Been a busy week. Last Sunday, Jerry from Wadebridge Renewable Energy Network (WREN) came to our Cornish house to size up the roof for solar panels. Although the feed in tariff has been reduced, subject to challenge in the courts, the prices that suppliers are charging have also reduced, because they and the solar panel manufacturers want to keep business going. The effect has been that a 1.5kW installation would have cost £7500 before, but a 3 kW installation is now £8500, so the economics are almost back where they were for customers.
On Monday the architect came to check the snagging list – all the little things the builders hadn’t done first time and had to put right. There were still a few things not done, and a couple of extra ones not spotted first time round. On Tuesday morning, Mat from another solar panel supplier came to size up the roof. While doing that, we went into the loft space – the part not converted into a room – and saw that the specified new insulation had not been put in – another item for the snagging list. On Tuesday afternoon we drove back to Woking.
On Wednesday I wrote a story for Woking Writers Circle. On Thursday I took apart Eleanor’s desk to ready it for transporting to Oxford, and went to the writers circle meeting. On Friday I packed the car with Eleanor’s desk and other furniture and belongings. On Saturday we drove to Oxford and delivered all the furniture and belongings, Diana dropped in on Tris in Wadham College, we went to Eleanor’s old flat, picked up bags of recycling and deposited them at the recycling centre, had lunch, saw round Eleanor and Joe’s new house with curtains and furniture all in, then drove to Cornwall again, arriving in time to get fish and chips for supper.
It took us about four hours to get to Wadebridge from Oxford. It always takes four hours and it doesn’t seem to matter where we start. From Woking to Wadebridge is four hours. From Bromyard to Wadebridge is four hours. I reckon it would be four hours from Edinburgh! (At least, once the direct flight from there to Newquay starts in March.)