Tuesday 1 April 2014

Revelations and renovations

Bloody hell, what a week.  I don't know what was most shocking - seeing a skip fill up with bits of my home (more on that in a mo), or the enjoyment I got from the Chas 'n' Dave documentary, 'Last Orders' on BBC4.  I mean, this weekend we watched two music programmes - the one I've just mentioned and the one on Robert Plant, and there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the former was far more interesting and entertaining by a mile.  Did you see it?  Did you see the clip from BBC Breakfast Time when Chas 'n' Dave were interviewed by Selina Scott and Nick Ross?  Unbelievable.   "Tell me...why do you wear braces?" was one of the questions from Selina, with no attempt to disguise the snigger in her voice.  "To 'old me trowsiz up" was the simultaneous reply from the interviewees.  The look on their faces as they tried to keep it civil whilst being patronised and treated like some alien species by their smug and incredulous hosts actually brought the Bill Grundy/Pistols incident to my mind.  It really wasn't that far removed, and could just as easily have been John and Steve sitting on the breakfast TV sofa wondering what the fuck they were doing there.  I saw the Rockney duo in a whole new light after that programme.  Just wish I'd had a bit more respect for them when they did an album signing at the record shop I worked in during the early '80s.  I'm afraid I was slightly embarrassed about the whole thing at the time.

So that was one surprising revelation.  Here are some others from the past few days:


We took out a door frame and found the original red brick wall, layers of dark orange paint and some good old '70s (?) brown and white patterned wallpaper beneath it...  I love the way you get a kind of palimpsest (a favourite word, that - any excuse to use it) when you strip back those layers.  A snappy(ish) phrase came to mind, one that you don't want to try without your teeth in: "decades of decaying decor".

If I seem a bit out of sorts at the moment it may be because my kitchen looks like this


...which resembles a sort of warped Mondrian to my tired mind right now.  Whaddya reckon to the light switch hanging from the ceiling, eh? (if you look closely, top centre).  An art installation?

Meanwhile, back in the living room, it's all about plaster... but I'm liking those parallel lines.


And as for the back wall of the 1950s breeze block extension (also part of the kitchen), here's what it looked like earlier today.  When is a door not a door?


I'm shattered.  I can't wait until I no longer taste dust.


12 comments:

  1. That place is blown up C...but that should mean a striking result.

    Sorry about the dust but I love the lines...and the scraped up bits.

    I look forward to seeing the results.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, it's made a huge difference already and we're only on Phase One... I like the lines and scraped up bits too, as they look in photos, but so look forward to seeing everything painted anew, it's like a rebirth!

      Delete
  2. Have to love Chas n Dave and I'm sorry I missed that doc. Is it on iPlayer? I haven't seen the Robert Plant one yet but did record it - maybe I shouldn't bother? Gertcha!

    I feel your pain regards your house _ bloody HATE chaos, which is probably why we rarely get anything 'done' unless we have to. It'll be worth it, though. Your place looks very characterful. As for 'palimpsest', you ain't wrong.

    Good luck with it all and thanks for choosing this prog classic.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't know if C'n'D are still on iPlayer but last time I looked someone had put the whole doc up on youtube - definitely worth a watch. The RP one was fair enough but it was funny how the difference between the two really struck me. Maybe I just related more to C'nD, more rooted, more real and down-to-earth, with some surprises. RP seemed more predictable!

      Thanks re. the house - it's old and quirky but really needed some TLC. The chaos is more knackering than I could ever have imagined, but the results are already better than I had too. So it is worth it (in the end!)

      I loved the Mighty Baby album when I first had it long time back on the heels of loving the Action of course - no surprise that I had this song going through my head on Tuesday when I saw the back wall with gaping holes where the windows once were.....

      Delete
  3. We had our kitchen completely gutted and replaced about 10 years ago. We went on holiday and left them to it - I remember coming back - new kitchen, new ceiling etc. but the dust! Everywhere - my wife was in shock for days I'm sure

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good idea to go away! I'm shocked at the amount of dust too. It's everywhere, it's in places I didn't even know we had ;-)

      Delete
  4. One day that's all we'll be. Dust.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Already feel like I am!
      .... All this not helped by the fine layer of Saharan sand covering everything outside here at the moment too.

      Delete
  5. I tremble when I read your kitchen story.....in the nineties we had a whole house virtually gutted and still lived in it....at one time no running water or electricity....I could do a nitemare series of post on that year...thanks to Terry the Fireman

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh Old Pa that does sound like a nightmare.... I'd like to read more if the trembling doesn't stop you typing it....
      We're having some work done in every room except our bedroom, it's the only sanctuary at the moment, but at least we have water and electricity (and a break until Phase 2 starts). A walk in the park compared to yours by the sound of it!

      Delete
  6. I felt my stress levels rising just reading your post and looking at the photos! We bought a new bathroom suite in the new year sales, which sits in the shed, waiting for the day when we can afford to have it installed, a process that will also include plastering, tiling and new windows. I admire you enormously for having so much work done in one fell swoop - I'd be a jibbering wreck! After we get the bathroom finished I'll need at least a year or two to recover before we move on to the kitchen....though I suspect Mrs S has other ideas.
    I saw the Chas & Dave doc when it first aired. Dave was about to retire at the time, but he's clearly had a change of heart as they now have a new LP out, which is produced by one of my heroes, Joe Henry. I watched the Plant doc last night - he's a funny bloke. He seems to take a moment before saying anything to ensure that it's suitably...mystical. He also appears to have an aversion to actually uttering the words Led and Zeppelin, even when he's talking about his old muckers.
    Great, great tune. I got to know Roger Powell a little bit for a couple of years in the mid-noughties. A diamond geezer, as Chas (or Dave) might say.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry to raise your stress levels! I am a bit of a jibbering wreck to be honest, not helped by having my own work and a tight deadline at same time, it's all a bit much. However, it's been easier in that we have our own 'diamond geezer' doing it ALL. He's multi-skilled so has been able to take care of each stage in the right order - like you say, there's plastering, tiling AND windows, and each job has its own knock-on effect. So to have one person who knows how it all works and doesn't need to co-ordinate it with other people is a massive help. I'm sure he'd do yours too - but you may live a little too far away! Perhaps you could find someone local who could, though, and then just leave them to it! We couldn't afford to do anything until now, but it's been long overdue so we're just being uncharacteristically bold and getting as much done as we can, with the thought that once it's over we can relax again!

      Re Chas'n'Dave, yes seems D had a change of heart - I understand they played the Rebellion punk festival too last year - I thought it seemed a bit ridiculous at the time but oddly it kind of makes more sense now (I just thought of them as punks in their own way after seeing the doc!) I found Plant a bit too 'earnest' really - and I was hoping for more something more controversial too!

      Great about you knowing Roger Powell!

      Delete

Please come in, the door is open

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...