More wall loving!

Couldn't resist a quick post to illustrate my affections for these walls!

Electricity cables being laid now and we have a sceptic tank -it feels a bit odd having that first but it's all good!

Walls & Gabions

This is what I actually see from the top deck of the bus when I try and take a picture at the same time - if you look reaaallllly carefully you can see a bit of yellow digger...

Aled and his guys are doing our ground works and foundations and he's also going to tender for the house build now he knows we have Mike coming in to do the air tightness and windows. So far its been great!

The area was cleared for the corner retaining wall - our last architect reckoned we didn't need the bit by the neighbour's bungalow but they feel differently!

Then I arrive and this had happened: 

Its funny how far you've come when aesthetics have nothing to do with your emotional responses - one woman's ugly grey breezeblock another's beautiful wall. I'm sure it is made of awful stuff as is the concrete to come but I can't help but be grateful that something so sturdy looking has begun our build proper - its going to be grey brick with concrete poured between them and the blockwork.

I may have had my my taste scrambled by this whole affair, however, because I do actually really like  gabions, who'd have thought it? Rob was down on site last week helping fill them out and I love the texture and contrast they'll have with the brick.

We hadn't thought through how to top them off though as the bank is rather steep - hoping to bring the angle in a bit and try to have some wild flowers like our present lane: 

The tender for the build will have its final details tweaked on Wednesday and if we hurry up we should get started in time for the great British summer ;-)

Groundworks!

Some action on site!

I know I have driven past house builds before and wondered at how long they have taken to get going but shall forever hold that thought. After our 9 month set back seeing some action is incredible and almost too fast to take in (I'm sure everyone else passing thinks its snails pace!)

We staked out the house early in May for the builder to start the ground works and foundations.

Can't quite believe that corner will host a house - in the not too distant future!

And we had our first beer sitting on the mound on the left last Friday - one of many no doubt...

I'm sure the tulips won't survive the trucks but every little counts and the hedge clearly didn't mind its move too much. We're both booked onto a willow fence making course at CAT in December as we're trying to think of creative ways to keep out the sheep that don't necessarily involve a great big bit of wood in everyone's face: Woven Hurdle fencemaking

We popped by a few days later in the pouring rain and the builder, Aled and his team had started laying out the foundations for the retaining wall...I stayed in the car!

Next post will feature the wall itself and some fine looking gabions...can't believe how excited I am by walls these days.