They came about a month ago, and sprayed a blue line around our exterior water stopcock cover.
Since then a number of high-viz-jacket-wearing-workers have come to inspect. Some held clip-boards, some measured, and others just looked and took photographs.
Then yesterday I heard some banging outdoors, so I went to talk to the man who was digging a hole.
There was a leak in the stopcock he told me, and it had to be replaced.
I asked if the water would be turned off. He said maybe for a couple of minutes, but no more. I filled the kettle just in case.
When done he knocked on the door, and proudly showed me the replaced flagstone, as well as some tarmac around the surface of the new cast-iron inspection cover. He assured me that another man would come the next day and replace the tarmac with concrete, which is what the above photo now shows.
The finish is perfect, and a very aesthetic looking mend has been left for us to admire. No cat or dog has walked though the fresh concrete, nor did I scratch 'Cro' into the wet surface. I almost wish I had.
I always love to see the paws of the dogs that walked on the wet concrete on the sidewalks here. It's quiet here for now and I have time to pretend everything is fine...
ReplyDeleteThat's good to hear Yael. Let's all hope that things calm down a bit after all the recent diplomatic manoeuvres.
DeleteYes I love those paw signatures too Yael
DeleteJust like new.
ReplyDeleteIt's better than it was before. Nice neat job.
DeleteCro, you didn't scratch anything into the wet concrete... shame!
ReplyDeleteOur house in Leeds was an Overseer's house when the mill down the road was open and the roads were such that everyone from the back-to-backs and quarter houses had to pass the terrace of overseers' houses on their way to t'mill!
The York sandstone paviors were lime mortared in place and about five doors up there was [and probably still is] the imprint of a child size hobnailed clog.
Yes, I photographed it.... it is a statement made by that foot, deliberate or not, one hundred years back!!
Yael, please stay safe!!
My people built a house back in about 1853, with a big open terrace behind facing the garden. When the concrete was still wet our cat walked through it several times and left a lovely set of paw prints. We treasured them.
Delete1853 ??? That should be 1953 !
DeleteCro-ing about your new stopcock cover I see. Stopcock! sounds like the slogan of a natural birth control campaign.
ReplyDelete'Stopcock cover' sounds even safer!
DeleteThere's a new repair there? all I see is grubby squares of old concrete. But at least you knew the water would be off so you could fill the kettle.
ReplyDelete'Mellow concrete flagstones' are the words you were looking for. I like them.
DeleteNot sure I would be was so lyrical about a small area of concrete. Pity it doesn't have Billy's paw print on it - for posterity.
ReplyDeleteIt was the only thing of interest that happened yesterday. A dull day.
DeleteThere was sadness in my reading of this Cro. About three years ago for some now forgotten reason I had to have my landline moved and the men put a new connection up the middle of the front lawn and through the wall there, leaving a neat line of concrete where they had gone through the path. Ten minutes later Tess, my Border Terrier, went out to investigate - and I have a line of paw prints in the concrete. Six weeks later I had to have her put to sleep - now I love those prints and look at them every day.
ReplyDeleteYou may have read above about our cat's paw prints across a large new terrace. We loved them.
DeleteQuite nicely done. Efficiently, too. I am reminded of the wire on the ground back in France...
ReplyDeleteOh dear, I fear that'll still be there next Summer.
DeleteLooking good. It is great to have everything in tip-top condition. Is there still time to engrave the cement? Billy's paw print would be a nice touch.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to take him outside and press his paw into the wet concrete, but he's not that sort of dog. He would panic and make a terrible mess.
DeleteI left my name and a date, in the floor of a house in Orlando, I hope it was noticed when the carpet was replaced.
ReplyDeleteUp at our (now sold) barn, someone had scratched the build date onto an outside wall. I only noticed it after having owned it for several years.
DeleteThey've done a good job and no major water cut.
ReplyDeleteA painless mending job.
DeleteI must be a really fussy old bat, I wouldn't have accepted the finished result.
ReplyDeleteI would expect the flagstone to have been repaired properly, and the finished concrete looking a lot tidier than that!
Perhaps the photograph doesn't do it justice?