Tuesday - long and what a day

Sorry to admit this , but yet another bad night, 4 a.m. wide awake, head birling and mind going double time with some really wierd dreams. at one stage I was foing to get up but sometime around 5.30 a.m. I dozede off , in time to awaken 6.45 and get up. Phoned Dr Disaster / Capt Calamity who said he would be waiting - however after two sessions of snooze mode he had slept in !!
So - 7.10 we picked him up and headed for The Mercat Bar where we started on the days DIY chores - making good progress for a few hours then off to the Plumb Centre and Russel paints for extra supplies. For months we have been trailing all over the City for plumbing supplies and here is a wholesaler about 400 yards from the pub!!
Did well till p.m. when we started to move dishwashers and coolers - but someone had got their measurements all wrong - big time - so we had serious jigging to do - but cutting a long story shoert eventually got everything in place and then the dishawsher started to leak - As I type the heavens have opened and it is pouring hells bells - so I just hope my own leaks do not manifest this evening.

Sparky did well - only this little flood today but we will neeed to call in the experts to see what is wrong with the machine.
Graham arrived to annoy us and started to try and put up some pictures, but we had to write this way up on the hammer and to see him attempting to hang photos was an experience - however we eventually waited till he had finished then took down his photos and put up a lovely mirror.
So - eventually at 7 p.m. we called a halt and headed home for dinner, wine and magners - very good - even although I am expected to be back again for 7 a.m.
Just home and enjoying our dinner when Irish Christine arrived - what a laugh - being reminicing about her days as a youth - when you used to quarter bath cubes as a treat - paper rounds at 50 shillings a week, washing your hair with water from the rain barrells; waiting inline and counting in the bags of concessionary coal to make sure the coalman did not diddle you.

We spoke about the time in Loanhead (9th April 1968) after I was involved in a house fire and rescued an old man - I was in the Police station when I was called from Dalkeith to say that there was a house fire at 29 dalum Court, Loanhead and a man was trapped with gas bottles in the house.
I had my father's car, as the "Panda" had been taken to Penicuik to replace their motor which ahd been stolen !!!! yet another story - anyway I drove up to the house and got there before the fire brigade - the house on fire was an upstairs flat in a block of four and the neighbours said that Mr Hyslop lived there alone. There was smoke in the house and coming out the windows - on the upper floor - so I went up the stairs, looked through the letter box and saw the smoke and fire within. I then got the regulation towel from the neighbour and soaked it in water - then wrapped it around my face - kicked in the front door and then on the ground crawled into the house.; Along the hall and found Mr Hyslop lying behind the kitchen door - the fire being in the bedroom - so I closed the doors and ended up trapped in the kitchen with him - broke the window to get fresh air and tried to lift him up which was difficult. In the meantime the neighbours had got a set of ladders and one of them , Archie Leadbetter had climbed up and was outside the window shouting to me - I told him to come in but he said no , so I grabbed him and pulled him off the ladder and into the kitchen beside me ( not a happy chicken) - anyway we were then able to lift up Mr Hyslop and hold him to the window for air - In the meantime the fire brigade arrived and put up a second ladder to the window with a fireman on each and we had then to try and pass Mr Hyslop out to the firemen. This was eventually done and there was Mr. H. Hanging in mid air supported on each arm by a fireman - BUT - with his legs dangling free his pyjama bottoms fell off exposing his naked nether regions to the assembled neighbours - never the less he was lowered to the ground and taken to the waiting ambulance.
Archie and myself were eventually taken back to ground by the firemen and also taken to hospital - Archie was fine - but I had several cuts on the arm from the broken window so I also went to hospital for treatment.
I was taken home to Currie in a Police car and someone else took fathers car over for me - but bearing in mind that father had recently suffered a heart attack and was sleeping downstairs in the livingroom - he awoke as I went in. Being dark I sat and told him that I had been involved in an incident before he put the klights on and saw my bandaged arm - so he was not so upset as he might have been. So off to bed - but eventually he woke me up to say that he newspapers were at the door to take my photos - which they did - giving me a bit of publicity about my escapade!!!

In the long term I received a Certificate from the Society for the Protection of Life fromFire ; was made a Freeman of the Burgh of Loanhead ; and as for the local Police we were all accepted and integrated into what was and still is a very close knit society.

So now - Sparky and myself being a bit lit up - Christine and Mrs B. like wise downstairs - the rain has stopped - thunder and lightening passing over - we are away to here a few more of Irish's tales.
Tomorrow - yet another early rise to head into the pub - by which time the tilers should have started their job.