PROJECTS AT HOME

ANCESTRY PLUS: THE MCAVINCHEY AND DOBBIN LINE

PROJECTS : OCTOBER 2025

It probably all started with me getting involved in a self-build scheme some forty years ago. So I worked night and day for a year and a half to build the bungalow where I have since resided.Although I come from a long line of stonemasons and builders my own creativity never stretched to building a house until I had a family.I had been an art-student after all ,but that’s all another story to be related elsewhere…..

These past couple of years have been busy around the homestead.Last year I had to rebuild part of my big shed when I discovered that the insect -life below the surrounding decking was incompatible with the timbers supporting the floor! The woodlice were merrily chomping away in the dark and darkness.That’s not to put a fine tooth on the resulting project which involved raising the shed on hastily acquired bottle-jacks and levers before subsequently rebuilding the floor.

This year brought it’s own horrors beginning early in the year with a 100mph hurricane wind which roared through Armagh and besides ripping up trees with great abandon it also tore out.some extensive fencing, whilealso leaving us without electricity for several days.

When that was refurbished at some cost I decided to build myself a greenhouse from scratch .Yes …I know crazy or what? Well I always have to have a project on hand ;always fancied a greenhouse and that was how June 2025 was spent.

There was that hidden space at the bottom of the garden, left vacant since the last hive of my beloved honeybees expired a few years ago . A right little sun-trap too and perfect for something like my proposed seven foot square build.The first thing to establish was a sound foundation and a bit of levelling up with four- by- two lengths of timbers , some concrete blocks and a trusty spirit -level which I inherited from my old dad.This is a spirit-level with some building history some of which he doubtlessly imparted to me !

I intended to build it seven feet tall using home -made wooden trusses and finish it with polycarbonate sheeting. the shape was to be a somewhat slightly off-kilter ‘A ‘ frame affair with a slightly sloping roof that might throw off rain.I got the idea by studying a particular Youtube video and scaled it to my own measurements.The weather was mostly clement throughout June so I managed to construct everything on a homemade bench on my lawn and wrestle it all into position on site.