Taking down the scaffolding was such a big job that the crew started it last Saturday, but couldn't finish it that day (they were also hampered by terrible weather). So they came back today to complete the job.
So by this afternoon, finally - 252 days after it was put up!! - the scaffolding is gone.
It's hard to describe what a huge relief it is to have finally reached this point. The first practical point is that getting rid of the scaffolding will ease the financial strain on us considerably, since we have been spending hundreds of pounds a month for the scaffold's continued hire. Also, the flat will be more secure now.
But it's also a very big deal psychologically. Finishing the roof means that we've closed a vey critical chapter in this project. It's an enormous accomplishment, given the massive scope of work that was done. I still remember my initial panic when our labourer, M, walked out in a fit of pique five months ago, and how utterly gobsmacked I was when Andre decided that he could - and would - finish the roof single-handedly. That we have reached this point and can now move on to re-constructing the interior of the flat is really a testament to his determination and stamina.
And yet... in a very strange way, I actually felt a twinge of nostalgia as I saw the last of the scaffold dismantled and the truck drive off! Can it be possible that I actually sort of miss the scaffolding?! It was up for so long that I suppose it basically started to feel like part of the flat. And it was amazing being able to climb through windows, and, most of all, to spend time at roof level.
