Probably the last post from our old home

 Well, we're nearly there.  The Removal people come today to start packing away our goods and chattels - they will have 40 fits when they see how many boxes are books (ahem!) not to mention how many boxes have Fragile on them . . .  

    The last few days have been non-stop - yesterday was a 12 hour working day, and Monday was 14 hours.  This includes deep cleaning where possible.  Some rooms have to wait until Friday when the last of the furniture vacates the property.

    We are sad to leave, after nearly 33 years here, but also greatly relieved as the maintenance here is just too onerous financially and physically.  Keith can't climb ladders any more so any maintenance jobs have to go be paid for now, rather than done by ourselves.  Getting the gutters cleaned costs £140 and the only chap available is a bit of a waste of space - either the gutters aren't emptied properly or he manages to block the downpipe.  Hopefully when we move the Odd Job man used at the new house will be up to scratch - he comes highly recommended and has been doing work there when necessary for years.

    Heating bills are big too - we can only afford to have the heating on a couple of hours in the morning and again after our evening meal.  It is SUCH a big house (4,500 square feet).  

    Despite having lime plaster and render, there is still a damp problem in the attic, which I have had to try and disguise every winter because of being on the market.  Something we can do little about as the quality of the stone used in the top of the chimney stack got worse the higher they built (and ran out of good stuff and used porous shale instead).

    Our buyers will find there is a leak in the inglenook chimney - I assume the capping is letting water in, but we can't climb up a ladder to check and as the house had sold, and he's had his surveys done, and brings fresh money to the house, he will have to get it sorted.

    The UV filters were fixed yesterday, but the company need to come back on Monday to finish the job.  We have UV filters at the new house too (private water supply).  

    The Pandemic is a real worry, especially with moving and having lots of strangers touching all our belongings and being in the house, so we will have to be very careful and all windows and doors will be open and wipe everything down with Dettol spray. 

    Keith gets his first jab on Monday - would you believe, AFTER we have moved and it's first thing in the morning so he and Tam will have to be away by 7.30 to get to Carmarthen in time.  I will probably get mine around mid-February and I have noticed there is a Vaccination Centre in Builth so that will be a lot more convenient - 2 mile journey instead of 50 miles.

    Anyway, stay with me.  We have a temporary set up for broadband until signing up with another company so I hope I will be able to post when the dust has settled and we aren't clambering over boxes.

    Keep safe everyone.