What else has been happening whilst we have been waiting for electricity? Around the site there has been steady (if slow) progress.

Brick cleaning..................is finished!!!! After a herculean effort by Richard and to a pressing deadline, all the bricks are cleaned and stacked, or have already been built into barn 3. It's not been a fun job and friends and family have all chipped in (geddit?), but the vast majority of it was done by Mr Brick himself. I think it would be safe to say that he would never want to clean another brick in his life. The front of the barns has been cleared of bricks and looks much tidier, and the bricks are all nicely stacked onto pallets in the courtyard.

Windows in barn 2 are installed and make it look so much better. The 'barn' doors are also fitted in both barn 1 and 2. These look like half timbered barn doors from the outside but from the inside just look like a window. The idea was to preserve the appearance of stables and cowsheds but without having a load of long glass doors and windows.

Barn 3 is almost ready for the roof. There is some final brickwork to finish off the apexes and then the felt, battens and tiles will be added. The bricklayer is back with us next week so we are hopeful of some speedy process in the good weather.  We already have residents in the kitchen - I startled a baby blackbird yesterday which had fledged from it's nest in the floor joists. The tell-tale droppings in the middle of the kitchen gave it away. At least it has time to grow up and leave home before the roof and windows go in!