Yes, I could be talking about the members of practically any country's Government, but I'm actually thinking of myself and Messrs Ideal Standard!
We've had the same shower cubicle in our guest apartment since we first designed it. As some of you will remember, it's a quarter circle job, with sliding doors:
I was quite taken by the thought of it, when I first saw it in the catalogue at Ahmed Hashim's bathroom shop on Madina Street. "How novel", I thought. I hadn't imagined that it would be anything less than perfectly adequate for our needs or the needs of our guests.
I was right, naturally! However, even with the best will in the world, it couldn't be described as 'unadulterated luxury' could it? My increasing dissatisfaction with it, came to a head last year, when a (rather large) American gent happened to mention that he did struggle a bit in the shower, but of course he did actually manage.
'Managing' just isn't good enough, at Our Luxor! This gentleman's remark fired me to do something about the shower, as soon as funds (and time) became available. Mind you Dear Reader, these things cannot be rushed!
I've had a goodly number of new designs for the guest bathroom running through my mind, including remodelling it altogether. One of the biggest problems (the other being the lack of cash, obviously!) has been the fear of starting the job, and then not being able to manage to complete it before the arrival of our next guests. After all, we are in Luxor; where "Bukra, insh'Allah" (Tomorrow, God willing) can very quickly, and invariably does, become "Bad'n bukra, insh'Allah" (After tomorrow, God willing). This can go on for days, sometimes even weeks! Even with the longer gaps between bookings (since the full effects of the revolution tricked down to our backwards little town) we still haven't had a period where I was confident of completing the task.
Anyway, after many a visit to Ahmed Hashim's shop, and several others, (and hours of Freda's concerted financial calculations) we made our final decisions about exactly what we wanted to do, and started to source the various bits and bobs which we would require to make our guest bathroom into the luxurious place that our guests really deserved. We'd made a start with the new counter-top washbasin etc, and want to carry on with the addition of a more spacious and stylish shower enclosure complete with the (must have) 'rainfall' shower, and also the alternative of a water and power saving 'Eco' shower, as well. It's not actually up to us to enforce environmental awareness or practices onto our guests, but it's nice to give them options, isn't it?
Never mind, all was going swimmingly; finance secured, shower tray and enclosure chosen, pipework and plumbing fittings etc purchased, the Ideal Standard plumber had made a site visit and acquainted himself with the job at hand, even his charges had been agreed! So, the other night I got buckled in and removed the quarter circle enclosure, the towel rail, and the shiny black toilet seat (in case it got damaged)
and (at five past midnight) started to chisel away at the tiles around the shower tray. I'd just got started when there came a banging on the wall, presumably the people next door wanted to sleep? I hadn't actually realised the lateness of the hour, but you know how it is when you're enjoying yourself? Reluctantly, I left it till a more considerate time.
You can imagine my mixture of despair and relief when Ahmed Hashim telephoned me, later that morning, and told me that the shower tray was not available until after one month, because of its unusual size. My despair was at not being able to finish the job before our next guests arrive, and the great relief was that the neighbours had objected to my banging away after midnight, and completely destroying the current shower into the bargain!
I was also pleased that I had decided to try to sell the old shower enclosure, and had therefore removed it properly and carefully, without damage; pheeewww! It didn't take long to reinstate everything, with the only trace of interference being a few chisel marks on one of the pieces of tile below the actual shower tray, I think we'll get away with that, though.
We've had the same shower cubicle in our guest apartment since we first designed it. As some of you will remember, it's a quarter circle job, with sliding doors:
I was right, naturally! However, even with the best will in the world, it couldn't be described as 'unadulterated luxury' could it? My increasing dissatisfaction with it, came to a head last year, when a (rather large) American gent happened to mention that he did struggle a bit in the shower, but of course he did actually manage.
'Managing' just isn't good enough, at Our Luxor! This gentleman's remark fired me to do something about the shower, as soon as funds (and time) became available. Mind you Dear Reader, these things cannot be rushed!
I've had a goodly number of new designs for the guest bathroom running through my mind, including remodelling it altogether. One of the biggest problems (the other being the lack of cash, obviously!) has been the fear of starting the job, and then not being able to manage to complete it before the arrival of our next guests. After all, we are in Luxor; where "Bukra, insh'Allah" (Tomorrow, God willing) can very quickly, and invariably does, become "Bad'n bukra, insh'Allah" (After tomorrow, God willing). This can go on for days, sometimes even weeks! Even with the longer gaps between bookings (since the full effects of the revolution tricked down to our backwards little town) we still haven't had a period where I was confident of completing the task.
Anyway, after many a visit to Ahmed Hashim's shop, and several others, (and hours of Freda's concerted financial calculations) we made our final decisions about exactly what we wanted to do, and started to source the various bits and bobs which we would require to make our guest bathroom into the luxurious place that our guests really deserved. We'd made a start with the new counter-top washbasin etc, and want to carry on with the addition of a more spacious and stylish shower enclosure complete with the (must have) 'rainfall' shower, and also the alternative of a water and power saving 'Eco' shower, as well. It's not actually up to us to enforce environmental awareness or practices onto our guests, but it's nice to give them options, isn't it?
Never mind, all was going swimmingly; finance secured, shower tray and enclosure chosen, pipework and plumbing fittings etc purchased, the Ideal Standard plumber had made a site visit and acquainted himself with the job at hand, even his charges had been agreed! So, the other night I got buckled in and removed the quarter circle enclosure, the towel rail, and the shiny black toilet seat (in case it got damaged)
You can imagine my mixture of despair and relief when Ahmed Hashim telephoned me, later that morning, and told me that the shower tray was not available until after one month, because of its unusual size. My despair was at not being able to finish the job before our next guests arrive, and the great relief was that the neighbours had objected to my banging away after midnight, and completely destroying the current shower into the bargain!
I was also pleased that I had decided to try to sell the old shower enclosure, and had therefore removed it properly and carefully, without damage; pheeewww! It didn't take long to reinstate everything, with the only trace of interference being a few chisel marks on one of the pieces of tile below the actual shower tray, I think we'll get away with that, though.
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