Pool Finished Shock

After only 3 years we have finally been able to finish the terrace around the swimming pool. More slacking I hear you say, but nay, nay and thrice nay. There were sound geological reasons for leaving the end for another year, as we had to allow the ground to settle after we put in the extra drainage last year.



Bob and Sue gave us some help digging out the ground, and putting the gravel footings down. Bob and I also fitted a pipe loop from the filter to the edge of the patio, so that we didn't have to dig everything up again if we ever decide to get some heating for the pool. Bob was very helpful with this, as he sells pumps for a living. Sue also sells pumps for a living, and she helped us by interrupting Bob in the middle of a tricky bit, to show him a plant that she had just potted( the plant does look nice though).

















It was then time for Tina to get her favorite toy, the cement mixer out so we could build the
concrete base.



We had some fun and games laying the slabs, as the patio on one side of the pool was longer than the other. Bob thought it would be best to lay the outer edges first and then fit a line of slabs to get the ends to meet up.







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As you can see in the photo, we tried to do this, but when we got half way across it became clear that the slabs were going to miss by about 5cm. It is very difficult to build things from two different ends. They managed it with the Channel Tunnel, and that big viaduct near Montpelier was within 1 mm. Our gap was a bit worse than that, so we had to lift some slabs up and cut 2 of them short so it all fitted.



Now it is all grouted and finished, it all looks good.

We even bought ourselves a labour saving roller for our pool cover, to make things easier in our old age.

We've been busy

As the title suggests, we have been quite busy over the last few months, as the visitor season gets into full swing. So far we have had both sets of parents, Tina's sister, Tina's old boss, my Auntie Sue and her boyfriend Bob and some old friends Sue and Richard along with their kids.

All of this has been very nice, but it does tend to interrupt the building work.

We have boarded up all of the walls for the new bedroom and bathroom, so that we will be able to attach cupboards and bathroom fittings etc. According to some American websites, this is also good protection against earthquakes, not likely in France I know, but it is reassuring to think that if the village is ever flattened by an earthquake, our bedroom wall will be the only thing left standing!

The chipboard was all put up at the same time that all the windows in the City were being boarded up for the G20 summit in London. It gave us a bit of extra security in case some protesters thought, mistakenly, that I got a pay off like Fred Goodwyn's and decided to come after me.

We've put up plasterboard on one side of the walls, but we have to leave the other side of the walls open for the moment, until we can get all the wiring and plumbing in.