"Runnin' on"

Janet admits to a bit of a family DIY distaster!

It was going to be doddle job; after twenty years of contentment with our sink I noticed how nice the new one in one of our friends' kitchen looked. There is nothing wrong with the one I have cherished for years, but the new models really appealed to me.

Mr T didn't see why the old sink had suddenly lost its attraction, but he did agree to us having a look at the range of new ones. We contacted a very nice man who gave us all the advice we needed.

Well that gave Mr T. an incentive to do one of the jobs that normally get put off for as long as possible. In no time at all the waste trap was removed, Mr T stood up, said the trap wasn't too bad, then he gave it a good swill off under the fast running tap.

I must admit he was really quick to realize that the very cold water soon found its way from the tap, through the sink cupboards and all the saucepans and general things we keep there.

I can't say we did much for the first couple of seconds, we laughed and of course Mr T says he's heard of other people doing it, well he now has joined their elite group. With some ceremony the waste trap was replaced in its rightful place.

It didn't take us long to empty the pots and pans and all the soap powders etc and carefully remove the shelf linings, after all I had been saying that they were carefully tailored by me. Then I started to put the linings on the radiator, hoping that they would dry out!

Now I have to admit to a small economy of my own, I buy wallpaper when I see it being sold for next to nothing as there is only the one roll left. Under normal circumstances the shelves always look good and I hadn't realised that the paper had an adhesive on it!

Once I'd freed myself from the very sticky paper and managed to clean the radiator too I was very careful to choose wallpaper with no adhesive at all. It does look very fresh and well worth the effort involved.

Janet Tilburn