It has been a particularly drab and downcast week here in the Midlands. Showers of rain interspersed with heavy rain and some more showers, nice! Coupled with the fact that last Friday evening, the old boiler in the cottage broke down, gah! I contacted our builder, who has yet to do any work for us, first thing on Monday and asked if he had a trusted plumber who could take a look. He replied within an hour with a name and number and I gave the plumber a call. He in turn was with us in half an hour and diagnosed a pump failure, got on to a supplier who amazed us all by saying that parts were still available!
Plumber phoned me back with a quote and I then asked how much for a new boiler, he gave me an estimate and popped round the next evening to measure up for capacity etc. On Friday he fitted the new Worcester Bosch boiler, now working like a dream. No pressure to purchase new boiler, as he was happy to fit a part that was still available.
Before, during and after.
The old monster noisy Potterton has gone, and in it's place a nice shiny new (and considerably smaller) Worcester Bosch 2015 model.
As the boiler was fitted on Friday, we could not go on our usual Friday outing, we had to stay in and supply the lovely plumbers with tea, coffee and cake! They will be back in September for our garage conversion, as they are part of the builder's team.
I've kept out of the charity shops for a short while and ended up popping into a couple in a nearby shopping area the other day. I found this great M&S linen shirt, again with tab things on the arms that I have now removed, just £2.25
Love the print, it looks like watercolour over a line drawing, so pretty.
This however, I bought on a whim as I thought it was a fake, I now think it is real
The edges are rolled and hand stitched. It cost £1.99, and on the Hermes website the scarves this size are £280, yes, two hundred and eighty pounds! All is not quite as good as it looks though, I found a really neat hole (in the bottom right corner on this photo) when I got it home, cigarette end sized, so neat it looks lasered out and hard to spot as it is within the swirly part of the pattern. No matter, I now own a Hermes scarf that cost very little and will look pretty much the same as if I did pay £280 for it, only I know there is a hole, oh, and you of course, but don't tell!
I'm trying to find out more about this scarf, my research tends to suggest it might be a pattern from 1972, if you have any info, please comment.
We had another rainy canal walk the other Sunday, spotted a heron and got a bit too close to the outskirts of Kidderminster that it was no longer pretty.
Bridge no 20 Wolverley, by the Lock pub
I am not a fan of deep water but am always strangely drawn to standing on edges, these lock gates are quite tall and holding back a lot of water
Next to the canal lock gates, the horse passage!
We walked as far as the next lock, by which time Kidderminster was in full view
Eek! Suburbia! Time to turn back then
We met this chap again, obviously his patch, he hangs around here
I crept up on him but he was very aware of my presence
Too close!
On the way home we stopped off in Rushock for a cup of coffee in the car, by this time it was chucking it down so it was cosy just to sit in the car while the rain ran down the windows
On the house front, we are having problems getting our summerhouse delivered, it was bought from a national chain who pass your details to the manufacturer to contact you direct for delivery. Five weeks and no contact, not happy. Been on to supplier who is chasing up but no joy. We've made a summerhouse sized space in the garden so only that particular one will do. I do not want to cancel the order as the summerhouse is a lovely one, but this is getting silly. Good job the weather is not good enough to use it really.
I'm getting mightily fed up of cold and rain, and waiting for the building to commence!
At least we no longer have to wash in cold water and can also put the heating on low if we need it.
Phew.
We had another rainy canal walk the other Sunday, spotted a heron and got a bit too close to the outskirts of Kidderminster that it was no longer pretty.
I am not a fan of deep water but am always strangely drawn to standing on edges, these lock gates are quite tall and holding back a lot of water
Next to the canal lock gates, the horse passage!
We walked as far as the next lock, by which time Kidderminster was in full view
We met this chap again, obviously his patch, he hangs around here
I crept up on him but he was very aware of my presence
Too close!
On the way home we stopped off in Rushock for a cup of coffee in the car, by this time it was chucking it down so it was cosy just to sit in the car while the rain ran down the windows
I'm getting mightily fed up of cold and rain, and waiting for the building to commence!
At least we no longer have to wash in cold water and can also put the heating on low if we need it.
Phew.
Well look at your Hermes!!!! How cool is that scarf!! I found an Oscar De la Renta silk scarf in a charity shop a few years ago which I loved!!! Good spot on the Heron!!!x
ReplyDeleteYour plumbers did a great job - it's great when you get good, timely service (summerhouse people, take note!)
ReplyDeleteOoh, get you, a Hermes scarf! As soon as you spot a rolled and hand-stitched edge, you know it's a quality scarf.
The canal walk looks lovely, especially with added heron! xxx
Both daughters and I are scraf people, and now thanks to you and Curtise, I know what to look for in quality. My daughter brought me back an old scarf she purchased in Camden market-gorgeous, but now pretty sure it is probably worth about $1.25.
ReplyDeleteFancy that! I come across lots of fake Hermes on my travels but never the real thing. That's definitely frame worthy.
ReplyDeleteThe canal walk looks lovely, the heron is gorgeous. xxx
Well done on the Hermes scarf , something to keep forever. Pity about the boiler , good to find such a reliable plumber , so hard to find here. Hope your Summerhouse turns up soon and your weather improves just in time.
ReplyDeleteWe do walks like this, down different canal networks and then a flask of coffee in the car too. We had such a pain with a summerhouse delivery from a chain starting with H - such a bad service.
ReplyDeleteWow - charity shop gold. Fantastic find!!
ReplyDeleteGreat deals from the thrift store. My favorite place to shop
ReplyDeleteWe too have had fitted a Worcester Bosch 2015 and I must say, of all the boilers we've had in the houses we've renovated, the Worcester's run the best and give me as Landlord the least hassle. I am with you on being drawn to standing too close to the edge, curiosity gets the better of me and 9 times out of 10 it's worth it!
ReplyDelete