Electrickery

On buying the house we saw that there was a problem with the electric supply. The three phase electric supply had been severed when a wall was built to divide the plot between this house and adjacent factory.

The owner assured us that the new cable would be installed prior to us taking over the house he even showed us the cable. Needless to say when we flew out to Spain to sign for the house the cable was not installed. After negotiations via the agent a heavy digger was brought in and the cable installed that was the good news. The bad news was that we would have to wait until September for the electricity meter to be moved. It was August and Spain was on holiday!


Update 2006 we are still waiting for the meter to be connected! Despite constant reminders to those concerned.

After 18 months the meter was moved to its new location just a few yards away from where it started out. The job took two men, two screwdrivers and 15 minutes. The explanations about who had been waiting for who to do what were incredible. The incompetence incredible.

A little light digging

Whenever those home based and armchair gardeners enquire about our activities and attempts to clean up the terrain; then invariably offer advice usually along the lines of 'why don't you just plant potatoes, they will do the work for you'.

The photograph above shows the cap of the compacted soil broken open with a pick. Even then you can see how shallow the excavation is and just how stony the soil is this is going to be tougher than we imagined and machinery may be the key to our problem plot.