Saturday, December 18, 2010

Santa can't visit the Valley House 'cause there aren't any chimneys anymore!

Former fireplace location in long bedroom (about 5 feet wide)
This photo shows where the large chimney used to run from the kitchen/living room where it opened into two angled fireplaces.  It used to jut out into the room, so it's absence will give us a lot more space.  The wide boards show how large the trees were, they would be the originals from 1760.

You can see the 1970's wallpaper that Mum put up, and the now saggy ceiling tiles Dad installed.  All will be removed.



The photo below shows the narrower chimney that ran through the downstairs long room (that easily held 24 family members during our Thanksgiving feasts) and the upstairs bedroom with the dressing room.  The photo shows where the chimney used to be in that bedroom.  I like this pheasant/fruit wallpaper, but I will have to use it as collage material, as it's too far gone to keep on the walls.
 
 
Location of narrow chimney through bedroom

So, the chimney's are gone now.  The photos we saw of the roofline without the chimney's looked quite bald, but we will adjust!  They were hazardous and had to come down.  We hope to put in a wood burner in the living room, put more windows in the south-facing kitchen to use the passive solar energy and remove the wood stove from the kitchen.

 Brian and I wish you all a happy holiday season!  We are eagerly anticipating the arrival of my eldest Emily and her boyfriend Maher.  It will be his first time in England, so we will be sure to take him to London, tour around the lovely East Anglian landscape, have fish and chips and attend the pantomime here in Colchester.  They are off to Paris for a romantic New Year's. 

Well, that's all for now.  I need to go pick up some groceries before the snow gets too heavy (this is so unusual for England!). 

1 comment:

  1. Wow- they really gutted out the poor chimneys! Poor Santa- he will get wedged in between a rock and a hard place! We can't wait to see you- Maher loves fish, chips and beer so England will be right up his alley!

    xo Emily

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