A year ago today

I moved into my new house.

The removal men emptied the old one very quickly and then my Mum and I thought we would do some leisurely hoovering and dusting. At that moment the phone rang and the solicitor said she was releasing the keys to the buyers. We sprang into action, did the cleaning, loaded up my car with the remaining bits and bobs and drove off.

My lovely neighbours took yet more bags of junk and I bid them and that house goodbye. Not before time. The neighbours on the other side had a dog that barked all day and snarled at the window in a rabid kinda way. Opposite was some sheltered housing which was fine for the first 9 years, but then the warden moved out and the people started having loud parties and taking drugs. Ambulance brother has been there a few time, so I know more than I need to. Not great for the lovely neighbours and their three young children. In fact at 9am on the day I moved the Police turned up, following a noisy night....Nice.

Add in the parking restriction which seemed to penalise residents at £60 a go, more often than commuters and you can see why it was time to go.

Anyway all in all I am very lucky. New house is slightly bigger, much lighter, backs onto a park and the allotments, is quiet, nice neighbours and lovely big Catholic family round the corner who include me in things.

When I told one of my friends the day I was moving, she said, 'Oo, Our Lady of Mount Carmel!'

The same friend when I was mumbling about moving previously was at the same time describing someone who was going to live as a hermit for a year in Syria. There's me burbling on when she suddenly said, 'It's a lovely cave, apparently!' I was then imaginig an Estate Agent's details for a hermit's cave....