Tough times Topolino, for you and your family, especially with your mothers additional problems - I'm not sure how I'd cope that. I am so pleased to read you were able to speak together with your father and then see him in the hospital too. My sincere condolences to you all.
Sorry to hear of your loss Topo. It’s the inevitable cycle of life. You’re obviously being strong, good man.
I feel your pain, i sat with my father in his last breaths, i was so lucky being there to tell him how much i and our family loved him, i felt blessed and saddened at the same time....iv no answeres however remember he didnt die before his time, it wasnt violently nor an accident but natural, maybe not the ending he would choose but still natural. I always say the child should bury the parent and how bad it would be if it was reversed.
Sorry to hear about your loss. Yeah, its good when youre there. I was lucky to be with my dad when he passed away, he was unconcious for a good 24 hours before (leukemia) but i was there. He only ever thought of others. My last sane conversation was about going to the TT (it was 2 weeks later) he said to me "just go son, go and enjoy yourself, im not bloody going anywhere am i!"....commedian to the last...
Sorry to hear of the passing of your dad stay strong topo in these difficult times... Great words I'm lucky enough to still have both my parents and I don't think I appreciate that as much as I should My dad has had a massive influence in my life he passed his love of motorcycles on to me for which I'm truly greatfull over the years I have met some fantastic people and had some great times When this lock down is over I will sit down with my father and just talk bikes which he still loves to do he still rides every day at the ripe old age of 74
Sorry for your loss, my thoughts are with you, glad you got to say goodbye. Just over a year since my dad left, still feels strange without him
Thanks one and all for your kind words. Death is a natural cycle of life, it is just the emotions it conjures up that are so powerful. I will as many of you have commented, come out the other side, possibly a stronger person as result. It's good to know there are so many kind souls on here, it warms my heart. Once Dad's funeral is behind me I will post up some updates on the Man Cave when I get home, after what will have been almost three weeks away. A lot has happened in my absence, so keen to investigate and share with you all. All I can tell you at this stage is the foundations are in and signed off, DPM is down and the floor slab laid. Long way to go yet so stay tuned!
As has already been said Topo sorry for your loss! It does put other things into perspective but as has also been said by you, I’m sure you will come out stronger than before
Well I'm finally back home after a very long and distressing two and a half weeks away in London. I will be posting some updates and pics later on today. Having up until yesterday only seen the garage in pictures sent to me by my wife and now having seen it in person, as a structure, it's not going to be far off the size of a small bungalow!
April 20th, digger and dumper working their merry dance across the lawn and removing the old patio. Patio and top soil removed
Trenches dug out for foundations, down 1.5m, 60 tons of earth removed in all 1st site inspection by building control, then concrete poured.
We did speak to them and gave them copies of the plans months before we started the build and prior to planning permission being granted. They were aware of the implications in terms of the light they would lose but we did fell an enormous Eucalyptus tree that used to fill their gutters up with leaves and when it shed bark, so they have gained a lot more light than they stand to lose, which they are happy about. The chap that lives there co-incidentally also knows our builder and he often chats over the fence to him, so I think its pretty harmonious thankfully. The back end of the garden is flanked by a church and the two huts are used by after school groups so they aren't troubled by it either. Always pays to be on side with your neighbours from the get-go.
Outer base layer brick face laid. Pathway dug out and hardcore layer being added (20 tons of the stuff!) prior to initial DPM being prepared. All tamped down ready for the 1st DPM layer
1st DPM layer laid down over the hardcore, then a layer of thick heavy duty insulation is fitted on top. 2nd DPM layer added over insulation, then the mother of all cement lorries turned up and managed to reverse into our garden ready to pour the concrete for the main garage floor slab. Concrete poured and stage one of the levelling begins.
Rain stopped play for a few hours and then the floor was smoothed to what I can only describe as billiard table flat using a power floater. Our builder wasn't happy with the initial results due to another mild rain shower so he came back later that night and left after he was finally satisfied with it at gone 10.30pm. He is a very diligent bloke. We did apologize to the neighbours BTW!
Almost a week later and another huge lorry arrived to deliver the Thermalite blocks and outer blocks, as well as several tons of cement and huge rolls of cavity wall insulation. These were then stacked on rubber sheets laid out on the now solid garage floor slab, like a giant game of garden Jenga. Here you can see the Thermalite blocks. This is just a third of those needed! And then more for the next two hours....
