Monstrosity

Following government guidance we’re staying at home and unpacking, attaching, installing, inserting, screwing and erecting everything and anything that’s still in a box or a bag. Including the TV aerial. Just follow a few simple steps to ruin the look of your gable end. Signal strength? Good enough.

• 

• 

Finish the heating wiring :- S-Plan Plus, plus, plus

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

And make a start on the structured cabling (remember to live dangerously and don’t number anything):

• 

• 

• 

• 

The cedar has now “weathered” and with a fair forecast i.e. “this weekend it will mostly be, not raining” (that’s as good as it gets), we’ll complete the first coat of the UV protection oil.

Before (+ outside lights – too small? or just right?)

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

And after. Really not sure about the finish, even with more coats due. Seem to have very different absorption rates, giving partial, yet random, ‘silk’ and dull finishes.

• 

• 

• 

With the sun finally making a prolonged appearance the solar panels are generating a reasonable amount of electricity, more than we use, meaning it heads straight back to the grid. Applied to Bulb for their Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) and we were duly informed that we’d need a smart meter. Engage ‘smug mode’ – already booked. Well Kryten, you can wipe that look off your face. The meter was installed, but wasn’t able to connect to the network. Seriously? Yes seriously. It’s the third (and last time!) Scottish Power have tried to make us ‘smart’. They may have succeeded, we’ll start looking for a competent supplier – any suggestions?