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There he went striding along in the English countryside, commanding voice as he proceeded to explain that the pile of earth he was standing on was in fact the foundations of someone's new home. I heart Kevin McCloud and Grand Designs! There's always the possibility that they wont get the project in on budget and schedule - and usually they dont, but there is a fair amount of tenacity that they have to have which got me thinking about our building project. I was 9 years old at the time. No it wasnt slave labour. My mum bought a home for us which was just short of a roof and three walls.

I dont think I will ever know what it was like to build a house from scratch pretty much single handedly with three kids playing, squabbling, eating and sleeping in the background. I remember that when we came back from school she would always ask us so what is new today with the house? We would then have to wind down the windows of the car and start shouting out our answers as the car drove up to the house, whether it be a roof, doors or a new bit of wall...The hardest one I remember was when the glass went in the windows - but I still reckon that was a trick question because it's transparent!

I guess she just had bucket loads of tenacity and vision to see it all through and create the family home that we all love. Its more than just a house, it has our soul.