You’ve not been framed!

Way back at the beginning of June I ordered 2 windows and a metal door from Mr Bricolage. I was told that the windows would be ready in 4 weeks and so plans for the work that I was doing on the studio and a schedule for demolishing and rebuilding the garden shed were drawn up.
Four weeks later I had heard nothing so I rang Mr B and was told that, as written on the order, they would phone me when the windows were ready.
6 weeks on and my workmen were getting jumpy. It was shameful, a disgrace and one of them rang Mr B on my behalf to demand an explanation for the delay and a reduction in the price as a result of the delay meaning that I could not hire our the studio. Mr B phoned back and said that the windows would arrive at their store on the 20th July.
The 20th came and went. On the 21st Hyperactive man got on the phone and demanded to speak to the Director of Mr B. After some time he was put through and he began his um, discussion. Shameful, disgrace etc etc.
The Director said that windows usually take 7 weeks to make, but this was over 7 weeks said my man. Since the man making the windows had phoned me to check the measurements as he was in the process of making them, this was rather strange, but hardly worth mentioning.
The director would investigate and phone back in 5 minutes.
Do you have any sweets? Asked hyperactive man. I went to my cupboard and retrieved a bag of cheap chewy sweets, which he commenced to eat one after another in rapid succession.
The director rang back and said that we would have the windows by the beginning of next week and that he would knock 50 euros off the price as a goodwill gesture. He would also phone back the next day to confirm delivery.
Late afternoon yesterday I got a call from a lady. She burbled on and I was thinking that she was doing some kind of electricity survey, when she said the words Mr B and windows. I tuned back in again. She was phoning from the window factory.
“Unfortunately the windows have fallen and are both broken” I told her that in that case I wanted to cancel the order. No, she did not think that I could do that, she said. I would have to speak to Mr B about that. Meanwhile they could rush new windows through and I could have them next Wednesday. I said that I would speak to Mr B. The lady was very helpful and even offered to speak in English, which sounded promising. Unfortunately the words I can speak English proved to be rather ambitious and we completed the call in Franglais. She gave me her number to call if I had any further questions (Like how can you drop and smash 2 bloody windows, perhaps?). Her name was Hahn she said. Perhaps she is Moroccan, I thought. Can you spell that please?
Ann.
I phoned Mr B and demanded to speak to the Director. “Are you sure that you want to speak to the director?”
Yes,
“The director of what?”
Mr B
“Are you sure?”
“We spoke to someone there yesterday and he said that he was the Director”
“Okay, hold the line please”
Eventually a hesitant man comes on the line, and I told him what the factory had said and that as the windows had been smashed, I wanted to cancel the order.
“Yes” he said.
“So I can cancel the windows?”
“Yes”
“Can I still have the metal door?”
“Yes”
“What do I do now then to cancel the order?”
“I will send Hahn a fax to cancel it”
So today while I was in French class. I got a call from Mr B. Could they deliver the metal door at 11.30am today? I said yes and headed home.
At about 11.15 an Intersport van arrived and delivered my big white, metal door, plus an envelope with 18 euros in it. Even the delivery had been free!
So hopefully on Saturday my workmen will stick it in the hole in my concrete shed.So one frustrating tale ends happily. Best of all is that I would have had to sell one of the windows as I would not be permitted to put it where I wanted to. So more money saved there too.

6 October 2008 Monday – A false start and a shopping trip

I decide to wash the bed linen as it is such a warm day.
At 9.20am my builders arrive. They are not staying, they have to go and pick up the velux and the kitchen cabinets. There is a great deal of measuring then the cooker is examined to see what kind of cable will be required for it.
A diagram is sketched out showing me how one of the fuse boxes is dependant upon the other fuse box, which is the main one connected to EDF.
They could not pick up the velux and cabinets as planned on Friday as they had had to work until 7pm.
They will be back at the beginning of the afternoon………

The builder arrives just after 2pm. His van is full of my stuff and he is now going to go to his workshop and build and customise the kitchen units. He does a bit of measuring including my unconnected cooker and my working fridge freezer. He will be back tomorrow to fit the velux and everything, then he has gone.

It is still a gorgeous day as I head towards Pamiers and the temperature ranges from 27 – 32 degrees. It is summer again!
I food shop in Leclerc then head to the BUT just along the road. Inside I discover that it is much smaller than my local BUT. They have no storage panniers either so a wasted detour.
The roads are very busy, not helped by road works, but when I take the exit to get to Mr Bricolage a car has broken down just before the roundabout in the other lane. Eventually I manage to get across the queued traffic and into the car park.
I track down the heated towel rails and buy the cheapest on special offer until the 25 October. By the time I get it back to the car, the traffic problem has eased and I make good progress back home. It is a lovely clear day and I can see the changes in colour that autumn is bringing to the countryside. A line of the majestic Pyrenees are visible in the distance in front of me.
I lug the shopping and radiator up to the apartment and settle down for the rest of the evening.
I am knackered and cannot stop yawning, so I go to bed at about 8.45pm. I am still awake at 4am listening to a talking book…..