Fibre Broadband Installation

When I lived in Eaglestone, for several weeks I had to endure the roads and paths around the estate being dug up for the installation of fibre broadband. But it seems the whole process is going to be repeated, now that I've moved to Oldbrook. As I write this on Monday morning, the merry sound of drilling is going on outside the flat. I took out Alfie about an hour and a half ago and as I came out of the front door I almost got strangled by a length of wire or is it cable, which was stretched across the door. I don't quite understand how this new cabling works. I have conventional broadband which comes into my flat via a telephone line. I'm intrigued to know, is this new fibre network separate from the telephone system? It can't surely be separate, because so much will use what is actually an older type of connection, more likely wire of some sort. The fibre system must join it for part of it's journey.It's continuing. The drill is very close. I wonder if it's going to come through the front wall of Dexter House and straight into my flat. I assumed that this business was finished. I'm not sure whether the rest of the estate has been completed or whether it's just this block.

12.20. The fire alarm has just gone off. I'm never always sure whether it's a test or whether it's because there's a fire somewhere in the block. If you've followed these blog posts, you will recall that there were an early-morning fire emergency and we had a fire engine call. It wasn't a serious matter, I think someone burnt their toast and set off the alarm. The only problem when the fire alarm is tested is that it makes me jump and it sets off Alfie barking. It was a test, fortunately.

(Wednesday) It's getting lighter, earlier and earlier each morning. I have been going out with Alfie around 7.30a.m., but now it's light enough to go out by around 7.15, which suits me.

Yesterday I was at Camphill, as usual, in the drama workshop. I was there early, by at least 8.35, and some of the residents came into the foyer, where we usually have our breaks. Some were in the theatre, so we began to get the chairs out for the usual session which starts the day, each resident as well as co-workers and volunteers tell how they are feeling and what they expect from the day ahead. As some of the residents weren't coming to the morning session, Tao said that we would be rehearsing 'Stranger Danger during the morning and then in the afternoon probably doing some work on 'Treasure Island.' As it turned out those residents who hadn't appeared during the morning didn't turn up so we did rehearsal during the morning and then after lunch continued with where we'd finished at lunch and completed the scene after lunch and then we did something new. Because Teo is going to be away on holiday for 3 weeks in later February we needed to have something to work on, so it was suggested that everyone nominate a film they liked and had on DVD which could be viewed and then used as the basis for improvisation. So everyone told what their film was and then, once the entire group had finished, we had to vote for which film, and after the votes were counted, a gradual whittling-down process began, rather like the method used on television for such shows as 'Strictly Come Dancing,' which eventually got the choice down to two films, which ended up being 'Oliver!' and 'The Sound of Music.' It will be interesting to see what improvisations can be created from each of these films.

(Thursday) It's cold and frosty this morning. The first real frost of the year. The car has a layer of ice on it, although it doesn't bother me because I'm not going out in it today.

The broadband installation was completed a few days ago. I think they were just wiring this property and leaving the points in case people decided to sign up to the service. As I already have broadband via the telephone line to my flat, I won't be signing up as I'm satisfied by my provider, which, incidentally, is Sky.

Fenced In!

I thought the work to install fibre broadband which has been going on around Milton Keynes for the past few weeks had finished in this area, but was surprised this morning when one of he workmen knocked on my front door to say that I ought to move my car because they were going to start work along the front of the house. They put in the orange fence and then began to dig up the paving blocks and had a small digger in to take out the sand and then the mauve plastic pipe went in. It would appear that the telephone line has been suspended meanwhile so that the work can continue, but it is somewhat inconvenient.

It would appear the landline telephone won't work. I think the workmen have cut this off because of the installation of fibre broadband. Phil and Robert Shepherd were coming this morning, I'm sure it was after 10 o'clock, but it's now midday and still no sign of them. If they did come, they'd find it difficult to get to the house. Currently a workmen is knocking the paving blocks back ito the trench they dug, so I trust the work will be completed soon.

Shelly, my neighbour, has come in and suggested how I should pack and how to sort out what to keep and what to take and later, her husband, Garry, came to give me some tough black bags, far better than the one's you use in a bin, some tape and some flat-pack boxes which I have started to construct and have already started clearing the books on the book unit.

The sound of a machine for cutting the blocks outside can be here. Not a nice noise. They are gradually replacing the blocks.

Philip Shepherd rang. He said that they had packed up the lawnmower and other equipment in one car and set off and the car had a problem and they had to return and packed it all in Robert's car and got as far as Eaglestone and saw the workmen and the fact that my drive was inaccessible so they didn't go any further and returned home. He apologised and said he'd ring in the week and fix another time to cut the grass.

I have written a letter on the MacBook, which is initially handing in  my notice on this house and I have made a list of the problems which have never been resolved so at least it's in wiring. I have now been to the post office in the Eaglestone store and posted the letter off. I had to drive around the estate to get there, only one way, because it's virtually impossible to get through with the workmen putting in the fibre cable.

Garry tells me that Joe and Jas are definitely going to take over the tenancy on this house and it's clear they intend doing a lot of refurbishment before taking over. The landlord accepts this, and they are meeting again on Tuesday.

I  feel that things are moving steadily forward and can see that it will be better all round for me (as well as Alfie, of course.), not having to pay so much rent and being in a new environment which is smaller but more appropriate for a single man. It's just going to take time to get everything sorted and packed.

John from church was supposed to come after 2 o'clock with his trailer to help clear out the small bedroom. He hadn't arrived by 2.45 so I rang on my mobile and he said that he though we were doing the work next week. He said he'd come on Thursday and if necessary we can carry on on Saturday afternoon (very likely as there is so much. Shelly came round and helped me start to organise how to clear the house, because to be honest, I feel like a rabbit in the headlights because I don't really know where to start. Then, later, Garry came round to give me some flat cardboard boxes and tape to put them together, as well as some really tough black bags, far better and stronger than the average black bin bags. I had made up some of the boxes and I have already started clearing some of the book unit in the lounge, putting books I want to keep in one and another box for books which will go to a charity shop.

The workmen has now left. You would never know that they'd dug up the road, put the fibre cable in and refill it, they've done a good job clearing up after themselves. I have to say I'm impressed. I just hope the road can now be free to vehicles and I can get out tomorrow to get to church.