So our old en-suite with the shower which has leaked for over 15 years and left us with severely damaged hall ceiling has been stripped out completely.

We now have a beautifully cladded ceiling (to cover over the mould!) and a new floor, new pipework and new shower tray.  We are having tasteful pale grey tiling on the walls with a feature stripe!  and a dark tile floor (although I think we will need a rug as the tiles feel cold).  We have new, grown up, chome fittings and mirrored cupboard.  Gosh, after all these years.  Our house might become a grown-up residence after all!

Next on the list (when I draw my pension down) will be the family bathroom and the kitchen (so I have been told) but high on my list is wooden floors throughout (no jolly carpets to hoover) and the garden (with a high class but cheap spa in a shed with proper connected electricity and water).  Hmmm I can dream.

The old blow-up spa has died during the winter – its covering tent collapsed (that’s the third one in two years) and had to be taken to the tip after the weight of the snow ripped it to shreds and then the spa itself seems to have succumbed to the constant freezing cold/snow/rain/ice as well.  I am not sure if it can be revived but until the weather is about 15 degrees warmer I am not even going to look!

Likewise our astro turf reclaimed from the hockey club many years ago has the lawn growing through most of it and is past help.  The greenhouse (plastic) lost a panel in the storm winds earlier in the year and although I rescued it (from the bridle path at the back!) all of the sealant has gone and it won’t stay in.  And the roof is broken.  I don’t think the seedlings are going to be very nurtured with a massive draught blowing in (and I am not that green fingered anyway).

Really the garden needs a big digger taking to it and then start again.  Ground Force anybody??! Oh well, I will just have to start buying lotto tickets again.