escape to the country, page-5

Mazwegian, spot on. Kincella the clueless doesn't know what she's missing out in her arrogance.

We lived in a 1697 cottage, much extended, just outside Bristol, right out in the country (not even in a village). Tesco 10 minutes away. No six foot ceilings, although one room had lower ceilings, but with the huge fireplace and exposed beams, there was a lot of character. Nobody ever complained. I hate shopping malls, much nicer wandering down the High Street in Thornbury in the fresh air.

sierra, towards the end of the 20th century (by 1986 at least) the building code had been altered such that there was no minimum height for a ceiling any more. It had been 7'6" (I think), but I applied for an exemption for a house I was building as a lower height would enable the original character of the 18th century cottage to be maintained, and was told that the rule had been abolished. I was gobsmacked. First time ever I'd come across a regulation being scrapped!!