Week 296

24th August, 2014

A bit of a shock this afternoon. Our Duplex appeared on RightMove suddenly and, within an hour of spotting it ourselves, a woman was outside viewing it. We had been told that they wouldn’t start marketing until after Bank Holiday Monday. Obviously, they thought better of it.

I’m afraid it was rather an indolent day watching football and a bit of motor racing. I did take part in cooking the meal which was excellent – although I say it myself. We jointly cooked Rabbit Cassoulet. It was an absolutely delicious twist on the classic, French pork & duck cassoulet.

cassoulet

25th August, 2014

A rainy morning, dull and leaden skies – beautiful. I deliberately went out for a walk to feel the rain on my face – delicious! The project today – as it’s raining in Bristol too so the One Day cricket is on hold – is to prepare the pictures for sale.

I’ve reported before that we have over thirty, huge framed nineteenth century pictures from a past home which are too big and dated for a modern house. I’ve found an auction room that I believe will sell them but I have to provide an illustrated catalogue for valuation. Today, we will photograph and list with artists and dates. Tomorrow, we can contact the auctioneers.

26th August, 2014

Pauline’s persistence seems to be paying off. Hours and hours each day trawling through property sites has produced some good finds. This property is one of just four being built by a private builder next to a cricket ground – hence the name of the house. It is in East Sussex with pleasingly short distances from Woking and the Channel Tunnel. The houses aren’t finished inside yet but we have spoken to the agents, done some ‘due diligence’ checks and we hope to go down and look on Thursday.

housees

Heavy rain for the second day although it is mild. We have to go to the Health Club for a workout. I need it. First, we will visit Phyllis & Colin to discuss a buffet we are constructing for tomorrow night with all the family.

27th August, 2014

It would have been Pauline’s Mum’s 100th birthday today. She died aged 96 and we really had thought she would make it all the way.

mumb

We all met for a buffet meal this evening. Phyllis & Colin, Mandy & Kieron and the boys, Pauline & I. It was nice to mark the occasion. I took this photo of the three girls:

girlsMumB_100

28th August, 2014

Went to hospital for the first time since April for my blood test. We were up at 6.00 am and out by 6.30 am.. At 7.00 am I was giving an armful of blood and ten minutes later at home drinking my morning’s orange juice. By mid-morning we were driving down towards the outskirts of Royal Tunbridge Wells.

The houses we went to see weren’t really far enough on in their build to make a judgement about them. The area was beautiful – perhaps too beautiful in the sense of being in the heart of countryside with lots of narrow, thickly tree-lined lanes. We haven’t written them off but we will continue to look in the meantime. What we did learn was that we rather liked Tunbridge Wells.

rtw

We weren’t disgusted at all. We will look in a radius of that town which has all the facilities we want.

29th August, 2014

I don’t know if I caught this reading Skiathan Man’s Blog but I’m definitely feeling under the weather. I am tired, lethargic, lacking energy. I couldn’t face the Health Club today. We did the Sainsbury’s shop and came home. I’ve been sitting around going ‘Oh! Oh.’ all day. I’m rarely ill but, when I am, everything and everybody suffers with me.

This afternoon we had to go out so that the Estate Agency could show a prospective buyer round. It wasn’t someone who wants to live here but rather a speculator who wants to invest. I can’t see that sort of buyer wanting to pay the price we are on at but you never know. We haven’t found anywhere to move to yet so it is becoming a little more urgent.

30th August, 2014

The new freedom we have found since selling our Greek property has been enormous. It has amazed us both. On Monday, we are driving to Norfolk for a few days to fulfil a long-held wish to re-visit Pauline’s childhood haunts. In October, we are driving up to Yorkshire to visit friends and, in November, we fly to Athens for a break and, later, drive to France for a shopping trip. I am already exploring our plan to rent a property in Italy next Spring en route as we drive to Sifnos for the Summer.

itmap

We quite fancy Le Marche – Urbino or Perugia areas. A month there will leave us with a short journey to Ancona for the Superfast connection.

Exhausted after an hour in the gym, I’ve spent the afternoon watching Man. Utd. draw a goalless game against Burnley – AGAINST BURNLEY – England almost certainly losing the One Day series against India and completing the catalogue of the pictures we are going to send to Auction. We are only going to sell 22 framed prints at the moment. They have been great friends for twenty five years but it will be good to start afresh in a new house. This is the catalogue: Framed_Prints

About John Sanders

Ex-teacher and Grecophile. Born 6/4/1951. B.A. Eng. Lit & M.A. History of Ideas. Taught English & ICT.
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