Ben the Bricky and giant beams arrive!

Ben started with the internal wall, poor bugger had a bad cold and the weather was not as nice as it should be, I can't believe its Christmas Day tomorrow. I need to go shopping as I have no presents for the boys! Carrafour here we come.

I made him eat stew!

Looking good Ben!

Larder, Wardrobe and bathroom all taking shape in brick.

Rich and Simon had a small road trip to collect the large timber beams for the roof supports. We have been put in contact with a great wood merchants by Jose, the problem is that it's a 2 hour drive away. However, the low prices really really, make it worth while driving that far. They arrived back in the dark and we called on some "Oranges", Miles and Ollie to come and help unload in the dark. Poor Ollie trapped his finger, hope it does not stop him from climbing!

Careful Ollie!

Next day was Christmas Day and we had arranged a rest day. The plan was to play on the crag above the house, do some new routing and play on the mountain board. Change of plan as it decided to piss it down and spoil our fun. Good job we had Mums house to go and hide in. Christmas dinner of roast veg, ready cooked chickens, Aunt Bessies and loads of chocolates helped to make it feel a little better and was very chilled. Ben slept through his meal poor thing!

We wanted to go back to work on Boxing day but ........ the rain makes the road impossible to drive up and down and its blowing a gale, great to dry everything out but Ben can't do any brick work and Simon can't work with the frame. Also the caravan leaks right over our pillows, the ground around the caravans is a mud bath, the dogs have no where to go, the horses are miserable. You can imagine my mood is improving daily!

Thursday and the sun is out again and the wind has dropped, time to start again. Rich helps Simon to frame out the top support, this is the frame that will take all the large beams. The Nissan is used to takes a few of the giant beams up at a time so all looking better.

Rich will head down on Friday to collect the rest of them, but we need to do some work on the large trailer first, Rich is worried about the bolts holding the tow bar in place. Lets hope the shops are open today!

Rich and Simon showing how strong the frame is!

I get a email later that afternoon from the wood place to say they are only open in the morning but Rich can't find the bolts he needs so is not that happy to head back down. All the main shops that we can think to try for the bolts are bloody closed! We had pinched bolts from the old caravans, horse box etc and it would be pushing it to head down again. Sometimes this country really can make life a challenge. We decide to head down on Monday. Later that afternoon I remember a great shop in Altea for builders bits, Rich heads over on his motorbike and is a happy bunny when he finds what he needs. He heads back over and starts to repair the trailer, would you believe though he bought the wrong size! Stay calm Sam he can head on over again in the morning, only that will be Saturday and who knows if it is open on a Saturday morning! Yes it is and finally we have a safe trailer to use for the rest of the roof.

THEN, we receive an email from Isabelle at the wood yard saying they are now closed for the holidays and they will reopen on the 7th! I really don't believe this.

I translate the email from Spanish into English and thank goodness she said that someone would be in the office on the Monday morning and if we want to, we can come down and collect. Sort of a good thing as Simon leaves on Sunday and he is really the only one that can fit the roof as he has redesigned how the beams will sit on the frame.

Top frame complete.

The top frame is now complete, Ben has gone back to the UK to spend New Year in Manchester and time for the windows to go in. We had a stroke of luck with our windows thanks to facebook.

We have a page over here called "sell your stuff Spain". You would never, ever believe the stuff that people try to sell, but you can find some bargains. In May I spotted a girl advertising a selection of 7 windows that had been taken from a house that was demolished as the owner didn't like the way it faced! The house cost her a cool 1 million euros!

The girl was asking around 300 euros each window and some are massive and all hard wood and double glazed. I got in touch and I knew that it was a bargain but as the house was so far in the future I said we could not afford that much. I decided to keep my eye on the advert and I did see them coming down in the price a few times. I still didn't think it was time to make an offer.

A few months passed and then one day I happened to see that she said "anyone make me an offer around 500€ and they can come and take the lot". I jumped on the pc and said "we can come and get them today". When we arrived I was so shocked at the quality and size. 2 are also stained glass arched top windows. When she asked for 400 I was even more happy. I do know that these are the best bargain for the house.

Bedroom window in place, not a bad view!

Afternoon sun through the stained glass!

Monday and time to head down and collect the rest of the beams! Why is nothing in my life bloody simple! Rich says "can you call em before I leave to make sure they are open". Good idea only my ipad has died that has the number on it, laptop screen has buggered and the battery power has died as not enough sun for the solar panels! AND we can't start the generator as we put all the fuel in the car last night and forgot to buy more! ;0) happiness happiness!!!!!

Rich says he will set off anyway and I say I will call them when the power comes back on. I can't head to The Orange House as Jose is on his way!

I finally get the number and call Yecla wood yard. Paco says "hola" and I try in my crap, stupid Spanish to explain that my husband in on route and please can he let him in. He says "well I am only here for a short while as I have to go to the bank and if the wood is not ready that he can't take it. SHIT! I call Rich to see how long he will be, but he loves to play his music loud and does not answer. Things just get better and better. At last Rich calls me back, I call Paco and tell him Rich is 30 mins away and please don't leave.  Wood collected and Rich on route back, bloody hell please can things start to go a little better.

Simon is making great progress and we have all the windows in place. Rich takes over the brick wall and Orange House starting to get quieter, all is looking better.

It can't last can it?

Little Pippa found a nice spot to hide! 

Simon arrived and so did the stress!

As we knew Simon was due any day, Rich was under pressure to finish the block work wall to get us out of the ground and to give us a base to place the strawbales. After his masterclass from Clive he was on a roll and he worked his arse off to get it all finished. He layed 2 blocks side by side, all the way around with a 10cm gap in the middle, he then filled that gap and each block. So much for my eco build with no cement.

In the original plans the internal walls had been timber and stud work. However, Irene and Jose decided that a better option would be for a red brick internal wall, stronger for the support of the beams and able to hold more heat in the winter when we want the house to stay toasty!. That was fine but I asked the question "what does this wall sit on?" To which Irene replied "on your cement floor of course".

It was late at night, I was tired, Simon was on his way and for the first time on the build I broke down and sobbed! I really did not want more cement. I did not want to have to wait for the floor to be completed before we could start the internal wall and then wait to be able to put the beams on it!

I spoke to Rich and must have sounded like a spoilt brat as I said, stamping my feet, "I AM NOT HAVING MORE BLOODY CEMENT!"

I stopped crying and sat and sent an email to Irene explaining that I really did not want to hold up the timber frame and did not want a cement floor. I went to bed a tad worried.

In the morning an email was waiting, bless her it said "yeh no worries Sam, I understand, but you need to build another block work wall through the centre of the house, one line this time, to support the brick wall". One happy Sam, although poor Rich then had to build another block work wall.

Simon left Bristol with my horse box in tow, full of car parts and xmas shopping from Tesco. He arrived safe and sound and the day after I pushed him in the van with me and headed off down to Murcia to collect the first load of timber. 108 3 metres lengths of 40x90cm. Heavy duty stuff!

We knew that another visit was needed in a few days but at least Simon could get started. We had a few telephone conversations with Irene to sort out the dimensions for the frame and started to get the wood up the hill for the cutting to commence. Rich moaned as I then sent him down a few days later to collect the rest of the wood and the membrane that we needed.

The red brick wall was just too much for Rich to tackle, so bless him, Phil came to our rescue at 8.30am on Sunday morning before Christmas to start the wall. Shame that the day before Rich had a senior moment and didn't get enough bricks (of course it was my fault though!) Half a day gone and half a wall had flown up. Here they are having a very British tea break....

Tea Break!

In the same photo are the timber frames laying down all cut to size. Things starting to feel real. So far I am not enjoying the build, too much stress getting the building materials to site, Rich working way to hard moving the materials to site. His back is killing him and he insists on lifting stuff around. Must be a man thing!

I guess that building a house at the busiest time of year for The Orange House, and with 2 new rescue horses and dogs I could not have made it harder for us if I tried! All we need now is for it to rain and blow a gale!

Ben my youngest son arrived on Sunday evening and we told him that he could have a small lie and then we needed him to finish the internal walls. He is at Plymouth College doing bricklaying. Poor bugger moaned and me for the tools he was expected to use, the mix of cement, the unlevel level and on and on! He is a tad slower than Phil but I am really happy that I will be able to say that my boy helped to build our house. Thanks Ben Ben. 

Out of the ground and new caravan!

We had some bad weather last week and I am very happy to report that Rich and the Oranges managed to get this finished just in time, and I mean the day it rained. The girls now have a nice shelter to stand underneath. Which of course they don't do naturally, they prefer to stand and get wet!

Paloma walking out as no food! 

We had some great rainbows all over the place, can you spot the double one?

Double rainbow from Orange House 

With the blue lines all drawn on the ground it was time to start laying some concrete (I know, I hate it but nearly done with it!) blocks to start the walls. The strawbales will sit "end up" on top of this wall.

Now Rich has laid these blocks before but never with such importance! I don't know how it happened but friends Kate and Clive (who was a builder) asked if they could visit and take a look. We really could not have planned it any better as it turned into a Master Class for Rich.

First problem was we didn't have a spirit level that was bloody level and we have 3! A mad dash to Orange House to borrow Kev our joiners one, which was working thank goodness.

Then the boys soon realised how wonky the cement foundation are. One corner up, the other down and up and down like a mini rollercoaster. So glad we found all this out before we then started! Clive you are a star!

Hmm is it straight?

You can see on this photo the cement under the far corner and how much more is under this side! All makes it more interesting, and what is amazing is that Rich will be able to say he has built his own house with his own fair hands!

During Jose's last visit we had a meeting about the timber we are going to use. We agreed on the uprights for the frame (9cm x 4.5cm) and called the contact down in Yecla, Murcia. A long way to travel to collect it but a great price, so has to be done.

Irene had specified new modern larger beams to hold up the roof, but I had other ideas!

The house we lived in up in Sella mountains has had a new roof and the old beams taken out. Tony wanted to cut em up for fire wood, bless him I said no! We brought one down to the site and Jose had a look and said he would speak to Irene, he did think she would say no as they can't be guaranteed! I had fingers and toes crossed while he called her and she said yes! as long as they are all inspected and look and feel OK. That has saved us a small fortune and to be honest what I really wanted to give the house a more ethnic and natural feel. Also it will be lovely to have some of our other house down here with us.

My lovely wood!

Another great piece of luck this week, is thanks again to Kate and Clive. We went to visit them last week and I spotted an old caravan over the hill from their house in a neighbours garden. Kate said she would give him a call and see what he wanted to do with it. He said come and get it, no money, yippee! It had no door by the way and only one wheel!

We pinched a wheel from one of the other vans on the land and Kev made us a new door from an old door from The Orange House. you know me I never waste anything!

Rich and Ollie spent a few hours changing wheels and then she was ready to drive up onto the land. Now I have no idea what Rich was thinking as the ground was still wet from the rain, but he thought he would tow all the way up and around the first bend! erm that didn't quite go the plan and the new van got well and truly stuck!

Caravan tug of war!

After a few hours of tug of war with the 2 cars, we ditched the Nissan, I attached the caravan to the Rav and pulled her around. This bit we really should have filmed as the she did turn, but then the slack let her roll very fast back down the hill. With the rope stretch she bounced around a bit but thank goodness the rope held and she didn't end up back down on the road!

Eventually she was put into place and given a quick make over with fabric and a staple gun anda few rugs, we now have a very cool little bedroom. This means that the motorhome can come back to The Orange House for if we need to make a quick getaway!

Rich and Sean are on the land as I type and I am hoping that the main base walls will be in by the end of today.