Has it all gone down the toilet?

“Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, he walks into mine.” MOVIE: Casablanca, amended version.

I called up an advertisement in the paper a few weeks ago for a local carpenter tradesman, most were busy but one came right out. It was not long before we realised that we had grown up together in the same area ~ even came to find out he played with my brother! A few years down the road and here we are, older, both a little rounder etc. He looked over the job, says that he has done work for the Duke of Argyll, charges roughly £20 an hour; he makes furniture but will stop anything for a kitchen; that’s his favourite job! He tells the “hubby” and me it will be about a weeks work and his fee would be around- wait for it… £1200. Now that is only sitting putting together flat packs. He asks for half up front as he needs to buy materials. Next day he appears and like a fool l give him the money. We just assumed he was being honest and that this was the going rate. “Hubby” would have built the cabinets but most of his work colleagues are on holiday juat now so he is working till late.

I called my Dad who just had his kitchen done, around the same size, four men, a day and a half- £600, l call a few more local builders and start to realize that this old friend has charged us way in excess- even if he has done work for the Duke, it’s not as if he is painting the Sistine Chapel- these are flat packs, 3 days work- max.! I call him up and say that if he worked flat out for seven days then at £20 per hour we should only be paying £980 so does this include the electrics/plumbing?? He says no. ARGHHH. My lights are flashing and the more l think about it all the more l realise what an idiot l have been ~red warning flags were everywhere. None less than the fact the only thing he had to buy was some fixings for the wall cabinets- nothing else!

I offer him 10%, keep £50 for his troubles and tell him it will blow our budget if we proceed with his offer so can we get our money back. He says he will have to keep a bit. Oh no…… now l am feeling ill. I had been far too trusting and handed the money over in good faith. I did not sleep much last night.

Our poor wee 'Black Jack' passed yesterday evening ~ flushed away to his watery heaven. Sam is coping well; l told him that the wee fish was off to find his Mummy ~ a bit like Nemo in reverse.

Sometimes life’s lessons are hard. I will learn from this and move on. The worst thing though is the feeling of being cheated.

Update: He came around tonight and handed me the envelope, thankfully he only took the £50 offered. My dad still thinks he should have given it all back ~ I’m not unhappy with the result. We all have to live in the same small town.

'Blog Fodder': I went out to a friends today and 'low and behold' her husband is going to help- he can plumb and is a qualified electrician. He is even putting together their own kitchen units at the moment, bought from the same place!!! How wonderful is that?! RESULT

So today l hired a van to take across the water this weekend and G. and l will collect our kitchen and bring it home.... then the hard work begins... flat packs!