The Loft

For the last 18 months, we have been trying to get planning permission to convert our loft space. We don’t want anything complicated or too expensive, just a bedroom each end and a bathroom, and the stairs, in the middle. For all the fuss that’s being made, you’d think we were after the crystal palace.

Time and again the plans came back. The planning officer said that it was overdevelopment and out of keeping. Difficult to know what we are out of keeping with, as all the houses on this street and around, have dormers, and they’re all different. It was suggested that we meet a district planning officer and she said we should meet with the planning officer, together with our architect.

So to cut the saga short, we went to Hailsham on Tuesday and met the planning officer. Negotiations ensued and the architect now has to draw up the plans, again. We have ended up with a gable and dormer at the front, and a long dormer at the back. The long dormer at the back had been rejected in all manner of configurations before. Husband said we should have asked why it was allowed this time. No! I said, we needed to do as we did. Just say thank you and leg it.

I came away feeling buoyed and very happy. At last, we are getting somewhere. So in the spring, we are planning to start the work. Much disruption of course, and complete chaos for a while, but I’m really looking forward to it. We extended the kitchen a little while ago and it has made a huge difference, I’m so happy with it.

One of the things I urgently need to do now is to run down the small chest freezer we have up in the loft. I keep meaning to do it, but somehow, as fast as I empty out items from there and the main downstairs one, they fill up again just as fast. Do you find that?

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A friend

In other news this week, a lovely, close friend has just rec

A friend

In other news this week, a lovely, close friend has just received a terminal diagnosis. I’m very sad about it, we’re talking just a few months, and it happened very suddenly. I’ll be supporting her as best I can, and I know she will ask for help or a visit when she wants one. Not everyone can do that, I know I would struggle with it. The more I need help, the less I can ask for it

Wood

The wood store is nice and full with various wood scavenged from various places. None of it was bought, so loads of delicious free warmth. There are quite a few pallets in there, planks and so forth from other people’s skips, a carpenter friend provided all the roof truss trimmings from a job he was on etc etc. If you have an open fire, or better yet, a wood burner, the local trading estate is a good place to look for unwanted pallets where they can usually be had for free. We are starting to have a fire most evenings now. It hasn’t been particularly cold, but a fire is a nice thing, and we like it.

Recipes

I have a couple more recipes to write about. I did a carrot and pea Indian dish this week, called Gajar Matar. I’ll be doing that recipe next.

 

 

And today I made some tomato bread from a very old recipe book by Lesley Waters, Broader Than Beans. We had it for lunch with some soup from the freezer. That’s one thing used up!