Monday 23 May 2011

They're coming...

Every few years, they put scaffolding up at our compact but adorable city apartment, and they are doing it right now as I write.

It's always a bloody nightmare, 24 hours a day for the whole time it is up, and they say that this lot is going to stay up for weeks whilst they carry out basic maintenance to the 5 buildings that are owned by the same company in our street.

Scaffolders and builders don't seem to realise that gentlemen like myself do not start their day about 2 minutes after dawn has broken, and it is very difficult to write unselfconsciously with a bloke in a yellow hard-hat staring at you through the window 25 feet off the ground and making loud hints about how a cup of tea wouldn't go amiss.

It's no better at night, because one has both drunkards and burglars to contend with after dark. The drunkards are usually too drunk to realise that the scaffold has been alarmed, and the burglars don't care. Nobody takes any notice of alarms going off in the middle of town, or anywhere else for that matter.

I have my fabulous collection of antique glass and rusty candlesticks to protect. Her Indoors has her vast collection of designer clothing - she has a hard enough job protecting it against moths, but I suppose at least it is insured against theft. Anyway, I can't see any of the builders being able to get into a size 10, so she need not worry too much.

Then there is the added discomfort of trying to have a shower with a hairy builder watching you from 2 feet away at 8.00 in the morning. I know this would be an attractive proposition for some of you, but not me. Honest.

And the reduction in light - once the scaffold is up, we will have about 50% less of it front and back for weeks.

Oh shit, I'm not looking forward to this. You may find my posts unusually stilted in the coming days.


12 comments:

  1. I trust you'll be returning home via the new route over the next few days. Wearing a tweed covered hard-hat, of course.

    ReplyDelete
  2. At your age, you should be flattered that anyone would want to look at you in the shower.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Why are you trying to have a shower with a hairy builder?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hairy builders! Do you have photos? m.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Would it not be good timing for you and H.I. to head off on a state visit to some European Capital where they would put you up in their scaffolding-free palaces? We'd have you over here but we're still getting back to rights after our burst of energetic dusting and painting for QE II.

    ReplyDelete
  6. stilted comments and blogs?
    ocassionally bad humour?
    not like you my friend!!!

    chin up
    at least your guttering will be clean

    ReplyDelete
  7. You dared to post Her Indoors clothing size. I would be annoyed by all that activity. They are being paid by the hour I suppose.

    ReplyDelete
  8. They don't actually WANT to look at me, Grouch - it's just part of the job.

    They're getting the place ready for Obama's state visit. You could eat your dinner off my gutter.

    I wouldn't have posted up her size if it were over 15, Olive.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh,..so it is your job to let them do that part of their job?

    ReplyDelete
  10. I understand your problem, except that the worker looks at you in the shower! :-)

    Greetings
    Jérôme

    ReplyDelete