Just a quick (and unusually chipper) update: the builders are making great progress and we’re thrilled with the work so far. They did half days for the first few days (finishing up another project I think) but have been here 9–5 every day since then. Three of the walls have already been covered with polystyrene and rendered. Now that the polystyrene has been covered up, I can look at the house again without wanting to have a little cry. And we’ve chosen a paint colour – we’re sticking with pink, although I lobbied hard for yellow – so I guess they’ll start painting any day now. And, quality of the work aside, my favourite thing is how they tidy up after themselves at 4.45pm every day.

There’s still a bloke at every window I look at but we’re all just getting on with it and pretending not to see each other. All in all, it’s not a total disaster. It’s a Christmas miracle.

Marvel at our polystyrene and bare render. Also marvel at how the scaffolding gets better the further along they get.