I AM NO BUILDER HATER BUT

I am often told I can see the future, I cannot, but I do start to nag about things often before they happen.

A month ago I started to nag my builder about some guttering that had been dripping all the time. As usual the charming man who had an empty smile said everything was fine. I just knew it was not. Then low and behold water started pouring into the back half of my dining room.  The smug builder came back and said he would fix it. A lick of paint and he thought his work was done.  It then came back again, darker this time.  I am totally fed up.  The builders for this house were bandits, and when I checked further I discovered that although I asked for everything to be done, typically it was not.  They did not mend the roof although water was clearly dripping in the same place when I bought it.  They apparently decided, without consulting me, it did not need to be done.

The builder then blamed the architect, then the quantity surveyor told me I was rude.  I am  fed up of being portrayed as a shrew, the builders, architect and everybody else on this house were pretty second rate.  It is simple, when I ask for jobs to be done, I don't think it is much to ask that they should be done well?. The architect was paid 100,000 after only appearing at the house ten times in a year. The builder of course went  bankrupt and I had to sort him out, nothing to do with me but a previous job had not paid him enough. They soon forgot I helped them out.  They were talking just behind my back, sending me huge bills and laughing, changing what I wanted done and making the house a white box with plastic walls.  All was altered at my expense of course. What is this fashion for plastic walls looking like a kitchen and noone knowing how to make a door anymore? I won't write down their names, they know who they are, in any case that would be vulgar and they have children to feed.
Thank goodness for Nicky Haslam, he was a shining star and brought in stunning cornices, fireplaces, ideas and creations. What a pity his work has to be done again so soon.

Actually some of the Architects I know are an annoying breed.  They all look as if they are wearing something very chic chic, this one liked crumpled cream, the one for the house snazzy expensive thick rimmed glasses.  Well, the second one,  a snivelling wreck of a man tried to ponce off me, claiming he was about to be billionaire and building a city for 52 million in the shape off plastic bottles for the  people in China.  He then left me with his huge food bills saying he would pay me back later. He bored me to tears about his ex girlfriend dropping him, and unfortunately he was an alcoholic too.
I don't blame the girlfriend, I certainly wouldn't give him house room.

I think the only way forward is to hang out with my adorable sons, their friends and my friends  especially Nicky  are all so much more amusing.
Funny thing is that whatever anybody may say about America at the moment, I have had the experience of only good workmanship in Los Angeles.  The same job was done beautifully with no problems.  As for the  men there, well at least you can meet them in on the internet, and you don't have to drink tea with them.

By the way I am not a man hater, I love them, it's just at the moment there are no shining stars.