Another year,another hole

Wishing A Happy and Healthy New Year to all.

I feel I should list some of the reasons why I haven't posted on my blog for the past four months. All of them are valid but slightly pathetic and in no way excuse my blog lethargy. I think I've been suffering from Writer's Blog.
Holidaying in our Motorhome to Sandringham, York, Hexham and Chester (to be discussed on next post) disposed of most of October and the first week in November and then there was the 'hole'.
In my wisdom? I'd suggested to the Curious Fish it might be a good idea to have a conservatory built in the U shaped space we have at the rear of our house. After discussion we decided to proceed and we asked for a quote from our local friendly and highly efficient/effective builder. The price was agreed with part of the agreement being that I would dig out the foundations. Am I Certifiable? The hole to be six courses of bricks deep (about 2ft) and covering an area of circa 16 square yards. The entire surface area was also covered by an existing slabbed patio (which I layed with some determination and a great deal of concrete ten years ago), a Greek Urn water feature (with subterranean plastic dustbin tank) and a large wooden Grape pergola entwined with well established vine. 
No problem says I ???.

Taking up the old

September saw off the Pergola, Water feature and most of the Patio. November and the first half of December was devoted to removing the rest of the patio, cleaning the slabs for re use (I am a Yorkshireman...deep pockets and short arms), soil digging and moving.

The above photograph reveals that the sewer and drain pipes congregate under the new conservatory area. There are two further pipes not yet revealed. We have decided that the manhole should be moved outside the conservatory.

The end result being I now have a major excavation in the back garden, huge piles of soil decorating the flower and shrub beds and the news that our beloved builder is running 6 weeks late with his
existing job and can't start just yet.

Stop Press...Builders due to move sewers and drains on 13th Jan 2012.

The above excavation and the intrusive pressures caused by the building site works adjoining the rear of our site have also convinced  us that we need to re landscape our rear Garden to fit in with the anticipated Conservatory and to maximise our privacy. Consequently we have now removed a walled rockery and gravel garden. I am currently creating a new patio area, a new lawn and contemplating removing the Garden Pond.
I must go now. I need to fit in a LOBOTOMY (or another bottle of Merlot).