You would have thought that we'd somehow have beaten the system. That our early results - to go from scrap land to a deck-shaped framework - would somehow indicate an early end for this project. Perhaps it was complacent to wake up around lunchtime and only then get started. Either way, I wasn't convinced we'd be anything like done today.

Though we'd erected some joists, we had a lot of strengthening to do of the substructure before we were happy to put boards on. We had devised the necessary specification of the cross-members that would give this structure the necessary strength, and my chief architect was off buying the necessary materials to make this happen and to make the necessary tools to make it happen. I had some temporary supports to replace with the real thing.

Then we had the bizarre task of bolting two four-inch wide posts together. This involved various degrees of countersinking and hammering. "Oooh, she's in" and "Oooh, she likes that" somehow epitomised the process of getting a very long bolt through a very long hole.

After bolting came nogging. We nogged. We nogged until everyone was in the shower getting ready for our hosts' second attempt to bribe us with hospitality. Then we nogged faster and finished the substructure to a great deal of satisfaction.

Dinner was great - excellent pub food, good surroundings and good company. I stayed sober and was able to provide half the drive back in one of the two cars we took.

Back at the house, the demon drink took me a little, but more absorbing was a video from 2004 of various things which had happened. Reviewing our 30 year old selves was a lesson I found very interesting. I feel like I've changed a lot. One of the recordings was a gig I did in Leeds. I can see why some comedians really hated my stuff back then. I hated some of what I was choosing to do in the act of performance. I feel a lot more accomplished now.

Maybe it's the DIY that has given me an edge to my performance.