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Septic tank (allegedly) sorted in France – now this….When we got back last time at the beginning of September we were greeted by this:

And it kept getting worse…No-one could work out where the water was coming from. Plumber and builder thought we’d have to replace a nearby flat roof. Inspiration struck in the middle of the night (after 2 more weeks of water damage being attributed to torrential rain ) – we thought to turn off the water in the street – and it STOPPED! Roof replacement cancelled, plumber returned to drill randomly into the (very) wet and crumbling plaster where no pipes should be – and there it was. A Victorian lead pipe, doing nothing, going nowhere… but coming straight off the mains behind the lath and plaster. The end of the pipe had simply been bent up as a crimp, but this had given way. Repairs have now begun – you can see the shiny new part in the top picture!

And for an extra treat – builders are starting work tomorrow at the very top of the house replacing great stretches of lead. Just hope the various teams don’t get in each other’s way on the stairs….