replacing roof timbers on Forest House

In response to Thud's concerns about the old timbers - sadly, we've discovered a fungal infection that was in the very main large timbers which were so far hidden within the outside walls. To change these timbers, practically all of the roof will have to be dismantled anyway, which takes us to deeper waters officially (see below), and also the cost of re-fitting, i.e. mixing the old with the new, would have been prohibitive, unfortunately. In fact my project engineer has always been concerned about the original timbers because their sizes were not really up to carrying the weight of the new tiles, insulation and a lot of snow, but up till the latest discovery we were going to put up with it because I loved them. Now it's all got to be up to specs anyway, because we needed to have a new planning permission (you don't need one for replacing covering, but once you dismantle the timber structure it gets more complicated bureaucracy-wise). But the old timbers that are sound will not be thrown away - they'll be put to good use within the house and used to repair the barn roof later.
Now we had to wait for the planning permission. It was granted, so the new start is the last week in July.
Meanwhile I am keeping my spirits up by enjoying the hot Summer days doing up the garden, picking wild strawberries in the woods, and watching nature rather than the poor wounded house with gaping holes. And soon I'll be off to the UK again.
Sorry I have not replied earlier - I was back in Britain, earning money for the reconstruction :-)