They rolled up their sleeves. Now, as I have said, Peter was just on six feet and at his thinnest, while Graham was perhaps 5 feet 6 inches and square.. The lintel had certainly “gone off”, and between them they managed to manhandle it outside ready to lift it into its prepared rightful place. Bravely, they each grasped an end and lifted. Up it came until their forearms were horizontal – and there they stuck. There was no way they could lift it any higher. Putting it down slowly was just as hard as lifting it up. We all stood and looked at it. There must be a way! Graham looked at all the loose bricks lying there round our feet.

“We need Diana to use the loose bricks to build us up to the right height,” he declared. So that is what we did. Patiently, they held the heavy block of concrete and lifted one foot in turn, like a Suffolk Punch being shod, while I chose the best of the bricks and slipped them into place under their feet. Slowly they rose, tipping first to one side and then to the other until they were, or their hands and elbows were, level and at the right height. With aching arms they slid the lintel slowly into the prepared position being careful not to dislodge the newly laid bricks, stretched themselves, and climbed down from their brick pillars. It was time for dinner, but the job was done.

Hastily Graham filled in with mortar and turned to pick up the old metal-bucket-handle he used to finish off brickwork. Again the haggle about payment took place, Peter trying to be fair, Graham refusing to take all that money. It was embarrassing, but I think he knew we couldn’t easily afford him, and anyway it was only beer money.

“I think the next job will be to lay the new wooden floor upstairs while we wait for the windows,” he said. “Let me know when the tongue-and-groove has arrived – and you will want – I forget how many and what kind of – tacks. Have you a decent hammer? No? OK! I’ll bring mine.” We were able to measure the area of our strange four-leafed-clover shaped bedroom on the concrete downstairs, and on Monday Peter rang Browns and put in an order. This time it came in couple of days, so Peter dropped a note in to number 19. Sure enough, that evening Graham was there.

“We can do the job in the dark with your hurricane lantern and a few candles in jam jars” he said. “See you tomorrow evening.”

Gale was fast asleep in her tent. It was very cosy and intimate sitting first on the beams and then on the newly laid bit of floor while Graham fitted and hammered and made our hair stand on end with his stories of village life.