New beginnings 2018

January 2018 can be summed up as a period of relative calm.  Regular Fridays looking after Wren in Wells, taking her to the Bishop's Palace in the morning, having lunch at The Good Earth, walking the dog in the afternoon, and leaving to be back home in Moretonhampstead in time for supper.


Lots of meet ups with Sian in Cornwall, visits to mum in Exmouth, researching Eventbrite online ticketing system for the Dartmoor Society, meeting up with friends whose visits had been postponed after our Christmas bouts of flu, and going to pottery classes at Seale Hayne.  Hannah's at Seale Hayne was offering 2 for 1 main meals in January and so we spent Tuesday and Wednesday early evening in their cosy bistro before I went to pottery and Julian fell asleep in an easy chair, ostensibly reading a book.

At the back of my mind throughout the lull of January was the thought of our work commitments during February, namely gutting and fitting a new kitchen for our tenant in Barton Road, redecorating a property throughout ready for a new tenant at 15 Northfield Road, and preparing our own house for rent, leaving it furnished but empty of possessions by 1st March.  All this alongside our regular commitments as listed above, minus the pottery classes and suppers in the Bistro.

But before all that February dawned with a visit to Rachel in Berlin.  It was cold but bright and we visited the lesser known sights and stayed in the very 'cool' Michaelsburger Hotel.

Highlights included Kopenick Island where the ducks were walking on the rivers and boat moorings.

Spandau fortress to the North West of Berlin.

But the fun could not last and when we got back it was straight into kitchen fitting in Barton Road, painting decorating and fixing things that had broken, and building a massive cupboard, more like a small room really in 15 Northfield Road, Okehampton. Here are the before and after photos.

All this in addition to moving all our stuff out of our house and continuing with our weekly family visits.  It was very organised and also good fun! We continued with all this up until the very last day when we had to move out of our house on 28th March.  Julian rushed me out of the door so the last 10 minutes were a bit of a blur.  Having said that we had time to lunch with Maria from up the road and to be hospitable to Anne and Merv our cousins who called in unexpectedly on the day we were moving, so that is testament to how prepared we were on the final day. Richard from next door came round to look at the garden as he has kindly agreed to keep the garden under control whilst we are away. Philip Fowler came in to do the inventory.  Julian stored the bikes and the packed panniers in the barn (the barn already contains all our things from the house).  I went to collect a little bag that Green Shoes had adapted to hang on my leather belt and was to contain my phone whilst cycling and that was the last thing I did before Julian bundled me in the truck and we were off to Cornwall.... more on that next time!