No smoke without a fire

Previously on this blog…a while ago, we tried to order a gas fire for the extension and the one we chose had been discontinued. This was the Manhattan Ceramica. So we changed, selecting another type. This was the Stealth. It seemed like ages before the fire fitter guy (Stealthy Dave) turned up to fit it. It was because he’d lost a worker. Still, he tried to fit it only to be thwarted by a couple of fittings that didn’t. He rang the Netherlands to get the parts replaced and left a pile in the corner of the extension. Fast forward a few weeks and the parts had arrived. We’d arranged for him to come round today and fit it.

Mirinda didn’t hold out much hope that we’d have a fire after today and, I hate to say it, she was right. Stealthy Dave turned up just after Builder Dave (which was opportune because Builder Dave wanted to talk to him) and then with his new assistant, Dan, he brought in the new bits. Then he tried to, once more, fit the fire.

I left them to it. I also left Builder Dave to painting the exterior of the Bee Window with masonry paint. I went into the office with the dogs.

A couple of hours later and the news was all bad. Stealthy Dave said he was going to start ripping his hair out. Well, he would if he had any. The exhaust pipe still didn’t fit. It’s a combined flue, which means it has two pipes, one inside the other. While the smaller, inside pipe fitted perfectly, the outer one had the same diameter as the one it was supposed to connect to. Clearly this wasn’t going to attach.

And so he was back on the phone to the Netherlands to try and work it out. Eventually he managed to get them to send a complete new unit, after testing to make sure that the pipes fit properly. This should arrive by the end of next week. Stealthy Dave was full of apologies and said he’d squeeze us in to his already booked out schedule and fit it as soon as it arrives.

I told him it was rather good that we had under floor heating as the weather has started to get a tad chilly at night. He agreed.

Anyway, the upshot is, we still have no gas fire. The bits in the corner of the extension have increased by the extra bits but otherwise, everything is just about the same…as John Prine famously sang. Actually, the old bits and pieces will go on Thursday, clearing up the corner for Emma to store more bits of garden and shoes. Stealthy Dave wants to give the old one to their sales rep. I’m hoping he doesn’t carry out his threat to insert it somewhere it was never designed to go.

So, basically a real waste of a morning for Stealthy Dave.

Not so for Karl the Chippie. He turned up at about 10, prepared to FINALLY put the strike plate back in for the laundry door (the one the decorators lost when they took it out to paint around it). I’m not sure exactly what he did but it involved a lot of tools including a grinder. I’m thinking that maybe he made a new one himself. Whatever he did, the plate works perfectly and looks fine. He was gone by 11:30.

Since Stealthy Dave left early, though, it did mean I could go up to Farnham and do some much needed shopping.

For the last I don’t know how many months, I’ve subsisted on ready made meals during the week. At first it was because I didn’t have a complete kitchen and could easily heat them up in the microwave. I figured it was time I went back to cooking properly. Particularly given the fact that I love using my kitchen so much.

So, with this in mind, I bought the makings of a casserole, prepared it and put it on to slow cook all afternoon. And it was delicious. Not only that, I’ll have the second half tomorrow night.