Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday. Don Marquis

Ok ok so it's been a while since I updated things here but, in my defence, I have been very busy since stopping teaching at Easter. So much has changed I think it might be easier for this post to start with some before and after pictures.

                                                                      This

and

have become 

and

and there's now a whole new meaning for "dram of malt with a splash of water"

The water is heated by solar tubes

or a kerosine boiler

and stored in a computer controlled 300 litre heat exchanger

Meanwhile - upstairs - the birds' room 

has become the bedroom

complete with

and in the other room on the top floor, this window

                                                               now looks like this

In addition, there is now a top floor ring main with double sockets and the wiring is in place for the top two floors' lighting circuits.

Doors have been stripped and rehung 

complete with original, restored brass handles

and Do has been busy stripping furniture

and the upstairs sitting room fireplace.

Outside, the water supply has been connected to the house, the drains have been unblocked and the septic tank located and checked. 

The next steps are to finish the tiling in the bathroom, 

connect the lights and complete the top floor lighting spur.

At that point, we'll have somewhere warm (radiators installed and connected in the bathroom and on the top floor) dry (roof is now watertight) and comfortable to be based. The next development will be repairing the roof on the kitchen wing and sorting the kitchen itself out. By next Spring, the aim is to have the Manse functioning as a house-cum-workshop where we can stay any time for as long as we want. 

Watch this space!!!