All that remains is for us to paint the ceiling and the new coving and perhaps... perhaps replace the door and the window handle to match everything else.
Of course when it was all finished, we realised that the double glazing we have is in fact... dark brown! So how good did THAT look? Not! Thankfully, however, a very nice chap in B&Q (other DIY stores are available!) told me that it is possible to paint over UPVC and subsequently sold me the necessary primers, undercoats, overcoats and of course brushes! The results are very good and we're really happy with our new white window ;-)
Did I mention stress? Well... are you sitting comfortably? The bathroom fitter, bless him... was to be frank, a total clown! I should have known something was likely to fail when he started and every time he saw me he chuckled and told me that he "wasn't a plumber!" Mind you, one would think that the big shoes, red nose, squirty flower and doors/panels exploding and falling off the back-firing car would have at least given the game away, wouldn't you? Bless him, did I say that already? He's really a fabulous tiler as, hopefully, these pictures will show you, his tiling and grouting really is quality workmanship that can't be doubted, but as for his fitting skills..... Oh sorry... I need a lie down now.
The shower cubicle, which cost an incredible amount of money, no... even more that that! Was a story in itself! Linda and I ended up building it ourselves, on Sarah's bed... and it was far too heavy when built for Linda to move. So, at very short notice, my Dad and I ended up finally moving it from the bedroom, after removing ALL the doors upstairs, and putting the damn thing into the bathroom, very carefully and fitting it all in. Thanks Dad!, what would we do without you?
Now, the ducks have started to re-appear and I have to say that they look quite at home :-) Here's Celebration Duck, (Linda famously bought him from a shop in Celebration, Florida and carefully brought him all the way home), back in his rightful place and looking very happy!
More stress... The aforementioned bathroom fitter, let's call him Charlie "I'm not a Plumber you know!" Cairoli, the only fitter who turns up for work with huge spotty half-mast pants, big red braces, 'sad' face paint and a hat with a flower in it, couldn't fit the bloody mirror, so I had to help him out and then with just the slightest touch, no I mean even gentler than that..., I cracked it on one of the tiles! Oh how we laughed! Anyway... it's barely noticeable now. We didn't get another, it wasn't that easy as Linda had had it specially made for us, at ££ "Oh Christ don't tell me that you've broken it!", considerable expense...
Anyway... All's well that ends well... well... eventually... I've not told you about the towel rail radiator yet!
Is it me? or should it be that when somebody comes to see a job, they should listen to your requirements, take notice of your desires, wishes, demands, quirks, whatever... and not just grunt, laugh, squint, nod, then squeak their big red noses, squirt you with their plastic lapel flower and say "No problem!! I can do ALL of that!! it'll take me 5 days.. max!!" before they roll over head over heels down the drive parping an old car horn and then run off into the sunset with their big floppy orange hair!
When, after 13 working days I finally got cheesed off, with "I've got a bit of a problem Mate, as you know... I'm not a plumber!", I said "Ok, thanks very much for what you've done so far, now leave it alone, get all your stuff together and F*** Off out of my house!!" I'd never seen anyone disappear so quickly since my divorce lawyer said "Thanks, Goodbye, I'll post your final account."
We were left with a nearly completed bathroom, we had a very nice shiny chrome radiator on the wall, which in theory should keep our towels warm. Only problem was, it wasn't plumbed in! Oh... so that's what he meant when he told us that he wasn't a plumber!
Well... Now we do have it all plumbed in and it works a treat. It took me and a proper plumber all of 2 hours to do and I have to admit that it was far less complicated than putting this rant together.
Seriously though... we're really delighted with our new 'shower' room and we hope that you enjoy the pictures!!
Lots of love
Linda and Andrew
xxx
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