August 3rd - Septic tank and sundries

The lads from Walker Groundworks were back on site today to connect us to the big tank they installed yesterday. I'm not sure if we're being billed for it. I thought our connection was our responsibility, but we haven't mentioned it and they did it without any consultation. They even pressure-tested the soil-pipe assembly we put together under the house before pouring the solum. I was quite nervous, as I thought there was a chance we could have damaged the pipe while back-filling around the pipe. I was careful to avoid the line of the pipe with the whacker-plate, but when the pressure held and the assembly was deemed hunky-dory I was more relieved than I led them to believe!
While they were doing all that, Mal and Melvin carried on framing around the bay windows upstairs and I did bits and bobs: finishing the membrane on the front pitch, cutting and installing studs in the perimeter walls, painting a length of barge-board and fitting some of the many joist-hangers still required at first-floor level. This last job is pretty tough on the knees, and best done in small doses.
144 sheets of plasterboard arrived in the morning from Doves (along with a note saying that it was not to be off-loaded until the driver had a cheque for £4800 from me in his hand!) and I called Mick Gamble to ask him to lift it up into the first-floor for us. I left a message with his wife, and he never showed up. I hope he just forgot, and that I haven't offended him or pissed him off by asking so many favours. In the end we had to cover it with a tarpaulin and hope for the best.
Michele viusited briefly, but it was cold and windy, and she soon left for the comfort of my house and the promise of tea and cakes.
Melvin left at lunchtime to get jags for his forthcoming African trip. It seemed like a very quiet and a very long afternoon in his absence!

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