Tuesday, 8 July 2025

Update 2nd … and more life a la E/b …

 

The leaking world continues on … all will be fixed in due course … but it has gone downstairs into the flat underneath … so will be a challenge for the landlady, who lives in Kenya, and the owners of the other flat who live in the States … and the agents …


Africa, Oh! Africa ...


... also it's still ooze-leaking, which I thought it might be … the plumbers will return shortly to replace some pipe … from the 'laundry area' through the wall into the kitchen … it'll be messy-ish. 


I now have no hot water … fortunately there's an electric shower – so a degree of hot water is available … boiling the rest, as necessary.



Flooding from the sea -
in Seaside, 
Eastbourne, 1904

... I've accepted life will take its own course … communication isn't brilliant, repetitive updates – but so be it … health-wise … I'm up and down too – fortunately, I'm fairly convinced, it's not that serious – but, frustrating, as I'm slow and on occasions don't feel up to much.



Recently – before my leaks – we had a mains water burst just up the road from here … that was fixed in about 6 hours, once they were able to get here to repair it …



... the reason for my mentioning this now – is that friends who live in that block asked me if I'd noticed all the sand on the road, and then told me that the repair-waterhole-diggers dug down into sand, rock and shingle (which spewed out) … we do live very near the sea. Eastbourne is built on shingle and chalk – not the world's best land – but it'll see me out …



Marine Gardens,
Eastbourne - 
before it was built up
mid 1700s onwards

The town started to expand over 300 years ago, as in the late 1700s George III sent some of his children down here for a holiday by the sea – the area now known as 'Seaside' … shingly Seaside … so our infrastructure is ageing, as it's been around a while!



It has cooled down and now is very tolerable … another plumber comes tomorrow to sort the cold-water stopcock out … plenty of people coming in and out to look – workmen, health-carers – to sort out challenges … as time goes by life will quieten down and improve, I sincerely hope!


Mackerel Sky - by Tirzah Garwood
(Eric Ravilious' wife/widow - he's known as our
Sussex artist - he died in the War off Iceland)



Enjoy your seasonal times – warm or cold … and here's to more settling times …





Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

13 comments:

  1. Oh Hilary,
    I hope the plumbing problems are solved soon!!
    It's been very hot here these days but it's summer and we're very lucky to have air conditioners!

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  2. It's all rather depressing for you at present. I do hope things - all *things* - are resolved soon. Take it as easy as you can.

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  3. Oh dear, your plumbing problems sound bad - especially with so many absentees to deal with. Hope things are resolved soon.

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  4. @ Katerina - yes it's all a great nuisance ... we're about to have another hot spell - fortunately by the coast it is cooler. I bet you're glad to have air-con ... I would be too ...

    @ Janice - I tend not to get down thankfully - and yes the sooner things are resolved, so at least I can concentrate on my health and not the flat as well!

    @ Anabel - c'est la vie - thankfully communication is easier in this day and age.

    Cheers to you three - life continues on - thanks - Hilary

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  5. Hari OM
    Ugh... I admit to being a bit of an ostrich when it comes to such matters. Sorry you are having to endure it all. Kudos for looking on the bright side! YAM xx

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  6. The plumbing issues are never-ending. At least it's summer and a cool shower won't feel as bad.

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  7. I know right where Seaside is located! It is the next road behind the road that runs beside the sea in Eastbourne! There is a church on that road, and I visited it several times when I visited my in laws there. It is the same church that Lewis Carroll attended when he visited! (We weren't there at the same time, haha.) Listen, hope you get hot water back soon!

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  8. I haven't seen a Tirzah Garwood on line for ages... Many thanks.
    At uni we learned far more about Ravilious' work, but life turned out badly for both of them.

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  9. Plumbing problems are the worst. As are leaks. I hope you get it sorted sooner rather than later.

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  10. @ Yam - I'm not one of those thankfully - but as I'm not in control there's not a lot I can do. Keep on, keeping on - yes I can do that luckily ...

    @ Alex - actually of course it's somewhat cooler here at the moment - still about to warm up. Thankfully it'll be sorted - sometime!!

    @ Kay - I guess you'd remember where Seaside is ... possibly All Souls Eastbourne (Susans Road) - which has a lovely rose window - it's very well known locally - perhaps that was where your in-laws worshipped. I hope the plumbing gets sorted soon (very soon!) ...

    @ Hels - there's a film that's been produced recently ... it's very good - about his work, granted ... and yes Tirzah's work wasn't that recognised - now it is.

    @ Liz - oh plumbing problems ... dreadful - as you so rightly say ...

    Cheers and thanks to all for visiting and empathising with me! Hilary

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  11. I think we could entitle this post “The Watery World of Hilary Melton-Butcher!” It is certainly no joke when the water starts to find its way down to other flats, and the whole situation must be made more difficult by absentee landlords. But I can see that you are quite stoic about it all. Better it had come at another time, however, rather than when you are dealing with the uncertainties around your health. Between you and Sue, two of my favourite women in the whole world are down but far from out. I think of you often and I hope that very soon all will be well. Many hugs - David

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  12. Sounds like a difficult situation, and I hope your plumbing and health woes are resolved soon. Wishing you all the best, Hilary!

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  13. Sounds like a lot of action at your place. I hope the plumbing is fixed.

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Brilliant to see you here and thanks so much for commenting - always good to have the interaction.