Moving on with things at last ........

Yippee, the snow's gone and work can start back on site....  yesterday afternoon things began to happen again down Sheep Street with a full day planned today - although lying in bed last night listening to the torrential rain and gales - it did make me wonder if the good old British weather was going to be against us again ?

.... just got back from visiting the site myself, - around noon  and the sun was shining and things were happening!  Paul had rang me as since having Ian the stonecarver make the name plate for Crafty Cottage (as per earlier blog photos)- we decided to get him to create an "Arts and Crafts" version which arrived on site today and as I speak, is being laid into the walls .....

The name plate made originally will be put into the garden wall of the cottage eventually.

Very muddy down there, - but this isn't stopping the guys from getting on with things, - looks like Paul was right when he used to say "as soon as we're out of the ground, the walls will shoot up!"

Kerb appeal ?

Our First Window!
(windows made by local joiner Steve Warren - Willersey)
Re-claimed Cotswold Stone sills 

Great to have an "action shot"
(they're usually having a tea break when I go to site!)

Keen to get home and update the blog, - the postman had been and a letter was waiting for me from TV Licensing, - addressed to Crafty Cottage, - ...... I think they're being slightly optimistic! :-) will have to send them a link to the blog!

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas !!" .....

As predicted,  yesterday the temperature plunged and we woke to snow, - work at the site has had to stop as it's impossible to build in this winter wonderland!

Paul and I trudged our way through town to take a look at the site

It was so quiet,  -  no-one around ...

such a contrast to only just the other day when the sun was shining down and the stonework going up!

We didn't see a soul down Sheep Street,  - the town was very quiet ...

almost all of the shops were closed due to the weather ..

word on the high street was of disgust at the 'panic buying in the Co-op'  :-) !!

 

We couldn't help but feel disappointed and frustrated about work having to stop at site for a while, 

....  but it has to be said,  Chipping Campden always does look so pretty when it snows !

It was difficult not to .....  and we had to give into just standing and

staring at the familiar, yet magical scenery!

It wasn't long before we found ourselves back on the High Street and

walking in the direction of the Eight Bells,  - the only place to be on a day like today !

... will keep you posted !

What's in a name ?

It's freeezing today, - and a bit foggy too but not enough to stop things happening on Sheep Street.

This morning my B&B guests,  a lovely young couple from Singapore invited me to join them at the breakfast table - which was nice as I don't get the chance (excuse the pun!) to do this very often.  Once everything was cleared and the guests had left for the day I made my way down to the cottage site, looking forward to seeing how things were going  - and Paul had told me the front door was now in situ (well, - the frame anyway!).

Wandering down Sheep Street with a mug of coffee & a slice of Christmas cake for Paul I could see Terry busy laying the Cotswold stone to the front of the cottage - it's looking great!  Infact, I couldn't have timed things any better - Paul told me that he had arranged with the stonemason to carve the words "Crafty Cottage" into one of the pieces of stone which will be laid beside the front door, so we went through the Old Silk Mill to his workshop behind, to see how things were going.......

Well,  he hadn't let any grass grow under his feet - Paul had only asked him if he could do it this morning, -  and it was nearly finished !!  -  saying how he could see how quickly the cottage was going up, he felt we might need it sooner rather than later !

Paul and Ian

Ian took us into his workshop, which resembles something magical built for a Hobbit!

which was amazing,  -  he's so clever! 

I don't remember posing for that statue  ?? !

Back to the site,  where the stone cropper once stood there is now a pile of Cotswold Stone ready to become the walls of the cottage.  - Can't wait to see how the name looks in the stonework ...

..... will of course be keeping you posted :-)

S

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Spring is in the air!

Corny title to the post today, but for the first time I was able to stand "inside" the cottage walls, although a bit chilly - the sun was shining & birds were singing !!  ....  it felt sooooo good :-)

Made my way down Sheep Street at 1pm, - the official "dinner time" for Paul, Terry & Tom all working hard down there today.  After handing over the sausage sarnie & mug of tea as a dutiful wife(!) I promptly whisked out the camera for up to date photos ,  so here goes! ......

The Kitchen

The fireplace

-  and introducing ! -

"Tom"

"Terry"

... and of course Paul!

(No Max this week,  - he's snowboarding in the french Alps!)
..... poor thing, missing all the fun!

2.45pm, the phone rang whilst I was "blogging" and it's official !!  it was Cotswold District Council on the telephone confirming the new address as:

"Crafty Cottage"

Sheep Street

Chipping Campden

GL55  6DX

.....Yay :-)

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Another brick in the wall ...

The Stone Cropper

The Stone Cropper was on site today,  and by using the old stone from the demolished garage - once "cropped"  there will be enough Cotswold Stone to build half the new cottage. New Cotswold Stone will be mixed in with the old stone to create an even look to the walls.

The new stone has been ordered from one of the quarries in the hills above Chipping Campden.

The windows have been ordered, and are being made by a local joiner from Willersey, - near Broadway.

The interior wall of the cottage is now two blocks high,  - more photos to follow soon :-)

Couldn't get a photo of the guys today, as each time I went down they were sat drinking tea!

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