We can see clearly now the floors have gone

We have been working on the stairs this weekend, when not working in the cafe.  As we cleared down the stairs, we used hazard tape on the newel posts to remind us that there are currently no balustrades in place.  Here we are looking at stairs running from floor 2 to 3…

…and here between floors 1 and 2, where we removed the remainder of the floor and then the props which had supported the floors.

Once the prop had been removed Mike was able to descend the stairs without bowing too deeply to avoid the props.  (Only joking – I think he is sweeping the stairs here).

This shot from floor 3 may give you more of a sense of a complete stairwell now being in place, even though it is hard to see the bottom…

…but here we can see floor 0 looking to floor 1, where a large chunk of floor is still blocking access.

We removed the old two-level floor (and the vast quantities of builders sand which had been sandwiched between the two levels as a sound proof layer) and then started removing the old joists…

…until all that remained was the mains electrical cables serving the cafe and all floors above.  Mike has engaged a local electrician to start moving these cables which should be in the next ten days.

So, as of this afternoon, we can now walk up all 8 flights of stairs from floor 0 to floor 3, providing you don’t mind walking under and then over the mains cables.  Job (nearly) done!

In between jobs, we have made several layers of wedding cake for our daughter and her fiance’s wedding next month.  And today, Carrie took the afternoon off to wander around Bodnant garden with a friend from UEA in glorious sunshine – what a chore!  Whatever will we find to do next…?