Back On Dry Land

Back in Great Ganett,  Welwyn Garden City. Please excuse work trousers and slippers

I don’t know when it is that you admit to yourself you are getting old. I’m reliably told it’s when you stop caring about who or what is `Top Of The Pops`, or these days I suppose it’s who is `Top of The Downloads`. Somebody else suggested that you are officially old when you get to top of the stairs and wonder what on earth you climbed them for, but I’ve been doing that for years!

I mention this, dear reader, as I have really felt my age this last week or so. It was not that long ago I could slave in the garden all day, knock a few shelves up in the garage, and finish with a hour or two of decorating, but those days are long gone, I am afraid.

My poor old back aches, as do all of my muscles. Pat seems to be fairing a bit better than me, but she is suffering too  with pains in her neck and shoulders. So I am having to pace myself, though most of the work requiring stretching and bending over for long periods is almost behind us now.

As you can see, our life has changed, yet again, and we are back in our house in Welwyn Garden City, preparing it for the `For Sale` sign, that is to be erected any day now. They have taken all the photos and it should be on ‘Zoopla’ and ‘Right Move’ in a day or two if you are interested.

Kev prepares the hose prior to jet washing the decking

 Our tenants moved out of the house a week before we arrived, and left it very tidy. They cleaned all the carpets and the kitchen was immaculate. There is damage, which needs to be resolved, but all in all we couldn’t really complain. One thing they weren’t was gardeners, though they had spent some time in the back garden attacking the climbers and pruning a couple of trees. I spent the first four days in the garden, while Pat started to attack each bedroom. She seems to have grown a paint roller out of the end of her hand.

It was a bit strange coming back home, and for several days we had no furniture to sit on, just a couple of garden chairs. We had a new TV delivered though – a real swish Smart jobbie, that connects to the internet, but no knives, ironing board or saucepans, though that has all been resolved now and Ikea delivered us a sofa to sit on, which was nice of them.

Not much in the living room except for new TV, sofa and a feather duster!

We do have a bed though. This was dis-assembled when we left three years ago and put in our garage, and I was a bit concerned that with no instructions I would struggle to put it back together, but with Martin, our neighbour from across the road, we had it back in place in an hour or so.

We hired a car for a week and that has gone back now, so it’s buses everywhere for the time being. I did visit St Albans Ukulele Club at `The Hare & Hounds’ last Sunday and there is a club in Welwyn Garden that I was planning to cycle to later this evening, though it is currently bucketing down, so I might have to revert to getting a taxi.

A very enjoyable Sunday evening spent with the 'Ver Players' at the Hare & Hounds, St Albans

Our son, Kev, had been to visit us regularly, and has been kept busy with a paintbrush. It’s been good to see a bit more of him, and I think he has enjoyed being back in the house, which was his home for as long as he can remember.

I've tried to keep away from John Lewis. There are still a lot of old pals there who want to stop and chat, but I never get any shopping done. I'm slowly getting round to seeing a few of them outside the branch and last Wednesday lunchtime I met three of my old work pals, Mike, Linda and Rachel in a restaurant in town for lunch.

Second-floor reunion with Rachel, Mike and Linda, my old John Lewis colleagues

So it’s now full steam ahead. Every room has been painted and the house is looking pretty good. The Estate Agent believes we will have no problem selling the house for what we want, and quickly, which is encouraging, as the builders want to get on with our lodge, and Erica and James in New Zealand want to move by 1 December and need our funds, so there are lots of balls in the air at the moment.

Toodaloo