It's what dreams are made of and nightmares kindled: Most home owners aspire to it; some take a few tentative steps and fewer still are crazy enough to go the full hog! This blog shares some of the trials and tribulations of a major redevelopment of a 1950s home through a cataclysmic transformation which retains the best of the last Century while metamorposing the property into a design classic fit for today's living.

Thursday, October 19, 2006

Sheer muscle


He's like Popeye in battle fatigues! The main labourer, who has been involved in the project since Day 1, was the poor guy who had to keep digging the 8 feet deep trenches in pouring rain, while the mud was sliding back in as quickly as it was being shovelled out. And what a worker! Whenever something needs fixed, "Fred" is back on site and today, as we saw the last of the scaffolding, he single-handedly filled a complete lorry in minutes. Five (!) scaffolding planks at a time - on his shoulders - appeared to be just for warming up. Mere mortals would struggle with just one. Must be eating Weetabix for breakfast...