The artisans are here!

My first blog!

I am not actually living at the Chateau yet but things have started moving on the renovation front so I thought now was the best time to start blogging.

I just spent the weekend at the Chateau with Emily, her family and her Australian cousins, Rick and Tracy who have just flown in from Adelaide for a grand tour of Europe. I had driven down to Savennes in Em's Parent's company van to deliver all of our bathrooms. We had a bit of a nightmare because the next day after the drive down the van broke and we had to get it fixed at the local Renault Garage in Ussel. However, I was due to drive back on monday but they said it wouldn't be ready till Tuesday. It actually ended up being Wednesday when it was actually ready.

Anyway, this turned out to be a bit of a blessing in disguise because on Tuesday all of our tradesmen (or artisans as they call them out here) turned up at once to discuss the impending work. Monsieur Laine is my main man - he is the decorator and plasterer and has the most work to do out of all of them. I get on really well with him and he is very patient with me and my woeful french. Monsieur Huin is the plumber and he is crucial to the success of the renovation. He needs to work closely with Mr Laine to coordinate when things get done. Monsieur Faye is the electrician. He turned up with the Mayor and his daughter who introduced him to me for the first time.

We walked around the chateau together confirming everything that needs to be done - which is a lot! They all left by lunch time - midday on the dot of course!

Monsieur Laine returned in the afternoon keen to get on with things and by the time he left at 6 he had already stripped all of the wallpaper off of Suite 1's sitting room.

The next day they all turned up at 8.30 and Mr huin brought along a couple of his assistants too. I was still in bed! I didn't get a shower because they not only turned the mains water off but they ripped out the shower too!

By 1oam Suite 1 was gone. The bath, basin, shower and wallpaper from all 3 rooms. They work damn quick. And much to my surprise Mr Faye was back and, having only been introduced to me the day before, he had started work and had already stripped out all of the lights, sockets, switches and wiring from the whole suite! We haven't even got a Devis (quote) from him yet! I asked Mr Laine about it and he said it was Ok and he would make us the devis "rapidement". Its a bit of a worry because we haven't budgeted for it.

Mr Laine kindly gave me a lift to Ussel to retrieve the van. We chatted all the way - luckily I had my dictionary with me so I could keep up.

Mr Huin wasn't there in the afternoon and so I had to tell one of his assistants about changing the position of the water heaters on the ground floor. I hope he understood me! I am sure he did.

I eventually left them to it at 3pm and set off on my marathon journey back to England. I hope they will be Ok for 3 weeks without me. They had a lot of questions on the first day so I can't wait to get back there just in case there are more decisions to make.

I eventually got home at 3 in the morning after driving for 12 hours (I had to go to Oxford to drop off the van and collect my Land Rover). Needless to say I was knackered, but I had pleasant dreams safe in the knowledge that the work had started and we are well on our way to opening the chateau for business.

My next posting will be on Thursday 23rd March which is when I arrive in France for good!