Leaky roof fixed, and cracks in the annexe wall filled up. The builder (Ali - not Asian, however, I suspect he's an Alistair) who is doing the rebuild came round for copies of some of the paperwork. He has been talking to the excise people, and depending on how the job is interpreted, it might be tax-free...or only 5% anyway, with the building being listed. Whatever they decide, he was told it would not be the full 20%. I suspect the plumber and electrician's work will be subject to that, but we'll see.

Got 4 more boxes of packing paper to the tip today. 2 more to go, and also the ones in the annexe and shed that still need unpacking. Shoulder permiting, I may have a go at some more today.

Popped the crab apple into the garden yesterday. The soil is very good, so we'll see how it does. It did look like it might be trying to put out new feeder roots when I took it out of the pot. It was quite pot-bound. There's not a lot else that I can do in the garden, really, given that it'll be hidden under building material before long.

Andrea