Berit & Chris's weblog

The great escape!

Having completed a number of small jobs, such as installing a shower and out-door lighting, Chris yesterday began the more demanding job of fitting loft insulation. We were surprised to find a staggering lack of insulation throughout the house, and, with temperatures dropping below freezing, have become aware of just how much heat seems to be escaping through the roof. Being Danish, this was a particularly terrifying discovery, as Scandinavians are notoriously obsessed with insulation, triple-glazing and renewable energy sources. So much so, that the average Scandinavian cow shed has better insulation and lower energy requirements that the average UK house (according to one report from the British Fenestration Rating Council)

"New British houses retain the heat less effectively than Scandinavian houses built before the Second World War" More...

"In a typical British home, around one-third of the heat produced by a central heating system is rapidly lost through the roof, ceiling and walls. This does not have to happen: simple insulation measures can eliminate this loss almost completely. Insulation and draught stripping can help to keep more heat in your house without the need to spend more money on fuel. UK homes can cost up to four times as much to heat as Scandinavian homes" More...

The Sleeping Beauty

A week ago, we were looking forward to a lovely weekend of ballet, DIY and family visiting. Mid-week, however, I caught a rather persistent bug on the variant of flu and was automatically excluded from any fun activities. Friday afternoon, Linda and Paul arrived with Tara, swiftly followed by Londoners, Claire and Henrik. We were celebrating Paul’s birthday with a much-anticipated visit to the ballet and a performance of The Sleeping Beauty. Not ready to pass this up, I staggered out of bed and came along to the Bristol Hippodrome…only to be escorted back half an hour later after nearly fainting in my seat. Luckily, for everyone else, the performance was a great hit. Even after the initial confusion as to the story line; somehow, everyone expected the seven dwarfs to appear…

'Speed Antique Shopping'

We spent a relaxing weekend in London, with Chris enjoying the glamour and gadgets of the London Boat Show while I went antiques shopping with Claire and Henrik, who both have a fantastic eye for interesting accessories and period furniture. We toured a number of villages in the North West area of London - Amersham, Chesham, Watford - looking for gems. And after a couple of hours, I had completely lost track of where we were. But the ‘speed antique shopping’ paid off. After five enjoyable hours, I was one lovely meat chopper better off…

North Weston, Portishead

Right, time to update this blog. On December 17, we successfully moved into our new house in North Weston on the outskirts of Portishead. Here we enjoyed a couple of days before Christmas, sleeping on cushions in the living room, while slowly realising that our dream cottage is probably a two-year DIY project. But we wouldn’t want it any other way. There is nothing quite like uncovering the most amazing brick fireplace complete with arch and horsehairs underneath a heavy layer of plaster and bad panelling. And we cannot wait to start the real work of putting some originality back into the house. We will of course detail our DIY adventures on this site.

After a few days in the new house, we picked up my mum and brother in Heathrow and drove south, where we spent a lovely Christmas and New Year with Robyn and Martin on the farm. On Christmas Eve, we attended the village Nativity Play, where children had dressed up as angles, Jesus was played by a real live baby and some of the scenes took place in a nearby barn alongside farm animals. We spent the next many days enjoying Robyn’s fantastic cooking, and eventually ventured out to inspect some local antique shops, trying to find some original cast iron fireplaces for the bedrooms and living room.