We’re three months in and have at least as many leaks. The roof is bad, this much we knew but we haven’t been able to touch it yet and so we are muddling through with a patched job and daily wondering why it is that a pipe is leaking directly from the roof into our airing cupboard!

The big move from London to the countryside has taken some adjustment and so we have spent much of our time here so far getting to grips with our new world and throwing ourselves into the jobs that could be tackled without the approval of the planning office.  So, the chimneys have been swept, the Aga lit and otherwise the house is pretty much as we found it.

The garden has been the focus of most of our energy and some progress has been made.  The formal garden was designed by the architect to reflect the shape and plan of the house and as a result the shape of the garden wall is just beautiful.  When we arrived it was totally covered in brambles and weeds but after an initial stab at it ourselves, our wonderful gardeners John and Duncan have cleared the whole length of it.  We can’t wait to get planting to recreate a glorious floral border but its going to take a while.

We are also on a horticultural crash course and one of the lessons is that all these brambles will return soon and so we’ll repeat the process in the spring.

In the foreground you can see the Waterlily Pond, also part of the original plan for the house and one for the project list. The duck weed has taken over and the water level is very low indicating a leak.  One for another day.