Blogger's Crafting Weekend - We Really Are Going!

Yay! It's all organised.  We will be there! Ten Intrepid Crafty Folks are "exploring to" Coalport for the weekend.

If you're coming along, I will be so excited to meet you.

If you can't come, but wanted to (Miss Smith, Fiona, Heather, several others...), I'm hoping to arrange a similar Weekend in 2012 - perhaps toward the start of March.  I think it may be a bit further South, but not sure til I find out what Hostels have the right facilities, with vacancies and at the right price.  I wonder if anyone would like to come and what you think would be "too expensive"?  The cost for this weekend - bed, breakfast and dinner, plus a share of the classroom hire - was £65 for YHA Members, plus an additional £9 for Day Membership of YHA for non-members - so just under £70.  Would £80 be ok, or £90 - some of the City hostels are more expensive than the others?

Anyway... on Friday I will be going out Early and driving North to Coalport, where I hope to meet up with 9 other lovely people.  We will Do Crafting Stuff, go Exploring in Ironbridge, eat Cake (and maybe some other food) and hopefully enjoy ourselves (I do hope everyone enjoys it!).

So, if you're coming to Coalport, I'll See You on Friday!
If you're not, I'll "see" you next week!

* * *

Just an update, by the way, about my mum - as several people were kind enough to leave interested enquiries about her disaster.

The Flood was caused by the cold water pipe that connected to the bathroom wash basin.  It was one of those "flexi" pipes, with a rubber core and a wire-mesh outside.  The rubber inside failed and because it was mains-pressure water, it burst (with a loud "pop" that my mum heard downstairs!).  The water obviously came out very fast, as mains water is pumped, so by the time mum had found someone to help her turn off the water (her hands are not strong enough to turn the tap), everything in the bathroom was flooded and the water was pouring through the ceiling, into the kitchen below.

I spent Wednesday afternoon rescuing things and clearing up the flood, then fielding visits by the warden, plumber and electrician, to make sure she was safe to stay in her home. 

Thursday was the start of the sorting out.  Trying to dry the carpets in the hallway and upstairs landing, which were sopping wet, from water flowing out of the bathroom and kitchen.   Most of Friday was also taken up with this - lifting the carpet upstairs and putting it outside, making phone calls to the insurance people, arranging for the assessor to come on Monday etc. 

Monday was then taken up with visits from the insurance assessor, about the carpets, plus someone to see what damage had been done to the building itself.  Also lots of phone calls and other visitors.  Mum was exhausted, so I ended up doing it all for her - she just doesn't cope with all this hassle now and when she's so tired, nothing sinks in.  She kept trying to tell people stuff that wasn't right, or telling the wrong people, or re-telling things I already dealt with.  It's tricky to keep your temper when you are tired also and someone keeps interrupting you etc.... but I did my best and I think it was sorted out ok. 

We're now waiting for the person from the carpet company, to come and measure up for new carpet.  The Trust who own mum's house will pay for the removal/ re-fitting of the stair lift, so the stair carpet can be removed and replaced - obviously we need to co-ordinate this with the carpet fitter!  They will also re-decorate where there is water damage.  Hopefully, by the middle of December, everything will be dried out and repaired. 

It's been quite a week!

But on Friday I'm going to Coalport!!