So while the concrete is setting, we had time to order materials for the next phase. Or so we thought! My uncle John is kindly bringing his cement mixer up this weekend, in his landrover (the only vehicle it will fit in, explaining why we didnt go down and fetch it). And it would have been nice for him to help with the bricklaying and generally impart his knowledge on the subject. However, due to a technical catastrophe, we havent got any blocks to lay! I ordered them from Blanchford's online store on Tuesday evening, but when I rang them on Wednesday morning they had no record of my order, saying their system was down. Clearly, then, this was my guardian angel watching over my shoulder and subsequently spannering Blanchford's computer system - as by then I'd remembered that I was supposed to order the blocks from eBuildingSupplies (another online merchant), not Blanchford, as they were 24p a block cheaper and dont charge for delivery! *

So to cut a long story short (well, having explained it all, its already quite a long story before you reach this point, never mind), we will have a cement mixer this weekend but no use for it until Monday. I may buy a small quantity of bricks from Wickes and attempt to build a brick barbeque (because Emma has been pestering me to do so for ages). A task at which surely I cannot fail, as even if it resembles more of a pile of builders rubble than a barbeque - if you can set a fire in the middle of it and turn raw meat into raw meat with a thick charcoal crust around it - you've got yourself a barbeque!

* if this doesnt sound like much, you need to know that we need 300 of them, and delivery was over £80 !!