Blog
A collection of insights and opinions about all things home improvement-related, design ideas plus some personal reflections.

Thoughts for the Weekend & this Week’s Links
Tech Testing. I have been testing a few new gadgets around the home lately: some successful, some a total waste of time: 1. I have

Featured builder: Damien Gartside – expert tiler
“I was always really good at art. I got an A* in school. Hopefully my customers give me the same rating.” Meet Damien Gartside, expert-tiler;

Thoughts for the Weekend & this Week’s Links
Sweat & Mush. I’m dragging myself out of a sweat-infused mess this morning to pull together a few words. It seems that Covid is still

November Newsletter
Pre-Love. It’s funny how time flies when you’re having fun. This is the twenty-fourth time I have sat down to write something for our weekly

Feature on Tiled – a boutique tile stockist in Southsea
Where to find distinctive tiles in Southsea Taking a stroll through Southsea this week, I popped into one of its more recent additions and had

Thoughts for the Weekend & this Week’s Links
Anthropological Non-avoidance. Here we go again. The alarm goes off at 0541 hrs, and by 0550 hrs, I’ve commuted to my desk, mug of Earl

Thoughts for the Weekend & this Week’s Links
Sometimes we canter. I am struggling to make sense of it all this week. There were multiple red flags at the beginning of the week,

Thoughts for the Weekend & this Week’s Links
I Drove All Night. I am sitting at my new desk, trying to open my heart. The goal: not be a closed book. It’s a

Builder of the month – October 2023
Darren Millard of Millard Installations “When I started the business, I said yes to everything. These days it’s a bit different!” Meet Darren Millard, a

October Newsletter
We are sailing west. This week, I’ve been marked as a no-show by some very rude Belgians. Taught 600 students to draw by hand, sailed

Follow a build in-progress on this detached house extension: Autumn 2023
So, the short Indian summer I referred to last month has been swapped for the sudden arrival of Autumn, with heavy rain and gale-force winds.

Thoughts for the Weekend & this Week’s Links
Isn’t it pretty to think so. You find me on board a Boeing 747-400. I’m stuck in the toilet as I plummet to earth. This

Thoughts for the Weekend & this Week’s Links
Build, Destroy & Reflect. This week marks the start of term at the University of Southampton. For a few weeks, I am Sir, occasionally Professor, until

Thoughts for the Weekend & this Week’s Links
System Building. I am leaving it to the wire this week. Roldan will be up late today getting this article into Pipedrive, so it’s ready

Thoughts for the Weekend & this Week’s Links
Know Your Place. I found out yesterday that a friend has died. Sadly, I had lost touch with him in recent years. He is the

Builder of the month – September 2023: Mark Fitzgerald of MJF Builders Ltd
“When I run over the day’s work, I want to feel that I’ve done the best work possible.” Meet Mark Fitzgerald, builder, boss and family man.

September Newsletter
A whole month has passed. Schools are back, but the summer is still here. I’ve spent the past week at a couple of completed projects,

Follow a build in-progress on this detached house extension
Tales of the Unexpected. It’s September and while we’re basking in a short Indian summer, the builders are still on the job and feeling the

Thoughts for the Weekend & this Week’s Links
Drowning In Trends. Britain’s home improvement fad kills thousands. Don’t worry you’ve not arrived at The Mail Online. But it’s a fact that three times

Thoughts for the Weekend & this Week’s Links
Eternalism. I’ve discovered I’m likely deep in the Block Universe and quite excited about it. It turns out that time has already been determined. All

Thoughts for the Weekend & this Week’s Links
Get Back. This week I am struggling with what to write. The crisis of confidence that I had a feeling would come when I started

August Newsletter
What’s the point in me filing these weekly articles? Good question. Judging by the number of emails I get each week, quite a few people

Thoughts for the Weekend & this Week’s Links
Personal Recommendations. I have been thinking about the value of personal recommendations. Where trust and quality are more important than impersonal quantity. Where one good

Thoughts for the Weekend & this Week’s Links
Leaf Blowers. Don’t Suck. I have spent some time contemplating the merits of leaf blowers this past week. And following recent disconnected observations of leaf-blowing

Thoughts for the Weekend & this Week’s Links
Nighthawks. Who wakes early and feels anxious? How could the places where we live help us deal with these feelings? Maybe they are just feelings; sit

Follow a build in-progress on this detached house extension 25-07-23
We first discussed the ideas and plans with Carl during lockdown and just afterwards, so now that we’re in 2023 we can say this build

Thoughts for the Weekend & this Week’s Links
Apophenia. I’ve been thinking about iron age forts and ley lines this week, after a mission to try and find King Arthur and Merlin at

Thoughts for the Weekend & this Week’s Links
Caen, Paris, Zurich. Whilst sat by the lake, sheltering from the rain and feeding the ducks my breakfast, here are a few thoughts from the

Thoughts for the Weekend & this Week’s Links
Back To The Future. This week, I attended a conference about technology within the architecture, engineering and construction industry. Dull, I hear you say, but

Thoughts for the Weekend & this Week’s Links
My Town. I was in my new favourite shop, Southsea Local, this week getting a coffee and some supplies for a summer lunch when the

Thoughts for the Weekend & this Week’s Links
The Longest Day. It was D-Day anniversary recently (June 6 1944, to save you from disappearing off to Wikipedia); I was reminded that it was

Follow a build in-progress on this detached house extension 20-06-23
When we initially bought the house, we were pleased with its size and location. We loved the large patio at the back which faces south-west

Thoughts for the Weekend & this Week’s Links
Dr iPhone. I like to walk around barefoot. Given a chance, I’d always walk barefoot – but one has to act normal sometimes! This hot

Thoughts for the Weekend & this Week’s Links
The First One. This morning I have been to the hospital for another (lost count!) x-ray on my wrist. I don’t have to go back,