Sunday.

A busy weekend. After much mental preparation, I started early yesterday by stripping the last of the plasterboard from the kitchen outside wall, and then carefully removing all the huge battons - after finishing, and cleaning up - I put the kitchen back together about 6 inches wider and much better looking - I seem to have discovered a couple of extra square meters of space - it's much roomier and brighter in there now and I think I've decided the whole extension is probably worth keeping. It's amazing how much difference it makes - the windows feel bigger too - and the doorway is now much wider and higher. No more bumping my head. On the downside I absolutely need to re-plumb and re-wire. Even the two overhead lights are a bit of a mess - with confusing cables that come from nowhere. I did quite a few other jobs today, and sent a couple of hours removing all the nails and screws from the salvaged timber so that I can use the battons to box out the upstairs landing - probably saving myself fifty quid.

There is a guy coming on Tuesday (from Blackpool) to investigate the bay window for subsidence. I have no idea how much the insurance company are paying him - the result will take about 6 weeks - among other things he's going to take soil samples. I don't know why. I can tell him what the soil here is like, and I know other people who have had to pay for investigations, and as it happens - there are loads of excavations all over the area as the gas company replace everybody's meter and pipes, it's all solid, hard packed clay for a few feet and then rock, the whole of Hastings - a big rock.

We had some pretty grim weather last night - along with everyone else - very high winds - lots of fences down, and all the trees stripped back to nothing. It's clearly tipping into winter now.

Last week, I went into Waterstones to scope any new reading - they had a new biography of the artist Bernard Buffet - it was £25 which is exactly £5 over my upper figure for books - I had intended waiting a while and seeing if I could get it cheaper - so I took a picture for reference and to aid my memory - later that day I mentioned it on Facebook. 2 days later it was delivered to my house - bought online by a friend as an early Xmas gift. I was quite overwhelmed. There really isn't enough kindness in this world.

There is an interview here with a well known actress who has moved to Hastings and is a neighbour to two of my best friends. I met her at a party a few weeks ago - actually, she was very nice.

I'm watching the Hammer version of Hound of the Baskervilles with a can of beer. Simple pleasures.