Monday 20th October 2025

And so the day came.

The day of the great kitchen replacement.

First job, once up and juiced up on coffee was to round up three of the four cats, put them in boxes and take them to Lydden to the cattery. The knocking and banging and disruption would do them no good.

But then neither did the round up, chasing scared kitties round the house, and dragging them from their hiding places.

As Jools took them to the cattery, the guys arrived to begin work.

First job was to assess the job, then beginning to rip out the old units. It might be easier than putting new ones in, but the old units created lots of trash and rubbish, all to be collected for sorting.

One did the kitchen, the other did the utility room. The wall to the WC was down, and one by one the units were stripped of their doors, shelves before being ripped out with jimmys and hammers.

By half eleven it was done, all units off the walls, and broken down. The old fridge and dishwasher both now waiting to be collected outside.

We headed to B&Q for lunch of greasy burger, before returning before the guys when they loaded the rest of the rubbish, and take out the old stove.

By three it was all done, two empty rooms and the state of the walls and floors revealled.

In the next two days the walls will be de-greased, filled then painted ready for the installation of the new units beginning on Thursday.

We have the fridge-freezer, and that's about it. There had been talk of somehow leaving the sink in place so we could wash up. But that got taken away pretty quickly.

The basin in the utility room is gone too, leaving just the basin in the bathroom upstairs for handwashing and washing up, not that there'll be much to wash up until the end of the week at least.

Sounds echo in both rooms.

Meanwhile, all the stuff from the cupboards from the kitchen is in boxes in the living room. We have the table to sit and compute at, but that's it.

To make matters worse, Monday saw frequent heavy showers, so we couldn't really go anywhere, just sit on the sofa and read.

The drop off to sleep.

Scully is tested and fed, but the house is empty because the other cats are away. So, no scramble to feed them, though on occasion, Scully can make enough of a fuss for four.

In the evening, we met Ange and Sean for dinner, at a seafood place in Deal we have never eaten at, though have meant to.

Dunkerley's is mainly a seafood place, for me, fish and chips is as seafoody as I get.

So at half six, in torrential rain, we drive along to Ringwould, Walmer and into Deal, parking on The Strand as its free in winter evenings.

We dash over the road, avoiding being splashed by passing cars driving through the half-flooded roads, and into the warmth of the bar to wait for our friends to arrive.

Once they did, we were shown to our table and order taken. As expected I had beer battered cod, which was splendid: Sean had muscles, Ange had baked plaice. It was all rather good, all washed down with Guinness for me..

We even had a cheeseboard to finish.

And that was that.

Jools drove us back, the road slick with fresh rain and lots of golden leaves blown down from the branches overhanging the road.

But we got home safe, met by Scully. Hungry.