Here's the point where I wish we had considered other options around the fire regulations. As most of you know, I've not entertained the idea of a sprinkler system, mainly as I suspect as the flood water rises, the final straw will be eveything we have moved out of the flood water being soaked from the sprinkler.

Well the tank to supply the sprinklers arrived today, not sure the picture puts it's vastness into perspective.......

This is going under the stairs, as long as we can get it into the cupboard that's been built under the stairs. It's now apparant that it's the only thing that's going under the stairs....

So when Oxford needs to go onto standpipes in the next drought - at least we'll be able to supply the street with water. I'm glad it's Mike who pays the water bill, we're on a meter and have to fill this baby up.

The desk area has been fitted, although Colin is more interested in getting into the cupboard than doing any work.

Sadly, the rest of the house seems to be gradually falling apart. The boiler went on Friday night - but at least it's given me an excuse to try the new shower. The excuse being that it's the only hot water in the house. It's OK, but better than a cold shower downstairs, especially as on saturday the lights went in the bathroom so make that cold and dark showers.

The final additions to the loft room are some rails to prevent cats jumping out of the window. Here Colin demonstrates the effectiveness, although I expect he's just lulling us into a false sense of security. Jason can't actually climb the second set of stairs, let alone get on to the windowsill.

Now I know what your thinking, why is there a picture of a dirty floor - but these at black granite tiles with subtle bits of irridescent glitter embedded in them. To be fair, you can't see these said bits of glitter but trust me, they look lovely.

And the inside of the fully tiled shower - all the better as I didn't have to grout them. I still think that as someone else was doing the hard graft I should have been allowed the mosiac glitter tiles but since I got the more expensive floor tiles I'll live with it.

And here we have the (almost) finished inside view of the windows, there's a door to the room and everything now. A week later and the bucket of stagnant water is still there but no cat has attempted to drink from it so, so far so good.

But if we turn away from the scud missile site that is my lawn, and look up - at last the windows are in.

Apparantly the delay was all my fault for refusing to have UPVC windows. If I had agreed to something so monstrous they would have been in weeks ago. I think they were worth the wait. Almost as much as my glittery floor tiles, which I love the most

Here's the spare room - or Allen and Deirdre's room as it's known. Lucky you aren't staying for a couple of months. Even Jason has refused to sleep in here and we all know how he loves his bed