thefluteboy

Spring is finally here. The blossoms are on the trees, and the grass needs more frequent cutting - else it gets invaded by dandelions and daisies. We are also now afforded the opportunity to make that back garden a might more pleasant than it currently is. Last year we succeeded in raising and slabbing the lower area at the back, and then dressing it off with a summer house. We also planted a selection of climbing roses for the front and back.

One other thing we did was demarcate an area of the garden - partially shaded by one cherry and three apple trees - for the planting of ferns, shrubs and ground cover plants. This we had weeded and rotovated, and is now ready to receive. That recent benefit backpayment is allowing us to hire a proper gardener to do the task. Our own Charlie Dimmock. She will be visiting in a couple of days to move some roses for us, and to see if that old church wall will allow us to drive some wire hooks into it. We meanwhile, must order two half-ton sacks of soil improver to help this whole thing stand a chance. She did a couple of mockup drawings for us, and this has got us hopeful of a pretty garden!

We recently hired a skip, as there was a lot of crud to throw out. This included one of our two sofas, as one had been ravaged by mould. This mould invasion was kindly provided by our 1950's-era property. A knackered reclining armchair also went, and this was replaced by a rise and tilt armchair, that the original owner must have paid £1,750 for. We received it for the more palatable amount of £200. The increase in room has also allowed me to take my vinyl records out of hiding! A 2x2 Ikea Kallax is perfect for holding vinyl. Paint it grey, staple a 30x30" sheet of hardboard on the back, screw some 6" wooden legs on the bottom, and the result is delicious. Vinyl deserves respect! It also deserves not to be hidden.

The wall-mounted 32" TV has also been resited, and made us realise how small it really is! It kept us going for 11 years, and will no doubt end up in her bedroom. As for a larger TV - £200 now buys you a 43" screen. It is astounding how the price of these things has fallen. We paid £160 for the older one, which uses the older LCD technology, while todays TV's use the more reliable LED method. They have also become a damn sight lighter in weight. The progress of technology continues to astound me. That said, Spotify can never replace vinyl and CD's! Holding a physical item just matters.