A four day weekend and the task of moving my books from Bayswater to Leyton in the next week saw me visit Homebase on Saturday morning on the search for a bookshelf. The car park was full, the store buzzing with activity and people laden down with paint tins, rolls of wallpaper, wooden panelling, screws and nails, drills and lamps. I opted out and found a little store with diy bookshelves and carried the 9.8kg package home.
In the hallway I clanked and clonked the various parts of my bookshelf and set about screwing planks in to place while the next door neighbours cranked up the radio and set about their own drilling and hammering. With half a bookshelf built I heard the radio announcer go in to a ramble about the bank holiday weekend, spring and everyone’s sudden interest in diy – I chuckled knowingly.
The bookshelf well completed and populated (where are my books going to go?!), Monday saw my flatmate and I standing in the backyard and spontaneously decide to eradicate the weeds that were contentedly pretending to be a small jungle. Many an upset ladybird flutted about, glowworms constricted in to defensive circles, discussions about growing tomatoes and strawberries and four full garbage bags later the yard was somewhat more habitable. I was left wishing that I’d bought that little gardening tool set I saw at Homebase – something to buy for next weekend to eradicate those final weeds that were too deeply rooted.
A short walk around nearby streets at 8pm on Monday night and I heard someone hammering away – better hurry up, the diy weekend’s coming to a close.