Archive for September, 2007
Louis Samuel Bolshaw Tucker
a remarkable boy.
My gorgeous nephew, Louis, died this morning after a long and courageous battle with a brain tumor.
He was born four weeks after my eldest daughter, Bella, and they were the best of friends. From a very early age they had a deep connection which was only reinforced over time. They would spend hours engrossed in potion making and concocted lots of things that would have put Mr Potter to shame.
Louis remarkable parents, Sue and Liz, ensured that this dreadful disease had as little impact on his life as possible and were active in finding the right treatments for him. It is a testament to them that right until the end Louis still had an amazing life full of love and happiness. Both Louis and Bella were aware that he had “bad seeds” in his head and that these affected him physically. They adapted to the new Louis beautifully, enjoying one another's company to the end.
The world will be a sadder place for his passing.
Where are we now?
A question I have asked myself many times since number four began. Well, wait for the drum roll, we are in and living in some of the rooms.
Although far from finished the financial relief of no longer running two houses and the logistics of running between the two compensates for much of the mess and dust in which we are living. In fact, I have embraced the life of grime to such an extent that I wish we had surrendered fewer rooms to the act of bathing and just stuck with the babywipe top and tail which I have grown so fond of. I would have made a fine bed ridden dowager lying around waiting to be sponged down and fed rose and violet creams.
The extension is looking good so far although not remotely similar to the original design. This is as a result of several factors not least of all the woeful original estimate of the build costs. The latest feature to fall by the waysideis the fixed panels either side of extension. Specified at 2.7m high by 2.4 wide they have proved far too heavy and far too expensive and more suited to a commercial application. Despite valiant efforts by the builders to resolve the issue we are going to have glazing bars down the panels if we are to avoid a crane lifting them over the building etc etc etc. Yawn. Lesson to be learnt here: do not go along with what is suggested without doing own research first on cost and feasibility etc.
The garden is looking truly shocking and is not enhanced by the rubble pile in the middle. The good news is that Sarah Hammond is back on board with some fabulous ideas which we might be able to achieve on a budget less than a Kings ransom. Having met with a potential contractor yesterday,I allowed myself the luxury of hope and a box of Mint Match Makers to celebrate. The enjoyment was only briefly interrupted by a small skirmish above as one small daughter told the other she was an “unkind penis”.
You will all be glad to know that we have taken delivery of yet another giant skip, this time a 25 yarder, which I hope will bethe last. I think, but cannot be sure, this is the 13th - unlucky for some?