No that wasn't the Builder, but a ...

No that wasn't the builder on the 31st May, but a magpie scolding the neighbour's cat up our tree!  A bit of fun amusement - and a good distraction -- just before it started raining water in our kitchen on the 1st June  --

Our 150 litre hot water tank on the first floor (second floor to Americans) developed a hole after the immersion heater wire (which was squashed underneath it from the day of installation 30 years ago!) created a 'flash fire' and burnt a small hole in the bottom of the tank which thus immediately began to drain. Fortunately nothing else caught fire, but many litres of water came through the light fittings and ceiling in our kitchen - at least we haven't redecorated yet!  

Sadly, we were planning as part of the building works to replace the hot water tank in just a few weeks time ...

So, no water Thursday, Friday and most of Saturday - we decamped to a local hotel.  On Saturday the guys worked hard to put in the new pressurised hot water cylinder and worked till 8 pm - with a slight, but short explosion of water from one of the ground floor (Phew) radiators.  

We had cold, but no hot water Saturday night.  Monday afternoon, another, thankfully small, water leak again into the kitchen as they try to rig up a way for hot water before installing the new plumbing.

Hot water 'restored' just before 5 pm Monday - a temporary solution.  Am now on edge for any little sound that could be a drip of water making a pitter-patter sound.

Older pipes (30 years) and new pipes - never the twain shall .... mini me is a bit stressed, but this too shall pass?!? 

Then I discovered pigeons in the loft; sadly they didn't help with the building works.  Well at least some roof tiles going up ...

... up in a bucket in a pulley system.

A few other small dramas with visitors on the street touting scams and trying to 'borrow' water from our tap//spigot, so the police have visited, but all seems OK for now.