So now we are set up to plough through the rest of the plot with the system in place to filter to soil… However, Dex the digger finds yet another layer of buried debris, and we review our tactics.  I looked at hiring a small digger, one small enough to get round to the back garden; but that would set me back £186 for the week, plus £30 each way to deliver and collect.  Even then, we would still need to spend time sifting the soil.

Meanwhile at the local tip where I had just dumped the first rubble load of the day, the sun was shining.  I returned with another load, not an hour later to meet the man at the gate doing the waggy finger thing at me saying “No, no, no, you got to go to the weigh bridge.”  Spluttering and protesting I went there, explained that this was all new to me and I had no money on me. The patient and understandably defensive man showed me the signs that explained this new policy, but let me leave the rubble this time as a sort of trial run.  The eight bags that were light enough for me to lift would have cost me £55. I CANNOT BELIEVE IT!  Was this the end of project revamp?

Hmmmm.

Since I was in any event going down to deepest Sussex the next day I checked with the dump down there. No proof of residency and no charges, hoorah, job done. Now the top soil and turf is ordered, next comes trellis and the decorative planting. Since the chap from the job centre is sooo good, many other jobs are being tackles as well; just a path relayed and a side bed wall rebuilt, but I will stop as we approach the walls of the house itself.

I hired a wacker plate this week for the very reasonable sum of £23 for 24 hours.  It went in the back of my estate car as the handle folded down.  Having leveled the new top soil it needed compressing so that it would remain level and not sink in odd places.  Dex then laid the turf just before the hosepipe ban came in, and we had a timber to walk across so as not to damage the new grass.