December 2005

Got the keys at last.

Our new home :-(

Not very appealing.

Demolition

Might as well start somewhere.

The Courtyard

We'll live here.

A Kitchen?

Christmas Day.

Santa must have forgotten us.

Kitchen in Chaos

..but this is where we'll have to cook Christmas Dinner anyway.

Strange little room.

Living room was divided by a strange little wall. That'll soon be gone.

Wall Paper.

Definately not ready yet to hang the wallpaper.

Playing Sandcastles.

10 tonnes to be moved by lunch.

But oh, that lounge.

Neither appealing or even warm.

The Headless Ghost

Every Christmas needs a ghost story. Rumour says the ghost will haunt the house at Christmas now for ever.

Wall's End!!!

At last, the little wall has gone and it's looking more like a living room.

Still muck to shift.

And concrete to lay.

It all arrived in one go and the floors were laid in a day. But there'd been lots of preparation first

The 'Barn'

Before the concrete was brought in, this is how the barn looked.

Back in the House.

From the roof.

Finally made it to the roof and into what would later become the upper floor of gites.

Cladding walls

And putting windows in.

Kitchen's taking shape

Clean Kitchen

It's finally getting healther to eat around here.

Inner Walls

More studding and plaster board start to give some form to the inside.

Studding

Septic Tank Arrives

Preparations have to be got underway for the fitting of the new septic tank - the most expensive of the contracted out jobs needed.

Lots of Digging

Before the septic tank could be fitted, lots of trenches had to be dug and pipes laid.

It's here.

A full 5 cubic metres of septic tank.

Pipes in place

Pipes in place to connect to the tank.

Level the ground

After the tank is fitted, the ground is levelled to take a raised swimming pool.

Nice and smooth boys.

Ornaments.

Gradually, the work was revealing a wealth of ornamets to place around the site giving a rustic feel.

Electricians finally arrived!

The Courtyard

What Joy!

Joy learns new skills.

As a lad

I used to like playing with building bricks.

Serious walls

Stud walling is OK in the gites, but something more solid has to go in to seperate the different properties.

More Walls

What Ceilings?

Solid Wood Floors

No chipboard floors here matey!

Going up?

Save the Fireplace.

Get back to work

Ooh. Looks Promising.

B***er it.

We're having a day off for a change.

Back to the Beach.

More interesting finds.

An old butter churn emerged from the barn and is now standing on display in the Courtyard.

Swimming Pool.

Simon just had to test it out.

Gravel

Tom and Simon shovelling the gravel, but Tom was probably shovelling something else.

At Last.

The Couryard is cleared of sand, gravel, breeze blocks and rubbish. Time to make it look attractive.

Inside too.

The insides are also beginning to take on an almost finished appearance.

Furniture In.

Some excellent antique and traditional furniture has been found for the gites.

Windows.

A simple window, but the planning problems to put the in were bordering on the ridiculous.

Still plastering to do.

Renoir

The fireplace in Renoir Gite is now ready for action.

Light the fire

Start a Garden

Purely for themselves, Joy and Simon are slowly getting a garden sorted at the rear of the property.

E.D.F.

Forgot to mention earlier that Electricite de France has to put in power and the gites had to be completely wired.

Joy's Path.

With a bit of decorative gravel and a field-stone path laid to the gites, the Courtyard is beginning to look quite attractive.

Inside.

Typical Kitchen.

The kitchens are designed for holiday accommodation. However, they've been kitted out with all the essentials.

Stunnning Beds.

Looking Good

Kitchens Again.

Ahhh.

Isn't it pretty.

Tommy's Accordion.

If I'm going to spend hours building this website, me and my pal Tommy can be in one of the pictures. So there!

Our House

The stairs are now taking shape in Joy and Simon's accommodation.

Wow. What a difference.

With it's new worksurfaces and white goods, the kitchen for Joy and Simon is finally looking like a nice place to be.

Remember the Lounge?

Just a bath.

But if you'd seen the original bathroom, you'd appreciate why this photo is so appealing.

Stair Crazy.

Now the stairs are really looking something different.

So are the bedrooms.

Comfortable Accommodation

For the guests, the accommodation is comfortable and modern where necessary, but not clinically so. Chunky seats invite a site down.

It's Finished.

Or we'd like to think so; However, a regular program of maintenance will keep Joy and Simon busy for years to come.