Easter Sunday

and everywhere I look is white...

At least we will have a collection of photos for next years christmas card:-

Now where did I put that polly bag...

A bit of a rest

The last few days have seen me taking it real easy... In fact I haven't been near the barn for 3 days and I must admit it feels strange. The reason is simple really. Andy or Drewster as he is known on the motorcycle forum planned a 1 night stop over on the 17th but stayed 3 nights - and I felt it would be damn right rude if I didn't take him down some of the twisties near here and show him the scenic route to Oradour-Sur-Glane (the reason he was here of course) - so I had 2 days glorious riding 1st on the FJR and then on the R111.

on the road from Payrat Le Chateau to St Leonard Noblat

Back gate to Oradour-Sur-Glane

The A89 Viaduct viewed from Tulle

Drewster Headed for Montipllier

We also managed to do some shopping for bits and pieces, shelves, door lock, Electric socket face plates and some floor mats which are all fitted or assembled and in place.

Wendy booked us a Doctors appointment for yesterday which was quite entertaining - our Dr is a lady who speaks very good english but can confuse her words enough to entertain us both, it cost us 44 euros for the visit but and now we have to work out how we register on the French Health system so we can have some of it refunded.... We are entitled to the 1st two years here (2.5 years but we have already been her .5) with the NHS paying our costs but after that we will need insurance as the French have recently changed their ruling on forigners using their health system for free, Brown should take a leaf from their book...

We also registered RidersRest.Net as a bonifide Chambre D'Hote which means we can legaly do B&B for up to 15 people at a time... Saves us getting into trouble once all the bikes start turning up doing a ton-up down the D16.

Wendy is as I type painting the bathrooms in the barn, and I am computing well surfing and stuff, it is also my turn to make the brews and the egg banjo's something Wendy usually does...

The weather really cannot make its mind up as we have been alternating between Snow blizzards, blazing sunshine, Hailstone and torrential rain - and that was just today... so much for global warming.

Time for bed said Zebedee

You guest it (yes it is spelt wrong but then there in lies the pun)... We have put up the bunkbeds and aranged them in the bunkroom - needless to say we are pleased as they are very sturdy (they are going to need to be) and they are 3 foot wide so will be a comfortable sleep, also the matresses will fit. So it is all coming together.

Wendy has started to paint the bathrooms and has a coat of white on the 1st one, hard going as they are much smaller than the barn or hall and they have flat ceilings...

For those of you who have noticed the generally dirty and falling to bits trousers I have worn throughout the telling of this blog, I can report that they have been given a decent funeral today and we shared a few memories whilst they were cremated, well it was getting cold around the nether regions and hopefully I have seen the last of painting for a while (till christmas I suspect). Still they lasted 6 months solid (and in the end they were).

Bedroom re-organisation...

Wendy and I put the IKEA Single beds up and wow they are pretty large for singles which is good for our guests and the matresses are very confortable ;) in order to give more room to the twin beds and allow for the use of a "Put-me-up" bed in the twin room to make it a triple I suppose, we have moved the double into what we had first envisiged would be the Twin and the twin's into the double room and whalla this is the result - just in time for a guest tomorrow night.

I also managed to get another coat of Magnolia on the wall in the Hallway of the barn...

Magnolia magnolia every where I look.

Just finished putting a coat of Magnolia on the hall walls and ceiling - it took me all morning just to cut the edges in - so many angles - seemed a good idea when we were sticking the plasterboard up...

After 3 days of torrential rain the sun also come out long enough for us to get the double bed and other furniture out of the house and into the attic room so we can now officially say we have a double en-suite...

Coming along nicely thank you

Did I mention that I hate DiY and painting even more ? well I do but it is still good to stand back and see what has been achieved and how finally we are putting the finishing touches to the Attice and Barn.

Wendy has pushed on with painting the skirting boards and door frames whilst I put a 4th coat of "Magnolia" on the "Bunk-Room" walls and ceiling. I believe it could do with another coat but since using 20Ltrs of pain and only have 15Ltrs remaining we have decided to leave as is for now and use the remaining 15Lrs to do the Hall way to the Showers at least that way it will look finished even if we know it still needs another coat ;) This will allow me to buy some more paint when I pop over to ther UK for Bethany and her friend Evan in April, or hopefully Kay and Mark will bring us some out when they are over end of this month. Anyway this means I will be starting on the Hall tomorrow...

The attic is complete and as soon as it stops raining we will relocate the double bed and matteress from inside* the house to the attic room. That only leaves fabricating a new door to the outside and a headboard to fashion. (*once it is out of the house we can assemble the two single beds we have in the garage and have a "Twin room" and a "Double room" inside the house).

It's in colour so it must be true...

Well we have started painting in the Barn.

Wendy painted all the doors yesterday whilst I caulked the skirting boards and shower ends. I also took the time to tidy up the garages as they had become cluttered with allsorts of crud, materials, tools and other odds and sods. Now it is more organised and I even had time to carpet another room - the garage well the one with the Rocket in :) with old carpet taken from the upstairs bedroom, waste not want not.

Today Wendy started painting the skirting boards and doorways, whilst I put the first coat of Magnolia on to the walls and ceiling of the Bunk Room (yes one of the rooms in the barn). Phew it was monotonous work for sure and I will probably need another couple of coats before it looks okay. Then the hallway and toilets groan.

Wendy was feeling the cold a bit bless... But she still managed to do lunch and again Tea whilst I slummed it on the net...

Another Corner Turned

It was a milestone day Yesterday (Thursday). Jimmy finished what he was here to do which pretty much means all the hard work is completed in the Barn and Attic. Just the tidying up and colouring the walls and doors to do before we get the furnishings in.

Of course we will miss Jimmy and will be eternally greatful for the work and guidance he has so professionally done and given, without which we would probably still be scratching our heads with our maccano and building materials... But don't tell him. If you are after a reliable Builder to do some work you won't go far wrong giving Jimmy a bell ;) check out his website www.chezhenry.com/HenryLPBS

To-Do-List
BARN

Clean Grout off Floors
Sand remaining jointing in the Barn Bathrooms
Caulk Skirting boards and shower end walls - Done 8th
Paint Doors x 5 - Done 8th
Fit Door Handles and door stops (Hatch door too)
Paint Skirting Boards
Clean and Stain Oak Beams
Paint Window and fit perspex safety layer
Paint Walls and ceilings BunkRoom/Hall/Bathrooms x 3
Fit Lights
Fit Smoke Alarms
Fit outside Lights - 1 done 8th 1 to do
Fit outside Power Sockets - Done 8th
Put up curtain rails in bunk room - tailor curtains
Put beds up - 4 x Bunk, 4 x Singles
Fit bathroom furniture x 3
Errect shelving Coat hooks and frame Local Map
Errect and fit cuboard shelves - Done 8th
Render arround outside doors

ATTIC ROOM
Caulk Skirting Board and Shower Ends - Done 8th
Paint Toilet Door and Hatch Doors - Done 8th
Paint Skirting Boards
Secure Door and Refurbish Door
Fit Bathroom Furniture
Put up Bed (Double) and other furniture
Headboard ?
Fit Smoke Alarm
Fit Safety Rail for Stairs

OUTSIDE AREA
Repair Barn Roof
Patio Area's
Pathways from house and garages
Hard Standing
Guttering
Lay Floor to Drying Room (Currently a store room)
Renew Garage Doors x 2

Landscape Gardens


INSIDE MAIN HOUSE
Refresh Downstairs Shower Room
Decorate Front Room
Decorate Kitchen/Diner
New Kitchen
New Suite for our En-Suite
Repair Rendering and Paint exterior

Who said summer was here... ?

6 Months and all is on track...

So it is official, we have been here for 6 months and time has flown. We have achieved much more than we thought possible in such a short time, we only expected to have the bathrooms finished in the barn, not the en-suite inside the house between the two rooms , nor the attic convertion into an en-suite double bedroom, nor the Barn completely converted into 3 bathrooms a hallway and a spacious bunk room, with all flooring down and tiles to boot.

Today we got he skirtingboard up in the Bunk room and in the hall to the bunk room and by the end of the week we will have got all the major work completed inside. Of course we will still have the decorating to do but all the floors are in and sealed, all plumbing is in and working all the walls are up that we are going to put up.

Getting to grips with Technology - Thank you Dad a terrific Pressie.

Today was a bit of a mare, bith Juiimy and I had frozen brain syndrom we just couldn't get a 45 degree cut right using an electric mitre saw and when we sorted it all out and got going the damn thing started missbehaving on us and cutting untrue for some reason. Still we battled on and got the job done no less perfect for the trouble. and we managed to get the Vinyl (thanks to SR I now know how to spell this annoying word) sealed before getting the skirtingboard in tomorrow.

Well that is the good news but to be honest we have had a couple of bad days. Jimmy and I wasted 3/4 s of Friday pratting about with the plumbing of all the sinks, every one of them leaked water, hard to believe since they were supposed to have been tested recently but sure enough they all (Attic included) drained into the vanity units. The water has ruined all but one of them, the one the water didn't get I did with a hacksaw blade as the waste pipe connecting to the sink was only on by one thread restricted because the unit shelve prevented it turning any more until I painstakingly whittled the hole bigger. Eventually I discovered that the waste washers were put on upside down... then to confuse the issue the water feed to the attic had been labeled incorectly what a bloody fiasco. The attic flexi pip to the hotwater feed for the sink is leaking still from the underside of the tap connection, but I will have to dismantle the whole thing to tighten it which means taking the lighting, shaverpoing and mirror off before ripping the vanity unit off the wall, they say a stitch in time and you should always test before you go firm. Well that is one lesson learn't don't let the plumber go until you have seen it for yourself ;) I think I might have said that before somewhere...

Jimmy being sick after a mare today or he could be
siliconing the edges of the vinyl or he has found another leak lol

The weather has turned and it went from very mild to freezin in a heartbeat, today we had many snow flurries followed by intense sunshine to snow flurries again.

More good news: Wendy filled the wine rack up again ;) and we have found the cat which went missing on Saturday, It was in the attic all the time, stoopid cat wouldn't come out as it is generally afraid or certainly wary of anyone but Wendy so it remained concealed right down the back end until a few moments ago when we heard it meowing from the front room, Wendy had to coax it out, I say it is good news not because I am pleased it is back around the house (I am alergic you know) but because it will have sorted any mice that may or may not have been resident up there... Of course the cat knows I am allergic and always sits on my knee or gets as close to me as possible and if I move it growles and hisses because it is a nutter or simply a She.

All Flooring down now

We started the day by finishing the attic floor...

Then moved into the Barn's 3 bathrooms, well two shower rooms and a bathroom vynal going down...

Wendy went shopping and bought in some wine (Vin Rouge) which we have to sample to ensure we get the right stuff for our guests Hic!

We can hardly contain ourselves as we see things finishing...

We layed the last tile today in the barn today and started to get the flooring down in the Attic today... we started using a special tool for cutting carpets and vynal it even professed to being suitable for edging wall paper 39 euros oh so simple - if you every get the cance to buy or borrow one DON'T they are crap as they leave a 5mm gap... so we binned it and used the tried and tested method

There is definately light at the end of the tunnel

No it isn't some one with a torch bringing more work... We ahve laid the final tile in the Bunk room only the grouting to do and then we are in snag time (doing all the unfinished bits and pieces.

The Bunk Room

Wendy - no sooner had we got the last tile down Wendy was in Cleaning

This is the hallway by the bathroom and shower room.

Flooring to go down in the attic next that will be a relief then we can put up the lights bring in the bed and furniture and start to add character to the room... Wendy wants it to be a Black and White room.

Also we have a confirmed booking for March...

I have been doing a great deal of Networking on forums to get our name out there in cyberspace, trying to get people to realise what agreat deal they will get if they come and stay at Riders Rest but it all take time, a bit like the chicken and the egg we just need guests to come and spread the word, we ar confident that we have the right mix to attract bikers to come and stay but need more photos of Riders Rest with bikes (other than our own) and independant testimonials. We are sure they will come in time.

all down hill from here

Well we had a plesant visit from Gerry & Janis Plumb in the camper van on route to Spain and Portugal - they called in for a coffee and of course we captured them and didn't let them go until they had had the guided tour of Riders Rest lol, it was good to see them.

We have mostly been getting on with the Barn and adveretising the B&B and we have had our first firm bookings from the website - a couple from Sweden and a guy and his child from the UK both for the same two nights - spooky or what - bloody gud init...

well it is all down hill from here in the barn and attic room.

All that is remaining in the attic is to fabricate and fit the cubiehole doors x 2, lay the Vynal flooring, and fix a skirting board all round, get a new door to the outside world and last but not least buy lights and fix them.

Jimmy grouting the bath tiles

In the Barn we have started to tile the floor which is a huge step and the last big thing to do, leaving the painting and decorating, floor covering in the bathrooms Vynal again, skirtingboards, one cubiehole door and fix the lights up, everything else is practically sorted.

a before tiling the floor shot of The BunkRoom sleeping area
from the patio doors looking towards the bathrooms

This shot is from the window end of the sleeping area with the patio doors to the left and the
bathrooms to the right - you can see the start of the tiles making their way accross the floor...

This one looks into the sleeping area from the bathrooms area
- again with the start of tiling

All the beds arrived on Tuesday from IKEA so once we have the decoration done we can assemble them and we are ready...

Of course that leaves the outside to tidy up, some outside furniture to get and position, guttering (which can wait now - well we are approaching summer) and I want to lay some hard stnding out alongside the pigsty for parking outside so bikes can be safely washed etc.

We have already started to clear the jungle away at the rear of the house and already it has made a huge improvement, and increased our space two fold - what do you think?

happy campers

We waved goodbye to two campervans littering the lane today, Joan and Tony with their friends John and Heather have been staying with us for 3 nights which was a pleasant change.

They timed it perfectly as the weather has been glorious for the last couple of days and Tony and I have been working outside sans t-shirts moving all the roof tiles which were left piled up near the rear of the barn, intend to use them as hardcore for a parking area.

This is them leaving...

Update on the rennovations is the tieling has started and the Attic shower is now finished...

I have also spent sometime making a workbench and sorting out my tools and turned the 3rd garage into a workshop - in the photo you can see there is also room to park the tractor and even room to put a couple of bikes if need be.

The water heaters are both 200L and the left one serves the Bunkroom bathrooms x3 and the right one serves the attic room and our en-suite.

Plus a photo of the middle garage showing how we excavate all the waste from the 3 toilets, 3 sinks and 1 bath - I knocked holes through the floor f the barn into the garage undereneath and then out through the end wall which then met the waste pipe to the fosse the exit hole you can see is approx 18 inches below ground level.

(NB the roof and pipework is not concave as the picture may suggest that is just the effect of joining several photos together)