2019 Christmas letter

Parkers Christmas letter

Well it’s that time of year, an update on what we have been doing this past twelve months. In fact we are presently cruising across the Atlantic on the QM2 heading home from NY. 

I though it would be the most opportune moment to have the relaxing time to sit and gather my thoughts. But it’s not relaxing, it’s frenetic. We don’t seem to have a minute to ourselves, it’s non stop from morning till morning. There is just so much to do, and we are only scratching the surface. The daily programmes are so full of interesting things to see and do, interjected with food and drink. We had envisaged learning bridge and ballroom along with fencing, but we just haven’t had time. Today there are only three lectures we want to attend, so In-between our tramping the deck for exercise and scoffing the delectable food l have hidden myself away to try and get some notes down onto paper.

The house is an ongoing project, and seems to continue to be so, although virtually everything is done in readiness for our completion certificate. It doesn’t seem possible that we have been in the house for over two years on a habitation certificate. 

The ongoing list in January was fairly straight forward. Decorate the ground floor en-suite, build the perimeter fencing, finish off the blackened larch rain stop cladding, complete the down water storage and build the lower deck. Last but not least, the electrician had to change the ground floor fuse box. 

But nothing is simple in Scotland. We had to wait for steel to be galvanised for the supports to the decking. Then we needed Scotch Larch, which was in short supply due to Brexit, for the rain stop and decking. From all accounts the French had been buying everything up, including the chestnut fencing we needed. 

So we took a break and headed south to a friends Big birthday party. As we live in the highlands, 500 miles away from the event, Judith had encompassed a multitude of offshoot itineraries on the way down. Visiting relatives and friends as well as a trip to the Warner Bros Harry Potter experience.

Once home again, l managed to get half of the decking done before the supply of larch dried up again. So with nothing better to do, we headed out on a last minute deal to the Caribbean on the Ventura. 

After 35 days of sun, it was back again to work on the house. Yet we were still short of materials. You can’t believe it in this day and age. It was a good excuse for Judith to get us booked in for a murder mystery in Perth, with some added nights for walking and sightseeing before once again heading back home.

By mid May we had completed the cladding and the majority of the deck, but we still were waiting on Larch. We had to move from Scottish to Siberian, which cost more and had a longer lead time. But they could get it. 

We had arranged to go walking in France with our French walking group, so off we shot. Portsmouth to St Malo, then down to Carcassonne for a weeks walking. After the cool damp climate of Innellan, it was a pleasant change to feel the sun on our backs. Great walking, food and wine with old friends. On they way back to our French house we stopped off in Espellete for four days walking in the Pyrenees with three friends. The weather had changed and it was wet and grey. Unfortunately, One of our walkers slipped on day one and broke her ankle. But the emergency services were marvellous and she is now up and running around again. Back in the Charente we soon got back into the old routine of socialising, walking and being rushed off our feet.

Returned back home in July for a well earned rest. And the opportunity to finish the house. Eventually finished the deck, but now the electrician could not complete his work. Too busy!

So l decided to build a new workshop in the solum. This necessitated the building of a suspended floor, insulating walls and constructing exterior access doors. But it also enabled me to move everything out of the garden room. I then set out redrawing all the plans and elevations to show the amendments to the build and sent them to the building control officer. A whole weeks work that didn’t do my back any good at all. 

Then l had another medical problem, but it was swiftly resolved on the operating theatre at the Nuffield in Glasgow. Fortunately we have medical cover with Beneden Health, it costs us £10 a month. If the NHS can’t get you to see a specialist the insurance kicks in. I saw the specialist in two days, and they operated the following week. Would recommend it to anyone.

I had a weeks fly fishing organised up in Gairloch. Obviously with the op it wasn’t going to happen. So we just went up and relaxed. 

The weather was gorgeous and it was a perfect way to recuperate. Back home and we decided that as the completion was now going to push back to 2020 due to the electricians workload we might as well convert the garden room.

So l contacted planners and building control, who seem to be in favour, although l need to produce more drawings. In the meantime l built a suspended floor and fitted all the ceiling joists, filled them all with masses of insulation and started plaster boarding them in preparation for plastering. I also started studding the exterior walls ready for the glazing, but thought l better hold back until the written approval comes through.

Which coincided nicely with our cruise to New York.