The Budgie Has Landed!

[Jonzjob]

I was going to opt for The Eagle Has Landed, but this was a bit smaller :-? A lot smaller really ;D

We are now ensconced in our bungalow in North Wiltshire after what seems to have been a very long move! The physical bit was when the movers arrived on the morning of the 14th Nov at 08.00. From then on it was duck or get stuffed on the wagon. They loaded up 2 big Transit vans ready to put the stuff on the big 26 ton truck that was supposed to arrive Tuesday lunch time, but was delayed and arrived 08.00 Wednesday morning. They had finished loading by 12.30 and after we had done a quick final clean we were away by just after 3.

An overnight stop at Châteauroux and into Ouistreham by lunch Thursday for the 16.30 ferry to Portsmouth. Overnight in a pub just outside Southampton and into collect the keys in Malmesbury by 11.30, totally knackered! I think that the icing on the cake of the drive up was the fog almost all the way from Châteauroux to Caen? Just as well I had the TomTom to tell me where the bends were
We are now trying to get our feet back underneath us and unpack some of the boxes. It's quite fun (?) trying to sort out what is in which box? And that's going by the fairly good packing list we have done? When we get fed up with that there's a very good pub in the village that has a lovely pint of 6X (that's a VERY GOOD English beer for all you lot over the Pond), so all is not lost \/ \/

I have to admit to feeling sad at leaving our lovely home in the Aude, but I also think that it would have been folly to stay for longer? We were going to have to move to somewhere smaller and we both thought that the move back was the best way to finish a lovely chapter in our lives. Now we are opening the next chapter and if it is half as wonderful as the 13 year long French jobbie then we will be very very lucky people.

We will be visiting our friends there from time to time and will look forward to that and we are looking forward to welcoming them here and showing them this lovely part of England. Some of our village walking group have already asked if they could come over for some walking?

One of the real surprises about the bungalow we are renting is that my daughter's mother-in-law's sister-in-law's Auntie Mabel is the lady who had the place built! And my son-in-law used to play in the farm just 100 yards up the road when he was little, Auntie Mabel's farm! We had no idea there was any connection when we found the place and only learned that after we had moved in! And if that isn't enough, the landlady used to work in the same local government offices as Mrs JJ in the 90s. They are over 20 miles away and we had never been to this village before!

As the French would say "say-la-veeee!!!

 

[chscag]

Hi John:

Glad to hear you survived the move. Having moved all around the world during my long career with the USAF and then US Government service, I always dreaded when the time came to move to another location. I don't have to tell you about how much stuff we had to get rid of or about all the junk we dragged along with us. LOL. My days of unpacking boxes are over. The next box that's packed will have me in it. ;D

Have fun John and keep in touch with the forums.

 

[lclev]

So glad you made the move in fine style. Moving is always a mountainous job. Sounds like you have all of it in hand though - if you need a break there is a pub that needs visiting! Keep updating us with how it is going in your new digs.

Lisa

 

[Jonzjob]

Thank you for your good wishes folks, they are appreciated very much. Just one and a half weeks into the place and the next but one neighbour came round to see if we would like to go to the Christmas get together for the oldies and a meal next Wednesday. He also knew Auntie Mabel. A lovely introduction..

 

[badshoehabit]

Welcome back.