OK I am here but immersed in all things carpet and this is going to be another of those domestic posts so feel free to take that long projected trip to the Sahara if you so wish, or just put the kettle on and ignore me as there will be nothing earth shattering or of any merit here.
The carpet in my flat was down when I moved in, a bit grubby, monotone but serviceable and over the years I have watched it get rucked up and start to come away from the wall, get stained from the awful condensation I used to have because of the dreadful windows, and longed to have a new one. No point in doing so until I had all the work I needed to be done on the flat completed. It has taken a long time as I have been in situ for eleven years now. Since then I have had the bathroom gutted and replaced (peach suite and no shower and dribbly taps); kitchen re-gutted and replaced (ill fitting 1980s cupboards and ghastly lino and no space at all) and, finally, had the old windows ripped out and replaced with super duper new double glazed ones. Actually, I say ripped out, they were rotting and the young lad who came along to do the work just flicked them with his little finger and out they came. OK I exaggerate but you get my drift.
I have just finished painting my bedroom and it was a joy to do that without worrying about paint getting on the carpet which is now looking pretty speckled, so now the time is right for the carpet to go and boy am I glad to see the back of it. I am not being radical in any way, I am very conservative when it comes to carpets, plain and NOT patterned is my view, and so it is. Local branch of Carpet Right are dealing with it all - lovely lady Sue who helped me choose and explained the ins and out, and Steve who came to measure up and, in fact, was one of the fitters yesterday, hard working and a delightful young man. The price was pretty good too, well under my budget so that was an unexpected bonus.
Well they arrived yesterday and I opened my ktchen window:
"Good morning, are you here to fit my carpet?"
"Weeeeelll, all depends, might be"
"I have the kettle on and the PG tips to hand"
"In that case, yes we are!"
So in came Graham and Steve and in about ten minutes they had the living room carpet and underlay ripped up and hurled out the window and I shuttled off to the tip and got rid of it. They had the job completed in under two hours and they even got my HOOVER OUT and hoovered the new carpet. My hoover was so delighted to be allowed out of the dark corner where it lives and hardly ever sees the light of day and was quite overcome. Will be out again today but after that back in the cupboard he goes.
I spent the rest of the day dancing about on my lovely new bouncy, soft carpet and it was only then that I realised just how crappy and awful the old one had been. Yes it is all very beige and boring but I love it.
I am now about to have my breakfast and move stuff from the bedroom into my living room so the rest of the laying can be done (sounds very hen like does it not?) and I have to shift clothes out of my wardrobe, and take out drawers etc. Graham told me before they left yesterday that they were only supposed to move carcasses but they shifted around my bookcase full of books, and my DVD shelves as well for me without saying anything and I bless them for that. The first thing Graham said when he came into living room and surveyed my floor to ceiling bookshelves was to ask if it was fitted. 'Oh yes' said I and now I understand the look of relief that came over his face....
OK so I am off now, just dropping by dear friends and will be back tomorrow as I still have about four book reviews to do and I like to get them down while they are fresh in my mind.
PS and by the way Graham and Steve don't look anything like this picture...just in case you were wondering
