It may not look it, but we have been working really hard!

Philip opened up the fireplace behind the awful cast concrete surround and promptly lit a fire (see Fire Imp above left!). We have washed down and painted in the master bedroom (see pic above right) and the third bedroom (see pic below left), as well as washing the bathroom and painting the ceiling. We are now waiting to get an emergency electric supply to get steamers going to remove the old wall paper on the ceilings.

The picture "Finds" is of two desk pedestals we found in a cupboard (yes the cupboards are pretty big!). We hope to polish them up, put a top on them and press them into use once more.

The Entrance Hall. There was a wooden screen about where the step ladder is, but it was so badly burned that we tore it out almost immediately, it was a tough job though as the house is incredibly well built. It took Philip and his chum Will a couple of hours to hack out.

The Bathroom. What a huge improvement, washed out and all the terrible turquoise blue sanitaryware gone. Philip decided that the only option to get the cast iron bath out of the house was to smash it up. He rested it against the wall in the bathroom (which is entirely tiled), got a sledge hammer, took a good swing and ... now I know what it must be like in the bell tower when Big Ben goes off - we spent the rest of the day shouting "WHAT?" whenever we were spoken to, my head stopped buzzing eventually but Philip can't hear his mobile phone ringing anymore! I later heard from Dave Hay (pictured in Rogues Gallery) that you are supposed to put old towels over the bath to deaden the noise and stop shards of enamel going everywhere. Maybe smashing cast iron tubs could go into the Dangerous Pastimes section of this web site!!

The View. Whenever I catch myself wondering if it is all worth it I go and stand on the balcony ... I think this picture speaks for its self.

The Kitchen.The huge improvement in this pic means I can actually go into the kitchen without being sick!!

The Front Door. This door was actually propped up against the wall in the entry hall. When we first saw the house and decided to have a closer nose, all we could see through the obscured glass in the front door screen was this hideously deformed front door ... what with all the brambles outside and the blackened walls inside I am surprised we ever went back!

Note from Saffy: This pic completely slays me ... it's the way the door-knocker has slid down the door!!!!