Safer Stepping

The stairs in the pigeonnier weren't well done. They're reinforced concrete with uneven risers, all different widths, a real dog's dinner. I had to proceed with great caution, side-stepping to keep my big boats on the treads while gripping the insufficient handrail for dear life. Going downstairs was not a happy journey.

My first idea was to rip them out entirely and start again, trying to reduce the pitch by stealing a bit from an already meager landing. Mr Kelly did the maths. He showed me that we would gain very little and it would cost a fortune.

He suggested an alternative. They jack-hammered the treads to even out the risers as best they could, taking more off some, less off others. Then he custom-made wooden treads that gave a little more depth to each step. The wood is beautiful and they did a superb job. Add to this some new handrails and the stairs have become a much safer option. They're still covered in dust and not quite finished, but imagine when cleaned and decorated.

By my third time down, I'd gotten a bit cocky. Actually taking my eyes off my feet for a moment, I stood up straight in the stairwell for the first time. And promptly hit my head on a low-lying lintel. Well, you can't have everything.