A Blip on the Radar

And that’s what Christmas was this year. A blip. A spot. A blink-and-you-miss-it event. Don’t get me wrong, it was still lovely. We had all the girls home and the family together on Christmas day for the first time in a few years. We had masses of food. A good amount of presents. The cottage …

When November Sneaks Up

And the descent into late Autumn and the almost-Christmas-season begins. I won’t apologise for taking so long to write a new post, or promise to do better next time, because we all know I’m largely full of it and it’s highly likely it will happen again. I’ll just stick to telling you what I’m up …

The Experimental Garden

Well the garden is coming along nicely, despite the experimental nature of it. As my last post about the garden showed very little other than a giant mess, I can happily share that the same area now looks lovely and productive and we eat from it every day. But from that point to this has …

The Joys of a Road Trip or Three

Well, I realise I haven’t been in touch much. Yes, I’m slack but I’m also busy. We’ve had family commitments, gardens to attend to, house stuff to fix and animals to walk. There’s been football games, pub nights and coffee. It’s been hectic, what can I say… In between all of that (which you will …

To Lay a Garden Bed

We seem to have created a monster here. I know it’s fine, and having lived through many renovations, restorations, new builds and additions, I understand the process that has to happen and don’t tend to experience too much stress over it. That said, it’s something of a mess. It all started with a garden project. …

A Cottage Full of Fur

The family pets have arrived all safe and sound, but a little daunted. It is something of a process to transport animals from one country to another, but thankfully under the current PETS scheme, it is possible to avoid the horrors of long term quarantine upon entry when bringing pets to the UK from Australia. …

When a Phone Box Goes Down the Lane

I won't lie, that was a close call. It almost didn't happen. But the phone box has moved - I repeat - has moved. Thank God in His infinite mercy.... Sunday morning saw Paul-who-lives-in-the-church in our back garden fiddling about at the phone box. (Something to note: in an English village, your garden is fair …

Village Reunion

The thing about being back in a village like this, is that you gave constant reminders of where you are. It’s not as though the countryside speeding by as you drive from Heathrow airport to your little corner in the south west doesn’t remind you. Or the voices on the radio with their accents. Or …

Greetings from Down Under

Well, hello everyone. I’ve been absent and I’ve missed you - but I’m back. There has been nothing and everything to write about, some crazy months behind us and the full force of time just flying by as it tends to do when you have a lot of tasks to complete. I’m in Australia, you …

The Phone Box Saga Continues to Continue

Well, you could never accuse the Brits of being in a hurry, that’s for sure and certain. Apparently, a firm decision has been made on the phone box. Now, just in case you have forgotten or have no idea what I am on about – which would be understandable given the amount of time that …