The sinister head of Thomas Carlyle
Feeling positively cheerful today. Loads to organise still, but feeling at last like I was getting a grip. The best thing was I think I have found the cause of the damp problem.
I walked around to the neighbours behind me and when they let me into their yard, I discovered they have built a rock garden right up to the air brick.
On top of the rock garden was a rock head of Thomas Carlyle The earth had settled in a way around this bust that, when it rained, water simply poured into the wall. With a little bit of clearing away, and the head displaced, I am fairly confident that this will have drastically lessened the problem. They were really nice neighbours too: a retired academic specialising in China, and his pleasant wife.
Some of my cards came through today too, so I am solvent again, which is a relief.
Lots of clearing up to do, and the place looks messier than ever, with damp things being dragged from the cupboards under the stairs, piles of books being sorted out for the new shelves. I even took the plunge and sold a few for a pittance to a second hand bookstore, and took others to Oxfam.
In the evening, I went for supper with Janet and Ken. A lovely evening with them as usual. Janet showed me a monkey she'd made from argyle socks, which I hadn't unexpected. Ken on good form too, criticising the singing of an aria which was playing on the radio. I really like the fact I know someone with strong opinions about Opera, as I know next to nothing about it myself.
Feeling positively cheerful today. Loads to organise still, but feeling at last like I was getting a grip. The best thing was I think I have found the cause of the damp problem.
I walked around to the neighbours behind me and when they let me into their yard, I discovered they have built a rock garden right up to the air brick.
On top of the rock garden was a rock head of Thomas Carlyle The earth had settled in a way around this bust that, when it rained, water simply poured into the wall. With a little bit of clearing away, and the head displaced, I am fairly confident that this will have drastically lessened the problem. They were really nice neighbours too: a retired academic specialising in China, and his pleasant wife.
Some of my cards came through today too, so I am solvent again, which is a relief.
Lots of clearing up to do, and the place looks messier than ever, with damp things being dragged from the cupboards under the stairs, piles of books being sorted out for the new shelves. I even took the plunge and sold a few for a pittance to a second hand bookstore, and took others to Oxfam.
In the evening, I went for supper with Janet and Ken. A lovely evening with them as usual. Janet showed me a monkey she'd made from argyle socks, which I hadn't unexpected. Ken on good form too, criticising the singing of an aria which was playing on the radio. I really like the fact I know someone with strong opinions about Opera, as I know next to nothing about it myself.
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