THE BEGINNING OF THE END

Tigger looks out of the snug window for the last time. Actually the window was to remain but no-one told the wrecker and he put a sledge hammer through it. A team of wreckers started on the roof, so I hurried next door to apologise to V in case anything fell in her yard.

It was a lovely sunny day and the roof came off tile by tile, rafter by rafter and then the ceiling came down. The soot and dust which had settled in the ceiling over the last century of heating and cooking with coal, spread itself all over the yard and the kitchen. We thought the doorway was boarded off and dust proof, but not so! And a fine view of tradesman's cleavage here!

Luckily this part of the house was cobbled together from the old out-buildings years ago and is only one storey high, but some rudimentary scaffolding was put up and used.

The old fireplace and chimney are exposed and the radiators removed because the new floor will be raised to match the rest of the house.

The roof is now on the ground! The builder is salvaging some of the tiles. Unfortunately they can't be re-used because the pitch of the new roof will be too shallow.

This is what is left after two days of demolition. Trenches have been dug and when the plumber has shifted the pipes and the builders have moved the manhole, some concrete will be poured to make the floor for a new warm snug, a shower room, an entry porch and a small but useable shed.

The contents of all these are down in the rented lock-up and will be presented to you in stages as the progress is made.

Tigger is not impressed. Her catflap got demolished and there is too much noise but she will like it in the end. I have bought her a new catflap which opens when her microchip approaches. It stays open for four seconds so we hope that any cat chasing her is not too close behind.

So this is the beginning of the end. The last big job to do and this house will see us through.

Cheers Gillian