The countdown begins

March felt very much like an episode of “DIY SOS” on steroids!

The house was full of tradespeople every day, and it felt very chaotic, to say the least. The decorator was trying to paint round them all; doors were hung and then rehung as the new flooring settled. The barn doors for our master ensuite and wardrobe arrived and had to go back as they were 5 cm too narrow and the kitchen fitter ploughed on with wall units that were clearly too tall for the available space and left barely enough room for a kettle on the worktops! To say stress levels were high is an understatement.

The main pressure point was the fact that our air pressure/EPC test was booked for 18th March. This would determine the energy rating for Delamere and provide a crucial certificate for our Renewable Heating Incentive grant application. It will significantly help offset the cost of the ground source heating system if we can get all the paperwork together in time – deadline being 31st March.

On the positive, however, the heating system and our new “engine room” is working brilliantly and the gentle hum of the pump around the house provides a lovely soundscape to our new life. The freshly painted walls make a huge difference and suddenly the house feels very open and airy. The internal doors look (and feel) great – we opted for fire doors throughout and they add a real sense of weight without the correspondingly weighty budget. Our new oak staircase is gorgeous and we’re thrilled with the flooring and the way the house lights up at night.

And, of course, everywhere you look, there are glimpses of the Atlantic Ocean just out beyond the garden

So, with the air test passed (grade A rating!) and RHI grant applied for, it was all hands to the pump as we headed for our D-Day of 31st March and the removal van from Chester headed south. My biggest worry was whether or not the weather would hold out. A fierce Easterly wind up at the top of Sennen would make life very difficult for the removal men but, as the day arrived, aside from a dull mist over the sea, all was calm.

The removal guys were great and all our boxes and furniture, pictures and china seem to have made the journey from Tarvin intact. What a long time ago that life seems now!! Some of the pieces we have had for years seem to have been given a new lease of life! Especially true for the older furniture Clive had from his grandmother when he first left home, Her sideboard especially looks very “right” in its new home where there is space to show it off properly. Perhaps the same will happen to us!???

And so, a new chapter begins. Delamere is now the physical interpretation of the drawings I have spent so many months pouring over. The plans have jumped into 4D life and we continue to find our feet in what still feels like an amazing holiday house – can’t quite believe this is now our home! There is still much to do and the granite wall cladding and driveway need to be sorted. The pond is in my sights and Clive has started on his plans for clearing the garden of pampas grass and bamboo, propagating hedges and creating a granite backdrop for the montbretia and agapanthus that grow everywhere here. But being able to come back inside and put the kettle on to watch the light fade at the end of the day is very special and I hope we never forget it.

So now, it is over to you, lovely friends and top-grade supporters. It’s not always been easy this past year but your texts and messages, comments to this blog and ongoing interest in everything that was happening at Delamere really helped. Thank you for the regular messages of support and – where relevant – for being at the end of a phone or visiting to keep up with progress – you know who you are!!

We hope you will now help us write the next chapters of our adventure – by visiting of course! While we realise that it is unlikely that you will “just happen to be passing”, we have plenty of space and are now officially “open” for visitors. And, should you find that you ARE nearby, just look for the orange door on the right before the Spar on the road to Lands End! Kettle’s on ……

Signing off as “Delamere Diva”. With lots of love. May 13 2022