I bought a lot of parquet for the ballroom floor and it’s been piled up in a corner for a couple of years.

The problem (other than too many other lockdown projects) was the floor concrete level which needs to be one parquet lower than it currently is. There was once parquet similar to the snug as evidenced by the remaining bits around the edge (the triangular bit in the photo) they concreted over in the 1970s.

I had been putting the job off because I thought I would have to replace the entire floor. But a trial dig suggests the base of the new concrete is much weaker than I imagined and the old concrete below seems quite strong. That makes the job much easier – I should be able to knock off the new stuff and get back to the old base.

I’ve been a bit slow getting into things on the house this year. I’ve spent time in the spring fitting a new chassis to my elderly van. Then I’m busy testing aeroplanes all summer. Autumn isn’t busy yet so maybe something will still happen on the house later in the year.