Our problems with delivery of the hot water tank continued today and even after several 'phone calls I still can't get a better delivery date than Wednesday July 11. It isn't a major problem at this stage as Tony will need to have all the radiators fitted before we can switch on the tank and I doubt if he will have all those fitted before next Wednesday. Tony was only with us for a short time today as he, his partner and his sort of in-laws are off gallivanting at a wedding over the weekend. We think that he may be back in on Monday and no doubt he will have been well primed by Tom that we asked him and Simon if they will have all the work complete by the end of the month. It probably didn't help that we went out again this morning to Plymouth looking for, amongst other things, some bedside table lamps. We didn't find any that we particularly liked and as we have to go to B & Q over the weekend to buy some tongue and groove board for the bathrooms we will probably have a look for some lamps in their odds and ends sale. There is no doubt that when Tony is not on site the work rate drops and it gets even slower if we are not in the house either, so having us all out today meant that little progress was evident.

One of the causes of our frustration is that our living space is getting distinctly cramped and the first photo shows how our living area is dominated by radiators and foam tubing, we have been pushed into a very small sitting area where every flat area apart from one armchair and one settee has something important resting on it. We can't even use the kitchen table as it has the contents of the welsh dresser on it and if we put everything back we know that sure as eggs are eggs we will have to clear it again so that the wall can be plastered. But look on the bright side at least it didn't rain today and I was able to cut the grass while Hilary cleared out the vegetable patch which has been totally decimated by the local rabbit population. No runner beans, peas, blackcurrants or strawberries this year, we are enjoying the logan berries and hope that we might have some plums and we do have flowers on the courgette plants so there is some hope.

While I was cutting the grass - using my new ride on mower no less - I saw Marcus watching me from the window, quite what he does I'm not sure but he isn't the sharpest tool in the box and he certainly isn't the fastest. Even Simon had a slow day today although he has finished plastering the whole of the new bedroom, there is still the new upstairs cupboard and the upstairs bathroom to be plastered and they will probably be next on Simon's list but before then someone has to finish fitting the plasterboard to the walls. The second picture shows the result of Simon's endeavours and as soon as it has dried out we will be picking out the colours for the paintwork.

The final two pictures were taken inside the new upstairs bathroom and the one on the left shows three pipes emerging from the plasterboard where the new over the bath shower will be - this is the first indication that we will have an American style tub spout, control and shower head, God I hope that this thing works when it is all plumbed in. The second picture of the upstairs bathroom shows the framing for the recess behind the vanity unit and of course its associated plumbing - on the far right is the infamous Durgo valve, it's the thing with the grey/white top hiding behind one of the upright bits of wood. Where the loose piece of plasterboard is resting there will be a shelf into a recess and hopefully in that recess will be a mirror with a mirrored light above it. The shelf will be useful for putting on lotions, potions, toothpaste etc.

That's it until Monday - we may well potter about cleaning up, measuring and sorting out how the flooring, tiling and boarding will go in the bathrooms but essentially it will be a chance to relax and not listen to gas powered nail guns banging off every few seconds.