So, as I was about to say before the Great Broadband Disaster of 2011.... the Man Shortage has finally evaporated. Chez Mace has been inundated with Men.

Yes, I know, be careful what you wish for..

There were two grim men who turned up one day and fixed the guttering. Get me. Not every house in Cheesetown has a gutter you know. Hell at only £386 a pop they might catch on round here. The men are nameless, but big cheers because the strange dripping sound from the back window has finally stopped.

Then there were the Gowan Brothers who turned up, entirely as arranged... and fixed the shower. Guttering and a shower in one week!! Nifty, non?

But biggest cheers of the lot to Innes the Joiner. Another man who Turned Up, and Did Stuff. Joinery Stuff.
Before Innes the front door leaked, and was growing a lovely green moss, that even the permafrost on the inside of the windows couldn't kill. Locked, you had trouble opening it; unlocked it would just open. This was an arrangement that suited only the dog.

Before Innes the door through to the living room only opened halfway. After the first two years the Cherub and I were used to sidling through it - but you know I've always wanted to live like normal people....

Before Innes the kitchen door got stuck on the third flagstone in. Which was lucky, because if you closed it from the inside you couldn't get out again. I joke not. If you didn't have the keys to the back door handy, your options were to crawl out the window, or sit back and console yourself that at least you were stuck in the same room as the food.

Since Innes? Well, try it sometime. Go on. See for yourself...Go into your kitchen, close the door. Wait.. check it..now open it.
Enjoy... no it's alright.. you can thank me later...