We returned from our strange, even disturbing, honeymoon in Berlin, leaving the newly built Wall still heavily guarded. Almost immediately forgetting about everything outside the Dean Village, we stepped into our newly renovated old flat in the Well Court as though we had never been away. As we crossed the threshold in true Hollywood style, it became clearly apparent that the flat had significantly changed. It was akin to visiting a relative in hospital, only to find the familiar figure wrapped in bandages and bolstered with splints. Judy dropped lightly onto her feet and moved quickly forward into the main room to discover her new home.
Our old, now new flat had been rewired and a bathroom installed by a plumbing firm that specialised in helping low income families to take up the City Council loans. This generous scheme to bring old properties up to statutory standards was an enlightened attempt to maintain the City’s housing stock without building new council homes. A fifty percent loan, repayable over seven years brought people like us such things as running hot water, a bathroom, an indoor WC and safe 13 amp electrical circuits. Our plumber had done us a handsome job but this was no glossy off the peg conversion. In other words the flat was a mess.
We spent 3 hours getting our bedroom clean and erecting our new double bed.