Tada!

After three afternoons painting gloss paint, (both Edwin and myself,) the dreaded gloss painting is complete.  I took Michael Gradwell's advice and put some music on and just absorbed myself in the painting.  Between us it took a total of 22 hours, there's an awful lot of woodwork in my stairs and landings.  But it looks great now, all white and shiny.
My next stage in decorating the landing and stairs, will be emulsioning the ceilings then putting up new light fittings and putting the smoke alarms back.  I hope to get that finished before I return to work.  The walls can then be done.
The butchered spindles don't look as bad painted white, mind you I did smooth parts of them down with the sander, but I had to leave the newel posts covered, as the person who boxed them in took 3/4 inch square chunks out of them in order to box them in, and sanding them down wouldn't make them look any better.
My list of jobs I hoped to do over the holiday is dwindling, and I am still managing to try at least one new recipe per week, which is good.  This weeks recipe is pain au chocolat.  The dough is currently rising and has to for a further two hours, before I have to start to shape it by rolling it out, dotting with butter, folding, and repeating twice.  I'm sure Edwin will appreciate them.