I'm now writing this latest update whilst looking out at a woodland at the rear of our new home.
We have a resident Owl somewhere in there, which we hear each evening in the distance, but haven't as yet been able to identify it. Had a Pheasant land on a neighbours' house roof yesterday afternoon, having flown in from the woodland. Never got anything like this in our previous home - what a treat.
Anyway, 10am on Wednesday 8 December 2010, an hour after our removal company had arrived and started loading the lorry, we got a phone call from our our solicitors confirming the payment from our buyer had been transferred to our bank acount. How close was that
We just had to let the removal firm get on with the job and couldn't risk putting them off until we'd had this confirmation. There wasn't really any doubt, but you never know what hitches can turn up.
It only took them 2 hours to clear the house which they said was due to the efficient way we had packed everything.
They normally allow 4 to 5 hours for a house clearance.
After handing the keys to the estate agent in their local offices we got a taxi to Middlesbrough railway station and caught the 1.10pm train.
Just once change at Eaglescliffe, then all the way to London Kings Cross - seats all the way
Changed for the next train to Christchurch, arriving at about 7.10pm. Got a taxi to a
Premier Inn for a meal and overnight stay, intending to meet up with our removal company at our new home next day in the afternoon.
Got a call from them on our mobile at 8.20am the following day to say they would be at the house within the hour.
Panic stations. We weren't due to collect the keys from the estate agent until 9am. Fortunately we were up and dressed so got a taxi to the estate agents in New Milton, got the keys, then jumped back into the taxi that had waited for us.
Arrived at our house with about 20 minutes to spare before the removal guys turned up.
Apparently they had decided to travel down overnight, sleeping in the van on an industrial estate in the early hours of the morning once they'd been driving their maximum allowance.
Just took them about 2 hours to unload again. Finally, we were both able to breathe a sigh of relief and sit down and relax in our new surroundings. The ordeal was over... we'd made it. PHEW!!!
We'd left thick snow behind us and arrived to clear roads and fine conditions. We noted on the train journey down the previous day, that by the time we had reached Peterborough the snow had at last cleared.
Our neighbours are really great. Very friendly and we even got to exchange Christmas cards from all the ones we'd spoken to since our arrival. Something we'd not been used to up north in our urban environment.
The country air must make people more friendly down here.
We've almost got all of our boxes unpacked, making use of the attached garage as a temporary storage area for the ones still to be dealt with.
We've made a start on tidying the front garden, and although there are some established shrubs such as Rhododendron, a couple of Hydrangeas and rose bushes, we'll wait until we can see what else comes up later on before we start digging over the borders.
The garden goes all around the house, so you can literally walk in circles around it. Not too big that we couldn't manage it comfortably, but the front garden (being the biggest area) will be our show-piece.
Anyway, I'll get some photos of how the garden looks now and take comparison pics as the gardens develop. I'll post the photos in due course.
We've managed to get a new car ordered from a local garage and hope to take delivery in early January 2011. Taxi fares to get around here have worked out very expensive. We couldn't even do our food shopping online and get it delivered, as we've only just got our phone line activated for our broadband connection.
A car is definitely a must here. Being out in the country the walking distances are so much further. Not that we're complaining of course. This is exactly what we wanted. Out in the open spaces without being in the middle of nowhere.
The skies are so much clearer here too. Away from the built-up area we left behind, where the street lights and pollution made stargazing awkward, we can see the constellations with much more clarity. Astronomy is another one of our passions, so I'll be setting up our telescope when I get chance to unpack it, and treat ourselves to the wonders of our night skies.
So, that's it for now. No doubt we'll have plant ID questions to ask as time goes by and we discover what is planted in our gardens that is unfamiliar to us. And getting used to coming from alkaline soil to acid soil. That's one job for our PH meter.
Laurie.
