Sunday, October 31, 2010
Last day in Bangor and back home.
Where to start after a lovely few days in Wales with so much happening?
I will begin with the exciting event just a short while after we got home.
Well, I thought it was exciting - and I hope our Ecky thinks so too.
We made a cup of tea and watched the Teacher of the Year awards......
and Ecky's class teacher won that main award - Teacher of the Year.
Now, Ecky doesn't really like school - she prefers her own world. I do hope that Mr Davies is good enough to inspire her to some confidence amongst her peers.
My impression generally is that it is a very good school indeed.
Well done Cae Top!
And some time, some day, the family may live closer to the school. That is the plan.
They really liked the house they viewed on Saturday and will return for a second viewing. Purchase (or at least offer) may depend on the height of the loft that they would want to convert into a room.
They will look at 2 other houses tomorrow. One of them is in a superb position, very close to open country and views to the mountains. It is a little further out - but not too far. It is more expensive than the one seen on Saturday.
We shall see.
But it does seem that the next time we go to Bangor it will be to help as much as we are able with the move.
After 2 days of trips out - and a super relaxing evening with Pete and Jean,
yesterday (Saturday) was time to work.
My first job took me to the really odd Bangor car boot sale - odd, because it isn't a car boot sale. It is in ware house and all the stalls are set up permanently and most of the stalls are laden with tat - or overpriced items.
Except one - it was the one I planned to visit. Though I discovered it wasn't actually run by the woman I thought it was.
I had been hoping to meet Anglesey Allsorts once again.
I am sure that people would enjoy seeing her blog - full of charm, country crafts, converting junk into useful and beautiful things etc.
I met her in the summer and talked of her with the woman who ran the shop I had visited the day before.
Instead I met Rosie and bought from her.
I am making dealer/friend contacts in North Wales you see.
Time then, to view the house. Bill and I haven't seen inside - but on paper it looks lovely and the situation is good - on a bus route and only 10 minutes walk from school.
Then it was time to visit B & Q. Ashley and Liz had a list of things that perhaps it was wise to get to make their house look in just a bit better condition.
It probably doesn't matter too much - because it would be 99% certain that it will be bought by an investor to convert into student accomodation.
Now, for once I enjoyed a visit to B &Q!
Ecky and I wandered off to view the Christmas department.
We were both quite excited that black is an available colour this year for Christmas decorations and we discussed the fun of creating a Goth tree.
We both bought a black lantern shape to make a start on the idea.
And then we found some silly toys that made us laugh lots and lots.
These fluffy hamsters could listen to what you said or noises you made and repeat it back to you.
We played with the 4 in the front row - such fun to have them all repeating the same silly things we said and then picking up our own giggles and repeating the laughter back.
We even got them all blowing loud raspberries!
Then we went to Argos to get another shelf for Ecky's room.
And then to Tescos for food.
And then home for some lunch and a rest.
But soon we were all working.
Ashley brought down boxes from the loft. It is time for a clear out.
Already 900 books have been sent to the charity shop or disposed of through Freegle (for those that don't know, that's a web site where you can just offer to give things away to people who might need them - you can of course also get things for nothing sometimes too).
So the boxes were emptied - years of bank statements, lecture notes from university, sermons Ashley has given - all destined for the paper recycling.
But Ashley's first school books - no, no no; they are treasured and we all enjoyed his 6 and 7 year old news and stories. My goodness he could write so much and so well, even at that age.
I left them to it and went off to attack the bathroom.
How I would have loved all the assistants that the women have who do "How Clean is Your House?" on TV.
I would have been so pleased to complete the job.
Bill took the new loo seat to the upstairs toilet and fitted that. Ashley has some new vinyl flooring to put down in there too.
Liz and I worked together to get a roast dinner prepared - which pretty well filled us up!
In the evening Liz sorted out the flat packed shelves for Ecky's room and I did a bit more to the bathroom.
I gather that during today the clearing out has continued.
I loved doing that when we had the new kitchen and new lounge carpet.
It is all too easy to find cliches like "You can't move on to the next chapter in life if you are still living too much with the past chapter's things"
But, as with many cliches, there is a simple truth in it - and I found it very liberating.
I am sure that all this activity - tiring, exciting, scary and stressful will work out to feel very liberating for Ashley and Liz and Ecky in the end.
The journey back was a long one - seven and a half hours, with only a short stop.
There was so much traffic on the road.
But at least we missed the shed load of vegetable oil and the cow who had run amok on the motorway!
And, I have to say I enjoyed 300 miles of the most superb autumn trees. Even without much sunshine, the oranges and gold that surrounded us were quite uplifting.
Time for some rest now.
Why on earth are the public still voting for Ann Widdecombe in Strictly Come Dancing?
We must get up early and get organised for a shop day tomorrow - my new stock is not ready to take in yet.
I will begin with the exciting event just a short while after we got home.
Well, I thought it was exciting - and I hope our Ecky thinks so too.
We made a cup of tea and watched the Teacher of the Year awards......
and Ecky's class teacher won that main award - Teacher of the Year.
Now, Ecky doesn't really like school - she prefers her own world. I do hope that Mr Davies is good enough to inspire her to some confidence amongst her peers.
My impression generally is that it is a very good school indeed.
Well done Cae Top!
And some time, some day, the family may live closer to the school. That is the plan.
They really liked the house they viewed on Saturday and will return for a second viewing. Purchase (or at least offer) may depend on the height of the loft that they would want to convert into a room.
They will look at 2 other houses tomorrow. One of them is in a superb position, very close to open country and views to the mountains. It is a little further out - but not too far. It is more expensive than the one seen on Saturday.
We shall see.
But it does seem that the next time we go to Bangor it will be to help as much as we are able with the move.
After 2 days of trips out - and a super relaxing evening with Pete and Jean,
yesterday (Saturday) was time to work.
My first job took me to the really odd Bangor car boot sale - odd, because it isn't a car boot sale. It is in ware house and all the stalls are set up permanently and most of the stalls are laden with tat - or overpriced items.
Except one - it was the one I planned to visit. Though I discovered it wasn't actually run by the woman I thought it was.
I had been hoping to meet Anglesey Allsorts once again.
I am sure that people would enjoy seeing her blog - full of charm, country crafts, converting junk into useful and beautiful things etc.
I met her in the summer and talked of her with the woman who ran the shop I had visited the day before.
Instead I met Rosie and bought from her.
I am making dealer/friend contacts in North Wales you see.
Time then, to view the house. Bill and I haven't seen inside - but on paper it looks lovely and the situation is good - on a bus route and only 10 minutes walk from school.
Then it was time to visit B & Q. Ashley and Liz had a list of things that perhaps it was wise to get to make their house look in just a bit better condition.
It probably doesn't matter too much - because it would be 99% certain that it will be bought by an investor to convert into student accomodation.
Now, for once I enjoyed a visit to B &Q!
Ecky and I wandered off to view the Christmas department.
We were both quite excited that black is an available colour this year for Christmas decorations and we discussed the fun of creating a Goth tree.
We both bought a black lantern shape to make a start on the idea.
And then we found some silly toys that made us laugh lots and lots.
These fluffy hamsters could listen to what you said or noises you made and repeat it back to you.
We played with the 4 in the front row - such fun to have them all repeating the same silly things we said and then picking up our own giggles and repeating the laughter back.
We even got them all blowing loud raspberries!
Then we went to Argos to get another shelf for Ecky's room.
And then to Tescos for food.
And then home for some lunch and a rest.
But soon we were all working.
Ashley brought down boxes from the loft. It is time for a clear out.
Already 900 books have been sent to the charity shop or disposed of through Freegle (for those that don't know, that's a web site where you can just offer to give things away to people who might need them - you can of course also get things for nothing sometimes too).
So the boxes were emptied - years of bank statements, lecture notes from university, sermons Ashley has given - all destined for the paper recycling.
But Ashley's first school books - no, no no; they are treasured and we all enjoyed his 6 and 7 year old news and stories. My goodness he could write so much and so well, even at that age.
I left them to it and went off to attack the bathroom.
How I would have loved all the assistants that the women have who do "How Clean is Your House?" on TV.
I would have been so pleased to complete the job.
Bill took the new loo seat to the upstairs toilet and fitted that. Ashley has some new vinyl flooring to put down in there too.
Liz and I worked together to get a roast dinner prepared - which pretty well filled us up!
In the evening Liz sorted out the flat packed shelves for Ecky's room and I did a bit more to the bathroom.
I gather that during today the clearing out has continued.
I loved doing that when we had the new kitchen and new lounge carpet.
It is all too easy to find cliches like "You can't move on to the next chapter in life if you are still living too much with the past chapter's things"
But, as with many cliches, there is a simple truth in it - and I found it very liberating.
I am sure that all this activity - tiring, exciting, scary and stressful will work out to feel very liberating for Ashley and Liz and Ecky in the end.
The journey back was a long one - seven and a half hours, with only a short stop.
There was so much traffic on the road.
But at least we missed the shed load of vegetable oil and the cow who had run amok on the motorway!
And, I have to say I enjoyed 300 miles of the most superb autumn trees. Even without much sunshine, the oranges and gold that surrounded us were quite uplifting.
Time for some rest now.
Why on earth are the public still voting for Ann Widdecombe in Strictly Come Dancing?
We must get up early and get organised for a shop day tomorrow - my new stock is not ready to take in yet.
