Learning

This morning, Lucinda and I had a visit from Joyce - a lady who grew up in this little pocket of green we call home and remembers very well our house as it looked back in its earlier days.

It was fantastic to hear her recollections of the area, the families who used to live here and what our home looked like once upon a time.

One of the biggest mysteries she was able to solve for us is that of the breezeway, this open corridor between the two halves of our house.

When we pulled up the lino from the dining room, we were surprised to see the pine floorboards didn't run the room's entire length. Rather, the decking boards mysteriously encroached into the room. 

There were other hints something a little strange was going on. This super-thin VJ board, which is mirrored on the other side of the room.

Joyce confirmed that the breezeway was a lot wider when she was a child. The original occupants had  a day bed on it where the man of the house would snooze in the afternoons. It would have served as a sort of shady, central room and was also a safety buffer to keep wood-burning stoves away from the bedrooms. 

We think now that the dining room may have been extended into the breezeway when the house was closed in, or possibly earlier.

Joyce was also able to give us some insight into how the stairs and verandah used to look, before it was all closed in.

Thanks for your help Joyce, can't wait to have you back out again when we're further along!