Memory Lane

En route between Brixton and Greenwich, dropped in on Dibden House, Southampton Way, SE5.  What a classy joint.  Student digs, all those years ago, and still standing...

Something of a contrast to the new place...

and a few minutes to spare at Chelsea Flower Show this week, too..

Found my sewing box;  found myself darning my winter wool slippers.  Reckon I'm comfortably at home.  Still surrounded by packing boxes, but they'll gradually empty..

In time, photos..

.. for now, unpacking, bumbling back & forth between Staines & Windlesham.. and today, Chelsea Flower Show.  When I get internetted-up at the new place, you'll hear much more.

New improved Thyroxin prescription yesterday, for underperforming thyroid - instant re-instatement of (a) sense of humour & (b) perspective.  Sigh.

It didn't rain :)

My four north London containers now reside in leafy Surrey.  The rain held off until the removals men were lifting the plants off the van.

Some rooms look bigger, others smaller than I'd remembered. Only one is painted an eye-watering blue.  Discovered a few minor breakages as I began unpacking, nothing to cry over.  Juggling unpacking with daily life in Staines for now.  It'll take a while..  No internet yet - but the landline is up and running..  The previous owners were a bit Heath Robinson with some of their home improvements.. we have time to figure it all out..

One neighbour has already delivered a "Welcome" card, via her very lovely 6yr old son.

The sun came out briefly and reassuringly late afternoon, lending shade to the patio and plenty of sun across the lawn.  Must get one of those soil testing kits.

Keys?

Completing on purchase today & collecting keys, sometime after noon.  Cleaning kit at the ready, if I can get in [visions of estate agent fighting with the lock the first time we viewed it].  My removals men and heavy rain now forecast for tomorrow.

To Richmond for a fridge..

.. picking up a second-hand interim fridge today, which can linger in M's boot until I pick up the new house keys on Tues.  We know the sellers are taking everything with a plug on it - washing machine, dishwasher etc, but I can't help speculating .. will they take the curtains, lightbulbs, switches, every last loo roll?  It's been known..

Still dealing with leftover bills from the old house.  Setting up services for the new..

Clear sky forecast for moving day!

Peace and quiet

It's been a warm, welcome, wonderful weekend, with plenty of rest, and only one night's sleep lost to deranged panic.  Tomorrow & the week ahead - plenty to sort out for the new house.

Riverside picnic on the lawn between the house and the river in Staines today.  Sufficient time in hand for Catherine to make daisy chains, and us all to take turns in the hammock.  Others have conscientiously gardened.  I made appreciative noises, and read instead.  Thoroughly relished slowing down after last week's madness.

Tiger has slept all day, only waking to move between beds.

Exchanged!

Exchanged at 5pm today; to complete on Tue 14th [Jonah & Vivi's birthday].  Provisionally booked removers to bring stuff out of store on Wed 15th.

Phew.

:)

(final?) torture

Grand Avenue, Camberley 5 beds, Camberley, near shops & train & 55k cheaper than the Windlesham house.  No more torturing self with the 'not to be'.

Took M&C to see the last Camberley house last night - lovely place, in almost every respect, but bang on main road, not an easy journey back to school.  Meanwhile, the owners of the Windlesham house have finally come up with the evidence of doing a tree survey that our solicitor needed, to reassure himself/us that it was safe to buy their house.  Everything is in place to exchange today.

Sitting here beyond exhausted [cat disrupting sleep every night - not used to being locked in], reading the Windlesham Parish magazine [35p at all participating newsagents, ie one plus the Post Office], trying to remind myself why I liked the village in the first place.  Sat with M last night, scared of this huge commitment. His suggestion - drive back to Windlesham this morning;  ignore the phone; reassure yourself before exchanging on 2 oakwood road, windlesham.

We could be living there in 10 days from now, removers permitting.

Any thoughts? Camberley

If it all falls through - how about this - went to see it yesterday.  Only downsides:  road noise; kitchen window overlooks brick wall; room currently used as dining area v dark.  But:  masses of space, oozing character, 2 mins from train station & town centre [yes, Judy, I know it's Camberley - but it's walkeable to House of Fraser & supermarkets..]

M & I would each have an office, plus a yoga room above the garage, plus bedrooms for guests...

And it's cheaper.  Owned by retired military types, preceded by surveyor, so hopefully he hasn't done anything weird with his extensions...

? Camberley

Awaiting solicitor's advice on current property before decision..

Trying to stay calmer than yesterday, which was a far, far from calm day - pulled from pillar to post by this crazy process.  Milly commanded me to get on my yoga mat at about 6pm, a headstand did the trick.  Can't think about much else while trying to balance upside down.

Busy and very happy

After the patient removing men had gone, I shared the fridge contents with my lovely neighbours, gave them one last hug and dropped the door key with the estate agents.  I took photos of the corner shops, and enjoyed coffee and cake in blinding sunshine at the garden centre while awaiting M, charging up to meet me from Gatwick.

Two solicitors, one to sort the legalities of any future purchase, another to explain the planning woes of No 2, and why it may be more trouble than it's worth.  It's the other side's move now.

A long, rush hour drive back to Staines, dinner out, happy.

Plenty to do today - not least sniffing around some alternative properties..

A little more waiting..

Lovely, reassuring Rogers Removals have packed my belongings into 4 containers & gone.  Now I'm just waiting for a phone call to say I've completed.

An empty house is a very peaceful place :)

Goodbye No. 44

Calm final yoga practice in an entirely empty room.

Bought hoover brush online to replace one erroneously sent to storage.  Trust that won't be the first of too many like purchases.

Boys due for final packing right now.  They aim to be done at lunch time.  I should have a few mins to eat my lunch up at Ally Pally.

M at work in Gatwick & needs to turn himself around pronto so we can see solicitor this afternoon to sort the pre-nup-without-the-nup paperwork. It would be great if we could sign contracts on new house at the same time - but solicitor silent on that one for now.

Thank you everyone for being there.

Lovely weather for it.

Knackered

A strangely calm day, watching professionals pack my home away, leaving a few essentials behind.  It was dismantling the desk that finished me off.  Can't access business brain without it.

Knackered myself untangling potted climbers from walls and fences.  Oz says leave the last ivy, whose roots have grown under the concrete.  She's right, but I've already hacked the poor thing about, it's not a pretty souvenir to leave behind..though as my gardening equipment is all on a van, I may as well.

Good thing Mr W has somewhere to live, as we're in limbo re: purchase.  Feels really weird here without Tiger.  I have a bed, sofa, microwave, tv and emergency food rations.  It feels like a strange variant on being under house arrest.  I'm only here because we're seeing the solicitor 4 miles away tomorrow, and the boys haven't quite done packing, or I'd be gone.  It is time the walrus said...

Packing up!

Packers here right now.

Seller's hysterical estate agent has actually got the day off.  All I can say is "Good!"

Action stations, or thereabouts

Just back home without cat [delivered to Staines, where I had a very pleasant lunch and tea out, with a very lovely M, with whom I may or may not be about to buy a very lovely house, legal wrangling permitting].  This place still looks like home, but doesn't feel like one without a cat.

Restful, enjoyable weekend in good company, without a single phone call re: purchase.  Neighbours and Jane & co here for a drink and a gossip yesterday.  Final night out at the knitting bar with M, followed by celebratory kebab - I never do quite get around to cooking for him.  God only knows what he thinks of me by now.

Parking blocked out for removals van by kindly neighbours with gardening bags.

All I need do now is eat, decide what's going to store, what's going to Staines, catch up with my lovely sister, and hopefully get a decent night's sleep before all hell breaks out on the phone again tomorrow.

Oddly calm..

..with a remarkably tidy house.  Not sure anyone would realise I was moving.  M is bringing containers over for my clothes; have identified bits & pieces that can go temporarily to his place.  That's it really.

Directing packing men on Monday, hopefully done & dusted in time for our afternoon appointment with solicitor.  Seller's estate agent blissfully quiet today.

Still need to unfurl a few potted climbing plants from fences, but it's quite breezy out there.  It can wait.

Have hoovered.  Am ironing.  How's that for a priority?  Guests & M to distract me this afternoon. Good.

No progress

.. just a lot of legal back and forth, with estate agent and me in the middle.  I like to think we're inching forward.  The sellers are getting fed up.

Neighbours & Michael here for drinks tomorrow.

So much packing, cleaning ahead.  No energy left.  It will all happen somehow.

What a business..

.. searches are back in... and now the buyers' solicitors need to answer our solicitors' queries before we can sign contracts.  Every time the ball lands in their court, I breathe out, every time it lands firmly with our side, I become somewhat frantic.

Was overnight in Staines collecting/delivering one small child plus Barbie bicycle to school.  Back home now minimising stuff for storage.

Took advice from very pleasant garden centre man - he'd gamble on digging out my 14 year old Cornus Kousa China Girl, centre piece of my front garden, wrapping its roots in hessian, keeping it soggy until replanting.  Or should I leave it behind, rather than risk watching it slowly die, unable to cope with the upset?  My buyers are OK with me taking it.

Here's a youtube link - Cornus Kousa  - sorry about the Pierce Brosnan ad, but I couldn't find an adequate photo ..

Hopefully, no more than a week in storage.  Hopefully.

Did I show you this?  They never did measure or photograph indoors... Farewell, my house

Voodoo dolls?

Someone, somewhere is sticking little pins into my effigy.

The vendors are ready and waiting to exchange, they've done everything they can to meet my completion date of Tue 30th... and we're still waiting for the searches to come back on their house, so we're not ready in the least.  The searches may yet turn up tomorrow, we could sign paperwork tomorrow, but we'll never, ever get the bank/solicitor to do their side of the deal in time for Tue 30th.  Maybe end of next week?  With a few days living in limbo, with a very considerate man who is doing his bit...

Tue 30th?

Estate agents still gunning for us to complete on purchase next Tuesday, same day I move out of this place.  My solicitor is saying 'not possible' - he hasn't even got our searches back from the local authority.

They'll have to fight it out between themselves.  I need lunch.  Plenty to sort here.  I need to get away from phone & laptop.