A Plumber's Tale - the country cottage
My son-in-law is a plumber. From crawling underground to climbing the heights, from fitting kitchens and designing bathrooms, Paul is much in demand both for emergencies and for planned future work.
He is a meticulous, conscientious worker and a few years ago he was asked to work on a run-down country cottage in Dorset. There were more of them available then than there are now. ‘Doer-uppers’ are thinner on the ground than they were and can no longer be picked up for a song.
According to Paul, the cottage was practically derelict and a real money pit. Fortunately, for him at least, the owners had almost limitless amounts of cash to spend on their holiday retreat.
The kitchen in the property was beneath the main bedroom and had a ceiling that sloped so much that it was one foot lower at one end of the room than the other. Paul suspected that the bedroom floor reflected this, and his suspicions were confirmed when he went upstairs. He worked hard to rectify the problem and was pleased when he finally achieved an even, straight floor in the bedroom, complemented by a plumb level ceiling in the kitchen.
However, the wife was less than satisfied. She was content to have a horizontal floor in the bedroom but wanted the authentic ‘olde worlde’ look of the uneven kitchen ceiling, and insisted that Paul should undo his careful work, which he did, though much against his will.
When the husband arrived at the cottage for the weekend, after a busy working week in London, he was astonished to see the ceiling. He listened to Paul’s explanation almost with disbelief but was accustomed to his wife countermanding his instructions, so in the end, everyone was happy. At least, the wife was. Paul and the husband were quietly dismayed.
Your son in law chose a profession to make wealth. He could have chosen to be a doctor and be poor. It is a pity the wife and husband didn't discuss the ceiling in advance. It must be annoying to have to undo good work.
ReplyDeleteHe's very far from rich. We keep telling him he doesn't charge enough.
DeleteHe must have very good self control.
ReplyDeleteHe is a very patient man and aims always to please the customer, even if he thinks they're mistaken.
DeleteI suppose it depends on the height of the ceiling after it had been made perfect. I do wonder whether she ever changed her mind or had regrets.
ReplyDeleteShe didn't regret it - it was all about the look of the thing.
DeleteGoodness! What a strange tale....
ReplyDeleteAlison in Wales x
He's full of them!
DeleteOh no! My husband would definitely be on Paul's side
ReplyDeleteYou have to please the customer and put aside personal taste.
DeleteWhat a funny story. I'm trying to imagine having that much money (the homeowners) to throw about willy-nilly.
ReplyDeleteIt is odd, but some people are like that.
DeleteUgh, I would hate to work for that kind of client.
ReplyDeletePaul's view is that it's their money and he'll do what they want, so long as it''s legal and safe.
DeleteThere’s none so queer as folk, eh? I think I would’ve probably told her where to go! 😂
ReplyDeleteWhen your livelihood depends in part on word of mouth, you have to bite your tongue!
DeleteGo figure. When you work with the public to please them, you've probably seen everything.
ReplyDeleteQuite right He meets some really interesting people, too.
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting couple!
ReplyDeleteThey were . . .
DeleteI'm happy you shared this again, what an interesting story! Plumbers are worth their weight in gold, good plumbers that is, and Paul certainly sounds like he is in 'the best' category. I wish he was at the end of a phone call :)
ReplyDeleteHe is all too readily available at the end of a 'phone and that's the trouble - he finds it hard to say 'No', but he's a good chap.
DeleteI thought it was going to end differently with having to redo the ceiling yet again! I hope he made plenty of money on that job with all its headaches. Either a plumber's dream or a plumber's nightmare, depending on the plumber and his pay scale.
ReplyDeleteHe was paid for all the work, but he never charges enough, in our view.
DeleteI would probably be *less* quietly dismayed but as you said, when one's livelihood is on the table, one must be more diplomatic :)
ReplyDeleteHe is very diplomatic and a thoroughly nice chap.
DeleteOh my goodness ... Paul must quite a calm and collected man. I'm glad to read that he didn't have to undo his work a second time, which is what I expected ... xxx
ReplyDeleteHe is very calm and patient.
ReplyDelete