On Moving to Somerset

Brighton

2009-08-10T01:49:00.001-07:00

I'm still in bed (at 10.00am!!!) after a weekend away. I'm really tired, so decided to stay in bed to catch up with blogs and emails and to write this. A real indulgence.

On Thursday we set off in the motorhome to go to Brighton, where Number Two son lives. Although we'd seen him just a couple of weeks ago, it was for a really short time and we wanted to spend longer with him. We were staying at a campsite near Brighton Marina, which was really convenient. We drove for four hours in the pouring rain, and it didn't stop all evening.

On Friday we woke up to sunshine, hooray, and walked down to the marina, where we got the Volks Railway along the sea front to the pier.

From August 2009

This was the first public electric railway in the world and was opened on 4th August 1883.

From August 2009

These are the Victorian arches built along the seafront to provide a covered walkway. If you click on the lower picture you can see the beautiful decorative iron work.

After coffee on the seafront

From August 2009

and as you can see it clouded over at this point) we wandered around a bit and then met up with Alexander for lunch, in a restaurant called Fishy Fishy which is in the Lanes. By then the sun had reappeared and we were able to eat outside. Unfortunately, I was struck with a panic attack just as we were finishing our main course, so we didn't stay for pudding or coffee. I tried to walk it off, but it just wasn't going to happen, so we took a a taxi back to our motorhome. After a bit of a rest I felt better and we spent a happy hour or so playing cards before Alexander needed to go and get ready for his DJ work that evening.

On Saturday we got going really early to pack up the motorhome so that we could get a parking space on the front. Then Christopher and I split up to have a wander around the shops (Christopher wanted to treat himself to a leisurely breakfast, I just wanted to wander). I took the opportunity to take some photographs of Brighton Pavilion.

From August 2009

The Pavilion was built for George IV, when he was still Prince Regent, between 1815 and 1823. It's an amazing piece of architecture, though since it was not built very well needs constant maintenance.

From August 2009

As you can see, it was turning into an absolute scorcher, a perfect day for taking photographs though.

Alexander again joined us for lunch, though this time we had a picnic lunch back at our motorhome. Since it was really hot by that time, and the van was quite cool, we stayed inside. it was a shame not to be able to sit on the beach, though it was very crowded, but there was no shade at all. Afterwards, we played Uno (as you can tell, we're all keen on card and board games) before parting. It was lovely to spend a decent amount of time with Alexander.

After we left Brighton we drove to Reigate, where we used to live, and spent the night with a friend. On Sunday Christopher went running with the old running club, then we set off home, arriving in plenty of time to unpack the van. Mind you, by the time we'd done that, sorted things out and watered the garden, I was truly exhausted. I had a light supper and was in bed by 9.00 o'clock!

Another busy weekend

2009-07-21T00:16:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we payed a visit to our family back in Surrey and Sussex. It was my father-in-law's 83rd birthday, so we started there, driving up in the motorhome on Friday, cooking dinner at his bungalow and sleeping on his driveway (inside the motorhome of course!) overnight. Oliver, Number One Son, was able to join us which was great. It was so good to see him after a gap of a couple of months.

On Saturday we got going pretty early so that we could collect Oliver and get down to Brighton early in order to get a parking spot by the sea front. All went to plan and we were set up by about half past ten. After a stroll along the sea front and coffee/tea in a sea front cafe we met up with Alexander, Number Two Son, and his partner John, and then took fish and chips back to the motorhome for lunch. Again, it was wonderful to see Alexander again after far too long a gap. In the afternoon we played crazy golf, which was good fun.

Christopher playing crazy golf

My two lovely sons walking along Brighton beach - no sand, just pebbles

Brighton pier - and a rather stormy looking sky

The waves were pretty fierce because it was so blustery

We were so lucky with the weather. Rain had been forecast, but it held off until we were travelling home. It was blustery and a bit cloudy some of the time, but dry and reasonably warm. I was so pleased for the many groups that had taken coach trips for the day.

We dropped Oliver off on the way home, as he was working that night, and then went to visit some old friends. After that we drove to my sister-in-law's house where we stayed the night - this time inside the house, as her drive is on rather a slope and I didn't fancy sliding gently out of bed during the night!

On Sunday Christopher went for a run with his old running group. It was great having the motorhome with us as I was able to have a rest on the bed while he was out running.

And finally, we drove home - in the rain.

Another action packed weekend visit.

Book Barn

2009-07-14T03:17:00.000-07:00

This unpromising building houses a veritable Aladdin's Cave for booklovers. It's about six miles away from us and claims to be the largest used books warehouse in Europe. The first time we visited Wells it was in the city centre, but has since moved to larger premises. There are two warehouses, one full of books yet to be sorted or for which there is no space. It's very well laid out, with a guide showing you where to find the different categories of books. There's also a coffee shop and computer access to their online catalogue. The third photograph shows about a quarter of the warehouse!

Needless to say Christopher and I had a wonderful time browsing and choosing. I could have brought home many more books than I finally chose. The prices are considerably cheaper than new, but not stupidly cheap. Christopher bought a book on garden plants and a 'biography' of Dame Hilda Bracket, whom some of you might remember as half of a comic double act called Hinge and Bracket. I bought an autobiography of Rabbi Lionel Blue, a novel by Mary Wesley, another autobiography of Michael Crawford and an encyclopaedia of embroidery stitches. Books for all occasions.

Tewkesbury trip Day 3

2009-07-06T00:28:00.000-07:00

This morning we cleared everything away and readied the van for the trip home. Then we had time to sit in the sunshine, Christopher reading the newspaper and me doing some stitching (this weekend I've been working on one of the blocks for An Angel's Story). We had planned on visiting a place called Owlpen Manor on the way home, which didn't open until lunchtime, so we were able to relax before setting off.

Owlpen Manor is set in a beautiful remote valley, down a very steep and narrow lane. That was a bit of fun driving for Christopher in our campervan! The house has three distinct parts, each built in a different century.

Owlpen Manor

The part on the right was built in the fifteenth century, the middle in the sixteenth and the part on the left in the early seventeenth century. It is still lived in by a family who open it up to the viewing public a couple of times a week - many owners of such ancient houses need to do this in order to raise the revenue needed for the upkeep, and to put aside to cover death duties. The enormous amount of death duties payable on a house like this has meant that many families have had to sell their family home

From Tewkesbury trip

This gate leads from the house to their private church, which you can see behind the house in the first photograph. In the past, people from the village would have walked the mile or so to worship in this church, but now it is rarely used.

The view of the valley from the front door

This is such a wonderfully English scene. At this point it was pouring with rain and getting pretty chilly, but nothing was going to stop these two ladies from enjoying their afternoon tea. Luckily, they were protected from the worst of the rain by the trees.

From Tewkesbury trip

After our visit we got home at about 5 o'clock, and immediately unpacked the van and sorted things out. Rosie was pleased to see us.

Today we need to spend a few minutes cleaning the van up (and removing yet more glass that was shaken clear by the drive home) and getting it ready for our next trip.

.

Tewkesbury trip Day 2

2009-07-06T00:08:00.001-07:00

Early morning on the campsite

On Saturday morning we walked into the town again. Christopher had spotted a quilt exhibition being held in a local church hall. Like a complete chump I completely forgot to take any photographs! There were some lovely quilts, traditional and modern, and how I wish I was as creative as some of those ladies. Such clever ideas. I can follow someone else's pattern, and even interpret it in my own way, but I just can't come up with original ideas. Luckily, there wasn't much fabric to buy, so I was able to resist temptation. But I did buy a book called Omiyage: Handmade Gifts from Fabric in the Japanese Tradition. It's full of beautiful small gifts many of which I shall certainly be trying out. I'd love to find a source of japanese style fabric to buy, but may have to settle for what I've got.

After a short walk I was pretty tired, so headed back to the van for a rest. In the afternoon we met up with our friends and went for a boat trip.

Our friend Val buying an ice cream just before our boat trip

From Tewkesbury trip

After the boat trip we had a quick look around the abbey.

From Tewkesbury trip

After early evening drinks we went our separate ways for supper. Ours was a pretty scratch affair as Christopher had forgotten to buy any potatoes and the mixed salad bag he'd bought was slimy and horrible! So we ended up with ham sandwiches! Hey ho. In the evening we played a couple of games.

I know I'm going to enjoy using our campervan a great deal.

Tewkesbury Day 1

2009-07-04T04:27:00.000-07:00

We set off at about 10.30 yesterday morning, and it took us about an hour and half's steady drive to get to the site, which is set right next to Tewkesbury Abbey, just a few minute's walk from the town centre. The first job was to fill the water tank, park the van and level it. The next job was to make a cup of tea and sit in the shade to enjoy it and plan the rest of the day.

After lunch we went into the town for a walk round and I took some of these photographs - I haven't a clue why the captions haven't appeared on some of them, nor why there is a blank space in the middle.

It was another very hot day and after a while I left Christopher to continue exploring and headed back to the van for a rest. I was amazed to be able to get on to the internet, I don't know where the signal is coming from, but if I sit really close to the window I'm getting a very weak signal.

In the evening we went out with our friends for a meal and then headed back to our vans, they were intending to read and we planned to plan a game before bed. Then - disaster struck! Christopher put the kettle on to make a cup of tea, but hadn't put the main lights on and didn't realise that the glass cover for the hob was still down. A short while later there was a huge explosion of glass. Luckily neither of us was at all hurt, and apart from a bit of damage to one of the carpets nothing else seemed to be damaged, but you can imagine how far that glass flew. It took us the best part of an hour to clear it all up. By that time I was whacked and went straight to bed, where I slept surprising well.

HUGE excitement!

2009-06-23T10:01:00.001-07:00

The next brick in our plan has slotted into place. We've moved to a wonderful house in a lovely part of the UK and now we've achieved our next goal - a campervan, or some of you might call it a motorhome. We've always wanted one, but had to wait until we had somewhere to park it, and now we have. It will mean that we can get away for short breaks much more frequently, and for cheaper longer holidays too. During the rest of this year we hope to take several breaks, both short and long, in the UK, but next year we can feel the rest of Europe calling.

I've been buying bits and pieces for several weeks now, since we first placed the order, and have had fun today stowing them away. I can't wait to get away and try it out, though it's going to be a bit daunting first time, trying to remember everything we were told.

It's difficult to get a really good picture on our drive, but these pictures show Christopher reversing in yesterday - not bad for a first effort.

From June 2009

Garden birds

2009-06-21T00:08:00.001-07:00

We're having a wonderful time watching the birds coming to our feeders. We're so lucky to have a tree in the courtyard garden, which is really close to the house, so we can watch from the bedroom windows. A lot of the birds are now happy to come to the feeders when we're sitting outside too, so we get an even closer view. I've now managed, with the help of my new bird book, to identify most of them. I'm afraid the quality of some of my photographs isn't too good, as I've taken them through the window.

From June 2009

We've had blue tits, and their babies, and great tits and their babies too. Very occasional visitors have been long tailed tits, but I haven't been able to get a photograph of them yet. Nor of the robins, which is strange as they're usually quite bold birds, but ours seem rather shy.

From June 2009

A nuthatch is a regular visitor, though it took me ages to identify it.

From June 2009

And this morning I at last managed to catch the woodpecker that visits regularly.

Sadly, we've had two young blackbirds kill themselves by crashing into our windows. It seems such a shame, and their little bodies look so pathetic.

Luckily, Rosie, who has discovered her inner hunter since moving here, hasn't caught any birds yet. She's confined herself to daily offerings of baby shrews and baby mice, and on one memorably occasion managed to bring a baby rabbit through the cat flap. Luckily, the rabbit was still unharmed and I managed to throw a small quilt over it, gather it up and set it free.

Well, we wanted life in the country, and we're certainly getting it.

Village Fair

2009-06-20T23:48:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was the annual Chewton Mendip Village Fair, and contrary to usual tradition, it remained dry and sunny!

From June 2009

It was held in the school field, right next to the church and comprised the usual stalls, games and entertainment.

From June 2009

It all looked very jolly, with tents and gazebos and lots of bunting. Most of the stalls were aimed at the children, though we did win a can of beer on the bottle tombola and Christopher found a book to buy on the book stall. I bought a plant for the garden at the plant stall - a linaria, whatever that is! And, as you can see, Christopher thoroughly enjoyed his sausage-inna-bun (for anyone who's not familiar with Terry Pratchett, that's a hot dog).

From June 2009

There was a brass band - lovely - and the children from the primary school entertained everyone with some dancing and singing.

From June 2009

Does this sort of event happen in other parts of the world? It seems quintessentially English, but I don't imagine that it is.

Refurbished elephant

2009-06-13T06:39:00.000-07:00

I bet that title caught your attention!

When we moved house there were three breakages; a garden ornament which was worth pennies and no great loss; a large dish that had belonged to my mother, but which I wasn't that keen on; and an antique African elephant stool that I was very fond of.

My grandfather was working in the Ivory Coast just after World War I and he brought back to elephant stools with him. I have no idea what happened to the second, but one has remained in the family ever since. When I was a child I sat on it whenever we visited my grandparents - they probably had other chairs, but I only remember sitting on the elephant. After my grandparents' deaths I inherited the stool and it took pride of place on our landing. It was a handy half way point and got used for leaving tea or coffee for Christopher if he was right at the top of the house. I always got pleasure out of calling up to him "Your coffee is on the elephant"; I don't imagine that many people get to say that!

One of the removal men dropped the stool when he was unloading it and it ended up in rather a lot of pieces.

We eventually managed to find a local furniture restorer and he returned the stool this morning. He's made a wonderful job of restoring it and it looks better than I ever remember it. It's now found a home on our new landing, where it will do much the same job as before.

Garden flowers

2009-06-01T03:41:00.000-07:00

Our garden is looking lovely at the moment, it's an absolute joy to wander around each morning and see what new delight has appeared. Here are just a few of the flowers I found yesterday - can you spot the odd one out?

More from my window

2009-05-19T03:58:00.000-07:00

My apologies for the rather poor quality of the photographs, they were all taken through the window glass in some rotten weather and at a bit of a distance.

We've had some foul weather recently - typical that it happens when DH takes a week off from work. We've had big winds, lashing rain and it's been pretty chilly too. Not the sort of weather that you'd sent your babies outside for the first time in, but that's what our blue tits chose to do. They've been nesting in the eaves of the house, and over the last couple of weeks have been frantically flying back and forth to our coconut feeders; together with the visiting robins they get through a coconut every two or three days.

On Sunday morning we were about to go out when I noticed a baby blue-tit right by the car. We shooed it out of the way so that we could move the car. I hated leaving it there in that awful weather, but knew that was the correct thing to do. By the time we came back there were three babies there, the parents were going frantic feeding them, trying to keep them together and to get them under shelter. Thankfully, they all survived the night, and we saw all three the next morning, but haven't seen them since. They've either survived and moved on, or perhaps they perished in the horrible weather.

We also found a pheasant running

up and down inside the fence, desperately trying to get out. He was there for two days, but eventually disappeared.

From my bedroom window

2009-05-14T02:22:00.000-07:00

From May 2009 02/05/2009 21:16

We now have five horses in the field next to our garden, here are a couple of them.

From May 2009 02/05/2009 21:16

A blue tit on the coconut feeder - sorry it's a bit blurry, but I was in a rush to take the photograph.

An incongruous sight

2009-05-02T13:21:00.000-07:00

We went into Wells this morning, expecting to find the market as usual in the market square. But no, apparently we have a May fair on the first weekend of May each year. Not, as you might expect, a fair with craft stalls or charity stalls, and little games to play, but a real live fun fair. Now, I've never been that keen on fun fairs; they always seem to be incredibly expensive, and whizzing round at top speed and impossible angles has never been my idea of fun. And today's event didn't endear me to them any the more. I'm not terribly conservative (with a small c) and reactionary, and am happy to move with the times, but the sight of a garish, loud fun fair in the ancient market square, against the backdrop of the mediaeval cathedral and Bishop's Palace, just seemed wrong.

From May 2009 02/05/2009 21:16

We went home and had lunch in the garden and for once I remembered to take a photograph of C sitting at our new table and chairs in the courtyard garden.

From May 2009 02/05/2009 21:16

This afternoon I did some sewing whilst C mended the fountain in the pond; it's so nice to have the plish and plash sound of moving water. It looks as if there might have been a little waterfall at one time, so that's a fun project to look at sometime.

From May 2009 02/05/2009 21:16

Mells Daffodil Day

2009-04-14T07:30:00.000-07:00

Easter Monday was another lovely spring day, and we planned to do vast amounts of sorting out in the garden and the garage. But then one of our new neighbours told us about Mells Daffodil day. Mells is a village about 8 miles from here and has a spring festival every year. This sounded too good to be missed, so off we set. Mells is a really pretty village that we shall return to when it's less crowded, as it was difficult to see it well yesterday. The streets were crowded with stalls each side and absolutely bursting at the seams with crowds, I think everyone else had the same idea as us and chose the same time to visit!

The stalls were selling all sorts of things, plants, antiques, bric-a-brac, handicrafts, cosmetics etc, though we didn't buy anything, and it was too crowded to take any photographs. We did go to see a display by a local group of baton twirlers and pop-pom wavers - they tried their very best, but there were batons flying in all directions! This took place in the grounds of the Manor House, very grand.

There were supposed to be some Morris Men, but sadly they didn't appear. I'd have loved to have some photographs of them to show you.

What we didn't see were many daffodils! The crowds were so intense that few of the gardens could be glimpsed. There were plenty of other activities and displays, but we were feeling a bit weary so headed home.

2009-04-12T23:05:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was glorious spring weather again, bright, sunny and warm. Sadly, I had a headache all day so ended up taking to my bed in the afternoon, but I did manage to get out into the garden in the morning. I planted several rows of seeds in the vegetable patch - salad leaves, chicory, little gem lettuce, leeks, beetroot and peas - to go with the onion sets, radish and swiss chard I had planted last week. And I planted tomatoes and butternut squash in the greenhouse. This is about two thirds of the vegetable patch, looking a bit bare at the moment apart from the strawberry plants that we inherited, but it should all start to look very different soon.

As you can see, Rosie is beginning to relax out in the garden now and to spend time out there without wandering around maiowing anxiously. The second photograph is a bit poor, since I took it through the window, but it was a bit of a milestone - Rosie sitting outside on her own for the first time, without either Christopher or I out there with her.

Today has dawned bright and clear, though the forecast isn't too good. My headache has gone so I hope to have a busy day - I really want to get some of my quilts hung today before Christopher disappears off for his three days.

Village Views

2009-04-11T23:41:00.001-07:00

Friday was raining and grey, but not too cold. My ankle was improved to the point where I felt able to go for a short walk, so Christopher and I decided to walk around part of the village on our way to the village shop to get the newspapers. So here are some photographs of Chewton Mendip in the rain, still extremely pretty.

The village shop, Lynda's Loaf, specialises in organic and fair trade food. It has its own bakery at the back and Lynda makes a range of delicious breads and cakes, which sadly I can't eat, but Christopher has enjoyed.

After buying our newspapers we felt we should pop in to the village pub. Now, I can't remember the last time we went to a pub. Probably some time last summer; it's just not one of the things that we do. When my parents were alive they always used to visit their local pub on a Saturday before lunch, where my father would have a pint of bitter and my mother had a gin and tonic, then home for lunch. But Christopher and I have never really been pub-goers. Anyway, the local pub, The Waldegrave Arms (named for the family that once owned all the land in this area) has quite a reputation for serving good food and beer. So we decided to have lunch there too.

Being Good Friday it was an all-fish menu, sixteen different types of fish to choose from. I had halibut with salad and peas and Christopher had smoked haddock with a poached egg, chips and peas. The beer was jolly good too - even though all I had was a sip from Christopher's drink. Oh, how I wish I could still drink bitter beer, the best taste in the world, but sadly I have developed a real intolerance to alcohol.

After lunch it was a soggy walk home and back to work.

Wookey Hole

2009-04-07T23:52:00.000-07:00

Number One Son came to visit us for a couple of days this week, so yesterday we went to Wookey Hole, a local caves structure. My dodgy ankle was just about okay for the trip, as long as I had my crutch in one hand and hung on to Christopher or the railings with the other! But it was well worth it.

They are natural caves over a million years old, and 29 different chambers have so far been explored, though only 9 are open to the public. At one time, several thousand years ago, they were inhabited - they made an ideal home for primitive man as the temperature is a constant 11 degrees Celsius. And there is a tale of the Witch of Wookey Hole, who lived there in the early Middle Ages and terrorised the neighbourhood. Eventually the local Bishop was called in to get rid of her, and whilst splashing some holy water about he splashed some on the witch, turning her to stone. And the stone is still there - with a good imagination and some clever lighting it is almost possible to see the witch's face!

I was most impressed with the photographs my little digital camera was able to take with the very small amount of available light - you weren't allowed to use flash for safety reasons and also because there is a colony of bats living in the caves.

Parts of the caves are now used for storing local cheddar cheese whilst it matures - and very good it is too.

From April 2009

In 2003 Wookey Hole was taken over by Gerry Cottle, of one of the big circus families in the UK, and he has developed the grounds around the caves a great deal, making them apparently more attractive for families with small children. There is a dinosaur garden, complete with roaring and growling noises, an amusement arcade, and a circus. None of these was of great interest to us, though we did grab a few photo opportunities.

From April 2009

It seems a shame to turn so many things into theme parks, but I imagine it is often the only way to ensure enough income to preserve the natural wonders that we have.

I'm a little embarrassed to share this one, but in for a penny in for a pound!

From April 2009

Steam Railways

2009-04-06T00:01:00.000-07:00

From April 2009

As British readers will know, in the 1960s we lost about a third of our railway network. Dr Beeching, on behalf of the government of the day, embarked on a cost cutting exercise, and at the same time decimated many local businesses and caused huge unemployment and hardship. In the ensuing 50 years many of these lost railways have been acquired by Trusts set up to restore the railway lines and rolling stock as part of our history and heritage. Many are now opened as tourist attractions. Of course we're talking about steam trains here, and there is still a huge excitement to be got from travelling on one - the steam, the smell, the noise, the way the tracks 'talk' as you roll over them, the nostalgia and romance of steam travel.

Not too far from us The Somerset and Dorset Railway was one of the casualties, and is in the throes of being reclaimed by volunteers. It's not yet ready to run trains for paying customers, but they hope that this is not too far off. At the moment they're busy restoring the line and some of the engines and carriages.

Yesterday we visited for the first time - though I know it won't be the last. We both love these old railways. They have a cafe opened in an old buffet car, and when we popped in for a cup of tea many of the volunteers were in there having their lunch.

From April 2009

The signal box is now completely restored as is much of the track. The platforms look much as they might have done in the 1950s, with lovely gardens alongside. There is a plan to replace an old greenhouse that was built specifically to grow the plants for the gardens. They also have a second hand book shop as part of their fundraising efforts, and I bought a book ('Hogfather' by Terry Pratchett) and a video (very appropriately Great Train Journeys of the World).

2009-04-03T12:44:00.000-07:00

So what's been happening in the two weeks since we've been here? Well, I've unpacked every box - and there were masses of them. Most of the house is 'sorted' - and by that I mean most of our things are now in the right room and some of them are even in the right place! I still haven't found the bag my tights were in, so have been living in jeans, and a few other things haven't turned up yet - they're probably in the garage somewhere.

On the day after we moved, a Saturday, we played hookey and went into Wells to do some shopping.

From April 2009

There's a wonderful market every Saturday and Wednesday, with some great food stalls -fruit, vegetables, fish, meat, cheese, bread and pies, olives, herbs and spices. There are plant stalls, local crafts as well as clothes, CDs, hardware. We sat in the market square in the sunshine having coffee (or peppermint tea in my case) and felt that we were back in mediaeval times. And then, to cap it all, the town crier appeared!

From April 2009

I've bought some curtains for the lounge, which I had to shorten by about ten inches - just what I needed whilst I was resting my poor ankle. And today I've made some curtains for the bedroom, just some simple, unlined cotton curtains in a floral pattern.

Over the last couple of days a pair of blue tits has started building a nest in the eaves of the house - and quite a racket they make! It will be fun to keep an eye on them and perhaps we'll be lucky enough to see the babies fledge.

The real downside of our move is that Christopher hasn't been able to stop working in London yet. When we started the process it was the plan that he would retire when we moved, but circumstances have changed and he now can't leave for several more months. This means that I drop him off at Bath station (about 30 minutes drive away) at 6.30am on Tuesday morning and pick him up at about 8.30pm on Thursday evening. He has to spend the two nights with his father and sister. I don't much like being on my own at night I must admit, and really look forward to having him home full time. During those days I've been out in the car exploring the local area and checking out the local shops.

Next week our elder son is visiting for a few days, and I'm very much looking forward to seeing him. It will be a good opportunity to stop organising things and go out exploring.

Bedroom views

2009-04-02T04:41:00.000-07:00

Here are some views from our bedroom windows, absolutely stunning. We can hear a little noise from the main road at the bottom of our lane, but apart from that, nothing except the bird song or the occasional tractor.

Our master bedroom has one window to the side of the house and a whole wall of windows to the back of the house. The side window looks onto the field - sadly no sun and no ponies today.

From April 2009

This is the panoramic view that we have from the long windows.

From April 2009

We haven't got out into the garden yet, apart from collapsing with a cup of tea when it's been warm enough, so everything is still piled up out there.

The rest of the bedroom windows, which are all in the original part of the house, look out over the other side of the house, onto the woodland which is on the other side of the lane - the lane that leads to Folly cottage is just behind the hedge.

From April 2009

It will look stunning once the trees green up. There is only one room that looks onto the front of the house, and that is one of the bathrooms. There are several small windows that look out to the front, but this is the only one with a 'normal' sized window.

From April 2009

The roof that you can see is the roof of the garage, and you can just get a peek of the lane as it runs past our front gate and a few houses on the crest of the hill.

It's a quiet day today. I've been feeling pretty tired - I know, I know, I've been doing far too much over the last couple of weeks, but I bet you'd have done just the same! I was supposed to be having coffee with one of our new neighbours, but had to postpone it. I've spent the morning in bed and don't anticipate doing much more this afternoon.

A first look

2009-04-01T02:23:00.000-07:00

These are the first batch of photographs of our new house, I've put them in a slideshow as there's quite a lot! And of varying quality too. There are drifts of daffodils and other spring flowers and it's an enchanting time of year to move. Later, I'll try to write a little about the move and our first week here.

Rosie's taken a while to settle and is not too keen on the outdoors at all yet - and the new cat flap is a no-go area, so I'm having to contend with cat litter for the first time in many, many years. This is as far as she's ventured!

From March 2009

Sitting and waiting

2009-03-19T02:20:00.000-07:00

I've been relegated to sitting on my bed in an island of boxes with Rosie firmly anchoring me down! All around the house boxes and furniture are being moved out to the van and poor Rosie is so unhappy. We're having to keep her shut in a room and only way she'll settle is if I'm in there too. Which means that I'm going to have lots of rest today! Not such a bad thing really as I'm pretty tired by now. We've still got out internet connection going, so there might be the odd bit of communication from me - and the occasional cry for help!

Amanda

A bit of a hiatus

2009-03-18T06:53:00.000-07:00

This week seems to be going very slowly! I'm surrounded by boxes and bare walls and piles of things. Yesterday a lady from the removal company came and started the packing, and this evening there are two more ladies coming to do some more. I must say, it's a very civilized way to move house. I've been making piles of things that we don't want packed and will take in the car, or things we will need for the next couple of days.

Tomorrow, the removal men will be arriving at 8.30am to start packing most of our belongings into the van, leaving just the bare minimum that we will need for Thursday night. Then, they'll be back at the same time on Friday morning to collect the last few things, and then off we go.

I won't be able to blog for a few days now, until we get our new broadband set up, which could take up to a week! What am I going to do with not being able to catch up with all your news? But I shall try to take lots of photographs to show you once I'm up and running again.

Have a great few days,

First views

2009-03-15T23:37:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a weird few days. There hasn't been much to do over the weekend, as so many of the offices I need to contact were closed and most of our sorting out has been done. But I feel that I ought to be charging around, packing, sorting, organising. I know that this week is going to be hectic though, as there are so many things that have to be left till the last minute. Christopher is at home today, but will be at work on Tuesday and Wednesday. So today's the day for taking down lampshades and curtains, finishing sorting out in the garden, taking the last lot of rubbish to the dump etc.

Yesterday was Christopher's last run with his running club. It was quite a wrench for him as he has been with this group, and leading them out on weekly runs, for about fifteen years. There was a huge group of people meeting for coffee afterwards and they gave us a lovely present, a cast iron round garden table and two chairs. It will be perfect for our courtyard garden, and I can't wait to get it set up and sit out in the new garden with a cup of tea!

I was going to try and upload some photographs of the house for you to see, but the only ones I have are 'grabbed' from the online brochure and Picasa doesn't like the format. So it may have to wait a few days until I can take my own.

In the meantime, here's a couple of pictures of the village church. We're not great church goers, but we love to look around old churches.

From March 2009

I'm intrigued by the rather weird looking ceiling inside - and the fact that size of the inside doesn't seem to match the apparent size of the outside - but perhaps that's just because of the angle of the photograph. A mystery to be solved!

In the cold light of day

2009-03-14T00:33:00.001-07:00

After the euphoria of yesterday, knowing that we were at last going to be able to move into the house we have been dreaming of for so long, today I feel old and tired! I think the anxiety of the last few weeks has caught up with me now, and by the end of yesterday I was feeling worn out and more than a little grumpy. Poor Christopher couldn't do a thing right - until he got on and cooked supper which revived me a little.

I didn't sleep too well - dreams of David Tennant (on Comic Relief last night) mixed with dreams of packing boxes and mixed up belongings, thinking of all the phone calls I have to make, things I need to organise.

This morning Christopher is going running and has loaded the car with a pile of things to take to the charity shop afterwards, as well as the rented television that needs to be returned. My plan is to stay in bed as long as possible, making those wretched phone calls (I hate using the telephone) and doing online changes of address. I know I need to rest if I'm not going to make myself ill this week.

We've booked a removal firm, and arranged for them to do all the packing too. We've done loads of sorting out over the past few weeks, got rid of car loads of rubbish to the dump, bags and bags of things to the charity shops. So I don't need to do much packing, just the personal things. And sort out Rosie (the cat) of course - I wonder how she's going to take to the move?

BIG news!

2009-03-13T11:46:00.000-07:00

Today we exchanged contracts, so it's really going to happen. The scary thing is that we move next Friday! Just a week to get everything organised. I think it's going to be a hectic week. We've got packers coming in sometime on Tuesday or Wednesday, then they will load most of our belongings into the removal van on Thursday, leaving us with just a bed and the essentials. Then on Friday morning they'll load up the last few things and away we go.

I'm excited by the thought, but daunted by the prospect too. I'm already tired, so will need to try and pace myself a bit over the next week if I'm not to be completely shattered by the time we get there. It's a wonderful time of year to be moving though, spring time.

Will we ever get there!

2009-03-11T10:41:00.000-07:00

It's very nearly two months now since this business all started, but it seems longer. We had originally hoped to move on the 12th March, but that hasn't happened. The building society has taken forever to agree the mortgage. It isn't as if we are asking for any more money, or if it's much at all - we've never increased our mortgage since we bought our first house about 30 years ago. And they're loaning out so little money that I find it hard to imagine why it's taken so long. I suppose losing our papers for a couple of weeks can't have helped!!

Anyway, the mortgage offer came through today, so that's everything tied up for us. We've signed all the paper work and are all set now. The people we're buying from are ready to go too, so we're just waiting to hear that our buyers are ready and then it's action stations. We're lucky to have just the three couples in our chain. That's been stressful enough, especially over the last few weeks. The people we're buying from are supposed to be going on holiday on the 25th March, and are keen to move before then. If we can exchange contracts by Friday at the latest we should be able to move next week!!

And then it'll be busy, busy, busy.

Where on earth is Chewton Mendip?

2009-02-23T06:16:00.000-08:00

Chewton Mendip is a village in the county of Somerset.

It's about 6 miles north east of the city of Wells (Folly Cottage is marked with a map pin) and about 12 miles south west of the city of Bath. It's a real village, with clearly defined boundaries, it doesn't run into another town or village. There's one village shop, which we still have to explore, a church, a primary school and a pub. What more do you need?

There's a bus which goes from the end of our road into Wells, so it will be easy to get to a larger range of shops. If we want to go to Bath it will probably be easier to go by car - that's where our nearest railway station is too.

Here you can see the wonderful patchwork of fields that surrounds the village - we're right on the edge of the village, on the side nearest to Wells.

This is an aerial view of Folly Cottage, lifted from Google Earth. The drive entrance is on the right, and then you come into a large drive with a double garage. There's even room at the side of the house for a motor home (can you see the present owners' motor home there?). The oldest part of the house is at the top of the picture, it dates from about 1840 and was a farm labourer's cottage. At right angles to it is a newish extension. There's a garden that's just about the right size, with a big vegetable patch - that darkish area you can see at the top left.

I'm really looking forward to moving in now, and starting to explore the area. I think my camera's going to be working overtime!

So, how's it been going?

2009-02-22T01:39:00.000-08:00

We were full of high hopes when we put our house on the market last June, 2008. There had been a few rumblings in the news about financial problems in America and the beginnings of problems here in the UK. But there didn't seem to be much to worry about. The estate agent was positive, we were positive, so away we went.

Things started very well, visitor after visitor came through our front door and traipsed through the house and garden. The garden in particular was looking better than it has ever done. Christopher had put in an enormous amount of time and effort to get it looking its best. We had flowers in the beds, flowers in the pots, flowers in the hanging baskets. The pond looked pretty and the terrace with its table and chairs looked very welcoming. And the sun was shining. Almost all the time.

And still the visitors came, and still the estate agents sent out more details to yet more people; but no-one made an offer. Apparently, lots of people were really keen, they loved the house, but weren't in a position to make an offer yet. At last the economic situation was starting to bite. Whereas we had held off looking for a house until we sold our own, many people were looking for the house they wanted, then putting their own on the market, and it just wasn't working. House prices were dropping like a stone, which should have meant more people keen to buy, but mortgages were becoming hard to acquire, so fewer houses were being sold.

Finally, we received an offer. Rather a low offer admittedly, but a few negotiations brought us to an agreement, and we set off to Wells to go a-house-hunting.

We stayed in a hotel in the centre of Wells for four nights, went to visit about fifteen properties and, until the last day, saw nothing that took our fancy. But then, oh joy, we found a house that we loved and could see ourselves living in. It was about six miles north of Wells, in a village called Chewton Mendip. We put in an offer, which was accepted and we were on our way - or so we thought.

A few days after returning home and amid all the excitement that attends the early stages of house purchasing, our buyers dropped out! There were various reasons, but that was that. We took the decision to take our house off the market, and wait for the housing market to improve. We launched into a few home improvement schemes and planned what we would do over the next couple of years.

Then, completely out of the blue, just after Christmas, a letter was put through our door - from the original buyers. They were now in a position to proceed, if we were still interested in selling! After ascertaining that the house we wanted to buy was still on the market, we agreed. And, so far (fingers crossed, touch wood etc) things are going to plan. We haven't exchanged contracts yet, or got a moving date, but we are increasingly hopeful that it really will happen this time.

A new start

2009-02-21T00:48:00.000-08:00

It came to me this morning, whilst I was doing the washing up and listening to Radio 4 - I should start a new blog, and write about our planned move. Why hadn't I thought of this before? It would have been such fun to document the ups and downs, the feelings and thoughts, the frenzied form filling and telephone calling, the frustrating waiting times. But I hadn't, so I'll just have to write about it in retrospect to start with.

We have lived in Reigate, a small town about 27 miles south of London, for the past eighteen years. Our sons were aged 7 and 9 when we moved here, from a small village further east. It is from this house that they went to school, my husband, Christopher, went to work in London and I set off to work, as a teacher in a local primary school. We've loved living here, in a house that is almost big enough, within walking distance of the town and its shops, within easy reach of London.

So, why move? Well, it has always been our intention to move when we reached retiring age, to the sort of house that would suit our new way of life and in which we could live for the foreseeable future, until we needed to 'downsize' - such a ghastly word. Our original thoughts were to move within the area that we know and love, East Surrey. But over the years we have taken short holidays to various parts of England and fell in love with one particular area - Wells, in Somerset. And the idea of moving there grew, the idea of an adventure, of a new part of the world to explore, new people to meet. It's about three to four hours drive from here, so still within relatively easy reach of our sons and other family.

And why now? I retired in 2007, and although I have been unwell for a lot of that time I'm on the mend now and ready for a new challenge. If we don't move soon, I'll start channelling my new found energy into redecorating here! Christopher has been doing a three day week for a couple of years now and is ready to cut that to two, or even to give up his London job altogether. Now seems a good time to move.