avid local readers will be pleased to know that this time he does not dangle his tape. No, he handles his rod!!! Sorry again local readers we know the dimension but for the present we will keep that to ourselves - rest assured we have no worries!
• We write to the Ledbury Society and invite them to visit us to talk about their concerns.
• The last of the scaffolding comes down - at long last Phoenix House looks like a house not a building site.

Look no scaffolding	The north side
The north side	From the walled garden

w/c 21 Feb 2000

• Graham starts his latest assignment in Didcot working to bring commercial reality to an internet company. From now on only weekends and evenings will be available for our work on Phoenix House.
• We have a letter from the Planners - apparently we have the height of the ground slab correct at one corner but not on the others - but the slab is level!   Later in the week a red face admits that the letter did contain some inaccuracies!      A meeting with the Planners is arranged.

Spot the eyesore!

w/c 7 & 14 Feb 2000

• Solar Glass complete the installation of the conservatory roof after a few modifications along the way.

In go the panels	Technical discussions or why doesn't it fit?

w/c 31 Jan 2000

• Graham goes of to a meeting of all those concerned in his idea for a Self-Build Week-End - it should take place on Saturday/Sunday 24/25 June.
• Phil completes the leadwork ready for the conservatory glazing. We await Tuesday and the end to our blue plastic roof!
• We complete the underfloor heating pipework to the first floor!

w/c 24 Jan 2000

• We start the week showing some more people around our house - we have received many calls from people both local and from afar who have heard about our house mainly via the web site and of course the ASB connections.
• Our builders continue to put in the two windows - they look good - we have used two pane sash windows to match those windows in the adjoining building - given some of our neighbours complaints we will be advising the Planners of our deviation from the approved scheme!
• Graham temporarily installs the boiler so we will know where everything  goes. We call Eco-Homtec to ask about boiler expansion vessels.   There is one in your boiler they say, oh no there isn't is the reply - oh we now know where another one without a tank went to they say!   A tank is on its way post haste - Eco were very good when they realised what had happened.
• Owen comes along and installs all the piping for the gas supply to the house.
• We make a start on the plumbing for the hot water tanks.
• On Wednesday we spend a day at the NEC doing the rounds of the KBB (kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms?) and lighting exhibitions. With tired feet we now know that our choices so far have been good and that our local lighting shop has as good a range of stock as we need.
• Solaglas advise us that they are ready to install the Solar glazing - but first we need some leadwork done so Graham spends some time finishing the cavity closures.
• We hear from Allen Brothers who supplied our doors that the repair cannot be done as arranged as yet again they have made another balls up.   Graham calls the rep and asks him to get the MD to ring and explain how they have managed to loose the items this time!  We still owe them some £3k and make no attempt to collect the outstanding money - we tell them we are still waiting for them to sort out their various balls ups and they go away!

The start of works on the stable complex	The boiler	More pipes!

w/c 17 Jan 2000

• We receive a note from our neighbours telling us that they intend to go ahead with their woodland.  A day or so later we watch as what seems like hundreds of sticks marking out all the trees - it must have cost a bob or two!. The woodland will stretch across our complete southern boundary for 450ft and extend for about a 100ft or so.
• We have started to carry out the conversion of our stable courtyard properties by having the holes made for the windows.
• We install the underfloor heating to the first floor hallway.

The forest goes in.......	......and on!

w/c 10 Jan 2000

• We start the week with a glorious bonfire and have a site clear up - one advantage of being a little way out of town is that one can have such things without incurring too much attention - not that we were doing anything naughty.
• The scaffolding starts to come down - as ever the scaffolders do not complete the task.  However the south side of the house looks excellent with most of the scaffolding down.
• Fintan, the plasterer, completes all the rendering to the south side, again it looks good.
• Paddy comes along and completes some more of the electric's -the east 'wing' is now complete ready for plastering.
• Graham starts the water plumbing, drills lots of holes and lugs the two hot water tanks into the house - now all we have to do is get them up to the second floor.  As we are going to use a pressurised system we will need the pressure bits undertaken by a competent person!
• We now have prices for all the oak skirting, architrave's and door sets and have given the work to Kemps.
• We have the first floor covering laid - vinyl in the storeroom, tank and plant room - they are all oddments.  We await with interest for the cost of carpeting after having had a local shop come along and look the house over.
• Before Christmas we came across a timber floor company quite by chance (whilst reversing in Worcester after Sue's navigation took us to the back streets!  We went in and asked them if they were interested in 105m2 of wood flooring - they smiled! We now have a £5k ballpark cost and now need to visit their showroom and start the serious talking. 

w/c 3 Jan 2000

• We continue with the underfloor heating - it is a slow process - drilling holes for the pipes - running the pipes  -  fitting the pipe supports   - pulling the pipe into position - laying the aluminium sheets - relaying and fixing the flooring.  It is very good for aches and pains!
• We drive around Ledbury to see if our house can be generally seen - it cannot apart from the immediate paddock below us.
• We prepare for our meeting with the enforcement  officer on Thursday to go over the minor evolutionary variations which have occurred during the build - as we said earlier at least one of our neighbours has complained that our building is not  to the planning drawing. It is like one of those spot the difference competitions!
• We await the final pricing for our oak skirtings, architrave's and door sets etc.

w/c 28 Dec 1999

• Graham completes the outstanding guttering - just a few odd pieces.
• We continue cleaning up the window frames.
• The door locks and handles are fitted to all the outside doors - they look good.

w/c 21 Dec 1999

• The chippies turn up and complete all the outside odds and ends.  The under dining room and first floor walkway porch tongue and groove is completed.
• The roofers hang all the vertical tiles to the dining room.
• Phil the plumber comes to site and finishes all the outstanding leadwork.
• We now realise that the proposed vertical tongue and grooved area on the dining room would look wrong so we revert to a rendered finish  - the architects working drawings did not show a finish.
• We meet with a couple of local builders to price and discuss putting in the windows to the stables before the planning permission runs out.

w/c 14 Dec 1999

• We meet with our neighbours (who own the field below us) to talk over their proposal to plant a woodland completely across our boundary. It appears that they feel our house dominates the hillside and when they walk in their paddock they feel they are in our garden.  We start talking, walk around and get to know each others views.  Later we write them a letter explaining our position and with a parkland proposal that keeps our view but lets them have some of our house covered up. It is only when they are in the paddock that there appears to be a problem.
• The painting of the plant room in the attic is completed.
• Graham completes the installation of the vacuum system - it certainly makes a noise when it is running!

w/c 7 Dec 1999

• We finalise our spec for the skirtings, architrave's and door sets.  Our budget prices from suppliers seem high, however, we are using oak which   will not require painting, nor any future maintenance so taking a long term view......!
• Graham talks to Roof-Craft to finish the lead work around chimney/roof interface and also where the  dining room vertical tiling joins onto the adjoining brickwork.
• If the chippies turn up this coming week end we may be able to talk about taking the scaffolding down and saving us £150 per week  - they do and we complete the building of all the first floor studwork and  the oak post that supports the dining room.
• We should get the drawings from Solaglas mid-week to approve and then it should be about 4 weeks to wait to have the glazing installed.  Meanwhile the plastic sheeting continues to hold, but don't tell the wind!!

Ventilation pipework	What a lot of pipes, wires and ducts!

w/c 29 Nov 1999

• A slow week without contractors around.
• We start to decorate albeit the attic or plant room!
• Where are the chippies?
• We feel good by emptying the our cellar of building bits and transfer the important things such as wine into its rightful place!
• Graham completes the exterior painting of the bed 4 gabled rendered areas balanced at the top of the scaffolding some 70 feet up!
• We take delivery of the vacuum unit ready for installation in the loft - the original intention was to install the pipework and then try it on sale or return basis, however Sue persuades me .........

w/c 22 Nov 1999

• On Thursday we have a topping out ceremony as the chimney pots are cemented into place - Sue even climbs right to the top for the occasion!
• On Friday the bricklayers finish off  all  the odds and ends and ride of in the inevitable while van with the job complete.  We will no doubt see them next year when we do the patio walls.  We order another 11 tonne of sand as Gareth thinks that he may just run out. A tonne would have done at this time however that would cost £55 and 11 tonne costs £120!
• Graham works on vacuum system over the weekend. He cannot hammer as he has tennis elbow caused by too much hammering!  On Tuesday next we take delivery of the actual vacuum unit.
• The carpenters return to finish off the dining room exterior wall ready for tiling.

	Come on Sue ...up you come! ...and yes she did!

w/c 15 Nov 1999

• The roof is now complete and looks good - we have two finials!
• Fintan, the plaster puts on a coat of plaster to the attic and bath 4. During the week he puts the first, or scratch coat, on the exterior walls.   On Friday he tells us we have been visited during the dawn by deer - or so the footprints say!
• We start work on the vacuum system and install the first pipes.  We then plan out the route for the other pipework.
• During the week the scaffolders turn up as requested on Thursday, the first time they have ever turned up when requested!  We will still need two more lifts to complete the chimney.
• Ken, who largely built the timber frame rings to tell us he hopes to be with us on Monday to start on the dining room tile hanging wall.
• At long last we receive a quote from Solaglas which is better than Hereford Glass. As we are still awaiting for the Hereford samples and Solaglass appear better we opt for their proposal.  It will now be some 6 weeks before we have the glazing installed.
• On a personal note we decide to go to New York for the Millennium - 4 days for £999, including a helicopter trip, Phantom at the Opera, and a New Years eve cruise around Manhattan.

Yes!	The last few tiles	The very last tile!

The vacuum system starts to go in

w/c 8 Nov 1999

• Over the week end we put up the first guttering - we chose Hunter Regency - it is a large section that will cope with our large south facing roof and it looks good.
• The plastic covering on the conservatory (we are now calling it the Solar) roof is replaced, hopefully for the last time - certainly it his the best version we have put up.
• We are still awaiting final confirmation of the glazing form Hereford Glass - it seems we cannot have a black glazing bar - we await a sample of what is termed dark! In the meanwhile we finally have another company Solaglas visit who seem far more used to our type of roof - we now wait for their quote.
• We receive the letter from the enforcement officer detailing 17 deviations from the approved plans. We are working with the architect on a response so as they put it so nicely in their letter they can close their file!
• The brickies are now up on the gables - another week and they will have finished - providing that  the weather stays good - on Friday as the rain shows no sign of stopping they go off to find an indoor job.  Clayton arrives at lunch time to see his colleagues - with no one around we have a general chat.  We mention that as they are coming to the end we will be compiling a list of any faults or problems to discuss with Gareth on Monday - Clayton agrees with our approach
• The plasterer, Fintan starts the plastering task on Thursday.

Before...	After....

w/c 1 Nov 1999

• We start the week with one brickie, we have a word with Gareth to express our concern.  We want the work finished and we are now into the weekly scaffolding rates - self-builders beware to allow to do your planning - not easy - but the weekly rates can be expensive!
• Sue starts the week with a cracked or bruised rib - she fell over 2 weeks ago and today we cause it to get worse - the Doc say's take an aspirin and stop humping the blocks around!
• Another decking company comes along to see us - it sounds good but we await a price.

w/c 25 Oct 1999

• We start to talk about wooden floors - at long last we seem to be moving forward again.
• Over last week end we finish of the ventilation system.
• We have heard that the Planning Dept has confirmed to our complainer that our house height is correct! - but now it appears we will be visited by the enforcement officer as it appears that we have another complainant - this time about the elevations - apparently we have 11 deviations - the architects are called!    
• Our change of planning for our existing courtyard building raises no objections with the Planners but they may insist upon a sole occupancy clause. 
• We complete the underfloor heating on the second floor - the pipework on the bridge needs tidying up.
• On Sunday we fit the French doors to the living room and the solar (our name for our first floor conservatory).  The door frame in the living room is not square - this results from where it fell over and had to be repaired.
• Our temporary plastic sheeting to the Solar roof is again repaired/replaced - we long for the day we can have the glazing fitted.
• With the delivery of the guttering and rain water pipes we start to plan their installation - but first we need some screws!  As the house is to be maintenance free for 20 years Graham would prefer to have the right screws.  Today with the scaffolding in place it is easy, so we will do it correctly. In a few years time it will be up a ladder!

w/c 18 Oct 1999

• Welsh Water upgrade our supply to 32mm and later in the week come back to change the 20mm pipe across to the main.  Graham goes down the hole to turn the taps and switch over to the new pipework.
• The brickies continue to have fun with our fireplace and chimney - but keep making progress.
• The roofers are beavering away during the week even in the rain.  On Friday we ask them what are you doing today - will it be the finials - oh no they say.   Guess what - when we return from Hereford they have put the first finial up, but they have forgotten one of the parts - lots of embarrassment all round as up the ladder they go to quickly dismantle it and add the missing part - we did get a picture of the top going on though.
• On Friday morning we spend several hours choosing lighting fittings -ouch £2300 and that's after a 20% discount and taking  of the Vat.

Where have all the brickies gone?	Another tea break?

w/c 11 Oct 1999

• RoofCraft now promise us that they will be here on Friday and what's more they do arrive!
• We still await the outcome of the glazing fiasco - Hereford glass believe they have a new supplier. We await to hear!  Solaglas who came recommended via our architects have yet to respond to the drawings they on Monday - despite several phone calls asking for a return call we are still waiting.
• We have a response from a lighting shop who came to offer some consultancy - £35 cost and returned if we spend more than £250 - seems a good deal - and what's more the recommendations are quite reasonable.
• On Friday the brickies start the fireplace - Kevin has built several fireplaces in the last 3  months so we should be ok.  We visit a fireplace ship in Ross - they have a good display and good advice. We see a cast iron fireback with 2 people carrying a bunch of grapes - quite typical for us!
• Over the weekend we manage to just about finish the installation of the ventilation pipework.
• We stain the soffits black or in Graham's case it may be his body - he looks like a Dalmatian!

I hate bloody fireplaces!!!

w/c 4 Oct 1999

• The brickies are back and it is a sunny Monday - what else could one want - however they are short of a man and later in the week they go off with a promise to return (honest guv) on Monday.
• Sue spends a couple of nights away - apart from our wine-weekend a week or so ago this is the first time she has been away from site since we started. It was strange on Tuesday for me to drive from my hotel  to visit our friends Vera & Nigel in Maidenhead to see Sue for an hour and then to drive back.
• We are having some problems with the conservatory glazing - it appears that our normal 45° roof is too much - conservatory roof's are apparently 25° - we await a response from the glazing company who normally work up to 40° to see if they can find a solution.
• We quickly fit the window furniture before moving on to more interesting items.
• Saturday  and Sunday see us continuing on with the ventilation system. Taking the 200mm pipework through the external walls to the sofit is surprisingly easy.  This now enables us to finalise the location of the Villovent ventilation unit.

Spider - duck or grouse!

w/c 28 Sep 1999

• Monday starts with Herefordshire Council arriving on site to tell us that they have had a complaint that we are building the house higher than on our planning approval.  Needlesstosay if it has happened at all it was not as a direct act.  The council duo climb the scaffolding and dangle the tape - they did not give the impression of having consistency in their measurements!  Our check shows that we are within 150mm - well within any tolerance!  But who is the complainer?  The Planning duo will not tell us, however the letter has to be put on the planning file which is open to the public! (Note: We now know -21 Oct -  the complainer and what's more the Planning Dept have confirmed that we have followed the planning approval exactly!!)
• Paddy keeps working on the electric's - we now have power and lights inside.
• On Thursday we have the forklift back and the brickies start to stack the next lift ready for brick laying next Monday.
• We spend some time installing the rest of the windows on the first floor - only the one for bed 4 is now on the second floor.
• We have spent some £160k so far - it is more than we expected - we will need to reign in our spending!
• We spent Friday pm with a lighting specialist from Hereford who advised us on our plans, generally what we had designed was ok, we made a few changes and will spend a morning at his shop looking at the various catalogues and listening to his comments.

w/c 21 Sep 1999

• ...and the rain came down!!   Yes for almost 4 continuous days it rains and rains and rains!
• We manage to install a few windows but the rain stops us from continuing.   We have some heavy wind and over goes a door window combination.   The door frame breaks but is repairable.
• We work inside - floor boards come up, and the heating pipes go in.  The David Robbens manual says it is hard work installing the pipes - we certainly agree and go to bed knackered!  The next day after laying the aluminium sheets the floor boards are glued and screwed down!
• We install the stud walls to the service cupboard and by Tuesday Sue gives the walls a coat of paint - is this the start of the decorating?
• the brickies come back to see when they can return - or is it really to leave us another bill? 
• We are having the week end off by going to our annual wine tasting with Jon Hurley - the very reason that bought us to Herefordshire.  The 30 or so wines we tasted and drank were superb!  
• Graham spends some time in contortions getting the water pipework ready for Welsh Water.

Graham down a hole!

w/c 6/13 Sep 1999

• Gareth and his brickies reach their limit as the scaffolding needs another lift.  Border Scaffolding Services say Wednesday pm/Thursday.  On Friday it is the weekend. On Monday they arrive!  Not exactly service!  The brickies know all about scaffolders and BSS in particular so they go off site and await us to call them.
• Paddy our electrician arrives and starts laying cables.
• Sue and I have a grand tidy up - is it really a house under all that rubbish?
• We have received a bathroom quote which is quite realistic.
• The quote for the decking at £21k is more than we had expected.  Graham visits a site in Wimbledon which is about 5ft of the ground.   It looks great, however £21k requires another quote or two.
• So far we have spent some £150k+ with all the fitting out to go.  Now is the time we will be tightening our belts!
• We realise that we will not be in for Christmas - it is disappointing but perhaps not unexpected.
• Fred from NHBC leaves us the certificates for the build so far covering groundwork's, timber frame etc.

It certainly looks like a house	Spider with his bucket

w/c 30 Aug 1999

• The brickies return to site after the rains and go onwards and upwards. Later in the week the first stone lintel is laid above the study window - it looks good. We receive their first bill!
• At long last the chippies complete the timber frame erection by finishing off all those little things. Kevin, Chris and Eamon have been a great team, they have worked long and hard -thanks guys.
• As the roof came in bits rather than factory finished the Warmcel insulation had to be inserted afterwards.  When the team came on site we had an impasse for a while - who is to drill the holes!  Certainly it is not us, so after a few phone calls Oregon Timber Frame agree it is their responsibility and pay the chippies 75p a hole!    After 2 days it is all done.

Kevin drilling his 3 min holes	The insulation goes in

w/c 23 Aug 1999

• Graham calls the scaffold company and lets them know he is not a happy bunny.   They send a man out!
• Gareth, one of the brickies runs out of petrol on the way to site - can Sue get some petrol and go to him.  In those blissful days BM (before Mobiles) he would have walked to the garage, now he just calls the client and says can you get some petrol!
• On Tuesday the skies just open!   Sue has 2 deliveries lorries to deal with.  Mud splattered, cold and very wet she comes back inside. Oh by the way, the day started badly at breakfast when the toaster tripped the electric's. Sue had to get dressed, go down onto site to get the step ladder to re-set the RCD trip!  Graham is away!
• The chippies return to complete the timber frame.
• Jason loses his car keys and after searching for 4 hours still cannot find them!
• We meet with Paddy the aerial man who gives us a price for installing the electric's - Graham gives him the job.
• We start to install the ventilation ducts - we feel good as it the start of the internal house works .

w/c 16 Aug 1999

• The chippies continue to finish off - lots of hammers everywhere!
• Michael Hunt from Total Home Environment arrives with the Villovent ventilation system.
• Who are the worst trade so far - yes scaffolders get the prize.  They never turn up when their boss says they will and if you turn your back they disappear!
• Oregon visit again and promise that the work will soon be completed, however the chippies get pulled off to put up another house.
• The brickies arrive to load the next lift with bricks, but where are the scaffolders.  Graham is driving the forklift again - why is everyone putting on their hard hats and hiding?
• Joan, an old school friend of Sue arrives to visit the site and is soon indoctrinated into site rituals.  Tea for 12!

The ventilation system arrives	It almost looks like a house

w/c 9 Aug 1999

• With the brickies on site again the walls start to go up.  Fred from NHBC comes along to inspect things - he is quite happy.
• The roofing company arrive and start to baton the roof.   Sue runs out of mugs with so many contractors on site.
• The final brick delivery arrives - we now have 25000 bricks in total.
• On Friday the 13th the first roof tile is layed.
• Oregon come onto site to see the bowed panels.

The first tiles are laid	The roof is battened

w/c 2 Aug 1999

• Graham decides that we need some help in all the self building tasks.  A discussion with the Job Centre for a General Handyperson for maybe 3 months brings us Jason who is on his way round the world from Canada.  He and his wife have relatives in Ledbury and are in need of cash.  After a interview walking  the site Graham takes him and he starts straight away.
• We start to fit the windows - there seems rather a lot!
• We have another huge bonfire - the oak stump just looks black!
• Jason stains all the roof fascias black to match our existing buildings.
• We hire a fork lift and and Graham drives one for the first time in 15 years - Jason comments that what Graham lacks in finesse he gains in accuracy - was that a compliment?
• The balloon weekend at Eastnor Castle gave us a few things to look at.

Action Man & the Big .... with the Tesco trolley		We chatted as they flew over

w/c 26 July 1999

• The brickies announce that they will work Monday and Tuesday which catches us out.  We quickly prepare the cavity closures around the ground floor windows.  We cannot keep ahead of them so we agree to them missing a Saturday.
• We now have quotes for the conservatory glazing and agree to meet with the potential supplier.
• The windows and doors have different cill lengths so which will affect their outside appearance.  Allen Brothers agree to send in a team to rout a slot in the patio doors and attach a new cill! 
• We meet with a couple of builders merchants to discuss stone lintels and negotiate a good price.
• On Tuesday Graham goes away to London for a few days,  Sue has a busy time sorting out bricklaying queries and meets with the Building Inspector.  It appears that the brickies don't like the proposed movement material 'Compriband' as it is messy and not easy to install.  Overall the Building Inspector and the chippies think that the bricklaying looks ok.
• Kevin, the leading chippie goes on holiday for a well earnt rest. 
• We are ready for the roofers to start next week, we must arrange to move all those tiles!  

Modesty panel?

w/c 19 July 1999

• The roof is nearing completion.
• During the week we take our first delivery of some 9000 bricks and place them around the building ready for the brickies who say they will work Saturdays until September.
• Tuesday is manic, everything seems to be happening, deliveries, visitors, problems, you name it!!!
• On Friday it is Sue's birthday - she has a cement mixer for a present!
• The brickies turn up and we start seeing a wall take shape. Where are the wheelbarrows they cry, so Graham rushes off and buys two!
• The roof tiles arrive followed by another load of bricks, to say nothing of some flowers for Sue's birthday! 

Kevin starts on the roof	A few trusses later

w/c 12 July 1999

• The team keep working away - they work hard over long hours.
• The next crane is due at 8 am on Tuesday to lift the roof beams into place - Graham passes it on his way to London!
• The changes are less noticeable now as the building looks almost finished.
• We still have odd design problems but in general the house fits together very well - our compliments in particular to Stuart Patterson of Oregon Timber Frame.
• We have chipboard floor boards laid in  the kitchen even though the architects drawings say ply!

w/c 5 July 1999

• All our furniture arrives from Maidenhead and we store it in the various buildings.
• During the week the panels keep going up.
• On the Tuesday we have a delivery - this time we are well prepared with diversion signs and all goes well
• Graham's parents arrive to watch the building work for a couple of days.
• The windows (all but one and no doors!) arrive.  It appears that Allan Brothers sub-contractor is still behind!
• During the week we have a problem or two.  There seems to be some confusion about who installs the window and the dining room supporting pillar.  We state our case, Oregon Homes agree but Oregon Timber Frame need time to think.  We await Monday!
• The scaffolding team from Border Scaffolding Services are due on Thursday.   A telephone call says they will run a little late. They do not turn up!  Sue takes a call from their Manager he finds out that she can bite! They will come on Friday and work the week end - they are not happy people - tough!

w/c 28 June 1999

• The timber frame arrives on Thursday - fun in the lane with 2 artics!   During the day the JCB rough terrain fork lift breaks down 3 times - a new one is promised for the morning.
• At 8am we have a crane so the panels start to go up.
• Later on Friday just as Graham is about to follow Sue to Maidenhead to meet the removal van he sees floor panels being forked on to the first floor.   The erection team say they will be permanently fixing the floor panels over the week end.  Oh no they cannot as we have to install underfloor heating first!   After some discussion we agree that they will temporarily lay them to provide a safe working area - they can come up later for the heating installation.
• We have just received the August Build It magazine with the feature on our house!

The first panels	The second floor goes up	What a big one!

The load bearing internal walls go up

w/c 21June 1999

• Graham disappears off again - this is becoming a habit!
• Owen Pell finish off some of the extra jobs we had asked them to do, such as placing a concrete retaining wall around the base of the stable block, and  the service trench etc. At the a very good job, well managed and good work - we can certainly recommend their service, mind you we have not had the bill yet!
• Sue joins Graham in Maidenhead to pack up all those things one accumulates over 20 years.

w/c 7 &14 June 1999

• Graham disappears off on business for a week leaving Sue to sort things out.
• Eric comes along with an idea and after much discussion with RMC agree that a revised scheme can be used.  A lot more blocks will have to be cut.
• Whilst all this is going on the  360° is used to take up the path adjacent to the stable.  We soon find out that like the garage we have no foundations.  The building is built directly onto the mudstone rock!!    After a few phone calls (architect/structural engineer) we agree that Owen Pell will build an additional foundation wall back filled with a dry mix to hold everything in place. Sue takes some photo's just in case.
• By the end of the week Eric and team have laid all the blocks and are talking of being off site in a weeks time.

The 360 starts moving the spoil	Into the voids under the house	The oak stump comes out
The blocks are laid	The steel beam is positioned	In go the floor beams

w/c 31 May 1999

• David Bateman of Oregon Homes calls by with his wife Kay.   We talk over the house and agree that a delivery date of w/c 15 June is more realistic.  Apparently some information is still outstanding from the structural engineers.  A rocket is called for!  The erection team will confirm that an artic can get into and out of our site.
• The blockworking of the walls is complete.
• On Thursday the 360° tracked JCB arrives to fill in the void under the ground floor. Within a few hours all of the non organic spoil near the house is scoped up and placed in each room void.
• Next the  360° tackles the stump of the oak tree we took out - within minutes it is out!
• Martyn Hocking, Editor of Build It, spend a few hours with us talking about our house and the VAT implications. Later he tells us that we will appear in the August edition.
• Eric and his team start to lay the RCM beams on the load bearing walls.  All is not going well - Eric is seen huddled over the drawings several times and we hear suggestions being put forward!!    Later we hear that RCM have got the drawing a little wrong.  Eric goes off with a headache telling us that he has the RCM and Tudor Builders Merchants rep coming out on Monday.
• We are still having problems with the timber frame. It appears that the Structural Engineers are not responding and are now holding things up!   Graham talks to a partner who says he will go and see where things are.  We never hear from him but on Sunday the fax comes alive with 7 pages of responses. 

Team at work	The outer walls are finished	Ready for the beams

w/c 24 May 1999

• Eric returns to work - we are very pleased to see him back.
• The blockworking team arrive and begin work,  it is slow to start with as they learn about our building and understand our needs. We are excited as we watch the house, albeit the foundation blocks to bring the base level, begin to take shape.
• We received a phone call from Martyn Hocking, Editor of Build It.  We had written to him about our web site and he wishes to visit us and write a before and after article.  Apparently our Vat comments on the zero rating of alterations to listed buildings is of interest.  We meet with him next week. 
• We are now actively seeking our next series of tradesman,   brickies, roofers etc. 

The first block!	Tea up!
Graham posing	X marks the spot

w/c 17 May 1999

• By Wednesday the concreting is complete and looks good - congratulations to the Owen Pell team!
• Eric (Site Foreman) is out of hospital and talks of returning to light duties next week.
• The site entrance is widened and the 8 wheeler delivering blocks sails through!
• During discussions about the patio quote with Owen Pell we agree to leave it to later due to costs and the logistics of the patio v the timber frame erection.
• Graham saves some £6k by redesigning the foul drainage route and approach - thanks to Fred Newman from NHBC for his advice. 

Nearly done	Graham v JCB No Contest!	Blocks arrive

I used to live here.........

My dad said "one day son all this will be yours!!!"

  w/c 10 May 1999

• An exciting week.  However, we start badly by hearing that Eric (Site Foreman) has been rushed to hospital with a collapsed lung.  Our contractors Owen Pell arrange for another Foreman, Joe, to take over.
• As our site has a slope in 2 directions we need to step the foundations, so Joe spends most  of Wednesday, 'shuttering up' as he puts it.
• On Thursday we have our first load of concrete,  8 yd³ on an 8-wheeler.  After reversing 300 yds up the lane the driver negotiates our site entrance and arrives.The dumper and JCB work furiously transferring the concrete. The lorry departs leaving the team to start moving the concrete around and finally use a float to finish the surface.
• We sit like young excited children and take pictures.    After the third load the excitement is waning!  As for the fourth we are old hands!
• On the financial front we sell our house in Maidenhead for the second time and the C&G confirm they will grant us a  mortgage to improve our existing site buildings.
• Allen Brothers, after a lot of chasing, tell us that the windows/doors will be delivered 4 weeks later than originally promised - a communications difficulty.  After Graham talks with the MD we don't shift the date but we do get a discount and help with their installation if the timber frame erection team have left our site .
• Graham gains his 'bonfire badge' at the second attempt and we burn a lot of the boughs and tree stumps. 

The first concrete is poured	Pouring away
Graham lends a hand!	Inspection

Digging is complete	Marking out	The first load arrives!

w/c 26 April & w/c 3 May 1999

• after owning our site for nearly 3 years we finally start