I needn't have worried ...

... about getting up for 09:00. At about 06:15 some kind of rodent on the roof decided to try to scratch away at the tiles to try to get in. And so there I was, lying in bed quietly reading a book until 08:00 when the alarm went off.

Then it was off to Marianne's and off to pick up the Foreign-language library. The people in whose shed it's stored are selling up and so the library needed to be moved. Marianne had the key but when we got there, the owners of the shed had put this huge whacking great padlock on the door.

It totally amazes me the people who spend probably tens of quid on these enormous heavy-duty anti-theft anti-everything padlocks, and then use a hasp and staple that is fixed to the door and doorframe with woodscrews rather than coachbolts. So 30 seconds later we were inside the shed and moving the books.

We've put the books in te garage of a neighbour for now - a little old lady in her 80s. This lady was telling us how her garden had gone to pot and she had had some professionals in to sort it out for her but there was lots that needed doing. I mentioned that I had a friend in the business and described what he did.
"Petit bricolage? Isn't that the kind of person that goes around doing little odd jobs for single elderly ladies?" she enquired.
I can see that I'm going to have to start charging Terry 10% commission! But seriously the best way to develop the kind of business that Terry is doing is to talk, talk and talk.

Marianne made lunch and then I came back here and ran Caliburn a few times up and down the lane at the back to tamp down the track. But it was far too hot to work - it's been a gorgeous day - and so I stayed up here until 17:00.

I've now started to move stuff from around the outside of the barn and put it on the hardstanding. I need to make the space to put the scaffolding for when we do the roof. That's going to be pretty imminent.