Update on The Barn

For those of you who have enjoyed The Barn Chronicles I thought I’d do a wee update on the barn. Ever since we moved out of it we’ve had friends or family living there. My brother Peter and his wife Raewyn have just moved out – they lived there for over a year while helping us care for Mum before she died. Since becoming vacant I’ve had a lot of fun doing it up a bit… a general tidy up, making new curtains, painting the roof and the outside Pioneer Red..quite the revamp for the old barn! It makes me want to move back in!! Katie went over there the other day and took some photos, so I thought I’d put some up for those of you that have read the books.

Painted in Pioneer Red…just need to do the windows now. The liquid ambers are taking off and will soon be in magnificent autumnal colours.

One of my brother’s quirky signs

When Samuel was born my mum and dad gave me some money and I bought this lovely statue of a young boy. He now sits on the gate post by the barn.

Peter made Raewyn some raised beds for her gardens on the west side of the barn.

He also made a big change inside…he closed up the hole we’d made under the stairs to access our bedroom, and made a door to the right of the staircase. Much more convenient!!

The kids all had fun choosing bits of wood to make the door handles.

Taken from the loft

The Gem, the smallest of the Homewood stoves.

I found this sign in Texas and just had to buy it!!

Time to harvest the apples!

The Homewood stove is of course now over in our place, but we have the Gem, the smallest of the Homewood stoves in the barn.This small table is a bit of a come down after our large round one!

The axminster carpet is over a hundred years old and still going strong (sort of) despite getting wet in countless storms.

Peter also made a small room at the west end of the loft. He insulated it, and put in a ceiling. He plastered the walls and painted them white.

The outside of the attic room walls are covered in left over bits of Axminster carpet! Makes it look a bit like a ger??

Sam and I put up a new wooden fence at the east end of the porch. I’ve planted a Mutabalis rose there. Need to do some weeding!!!