The Wife's 'Cynefin'

March 2006

Hello interested readers! This is the Other Half here. This barn and its rebirth as a habitable dwelling has been my dream for a few years now. A place for our family to come home to. A place to teach the younger members of the family about their roots and their parent's childhoods. I hope they experience 'Hiraeth' when they think of Ty Isaf.

Now that the slates have been cleaned, measured, categorised, free from snow and ready to go back up, I feel we are getting somewhere. I love how these old Welsh slates tell a story. It would appear that our roof has been relaid twice. It wasn't always waterproof owing to the amount of mastic and mortor that had to be removed. Some have streaks with lighter green veining. All are blue/grey and originate from the area below us in the Ogwen Valley.

I have been wielding the hammer, eager to nail the slates in place myself. This has been the slowest part of the job. Not because I am new to using a hammer, they are not uniform or of the same thickness and it takes some time to get the right one in the right place. Just like building a jigsaw puzzle.

Most of those in the building trade think we are crazy for replacing a roof in the winter. Thankfully it has been quite a dry, cold winter. Besides, I want to be repointing in the summer sun! I have just let you in on my secret - North Wales has glorious summers in the sun!