27 > 28 October 2025 – Feeling drained
The first time we cleaned the brickwork and setts to the front of our house we uncovered a 2nd drain at the upper end of the rain gully that we didn’t even know was there; it had become so totally covered in soil that it was no longer visible! On 8th July 2024 we reported to Leicestershire County Council that the gully drains infront of the house were blocked and we needed them cleared, after the email confirmation came back we then heard nothing at all at all so we reported it again 2 months later. This time a work order was raised, but once more nothing seemed to come of it!! Skip forward nearly another year and we tried again! In early May 2025 we put in yet another request to get the blocked gully drains cleared, Leicestershire County Council approved yet another work order on the 25th May and a team actually visited in August and duly annouced that the goose-necks from the 2 drains were completly blocked (Really!!!???) and they would have to be dug out.
27-28th October saw the arrival of a workteam complete with cutters and a mini digger and they made short work of the old cast iron drains 🙂 Replacements including new covers are now in place with much larger plastic sumps so they should be much easier to keep clear. The team did a great job, even down to replacing the original brickwork and granite setts around the covers where they had had to lift them for access
30 October 2024 – Front door
14 August 2024 – Leaning into it
Built against the side of the house, between ourselves and the neighbours’ garden is a lean-to that gives access through to our back garden from the street. When we moved in, this had definitely seen better days and it was covered in layers of flaking paint. Some time running a sander over the door and surround was well worth the effort and a few coats of red later on the door and cream on the surround soon gave it a fresh look. We like the red, but we’re not fully sold on the end shade yet – there will probably be a change in tone next spring when it gets warm enough for outdoor painting again and we can also look at changing out the rusty fake hinges too!
June 2024 – Painting the garden gateways
Another less than pristine public facing part of the house was the 2 hand built garden gates, one directly in front of our house and one by the driveway and garage. These had deteriorated into a combination of bleached wood and green moss/lichen so benefitted immediately from a good jet wash. The acorn decoration at the top of each plank was hand cut by Owner#5.
Images from before our purchase
24 March 2024 (pre-completion house visit)
12 January 2024 (pre-completion house visit)
April 2023 for sale images (Hortons Estate Agent)
November 2012 for sale images (Hartleys Estate Agent)
The front door has now been moved and the earlier aluminium framed and double glazing has been repalced by wooden framed double glazed units.
2004 farewell images taken by “Owner#5” (whom we are now in touch with)
In the 2004 image below, it can be seen that front door is still in its original location (it was moved by Owner#6 in 2005/6)
1988 shortly after being bought by “Owner#5”
The images below were taken by Owner#5 just after moving in. The “lean-to” at the side is still in it’s original shape with a fairly flat asbestos panel roof – this roof went soon after these photos were taken to be replaced by the steeper tiled one that is still there. The 1950s dusty blue was soon overpainted in Sherwood Green and then in “Police house blue” later on (both of these shades can be seen above in the repainting photos).
