The Waiting Game

We had hoped that we would have heard about the planning permission by now, but still we wait. The planning officer visited the site this week to look at the view from the public footpath to see what visual impact the house would have for anyone using the path. Whatever will they think of next to deliberate over? Nevertheless the architect is confident it will be approved and trying to get on with building regulations as they are going to change at the beginning of November and this could cause more delay as the building officers will have to become familiar with the new regulations.

Meanwhile we have got the electricity moved from the house into the main barn and the telephone line has been disconnected, which means that there is nothing holding up demolition. As soon as the permission is through we are hoping to get straight onto the rebuild.

Geoff has been busy setting up a woodworking workshop and now made nest boxes to go into the chicken house. Just perches to go and we can get some chickens in residence.

Millie has gone away for her training and settling in well. Lass is missing her and becoming very affectionate. When Millie returns she will go to be trained.

Rain! Rain! Rain!

Last week we set off for Belguim to visit a factory called Danilith which is about an hours drive from Bruges. We had an appointment to go round the factory to see them building a house in sections. The company are trying to get into the English market. The advantage of this method of building a house is that within three weeks we would have a watertight shell. We decided we would have a short break and look round Bruges. The minute we came out of the channel tunnel the rain started and continued to pour down. The rain continued all through the next day but of course improved for the day we booked in to visit the factory.

Bruges was very quaint with lots of narrow cobbled streets which were full of chocolate and lace shops. We were rather amazed at some of the chocolate 'sculpture' which was on display in the shop windows. We found some lovely restaurants and sampled the local beers.

The factory was very interesting. We were allowed onto the shop floor right next to the machinery, health and safety was far from the Belgians minds and we couldn't help but comment on what it would be like if we were in this country. Our visit has certainly given us a lot to think about.

Whilst we were away the electrician was busy at Redlands. E-on are coming next week to disconnect the electricity from the house and supply the new meter boxes. We have also managed to organise BT coming and disconnecting the phone line, so at long last we are beginning to feel that we are making some progress.

Planners!!

The planning officer has realised that she cannot be delegated to make the decision on the planning for the house because it is in open countryside and therefore has to got to the committee. Yet another delay as it will be September before it can be brought up. The conservation officer came out earlier in the week to do a site survey. She has no objection apart from us preserving the Horse Chestnut tree which we were hoping to do anyway. The Highways have replied and state that they do not have any objections either. Hopefully the councillors will agree and we can get on with the project. Mum's memory gets worse and we need to be able to care for her 24/7.

Geoff has nearly finished laying the floor in the barn we are going to use as a workshop. Next step is for the electrician to come and prepare connections ready for e-on to remove the connection from the house.

Harvest is still continuing. It is rather stop and go this season. In between the stoppages the ground is being prepared for next years crop. It has been really hard owing to the dry conditions.

The sheepdogs are full of life. We are waiting for Millie to go to be trained, it is hard to believe she was so poorly as a puppy as she is so lively now. Lassie (see picture) is the noisy one and tends to be more shy than Millie and will go once Millie has returned home.

We have made arrangements to go to Belgium and visit the factory where they build houses in sections. The company are trying to get into the British market and the advantage of a house being built in this way is that it is very eco friendly and we can have a watertight shell within three weeks of beginning construction. Most of the houses in Belguim are built this way. We felt it was worth going and having a look before we make a decision.

Work!

After a hectic week we are both wondering how we ever had time to work full time. Harvest has started but very frustrating as the humidity means that the rape, which needs harvesting before the wheat, is too damp. There has been so little rain that the fields which have been harvested are so dry that it is impossible to get the plough into the ground. Various attempts have been made but none very successful.

Geoff is continuing to prepare his workshop. He has got all the floor joists in place now and we have started to lay the flooring. We are still preparing the hen house and the new chickens are due round about the middle of the month.

We took the collies to be assessed by a sheepdog trainer earlier in the week. He was impressed with them both and thinks they will both become good dogs. Millie is going to be trained first as she tends to be a bit more willful than Lassie. She will be going in about a fortnight and probably be gone between 6 and 8 weeks. Once she returns then Lass will go. They have been little devils this week. They have managed to find a way out of the garden. Each time we block up a gap they seem to find an alternative route.

We are still waiting for the planning to come through. Why do these councils have to take so long. We need to get on as Mum and Dad need 24 hour care. Hopefully we will hear very soon.

Time

The planning officer has been and made a site visit. So far there have not been any objections but we are still waiting for the Highways to reply. If there are no objections then the application will not need to go to the planning committee. She did warn us that they may take longer than the original date.

Yesterday was a milestone for Chris as she retired from teaching. The messages, presents and cards are overwhelming. The school organised a great send off for her and one parent made a wonderful cake in the shape of a bee hive.

E-on have been and laid the cable for the electricity. The next stage is for them to come and install the meter boxes and then the electric can be connected. This has happened earlier than we expected as the original date they gave us was September.

Today we began to prepare one of the old stables to become a chicken house. Geoff is going to install some perches and make nest boxes for them.

The sheep dogs have passed their first training course. We are hoping that they can soon go and be trained for rounding the sheep up.

Planning

Planning has finally gone in. Now it is a waiting game for the council to make a decision. Notices have gone up on the gate and it is in the local council's newsletter.

E-on have finally been in touch and given us a date for September before they can disconnect the electricity from the house. Why does everything take so long!!

The sheepdogs have just finished their foundation obedience training and received a certificate and rosette. Next stage is to find out when they can go to be trained. They are taking an interest in the sheep and can round them up but they are too eager and run them too fast.

Honey Flow

The last two weeks have been quite busy. We have had several swarms of bees to catch and another load of honey to extract. The field of rape behind us has certainly paid dividends. So far we have extracted more honey than we collected for the whole of last year. The picture shows a swarm of bees congregating at the bottom of the garden. Once they are in a bundle we get the swarm catcher and cut off the branches and the bundle falls into the catcher. We empty them into a skep then turn it upside down, onto a white sheet, propping one edge off the ground and then empty the rest of the bees onto the sheet. Gradually they all go into the skep and later in the day transfer them into a nucleus box. We have run out of hives at the moment and waiting for new ones to arrive before we can transfer them into there new home.

We were involved in a farm open day last weekend and did a display about beekeeping. We had hoped to take an empty hive to display but when Geoff went to collect it he discovered another swarm had settled into it and made themselves at home. We have six hives at Redlands now. These are quite small colonies therefore will not produce much honey from them this year.

On a sadder note we are having a lot of misfortune with the chickens. They decided to become cannibals and pecked one to death and the dogs have now found a way into the coop and killed two more. Just one left, poor thing. Alistair sold some of his pigs last week so we are hoping to get the place cleared out and use it for the chickens. The house is more substantial than the coop in our garden so should be better and more dog proof.

The sheep have been sheared and look very strange without their woolly coats but much tidier.

Silage making has begun and Alistair and David have been very busy when the weather is suitable. Some of the grass will be made into hay as well.

We have had a revised quote from e-on which is much more acceptable. We have to wait 12 weeks before they can come and do the work. The electricity has to be disconnected from the house before we can demolish the house. This means no action until September but hopefully the planners will have an answer for us by then as the planning has gone to the council for the new house.