3rd September 2014 to 26th October 2014

3^rd September 2014

The shade cloth is now over the top of the lattice and battened down, much to the relief of Barry’s knees which had to crawl around on the boards that he used to spread the load over the beams.  Barry manufactured the battens by cutting strips off the surplus plastic lattice with holes drilled about 15cm apart for the nails to go through.  Unlike wooden battens they will not rot and have about 120 nails anchoring them and the shade cloth down.  Because the shade cloth and lattice are recycled from the sea container screening, the new cover over the bedroom courtyard has only cost a $5 box of nails.

4^th September 2014

We borrowed Nigel and Mary’s trailer again and delivered another load of rubbish consisting of the old wooden lattice, etc, to the tip and brought back a trailer load of mulch.  They don’t mind us borrowing their trailer and are always happy to receive fresh veggies in return when we have some surplus.  They have had lettuce, radishes, broccoli, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes and tomato puree

5^th September 2014

We took the trailer out Merry’s ex-boss (when she worked in Geraldton) to collect a load of horse manure as she has several horses.

6^th September 2014

The horse manure has been dug into our number one and the back half of number two veggie patch and the rest piled behind our garden shed.  The number two veggie patch has been cleared of the remnants of the current pea crop so we have dug in the manure up to the side of where we planted the sweet corn, which is just coming through.  In the late afternoon we actually received some of the rain that was supposed to have been happening for the last four days.  Merry spent some of the afternoon in the patio preparing and sowing several seed trays with various crops.

11^th September 2014

We drove down to Perth once again to stay with Ann and Ashley so that Barry can attend Armadale Hospital for yet another prostate biopsy.

12^th September 2014

Barry fasted as required for morning and most of the afternoon as his procedure was not until 3.15pm but was admitted at 1200 noon.  He came out soon after 5.00pm and was driven home by Merry and then had dinner.  However after dinner he felt nauseas and went from hot and sweaty o cold and shivering so Ann and Merry took him back to Armadale Hospital and was there for some considerable time, mainly waiting, but was eventually attended to at about the time he felt better, but was still checked over before being allowed to go home.  We now have to wait several weeks for the results, which will be by Telehealth (video conference) at my local GP’s clinic, rather than travel to Perth again.

13^th September 2014

Barry is much better now but is not to lift anything heavier than a glass of wine (although he is allowed to lift it as often as required) for three days so we spent the day lazing around watching the builders performing on the two story units that are being built behind Ann and Ashley’s place, about three metres from the edge of their patio.  When the units are finished they will only have a brick wall to look at when using the patio.

14^th September 2014

We went to the John Cole nursery and purchased some Camellia plants and Azaleas before continuing up to Colleen and Craig’s place for lunch and check out Emma’s progress on the guitar which was very satisfying.  We also spotted a place selling bagged chook manure so bought three bags to bring back with us, on the roof rack.  In the evening we met Ann and Ashley plus Ray - one of the friends they have that share their liking for chamber music, at a Chinese restaurant for a very pleasant diner.

15^th September 2014

We drove home to Geraldton with the usual stop at Jurien Bay for our picnic lunch.

16^th September 2014

One bag of chook manure has now been spread and dug into number one veggie patch where the horse manure was dug in so the bed now has plenty of get up and go for the next crops.

18^th September 2014

Barry has modified the lattice peak over the archway which improves its appearance somewhat from trying to get away with one length of lattice.  It now has two lengths and the surplus has been used on a wall in the patio for a creeper plant, that Ashley gave us, to climb up.

19^th September 2014

We have finally removed all of the moss rock that we require to be removed between the veranda and the pool which had been covered when the main sewage was connected in place of the old septic tank.   We now intend to remove the remainder of the grass which we have already killed off, level it and place 400mm square slabs in its place to join the moss rock.  There will be some squares left out in which will be planted herbs, as it was with the original moss rock.  When finished, with the slabs and the veggie patches, the grassed area will be about a third of its original area and effectively only a quarter of the total back garden area because of the raised garden behind the pond.  The small area between the rear of the pond and the raised garden wall will once again be filled with whitish stone clips with a bird bath to replace the one stolen by one of our tenants.  This one has a solar light built in to light up at night.

20^th September 2014

Barry has now finished several projects since returning home and has now started laying the moss rocks, a bit like doing a jig-saw puzzle, around the new smaller pond.  The moss rock surround that was around the original much larger pond, about four times bigger, now forms a garden at each end.  It was planned to plant roses in these gardens but about 20 roses in the front garden we have changed our minds and will be using the Camellias.  He has also started to re-instate the auto reticulation by digging out around the solenoid valves which had also been buried and can now run fresh cabling to the new control unit.  The old unit is still there but without its 24v power unit which was also removed by a tenant.  We have yet to buy the cable as Barry wants to get multi-core cable rather than run numerous individual cables.

23^rd September 2014

Nothing much happened for a couple of days due to rainy weather which produced 20mm of rain on Sunday and a little more on Monday, which for Geraldton and the surrounding wheat belt country was much needed.  We have acquired the multi-core cable and Barry has temporarily got the back reticulation working off the old user friendly unit but using the new unit’s 24v power supply.  He has also cemented about three quarters of the moss rock into place around the pond and hopes to finish it tomorrow after his aching back has had a rest, and if we have sufficient sand left, or after we have got some more sand.  If we can finish the pool surround this week we should be able to clean the pond out and fill it from our water tanks so that the fish, when we get them, will not have to suffer chlorine, etc, and with luck will top up the water tanks next weekend if the predictions come to fruition.  We may also have the birdbath and stone chips back in place behind the pond to finish of that area, possibly with the Camellias in place as well.

24^th September 2014

The cementing of the moss rock pool surround is now finished, although Barry wants to make a cement edge around the inner edges of the garden beds and around the overall outer edge in the not too distant future.  This will require the use of Nigel’s trailer again to get more sand which will also allow us to take another trip to the tip to get rid of the pieces of old broken cement from when we dug up the moss rock that had been covered.  The reticulation worked perfectly this morning so it will be tidied soon when the original conduit is extended to its original length and the solenoid valves re-enclosed.  

26^th September 2014

The area between the moss rock and the veranda has now had all of the previously killed off grass dug out so we now have to compact it and level it.  The original plan to have 400mm slabs over this area has now been changed as it was going to cost in excess of $500 and consequently bought 780 bricks from Ron across the road for $200.  These bricks are the surplus bricks from the new general hospital when it was built, and Ron, who works there was quick latch onto about 3000 of them.  They are kiln fired with one glazed, coloured end and side, and where brought over from Queensland at $7.50 each, apparently.  We will lay them on edge as pavers with many showing the blank side with coloured lines through them in either a random pattern or symmetrical pattern, subject to which of us wins that battle.

28^th September 2014

This morning was spent loading bricks into the back of Ron’s ute who then drove out into the road to turn round and reverse into our garage which allowed us to unload straight through into the patio.  This exercise involved three loads.  We also set up the  on the inside of the larger pond garden using stacks to hold it in place along with soil ready to pour concrete into to form the inner edge of the garden.

30^th September 2014

In the morning Barry mixed three loads of concrete and poured into the garden edging and smoothed the top off.  In the afternoon we checked the front garden irrigation system to get it operative again.  Whilst we were travelling, one of our pathetic tenants contacted us for permission to have reticulation installed in the front garden at a cost of $3000.  We said ‘no’ as we knew that there was already reticulation in place.  Now that we are back and check out the original system we find all stations are operative manually at the solenoid valves which we have been using ourselves up until now.  The solenoid coils are perfectly okay and the control unit powers up but doesn’t have a manual and is not easy to work out without it.  We swapped it for the new one that we bought a short will ago and programmed it relatively easily and it all works well.  Obviously the tenants couldn’t work it out and didn’t get a manual off the Internet, like we have just done for future reference, so they wanted the whole arrangement replaced.  They could have got any kid off the street to program it for them, and if they had someone call round to give them a quote, they could have done it but preferred the possible sale.

1^st October 2014

Now that the inner edge of the garden is finished we have planted two Camellias with the appropriate soil, etc.

2^nd October 2014

We laid weed mat in the area behind the pond and then replaced the quartz chips in and around the new bird bath which is also a flower pot with a solar lantern at the top.  A little bit like a flowery, bird bath, lighthouse.

3^rd October 2014

We hired a compactor in order to compact the area between the veranda and the moss rock surround of the pond in readiness to lay numerous bricks on edge rather than pavers and will have a coloured pattern, all being well.

4^th October 2014

We have used the compactor over the area but have had to remove quite a lot in order to get the area something like level, which isn’t a problem as we have an area that we are trying to fill.  A start has been made with the bricklaying but the original pattern has been altered already but hopefully will work out without having to lift them again.

5^th October 2014

Merry departed for Perth on the bus this morning to have her six monthly throat check, once again, which is a bit of a pain but necessary despite the fact that it perfectly okay, but better safe than sorry.  We would have driven down together but Ann and Ashley are currently swanning around overseas so we can’t stay at their place.  Merry is booked in at Crawford Lodge alongside the hospital and is covered by the PAT scheme, as is the bus fare, so the journey and accommodation is cost free, but Barry can’t stay with Merry because Foxy is not allowed.  He will stay at home with Foxy and theoretically continue with the bricklaying exercise, however, the weather was too wet and windy so that didn’t happen.

6^th October 2014

The weather has improved so work continued in short spells.  Merry phoned to say that she had seen the specialist and her throat is A1 to the point of not being able to see that there ever was a problem.

7^th October 2014

More bricklaying happened but was interrupted with the need to collect Merry from the bus station in the middle of the afternoon and very little happened after that.

8^th October 2014

Barry continued with the bricklaying and is now slightly over the half way stage.  It will be wider than we expected but according to our calculations we have enough bricks to finish.

10^th October 2014

We are now at the three quarter stage of the bricklaying exercise so we should have it finished this weekend, or soon after.  We can then start planting herbs etc in the spaces that have been left clear of bricks.

11^th October 2014

We elected to have a break from brickwork today and took it easy fitting a new air through-the-wall conditioner in our office/bedroom as the old one (about 20 years old) is only acting as a fan.  The various tenants probably never used it, or not much, which is not good for A/Cs which should be run for short periods occasionally to preserve the seals and stir things up to help keep them in good condition.  We managed to find one that is the same height as the old one and slightly narrower so the hole in the wall didn’t need altering.  We also drilled a suitable hole through the wall in the bedroom that Richard uses on his breaks, to accept a hose from the portable A/C to let the condensate out though the wall.

12^th October 2014

Barry made up some new surrounds to go round the A/C in the office bedroom to cover the over long hole which took longer than expected, and also spent some time and energy to removing some grass in the back lawn to make way for the wider than expected brickwork, so rather than being finished on the weekend, it will be soon after, hopefully by Wednesday.

13^th October 2014

We didn’t do any brickwork today but mounted the A/C surround in readiness for a final coat of paint.  We also re-initiated an addition to the reticulation in the back garden to provide a better coverage of the veggies.

16^th October 2014

The anticipated finish of the bricklaying exercise didn’t happen on Wednesday due to other smaller indoor tasks being tackled as a result in a sudden increase in temperature that was not suited to grovelling around in dirt laying bricks.  However, it cooled down considerable today and the job is now complete, which will no doubt be appreciated by Barry’s back, knees and hands.  Although it is not perfectly level from side to side, or front to back, it is close enough, and once the herbs are planted in the vacant spaces it will be very hard to tell.   Barry also found the time to mow the front and back lawns which is only the second time they have been mown since we arrived back (in 10 months).   That wouldn’t be possible in the Eastern states or UK where considerably more rain falls.

17^th October 2014

The brickwork/pavers now have 9 plants rather than herbs within the vacant spaces and looking good, but not as originally planned as we already have a sizable herb garden along one side of the brickwork.

19^th October 2014

We bought and installed a new pump for the fishpond which is currently only being used as a mushroom shaped fountain to circulate the water which now has ten Gold fish and several plants in it.

21^st October 2014

Barry demolished the original mini pool at the rear and above the fish pond which collected the water pumped from the fish pond and supplied the waterfall.  He has modified the pipe work so that it ends with a Tee branch overhanging the top of the waterfall.  The Tee branch has 26 holes drilled in it so that the water drops onto the top level of the waterfall and in the near future will have rocks across in front of it and over the top so that the water simply appears to come out of the rocks.  The reasoning behind all of this is to reduce the area of evaporation in the summer but it also creates a more interesting visual display.  The area behind the waterfall has now been decked out with six Kangaroo Paw and Cat Paw plants of varying colours.

22^nd October 2014

Barry concreted the inner side of the smaller garden that used to be part of the original big fishpond and will be ready for some sort of planting tomorrow, as it already has a reticulation water supply to it.  Merry modified the end of the first veggie garden to allow better access to the area that was in front of the brick BBQ that the grand children enjoyed demolishing.  This area has now been filled with surplus dirt from other areas and will soon have steps built to give access to the new upper garden area.  We are now at the point where we can claim to have got the garden back to better then its original glory before we left it in the hands of unappreciative tenants.  It has only taken ten months.  Consequently, Barry celebrated this achievement with a couple of glasses of wine as the sun went down.

23^rd October 2014

At long last Barry has had the Healthcare video conference with the Perth Specialist for the results of the biopsy he had about six weeks ago, and once again all is well despite the high PSA reading.  We had assumed that all was well or he would have made contact with us through Barry’s doctor some time ago, but having confirmed is good.

26^th October 2014

All of the concreting around the fish pond and brickwork is now finished with only the third, triangular shaped, flower bed requiring planting, which will happen either later today or tomorrow.  Strange how the latest concrete work has some paw prints in it.  Barry also replaced three outside taps as they needed it, especially the one by the laundry door as the copper pipe started leaking just below the tap, which gave Barry a bit extra to attend to. Once the last of the plants are in place the flower side of the garden will be totally completed in time for Richard to arrive on another of his breaks on Monday.  He went to Brisbane on his last break so it will be about 12 weeks since he was last here with his kids so he will see some significant changes.

27th July to 2nd September 2014

27^th July 2014

Now that we are back in Geraldton we are able to make a start on ridding the back garden of the amazing amount of weeds that emerged whilst we were away.   Amazing what a bit of rain can do.  We have started to lift some of our potatoes which have done really well, unlike the cabbages and cauliflowers.  The broccoli gave us some joy by providing several meals but they weren’t helped by the Aphids.  However, we have several capsicums to enjoy soon and heaps of Roma tomatoes that are just starting to ripen, the bushes are absolutely laden with them.

29^th July 2014

We planted eleven new rose bushes along the front of the house where the rosemary bushes had been.  They didn’t do much appearance wise and had been allowed to grow so high that they have worn holes in the fly wire screen.  Removing them has also allowed a lot more light into the lounge and front bedrooms.  We purchased a pre-moulded fish pond to replace our original pond that is smaller but will last much longer and will be easier to install than making a concrete one as previously planned.  The overall cost would not be much different and avoids a lot of cement mixing which would need to be completed in one day.  Barry will start on the installation in a few days time as a few other jobs have preference.

30^th July 2014

Barry dug over the veggie patch that had the cabbage and cauliflower that have been removed and added cow manure and soil conditioner and has now planted new ‘all year’ cauliflower and Brussel sprouts.  We then pruned the old rose bushes to give them a well earned rest and weeded in between them.  In the late afternoon Barry removed the makeshift doorstep outside the family room door (a layer of bricks covered with a layer of pavers) which was put there by a tenant as there is quite a significant step down without them.  He is now about to build a proper stable step in its place.  He will do the same at the back door from the laundry but with a slightly different design to give Foxy the required height for using her doggy door.

31^st July 2014

The family room door step has now been completed in its wider format and fully cemented to hold the bricks and pavers in place making it safer and better looking.  Barry then spent some of the afternoon reshaping the hole for the fish pond which included chiselling away some of the original rock surround to allow the pond to sit neatly under the original waterfall.

1^st August 2014

We visited the post office and renewed our passports in anticipation that we may visit Garon and Sue in Singapore sometime in the future.  This prevented much else of significance happening.

2^nd August 2014

 Barry built the double step outside the laundry door designed to make it safer for humans and easier for Foxy to exit/enter via her doggy door.  He now has to buy some more cement powder prior to building a step at the garage/patio door to complete the ‘steps project’ that was one of the tasks on our list of things to do when we returned to Geraldton.

4^th August 2014

We had new tyres put on the car which we had ordered last week.  The old ones that were fitted about four years ago in Port Augusta lasted for nearly 80000km and still have some life left in them so two of them are now our spares.  They are Hercules Terra Trac tyres which are made by Cooper and have almost the same tread pattern and 11mm tread depth, but cost much less than Coopers at only $299 each. In the afternoon Barry prepared the area where the step up into the garage from the back patio is required.

5^th August 2014

Barry built the step into the backdoor of the garage and we now have a good number of spare pavers to add to the path from the side gate to the driveway.

6^th August 2014

We installed wire fencing along the back of the tomatoes and tied the plants up to raise the multitude of tomatoes off the ground and allow the sun in to help ripen them.  Barry also repaired some of the reticulation in the front garden which makes watering all of the new plants/roses a lot easier, and put some of the surplus pavers into place on the front path.  Just to add to his list of ‘things to do’ he has found the way into the workings of Merry’s double keyboard electronic organ’s power supply which he didn’t discover whilst we were in Karratha, and is hopeful that he can repair the damage to the pre-transformer circuit board. It appears to have blown a capacitor but he hasn’t removed the board yet to check out the printed circuit side.  It effectively died when the smoke escaped when we were in Karratha, and it has been in storage (our sea container) ever since until we arrived back in Geraldton.  We noticed a screw in each end of the organ near the top and found that removing them allowed the top to open up and give access to three layers of circuit boards for the keys, voices and rhythm sections.  The keyboards can then be swivelled upwards to give access to the power board and the board with the offending capacitors.  It dates back to about 1983/4 so the chances of acquiring a new board are remote but we do have a Yamaha agent trying to track on down.  Meanwhile Barry will attempt to replace the capacitor if the circuitry is okay.  All of the circuit boards need a good brushing and vacuuming to rid them of dust, which may have been the original cause of the problem.

7^th August 2014

Barry has acquired the appropriate two capacitors and has replaced them and low and behold the organ works again at least power wise and as far as some features, but not to Merry’ total satisfaction.  In the afternoon Barry made a few repairs to the reticulation hoses in the back garden but we have to buy a new control unit at some time as a tenant chose to remove the power supply unit from the original.

8^th August 2014

Barry prepared a small area of the garden for Merry to plant some Asparagus seeds, and then refilled the sand around the fish pond after checking the levels.

10^th August 2014

We prepared an area and planted some rhubarb in the hope that many pies/crumbles will follow in the not too distant future.  Barry re-installed the LED reversing light on the right hand wheel carrier as he has removed the left hand one to reduce unnecessary weight from the vehicle.

14^th August 2014

When Richard and his kids were here they delighted in demolishing our old brick BBQ at the end of the garden.  The BBQ itself had already been removed by a tenant but we didn’t care as re have one that we brought from Karratha and Weber Q that we used in the last year of our travels that can be used in the patio which is the proper place for a BBQ.  However, having had the pleasure of demolishing it they left us to remove all the old broken bricks, which took three trips to the tip plus a fourth trip to get rid of the rosemary bushes that we replaced with roses.

16^th August 2014

Barry dug four appropriate size holes at the side of the steps behind the fish pond up to the higher level garden in readiness for pole that will be the uprights of a pointed arch over the steps.  We already have two climbing roses to plant on each side once the lattice place after making the top works.   We have a huge crop of Roma tomatoes which Merry is turning into Puree as well as giving them to neighbours and the plants are still laden.  We have also had several meals using our own carrots, potatoes, beans and peas.  The lettuces are beginning to go to seed now because we couldn’t keep up with them.

17^th August 2014

Barry marked the required heights on the poles, removed and cut them to length and then replaced them, levelled the tops and then cemented them in place and ensured they were upright.

18^th August 2014

We thought things would be put on hold for a while as Barry has to turn up for Jury duty at the Geraldton courthouse and we don’t know how long that will take.  This will be the fourth time he has been dragged in for this, three times in Karratha and now Geraldton.  However, he wasn’t selected from the masses so only wasted the morning.

20^th August 2014

Barry continued building the archway over the steps.  He has built the top section in the patio prior to attaching it to the top of the uprights and cross beams, which will happen tomorrow if it doesn’t, as promised, so we probably will be able to carry on with the original plan.

21^st August 2014

They actually got the weather forecast right and producing the first significant rain that Geraldton has received in quite a long time.  Fortunately it cleared by 10.00am so the arch (which is actually an angled top works) that Barry prepared yesterday is now in place and securely anchored, plus plastic lattice work up both sides and across the top.

22^nd August 2014

The climbing roses, one pink and one orange, are now planted beside the lattice on each side of the arch.  We then continued digging out the grass that had grown over the rock paving that we put down years ago but was partially removed when the deep sewage was installed.  We now have to decide whether to remove it all, or if we do what do we replace it with as we don’t want grass.

25^th August 2014

Merry visited a specialist to find out the results of a blood test and was immediately referred for a CT scan as the tests indicated that her liver functions were not as they should be.  We are now waiting to be contacted in regards to the results of the scan.

 27^th August 2014

We are still waiting for the scan results.  Meanwhile we have collected 6 bucket loads of Roma tomatoes from our plants and have processed numerous of containers of puree which are now in our small freezer for future use.  The rest of the veggie garden is now being revitalised ready to plant our next crops to add to the Brussel spouts and cauliflower that we planted a little while ago.  The peas are just about finished after providing four meals and will be replaced on a larger scale along with some sweet corn, more lettuces, broccoli, capsicum and radishes.  We have already planted some non-Roma tomato plants and two rows of runner beans.

28^th August 2014

We have planted a fresh, longer row of peas, and another of carrots.

30^th August 2014

We visited the new Geraldton museum which was a pleasant surprise as it includes an old Bristol biplane that was used for the Geraldton to Derby postal run plus numerous artefacts from the numerous sailing ships that came to grieve off the Geraldton coast along with their history and includes a tribute to the HMAS Sydney.  We actually went there to buy some packets of ‘everlasting’ wild flowers but took in the tour whilst there.

31^st August 2014

Barry has started to replace the lattice that forms the roof over our bedroom courtyard and currently has anchored three sheets on place.  These are the sheets of lattice that we originally used to screen off the sea container beside the house, which was not supposed to be there according to council regulations.  However, we got away with it for six years and the screening is now being put to more effective use as the 15+ years old wooden lattice was falling apart.  The shade cloth that goes over the top will be replaced as well.

1^st September 2014

Merry visited her doctor for the results of her CT scan which apparently showed nothing of concern, so all is well in that area.  Barry then spent the rest of the putting more of the lattice over the bedroom courtyard and removing the old shade cloth.  Merry planted some cucumber and pumpkin seeds to add to our collection of veggies and prepared the area of the front garden for the ‘Everlastings’.

2^nd September 2014

Barry finished off the lattice over the bedroom courtyard and it is now ready for the replacement shade cloth to go on tomorrow if the weather allows as it is forecast for a bit of rain, but what they forecast isn’t necessarily what we get in Geraldton.  The shade cloth was also originally used to disguise the sea container and keep its temperature of the container down on hot days and is many years younger than the original courtyard shade cloth.  It is also a higher shade protection rating as well as being much better condition.  It was always our intention to recycle the lattice and shade cloth to the new position but it happened several years later than originally intended.  Similarly, the pine poles used for the archway in the back garden were originally supporting the lattice around the sea container.  The remaining surplus poles are being used to support the wire fencing for the new planting of beans and peas to grow up.

29th May to 24th July 2014

29^th May 2014

Barry finally got around to building a workbench as an addition to the shelving in the garage but has only achieved approximately 85% of it as he requires some more wood.  He then moved on to replacing the bottom framework of the shed door which has rusted out so that the sliding door can be moved with relative ease.  A morning check of the veggie patches has revealed the start of the broccoli producing heads and significant progress from the tomatoes, spuds, .

carrots, lettuce, broad beans, capsicum and peas.  We have already been eating young lettuce leaves, spinach and radishes.

28^th May 2014

Barry replaced the shelve which is also the top of the cupboard under the wall oven, making sure that it is level in both directions in readiness for the electrician to wire up the new oven.  This really irritated Barry as meant paying someone to insert three wires into the appropriate receptacle and tighten three screws.  Basically the reverse of how he disconnected the original oven, but in the event of an insurance claim it has to be done by a qualified electrician plus it is the dubious law.  However, the new oven is now in place and up and running and already produced a great joint and a load of choc chip biscuits.

29^th May 2014

We pulled the oven back out and put some felt pads under the front two feet to tilt it slightly backwards as the sliding shelf tends to slide out when you open the door.  We left it out on a table and Barry removed the shelve that was above the original wall oven and made another and fitted it just above the new oven as it is not as tall as the original oven.

30^th May 2014

This job was completed today which conveniently lowers the cookbooks that go on that shelf by 5cm putting them in much easier reach of Merry and avoids making a front panel between the oven top and the original shelf.  He also fitted some wooden strips to the side walls to anchor the oven in place and can’t be pulled out without removing screws.

1^st June 2014

Barry sanded the newly exposed strip of wall in the alcove and repainted the whole alcove so that it finished the job off with everything matching.  He also sanded and painted the alcove under the kitchen bench alongside the sink which used to house a dishwasher many years ago.  This area was missed for some unexplained reason when the kitchen was being painted.  We do not require a replacement dishwasher whilst Barry is well and able.

2^nd June 2014

We bought some hardboard to cut up and use for the formwork in the shed which took care of the afternoon, but the soil within the formwork still has to be levelled which may mean removing some soil.

4^th June 2014

Barry finished removing soil from the shed and finished the formwork, and also added some pavers to the side path from the gate to the driveway as this still has to done gradually as the pavers become available from other areas that we are changing. This involved fitting them round a cap over an underground valve for the reticulation system.

8^th June 2014

Over the last few days Barry has continued in short spells removing soil from the original fish pond hole to make it deeper to allow for the thickness of the cement when it happens.  Despite it being a rather dull overcast day we spent the afternoon on the Spalding Park Golf Course (which was the course we were members at when we lived in Geraldton before) to watch the last eight or nine groups of the final day Pro-Am tournament.  This also allowed us to re-unite with some of the people we used to know at that time although we will not be playing club competition membership fees are out of our league, plus Barry’s rigid right wrist doesn’t help him much.

8^th June 2014

Richard arrives in Geraldton this afternoon for another of his so-called rest-and-recreation spells but as yet is not aware that I have organised a cement mixer for the coming weekend. 

12^th June 2014

We collected Nigel’s trailer and purchased a trailer load of sand for the cement program that starts tomorrow, and a suitable piece of wood to finish off the side of the garage work bench.

13^th June 2014

We collected the cement mixer soon after 12.00 noon which gave us an extra afternoon included in the weekend deal. It is normally $50 per day but is $50 for the weekend and includes Friday afternoon.  By 5.00pm Richard and Barry had completed two thirds of the shed pad which are looking quite reasonable for a couple of amateurs with fairly cheap formwork and no screeding experience.  However it is only a garden shed to accommodate some shelving on a now reasonably level solid floor, some garden tools, mower, edger, whipper sniper, etc.

14^th June 2014

We finished the final third of the shed floor and then dug out some the grass from the outside of the doorway to the edge of the paver path where it passes the patio, installed some of the form work ready to put in a concrete path tomorrow. 

15^th June 2014

The shed floor, and the pathway to it, are now complete despite looking rather non-professional, but are still way better than what was there before.  Richard also cut down two out of three bottle brush trees down to chest height and placed on the front verge ready for the council pick up in a week or so time.  The next door neighbour will be going out there to grab the larger pieces of the trunks for his outdoor fire.

16^th June 2014

We returned the cement mixer and then took a load of soil and rubbish to the tip and returned Nigel’s trailer.  Whilst Barry was at the tip emptying the trailer Richard started to savagely prune the remaining trees in the back garden and now there is nothing left above chest height.  Meanwhile Merry is in Perth having her 6 monthly check on her throat at Sir Charles Gardner Hospital she had the pleasure of staying with Sue overnight, yesterday (Garon is in Singapore) and will be with Ann and Ashley tonight and return to Geraldton tomorrow.

17^th June 2014

Merry returned home from Perth in the afternoon in time to catch the worst of the storm that was moving in on Geraldton.  Her bus had driven all the way through stormy weather.

18^th June 2014

Richard cut down the remaining palm tree in the front garden so it is also without anything above chest height except the pile of debris on the front verge waiting for the council pick up.  Barry had a video consultation at the local doctors’ clinic with a specialist in Perth and arranged for another biopsy as my PSA has risen above 6 once again.  This will take place in September at Armadale Hospital

19^th June 2014

The root ball of the palm tree has also now been dug out thanks to Richard along with a few remaining remnants in the front garden and is now removing the final offending tree stump in the back garden.  We drove out to a local permaculture nursery and Richard treated us to some new native plants to start re-establishing the garden to suit us rather than numerous tenants’ attempts.  This will be the last of the exercise that Richard will gain as he returns to Perth tomorrow in readiness to fly back to work in Gove.

20^th June 2014

We spent a fair piece of the day returning the shed items, such as shelving and garden equipment, back into the shed which clears the patio.  Although the new floor is not perfect it is a vast improvement on the loose blue metal chips that were there originally. This has allowed us to arrange things in a much better order that gives us more room to move. We have started to use our broccoli which are not tight heads like the ones in the shops but taste good and are much fresher.  The cauliflower and beans don’t appear to be doing much, other than producing huge plants, but the carrots and potatoes are looking good at this stage.  Lettuce, radish and capsicum are really good and in use whilst the peas are progressing well

23^rd June 2014

We have finalised our collection of unwanted clutter, such as the old oven, etc, along with the tree loppings can claim that we have the largest pile in this area of Geraldton.  Whilst taking Foxy for her morning walks it has become evident that this council clean-up is actually a community swap meet and the council dispose of the leftovers, much of which has been scattered in the rummaging where it had been tidy piles.  We noticed the same arrangement existed in the Melbourne area which seemed to coincide with our visits to Garon and Sue when they lived there.

25^th June 2014

Much to Barry’s surprise, as a result of one phone call, we have sold our sea container for what we wanted for it, and it will be removed next week.

26^th June 2014

Barry removed all of the posts and plastic lattice screening plus the shade cloth covering the sea container in readiness for the removal.   The lattice and shade cloth will be used to replace the current wooden lattice and shade cloth cover over our bedroom courtyard which is in poor condition due to it being over fifteen years old.  The lattice from the sea container screen is only seven years old, plastic and rot proof.

29^th June 2014

Barry spent a large part of the day fitting out a sheet of chipboard with appropriately spaced screws to mount his most used tools on, usually called a shadow board but Barry doesn’t like the shadow idea.  If you use the tool and put it back where you got it from you don’t need pictures to help you.  If you can’t put them back when you have finished with them, don’t use them, is his theory.

29^th June 2014

We dug over the small front garden now that the palm trees have been removed along with some scruffy Geraldton Wax trees that were never looked after by the tenants, and have planted most of the native shrubs and trees that Richard bought us in their place

2^nd July 2014

The sea container has now been taken away by the new owners leaving ample space beside the house in which to park the caravan instead of across the front of the house.  Barry has moved part of the collection of green waste that the local council was supposed to collect a week and a half ago with no sign of it happening soon.   It gave Barry room to manoeuvre the caravan to its’ new position although he still had to use some of the road as well, but being  very quiet traffic wise didn’t present any problems.  The van is now ready for Jack to use as his bedroom next week when he and Rory visit with Richard, and now that it is clear of the front of the house allows a lot more light into the two bedrooms that were previously covered and therefore they will also benefit from the late afternoon sun warming the rooms now that it is winter.

3^rd July 2014

Barry has made and fitted the two doors for the toilet cupboard which obviously covers the display of toilet rolls, etc, but it doesn’t have the originally intended panorama picture across them as yet.  We still have to work out the best way to achieve that without parting with a small fortune.

5^th July 2014

Surprise, surprise, the council workers have arrived this afternoon and removed the huge pile of green waste from our front verge along with others in the street which has improved the overall look of place.   However, they are yet to collect the general rubbish, much of which has already changed hands.  Hopefully it will happen sometime Monday or Tuesday morning so that it has gone by the time we return home from Perth in the afternoon with Richard and the semi-adult kids.

8^th July 2014 

We are now back home in Geraldton with Richard and the kids after the long drive back from Perth with a stop for lunch slight deviation into the Pinnacles to let them see the rather unusual area.

9^th July 2014

The trip to Perth for medical reasons proved to be useful as enabled us to collect Richard and the kids to bring back to Geraldton but let us catch up with our friends, Ann and Ashley, and Colleen, Craig and Abbey, but not Emma who is on a school trip in New Zealand. Because we went for medical reasons the cost of fuel was supplemented by the PATS scheme because Geraldton Hospital couldn’t provide the specialist service.  The outcome of the specialist consultation and breathing tests, etc, was that there is nothing wrong with Barry’s lungs.  There is some evidence that he has been exposed to Asbestos at some stage of his working life, like most people of our age, but does not and will get Asbestosis.  There is slight hardening of the lung muscles close the lower rib cage area but basically nothing of any concern and should last longer than the rest of him. 

11^th July 2014

We drove up to Kalbarri and arrived at around lunch time so had a bought lunch in town and then drove along the coast road and turning into each of the cliff gorge roads and car parks to take in the views and walk down to the beach were possible.  On the way out from our last gorge road that accesses three gorges we were lucky enough to have some Humpback Whales put on a show for us, albeit a further out to sea than we wanted.  To cap of the day, on final stretch of road out from these same gorges we had stop and wait for an Echidna to cross the road in front of us.  We decided there was too much to do or see for one day so booked a cabin for the next three nights and returned to home to start packing.

12^th July 2014

We drove back to Kalbarri in the morning and unpacked at the very basic cabin, had some lunch and then drove back towards Port Gregory and turned off on a dirt road to Lucky Bay.  After passing through squatter type area we picked a track which turned out not to be the main track to Dune area were the sand surfing happens.  We turned out onto the beach to ask for directions which meant another 3 kilometre drive along the beach and dunes.  We eventually found a high enough dune to cater for the sand surfing although it wasn’t the area that the tour operators use.  We then ploughed our way back along the beach until we spotted the main track and joined that although it wasn’t much better than the beach.  On the way back to Kalbarri we stopped off at Rainbow Valley and dropped Richard and the kids off to do the coastal walk to Mushroom Rock.  We drove round to collect them from the other car park  and walked down most of the way to the beach (we left out the tricky clambering bit) to get photos of the Mushroom Rock  

13^th July 2014

It was more like a spring/summer day while we drove out to the ‘The Loop’, ‘Nature’s window’ and the “Z Bend” in the National park.  We went to The Z Bend first were we did the photo stuff whilst Richard and the kids made the effort to take the track down to the river’s edge.  Normally we would have done that trip but since Merry had her radiation treatment she doesn’t manage that type of exertion too well.  We then drove round to the Natures Window car park and had our picnic lunch before walking out to Nature’s window from which point Richard and the kids did the 3 hour walk on the ‘The Loop’ track that involve some scrambling, while we waited at the car and caught up on some reading.   We had dinner in the local tavern which provided some warmth and a decent meal at an almost reasonable price.

14^th July 2014

It was arranged to have a 5 hour canoeing trip up the Murchison River but before anybody set foot in  a canoe a sever rain squall hit town and then settled to steady rain and wind for an hour and a half so the trip was cancelled.  The weather didn’t make any attempt to improve to the of doing more sightseeing so we packed up and left for in the afternoon rather than have another night in an uncomfortable bed, and leave in the morning.  This allowed us to collect Foxy a bit earlier than expected from the kennels we had placed her in because we couldn’t have her in the cabin, or the National Park.  When we collected her we found that she had obviously done a lot of barking in our absence and her voice was almost non-existent.

15^th July 2014

Richard and the kids went to the pictures as the weather was still not the best and there is not a lot for kids entertainment in Geraldton.

16^th July 2014

Barry dropped Richard and the kids off at Greenough River mouth so that they could walk along to the sand dunes and do some more sand boarding.  They couldn’t risk swimming as that bit of coast is renowned for rips, and there was a rough sea anyway.

17^th July 2014

We packed up and took Richard and the kids back to Perth a day earlier than previously planned to give them time to go Paintballing on the 18^th.  We dropped them of at Garon and Sue’s place and then went down to Ann and Ashley’s place where we are staying.  Later we returned to Sue’s place and joined them plus Sue and also Craig, Colleen, Emma and Abby for a pleasant meal in an Italian restaurant.

18^th July 2014

Due to a mix up in the booking they turned up at the wrong paintball place so we rescued them and took them back to Garon and Sue’s place.  They made fresh arrangements for paintballing the next day in the right place’

19^th July 2014

We drove out to O’Conner to a Waldeck Nursery and bought 8 rose plants.

20^th July 2014

Richard and the kids left for Darwin.  We met Craig, Colleen, Emma and Abbey again at The Heritage Rose Garden Nurseries for lunch and to pick up a 'Candy Striped' rose that we had ordered and paid for, and also picked out another four rose plants.

23^rd July 2014

We took the car up to Herne Hill to the Diesel/Gas agent and had our gas infusion system checked as it had stopped using gas.  It turned out to be a simple but strange correction, and therefore relatively cheap.

24^th July 2014

We returned to Geraldton and a slightly warmer climate.

17^th March 2014

Whilst taking Richard to the bus station, and also when Merry visited the hospital yesterday, the car seemed a bit reluctant and very hesitant.  It is the first form of trouble we have experienced with it in nearly10 years and it has been in some very remote places that many people fear to tread.  Fortunately we have stopped using these out-of-the-way tracks but it has left us with some inconvenience. 

18^th March 2014

As a result of the car’s behaviour Barry decided to change the fuel filter on the assumption that it was a fuel problem, as it can’t be an ignition problem as there is no ignition system on a diesel vehicle.  We have carried a spare fuel filter since travelling the Canning Stock Route and this seemed like a good time to use it.  After changing the filter the priming pump refused to prime the system so we now can’t start the car and having tried everything that Barry can dream up, are now convinced that it is a faulty primer that is built into the filter support plate that just happens to cost $250.  Not bad for an aluminium plate with a small diaphragm valve in it that you can’t access in any way.

19^th March 2014

After several more tries to start the car we used the RAC to see what they could do, which didn’t start the car but the mechanic was convinced that the priming pump was letting air in, which is what Barry had decided but not suggested to him so that he drew his own conclusion.

20^th March 2014

Bought a new priming unit which took most of the morning as we had to rely on the sparse bus service, therefore the new unit was fitted and ready for work in the afternoon.  The problem then arose that the battery had done so much cranking that it didn’t want to know.

21^st March 2014

The battery refused to charge when we tried to charge it over night so we called the RAC again to use their power pack but it only tried to start but not pick up and run.  Because of the original symptoms it has now been taken to a diesel mechanic with a suspected failed injector pump.  If that is the problem we are looking at several thousand.  However, we were informed later in the day that they have got it up and running without that expense but it is still running a bit rough so we still have an unknown problem that they thought could possibly be a $400 ejector wiring harness.

25^th March 2014

Now that Richard has returned to Gove and have temporarily finished messing with the car as it is running, we took a decent length drive to give the battery a good charge.  We drove out to Bayside estate and did a drive-by look at Steve and Terri’s house which looks like the tenants are looking after the garden.  The vacant blocks behind their house now have two houses on them so the ocean view is either gone or very limited though the gap between them.  Additionally the two storey house that was being built on the foreshore has been completed which was also destined to block some of the ocean view.  In the afternoon Barry prepared the master bedroom in readiness for painting. Merry has started planting out some veggies in the beds that Richard dug out for us, so we now have beans, cauliflower, broccoli and lettuce in progress.

26^th March 2014

Merry visited a consultant with respect to organising a colonoscopy which she is supposed to have tri-yearly since having bowel cancer in 2007.   Meanwhile Barry is continuing with the painting which is now happening in the master bedroom so that we can use the bedroom that Richard occupies when he is here.

5^th April 2014

Barry made a shelving unit to compliment the unit he made whilst Richard was here that housed our coffee, tea, etc, and applied a first coat of paint to both.

7^th April 2014

Barry applied a second coat of paint to the cornices and ceiling and also applied a second coat of gloss paint to the two shelving units that he made.  One houses the six jars that hold our coffee, tea, sugar, etc and the other houses our spices, etc.  The first is mounted above the kettle on the right hand side of the kitchen bay window and the other on the left hand side of the kitchen bay window nearest to the cook top.  Meanwhile Merry has made a significant improvement to the garden with more pruning and digging up the lawn for the second veggie patch.  She has also added another three rose bushes to the front garden bed beside the drive to accompany the existing six that we planted fifteen years ago that burst into life since we returned and started watering them again. The veggies she planted in the first veggie patch are doing well except for the beans.

8^th April 2014

Barry finished painting the office/bedroom with two coats on the walls and the outside of the wardrobe doors and one coat on the inside of the doors.  There is now only a final coat of paint to go on the inside of the wardrobe doors and the bedroom door.

9^th April 2014

We moved all of the furniture and L shaped workbench back into the office/bedroom, refitted the vertical blinds and net curtains and set up the computers again.

10^th April 2014

We ordered some vertical blinds for the lounge window as there were none in that room for some unknown reason whereas there were blinds in all of the other rooms.  We moved to Karratha 18 months after buying the house and that time we found the afternoon sun through that window had badly faded one chair. 

14^th April 2014

The vertical blinds have now been made and fitted.  One of the tenants had fitted a cane type blind which I think is actually meant to hang on a fence to add a bit of character to an otherwise plain fence.  It did the job as far as privacy and furniture but left the room very dark but is now a lot lighter, and definitely more attractive.  Barry laid a few dozen pavers from the side gate where the original paving ended, and now joins the driveway.  This allows access to the rear of the house without having to walk through sand from the drive to the side gate and incorporates an area for the dustbin which will now roll straight out onto the drive without dragging through sand, or lifting.

15^th April 2014

We borrowed Nigel’s trailer (two doors away) and took a load of previous tenant’s collection of junk and some of ours to the tip and collected some veggie mix soil on the way back.  This has left the shed almost cleared out and ready for Barry to mix heaps of cement and put a decent floor in the shed, with a cement path leading to it.  We then took two trailer loads of green waste to the tip and collected some mulch on the way back but have another load of green waste to go to the tip.  The back garden is now looking quite respectable with two veggie beds, one in use and another almost fully prepared for use, but we still have to renovate the pond.  During these trips to the tip, etc the car really struggled with problem that it has had for several weeks, especially when the trailer was loaded

16^th April 2014

Richard arrives back today on another break which is actually a day late as his flight from Gove has to go via Cairns where the airport was closed because of cyclone Ita.  He will probably dig the third veggie patch out us will he is here as well as swimming in the sea which he can’t do in Gove because of the water being home to numerous crocodiles.  On the way to pick up Richard, Barry bought a new fuel filter for the car as he was convinced that it was the cause of our problems when we had to get the RAC involved. 

17^th April 2014

Barry changed the fuel filter on the car and surprise, surprise he was wrong all along and the car now runs like it is meant to.  Barry took the final load of green waste to the tip and then assisted Richard and Merry to add the veggie mix to the second veggie patch which has since had some veggies planted in it.  We returned Nigel’s trailer but will borrow it again when Barry is ready to start on the concrete work.

19^th April 2014

This was mainly a garden day as a start to renovating the garden back to something like the way we left it, as seen below, bearing in mind that the bird bath and little boy statue have been stolen by tenants unknown, and the pond has been filled with dirt. Most of the stone work in the foreground, our herb garden, other than a strip at the front of the pond was ripped up and dumped in the old septic tank when it was changed over to mains sewage and is currently just dead grass.  We also totally cleared the garden shed out ready for Barry to concrete the floor which is currently just blue metal chips, but this will be after he has painted the bathroom ceiling and the narrow strip between the top of the tiled walls and the ceiling.  This is the last room to be painted.

25^th April 2014

 Richard has now finalised the digging out the third veggie patches, as the grass there was dead and has now had potato, carrot and onions planted in it, to add to the other assortment of veggies in the other beds.  He left on the 8.30am bus for Perth this morning, which is a day earlier than he usually leaves as he wanted the time in Perth to take on a nightclub visit before flying back to Gove for his next 6 week stint.  We called Colleen to wish her a happy Birthday coincides with ANZAC Day and therefore enjoys the public holiday.  It actually came close to raining today, in as much as it drizzled for most of the day and night which on inspection in the morning had penetrated the ground about 5cm.

26^th April 2014

On the morning walk with Foxy to the get the Saturday paper, Barry found a watch lying on the pavement, which according to the internet is worth about $240.  We suspect it belongs to someone from the Eastern states as the time is 2 hours fast by WA time.  We took it to the cop shop in town but to our surprise isn’t open on the weekends, so will make the effort again on Monday.  Barry doesn’t want it as it is too big and heavy and he already has a good watch that hardly gets used.  From about 11.00am it rained real rain continuously (at last) up until 4.00pm with some very heavy spells, especially when we were walking from the car to the shops.

28^th April 2014

Barry took the watch to the police station in the morning and also received some more light rain.

29^th April 2014

Barry Painted the bathroom ceiling and top 30 centimetres of the walls being the only part of the wall that are not tiled.

30^th April 2014

We have made a start on removing the blue metal from the shed floor which is going to take quite a while as it all has to be screened to remove dirt, dead grass and rubbish left from stuff that has been stored in there.

2^nd May 2014

Barry has finished removing and screening the blue metal from the shed and is now ready to organise some form work prior to concreting.  Meanwhile, Merry has sown and planted more veggies.

5th May 2014

Barry returned to the doctors for his blood test results which unfortunately proved his PSA level has increased again and is to have another blood test in a few weeks to see if it constant or a once off occurrence.  He is also being sent for a CT scan of his chest as the x-rays he had showed some unidentified ‘thing’ that the doctor wants checking out because he was a smoker and has been exposed to asbestos at various times in the distant past.

6^th May 2014

Merry had a pre-op consultation with the specialist and anaesthetist in readiness for next Tuesday’s colonoscopy and endoscopy (her routine check-ups).  This will be the last colonoscopy as they have developed blood tests to achieve the same results. We have had the benefit of some reasonable rain over the last few days, with more to come, so it would appear our drought can be considered to have ended.

7^th May 2014

Barry has started digging out the soil that was dumped in the fishpond so that it too will be ready for concreting when Richard comes home for his next break, but we won’t tell him about it until he gets here.  However, it will be smaller than it used to be so some soil will stay where it is at each end and become small gardens, the larger of which will be created as a shrine to our previous faithful dogs that gave us so much pleasure.  Namely that will be Gina who guarded our children when outside in the garden during our period in Zambia, Tara who lived with us for twenty years in Kwinana and Wickham, Brandy and Trixie, who started out with us in Geraldton but unfortunately didn’t survive our stay in Karratha due to health problems.  Fortunately Brandy was still with us when we took Foxy into our care which was like introducing a youngster to keep an oldish person company, but made it easier for us when Brandy departed.  Having her with us on our travels around Australia was a hassle at times as many caravan parks do not allow dogs so we generally stayed in lower  rated parks out of town.  It also meant leaving her in the annex and fenced area when we couldn’t take her with us to national parks, museums, shopping, etc, but we managed.  Now that we are home, which a new home for her, she has become a very settled individual and is a virtual shadow wherever Barry is, just like she was to Jeanne in Queensland and Ashley in Spearwood.

13^th May 2014

Merry had her two ‘oscopies’ today after an overnight admission due to having a drip put in to ensure she had sufficient water intake during the night as she wasn’t allowed anything by mouth.  Apparently they also took a few biopsy samples for some unknown reason which we will discover when she sees her specialist.  Meanwhile we wait not knowing.

14^th May 2014

As a result of the chest x-ray that Barry had a short while ago he has now had a CT scan to identify the unknown thing, and again will have to wait to see the doctor until at least next week.  This is because he also has to have the repeat blood test next Monday to check on his PSA level as the increase may have been caused by some innocuous underlying infection.  Otherwise all is well.

21^st May 2014

The results of the blood test showed Barry’s PSA has reduced slightly and is now within the upper limit for his age group but above his bench mark and therefore going to have a video conference with a Perth urologist in June to determine whether another biopsy (in Perth) is necessary.  The CT scan only confirmed what the e-ray showed, which effectively is nothing conclusive.  Whatever it that is showing up doesn’t affect my breathing and I am not short of breathe, etc, and apparently the point where the windpipe branches off to each lung (the point where lymph nodes usually appear when there is a problem) is clear so the guess work continues which will mean another trip to Perth for a PET scan and possibly a lung biopsy. Will keep you posted.

22^nd May 2014

Over the past couple of days Barry has been making a three shelved cabinet to fit into the toilet above the system which will house about 18 toilet rolls and a section for the bottles of cleaning agents, etc. It spans the width of the room and is now in place but waiting for a door which will be 95cm X 42cm and will open upwards so that it is one piece rather than two pieces opening from the sides.  It will have two support units to hold it open when necessary, like the caravan or aircraft, overhead lockers or possibly have gas struts. It will require some research as it is intended to have a copy of one of our panorama photographs printed on the front to greet you on entry.

26^th May 2014

We spent most of the day moving from various white goods shops checking out new wall ovens.  Our current one is well over 18 years old requires several new parts such as the LED display and therefore no timer facility, the internal light and its holder have had it and the back plate has only one screw holding it in place, but otherwise cooks beautifully.  It has the great advantage of having a door that slides under the oven base when it is open that saves you having to reach into it and also had a separate grill, but we decided to replace it as no spares are available due to the brand vanishing years ago after it was bought out by Electrolux.  We eventually settled for a Fisher and Paykel double oven which fits perfectly in the original alcove width wise but requires a narrow blanking plate across the top as it is slightly shorter in height.  Another project for Barry.  The toilet cabinet had its last coat of paint today and will be in use tomorrow albeit without a door for the time being.