Sunday, 21st January, 2024
Didn’t sleep well last night. Dreamt about a friend in trouble and I wasn’t there to help. Had the radio on at 4.30 am to shut it out. It didn’t do the job entirely. It was about the Gaza War. Not exactly sleep-inducing.
Grey and warm this morning. It’s going to be 11C -12C / 52F -54F all day and over tonight as well but the wind is getting up.
In 2016, we were waiting for this house to be ready to move into. As we waited, we spent a couple of months in Tenerife, enjoying the sun. It was unusually hot, we were told. Lovely to avoid the UK Winter. We had sold our Surrey apartment and all the furniture with it. Starting again with a clean slate is great. A couple of months in the sun researching and ordering furniture over the net for our new home felt really indulgent.
I found this Kitchen Table and leather chairs in … Housing Units in Oldham/Failsworth of all places. We thought we had left all that behind. Of course, the reality is that you can never leave your past behind. It lives on in us and jumps up to bite us when we least expect it. We found our Lounge furniture while we were abroad as well. Sofology, I think that was in Farnborough, Surrey.
As soon as we got home, we drove up to Manchester and ordered the Kitchen stuff, out to Surrey and ordered the Lounge stuff, to Bensons in Byfleet for 4 beds and sheets and pillows and then we found a company online who made to measure and to our design fitted furniture for each bedroom. We knew nothing about them and couldn’t believe when I looked them up that they were a long established Oldham company called Betta Living. I phoned them up and got one of my former pupils on the switchboard. I was persuaded. They did the job.
The problem with all this is … everything is 7 years older. We start to get itchy feet. We start to look at our furniture & fittings and ask each other if they need refreshing. I don’t ask too loudly because I know what the answer will be. The Housekeeper loves refurnishing and especially loves spending money.
Monday, 22nd January, 2024
Lovely, bright and sunny morning. Here, it has felt as if the whole ‘storm’ thing has been overblown – to coin a phrase. It was a bit breezy last night but nothing unusual and certainly not causing any damage. Got quite a few tasks to complete today so starting early.
Didn’t realise there were so many relics residing in Middleton, Manchester but the M.E.N. brought me this news item this morning. Fascinating stuff worthy of research and it is held at Manchester Central Library. I spent a great deal of happy time researching in the Rotunda Building in central Manchester in the 1980s and I’ve often toyed with going back to it.
This week is going to focus on Life & Death, on Wills & Funerals. It will be up to my readers’ predispositions how they view it. Is thinking about Death macabre or sensible? Is making a Will rational or tempting fate? You can decide. My wife has always held to the view that she would never die and with a mother who lived to 96, she may be in with a chance. I am naturally pessimistic. My father died at 49.
We had wills drawn up 36 years ago after we had finally received a financial settlement from a serious road accident in 1980. An experience like that brings one to face one’s mortality. We made a codicil 10 years later and then a separate, Greek will in early 2000. The Greek will is now cancelled but we haven’t revisited our main wills for 25 years. It is time to revisit them.
When my Mother-in-Law died, she had taken out a pre-paid funeral plan which made life so simple. It was almost totally handed over to the Funeral Director with a few, minor additions by us. I thought then what a good idea but I couldn’t bring myself to think about it too closely at the time. I have no intention of dying for another 30 years but I am at the stage where I wouldn’t want to be a burden on others and thinking of taking out a pre-paid funeral plan is worth re-visiting too.
Tuesday, 23rd January, 2024
A grey, rather depressing day. My mind is seeking sunshine. It is ten years this July that we sold our house in Greece and left. We haven’t been back to the island but intend to this year.
At the same time, I’ve decided I had to move our Northern trip – for reasons I won’t go into here. Sometimes you just have to sort things out. I contacted our hotel – the Holiday Inn, Brighouse – and they immediately made the change for me without charge.
They are lovely people who I have known for years – some for 30 years – and I knew I could rely on them. The grounds are gorgeous but I accept that I may not see too much sunshine. There are more important things on the agenda.
In the meantime, I am going to spend a riveting couple of hours re-reading and preparing amendments to our wills. It’s one of the interesting/difficult things to consider for childless couples, Dear Reader. Do you want to leave your wealth to others – more distant relatives – or can you make the most of it before you die? How long do you maintain/increase your wealth in anticipation of future need and what proportion can you afford to blow on just enjoying life as this investment company puts it?
If you are 72, you will know the dilemma. Do you want to die with a huge sum tied up in a property that is far too big for you? Can you face downsizing and, if so, when? How long can you put it off? Can you spend your savings, investments, assets on enjoying life and how do you insure yourself for the inevitable times to come when you need care, medical treatment, social care – maybe when you are alone?
The one thing you can be sure of is that you’re getting nothing. I can tell you that now! But, you are welcome to some of my Chicken Chasseur which I’ve lovingly cooked tonight. You really are welcome, Dear Reader, and it will be good. Come on down … if you’re not too windy!
Wednesday, 24th January, 2024
Gorgeous morning. Super warm and sunny like Summer in January. Going into town to buy a load of bras. Well, not strictly true. My wife is and I’m just tagging along to make sure they fit and she doesn’t spend too much money.
Talking about spending too much, look at this from the DVLA. Unannounced, the Tory government has sneaked in a ridiculous tax on all cars with a list price new of more than £40,000. For the first 6 years of their car’s life, owners have to pay a tax of £560.00 per annum. If they spent it on repairing roads, I might consider it worth it but they just give it to their cronies. You’ll notice they even admit that they are Investors in People …. like Michelle Mone (Can’t get away from bras.) but not investors in roads.
I am in danger of becoming a Grumpy Old Man. I had to reapply for my Driving Licence last week. I had to declare I was fit to drive. My wife doesn’t think I’m fit to stack the dishwasher never mind drive but I just filled out the online form and a new licence arrived today. It’s like asking a refugee to the country, Are you a terrorist? An exercise in futility. I always swore I wouldn’t get like this. I blame you, Dear Reader!
Little M is 59 Today. I used to play Hopscotch with her. Now, she’s almost grown up! She’s in America at the moment so I made her a card and it’s been Whatsapped to her. Let’s hope she has a lovely day in Florida. Hope she’s not missing Oldham too much!
Thursday, 25th January, 2024
Grey day. Warm day. Sainsburys shopping day. Fresh fish buying day. Very special day. Sainsburys presented us with a Reward coupon. Can you contain yourself, Dear Reader?
I can. Can’t decide whether it is worth congratulations or opprobrium. We have made the equivalent of 2 trips to Sainsburys every week for a year. How bad is that? The reward? 350 Nectar points worth £1.75. It’s all been worth it!
Today, Chef’s project is to make fish cakes for the freezer. To do this, she bought a kilo of Whiting from the fishmongers near the beach. The sea looked dark, sludgy and uninviting this morning.
I am continuing to read the Wills from 1988 – 36 years ago. Amazing how many people have died since then. Within the next 36 years, we will certainly have died. The conveyor belt is unstoppable. Fortunately, our chosen Executors are still alive although they’re both knocking on a bit themselves. They both have copies of our wills and have had for all these years. Will they remember where they stored them? They both don’t still live in the same homes. Life moves on.
I have to do my Gym work soon but I’m not looking forward to it today. I’ve pulled a muscle in my stomach and even walking was agony this morning. I’m quite embarrassed at the moment because I get out of the car and take minutes to straighten up. My first paces are those of a really old, infirm man bent double in pain. Gradually, I mange to straighten and stand upright but I can’t put up with this. Anyway, I’m going to work through the pain and see if I can ignore my way out of it. Subtlety, Dear Reader, as you know, is my watchword.
Friday, 26th January, 2024
Gorgeous, sunny morning. I’m pleased to say that my stomach strain appears to be improving although I am still open to offers of massage if anyone is available. Had to do our latest tests for the O.N.S. Winter Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Study this morning followed by a 10 mins online questionnaire.
I should be outside in this sunshine but the time has been allocated to going over our Last Will & Testament amendments. Our Wills were written in 1988 by a Huddersfield solicitor and remain the primary documents. We appointed executors from each side of the families and they remain in place … well, still breathing. In 2002, we and the solicitor wrote a Codicil for each of us to exempt the Greek property and land because Greek law requires that. We used a Greek solicitor to produce an equivalent document as well.
Now, I am going to produce Codicils for each of us myself and get our next door neighbours to witness them. They will represent fairly minor changes of Beneficiaries according to some named individuals having slipped off the conveyor belt of life in the mean time and changing some addresses of existing executors.
Fifteen years ago today, we were coming to the end of our last ever Ofsted Inspection. We had been through about six inspections and continual monitoring over periods of Special Measures/Requires Improvement monitoring. It has always been a nonsense. We were the same school before and after. On this occasion, we were damned with feint praise, Satisfactory which the world called Failing.
Saturday, 27th January, 2024
Dramatic start to the morning. The world was bathed in colour. Don’t know what it means for the rest of the day. It was cold over night but is warming up quickly this morning.
My Housekeeper is going to the hairdressers … again. It is about every couple of months at the moment. Still, it’s not the old, Northern way of having your hair done every Friday for the weekend and coming home in curlers and head scarf. Times were so different and we’ve come a long way since then.
Thinking about that this morning, led me to think about Launderettes. How popular they were if you couldn’t afford your own washing machine or didn’t have the space for it at home. It was no social stigma to go to a neighbourhood launderette once a week. Nowadays, I would struggle to find a launderette never mind bring myself to use one.
There must be one, though, because Michelle across the road came back with a washing basket of clean clothes this morning. They have the builders in removing their 7 year old kitchen and making the ground floor totally open plan by knocking out the walls and starting again. Must be like living in the chaos of a bomb site at the moment and a launderette will have felt like a clean and calm oasis. No curlers in sight though. Obviously maintaining standards!
Virtually completed the changes to the Wills. Just got to type up in a Pro Forma, print out, sign and have witnessed. Copies will go to our executors and to our solicitors. Next, we are going to talk about funerals. I stress that it will only be talk. We probably won’t do much other than make each other aware of what our preferences would be. I am going to store a couple of extra strong bin bags for me. There is nothing else I particularly want. There are things I definitely don’t want – for example, any religious content, any expensive accoutrements and ceremony and I certainly don’t want some party. Hate parties in life. I’m not going to change in death … apart from the obvious.
My photo Memory Box threw up a photo from December 1979 – Christmas Dinner party – attended, obviously by James Bond. It is 45 years ago. Do you remember what you were doing then, Dear Reader? All photographic evidence welcome.
I’m going in the Gym now in a vain attempt to reclaim my Youth other than in photographic form.