Thursday 21 July 2011

Opportunity Knocks

Don't worry - I am not about to launch myself on an unsuspecting television audience in a 21st century re-invention of an old talent show.

Even I am not fool enough to think that my 'talking knees' routine 
(maybe combined with the tummy-rolling trick my Mum used to make me perform for all and sundry as a small child) would ellicit rave reviews...

No, it's something much more exciting!

And it has to do with this...

Not my front door - yet!

This is the front door of a house along the road. The house is in a pretty terrible state - has been for quite a number of years, as you can probably see from the photo.  But it is part of the terrace we live on the end of and it is the original door, something that has long since gone from our own house, which looks like this...


I have never liked the solid front door.  It's not in keeping with the house, even if it is more secure than a half-glazed one might be.  

I have made frequent feeble protestations to Mr U-t-B about said door, which I thought had fallen on deaf ears!  

But when it became apparent that the house along the terrace had been sold and work was getting started on clearing it out and doing it up, I had a little light bulb moment!  What if we were to put a note through the door saying that if they were going to replace windows and doors (almost every house in the terrace has embraced uPVC - except us!) would they let us have first refusal on the door?

Well, Mr U-t-B did better than that - the next time he saw the men working there he asked them and the answer was yes!!!  So hopefully at some point in the not too distant future our house will once again have a door that denotes its age and is faithful to its architectural integrity!

Work does seem to have halted on the house now, so I'll just have to keep my fingers crossed that this plan comes to fruition - I have already so-nearly chosen the paint colour and am ready to start trawling for glass choices...

On a separate but door-related theme,  opportunity has also been knocking this week for the eldest Miss U-t-B's young man (last seen on this blog in January, with very frosty hair).
From the Alpine slopes to...

10 Downing Street!
I won't go into too much detail - let's just say that 'Spikeyhead' (as he is affectionately called by the youngest Miss U-t-B) has been working very hard on a project at work, putting forward a proposal for how the Government could save money (don't get me started). 
It was one of 40-odd (selected from 350-odd) chosen to 'pitch' 
(can't you just tell I watched 'The Apprentice'?) 
to civil servants; then one of 9 to be chosen to receive mentoring before a final 'pitch' on Tuesday this week to senior civil servants and Francis Maude (Minister for the Cabinet Office), followed by a reception in 11 Downing Street!

Well done to 'Spikeyhead' for all his hard work, which might well benefit not just the company he works for but more importantly us, the tax-payers, by saving the Government large wads of readies. If you want to read more about it follow these links:


or


P.S. Shame the guy who took the photo had a bit of a camera-shake moment! You get to stand outside No. 10 and you don't even have a really good photo of the moment!

5 comments:

  1. how lovely if he were to bring THAT front door back home with him!!
    xx

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  2. Opportunity has certainly come a knocking, hope you get the door soon, I hate our front door too, but it came with the house and it would be a virtual rebuild to replace but like you I keep on chipping away until one day the answer will be yes. What a moment outside No 10, sounds like a worthwhile project, I'm sure Cameron would welcome having something else to think about at the moment

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  3. We had a new front door put in a few years ago. It was a necessity here because of our cold winters and we were having huge heat loss. It was a pity because the old door was lovely. The new door is white and I still haven't decided what colour to paint it yet...LOL

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  4. Oh I do hope the door comes soon.And well done to spikeyhead how wonderful!!

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  5. Beautiful door,hope it comes home to you soon,found your lovely blog via fin and gabs,I'm now following :>) Manda X

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