May bank holiday weekend

Hard at work on finishing the bathroom.  There seems to be more finishing off than actual decoration!

Bathroom window with curtains

The curtains have been made and hung from the new curtain track.  Truth to tell, they are hardly new curtains having been roughly adapted from curtains made over 37 years ago for our first flat in the Barbican.   They pre-date Rupert!  In that first flat we had very high ceilings and a window across the complete end wall of the flat.   The fabric was then used to make curtains for our North Norfolk cottage and some of it ended up in the loo in Chester Place.   Now the last remnant has found it's way to Southwold, with just a bit left over.   What to do with this last piece of history?   Maybe a matching laundry bag for the bathroom?! The strips go well with the royal blue tiles we inherited.

Waiting for toilet seat and bath panel

Peter is eyeing up the shower rail...or shower wire and thinking about how to fix it.  All the walls have been dry lined so there is not much to fix into.  Then there's the new fangled toilet seat to fix and the bath panel to make.   Some of these jobs are being put off in favour of tackling the floor.

Before and after (top three and a half rows)

We have been puzzled by the state of the black tiles in the bathroom.  At first we thought it was dirt that was making them look grey and ashy.  Then we thought it was lime scale.  After much experimentation we have decided they were finished with some kind of product that over the years has hardened and gone off.   Nothing dissolves it so the only solution that we have so far come up with is to scrape it off!   We have so far tackled three rows.  Eleven more rows to do.   It's very hard work and as I type Peter is at the DIY store buying more blades for the scrapers.

Today though as a break from scraping on our knees we have friends coming for lunch.   I have made a Nigella Lawson tray bake: Chicken, sausage, chorizo, red onion, potatoes, oregano and orange zest.  And a pot of lentils. And a green salad.   Just a light lunch!  I had every intention of taking a photo before serving, but the glass of wine completely drove it out of my head.   It was delicious though!

Before cooking

Meanwhile, in the garden, the tulips are still putting on a show.

Been flowering for over a month!