The aim was to get the other two barns ('2' & '3') watertight and stable. The walls were already falling over and very unstable when we bought them in 2005, and the last winter had caused significant further damage. In addition they weren't up to the roof profile in any section so a huge amount of rebuilding and repair was required. Not only did we do all this within the budget but 3 weeks ahead of schedule, despite a lot of rain interruptions.
Now the slate roofs are on all the
properties, and the walls are finished, apart from a glazed screen to be constructed a spart of the final 'link' element with a grass flat roof, that will tie the whole suite together.In the last few days I started to open up the floors to establish the slab levels, and discovered the original 17th century floor. This has now for to be recorded and drawn accurately for the archives CADW archives, which is another chore, but quite fun.
Indy, our lovely dog, was reunited with us and loved the life up in the hills! Great walks each day with lots of interesting smells. It was a glorious time in our lives; Red Kites soared above each day along with Buzzards and Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Nuthatches, Redstarts, and Tree Creepers feeding around us. We had two healthy-looking foxes run through, followed minuted later by the local hunt!
Best of all was getting embedded back into local village life: rebuilding links with those we already knew and making new ones. The locals are so incredibly friendly and kind. London seems a million miles away with its rushing, self-absorbed inhabitants! It was so good to have the kids, grandkids and dear friends visit us and share in the excitement of getting the barns finished.
Now we are down in our old haunts of Lewisham. Our dear friends, the Plummers, offered us a share of their home for 6 months, and have been so amazingly generous and kind to us – even accepting a dog into their home for the first time ever!! True friendship! The plan was for me to get the normal consukltancy work in RSL's for 6 months and then, with the dosh earnt, we would move back to Llwyn Onn in May, do some more work, and get into the barns permanently. The work climate is so bad that this is proving a very ambitious plan and today I am still unemployed with funds running very low! So I am applying to a range of full time posts, some of which are very exciting. We may just have to put the barns on ice and spend the money on the barns from a distance as it appears!!
Hmmmm. Sometimes God appears decidedly not aligned with our plans and one has to recognise that He is not there to underwrite our lives but rather to be the greatest friend through the challenges. Life without Him is empty and bland, and being successful is nothing without Him either. So its scratching head time and I'm ruminating and cogitating like a blinking cow! Onwards and upwards!!
Sandy smiles through it all and keeps her head down on the page!
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1 comment:
A very interesting blog, I have visited Ystradfellte many a time and would love to come visit your estate? How many acres is the estate and what kind of wildlife roams the land as we are very keen walkers
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