Lucas the foundation guy called today: the window-ectomy will be done the day after tomorrow (Thursday). The rest of the work -- waterproofing, the lion's share of the project -- can't start until 28 May, however, and that's only if the weather cooperates.

With the big push not starting for two more weeks, I asked Marco the painter to come back and abolish the puce-and-purple colour scheme in the library-cum-music room. As it happens, Stratford is due for three days of rain, starting today, and Marco's current contracts are all for exterior work, so he was thrilled to say yes, can he start tomorrow? So today I unloaded the bookcases (books are stacked all over the place) and cleared for action. I'm so glad I reduced the library as much as I did!

The first load of stuff for the church variety sale went out on Monday, and I have at least two more loads to go. I'm getting really ruthless now -- Edmund's matching portraits of Ulysses S Grant and Stonewall Jackson have left the building. Surely there's a Civil War buff in Stratford with a bit of bare wall and a taste for church rummage sales?