Wednesday, March 16, 2011
The Newcastle chapter begins.
And so a new chapter begins.
I ended yesterday with a picture of Ashley, Liz and Ecky outside their Bangor front door and we begin today with the family outside the door of their new Newcastle home.
This is their road - a quiet road, for it is a cul de sac.
I think the thick hedge at the front is destined to go.
The house is in an area south of Gosforth, which once was a separate small town. It still has some small town charm, but is now a part of the city.
This painting is a view of Gosforth and Gosforth Heath by artist Emma Holliday. It was on the wall of the Wetherspoon's pub.
We have to be honest - 8, Laurel Avenue has been neglected. There are weak floorboards in places and damp. The wiring is a nightmare. The carpets are shabby and the walls need paint.
But there is space and it will be a good home.
The kitchen is small and dated, with hardly a power point. The washing machine doesn't fit in the space provided.
But this will all be rectified.
Just now, though, there is hardly room to move.
The cat flap flapped noisily in the wind.
The main living room is large. That light fitting will go!
The gas fire set in a brick hearth is also destined to go.
Those plants have already been moved out - they were left by the previous owner.
That was kind of her.
Even kinder is that she left a computer and desk that she can't fit in her new flat. So Ecky will have her own computer.
Musing on the boxes and wondering just what they have done!
I can't begin to describe the amount of stuff.
Everybody thinks they have a lot - but I don't think anybody I know has as much as Ashley and Liz.
That makes it sound like they are forever in shops acquiring things - and that is definitely not so.
But there are thousands of books, CDs, DVDs and so on.
The 2 removal men were unloading their things non stop for almost 5 hours.
The front garden.
The front garden.
In Ecky's bedroom.
She has so much - mostly from boot sales and charity shops. These things are loved by her and are hard to part with, even if finished with.
This book is so apt.
Mina is one of the nick names that Ekatarina has - mostly used by her parents.
The author is a Novacastrian - isn't that what a native of Newcastle is called?
The other front bedroom.
Straight out of one wardrobe and into another.
View of the garden from the lounge.
View from the back bedroom.
This room is not going to be used until some work has been done. It is quite damp and the floorboards don't feel completely safe.
I don't think the damp is too much of a problem - mainly caused by a leaky gutter being ignored for many years.
View of house from garden.
There is already an extension on the house.
The bay window is in the dining room extension and the French windows are at the extension end of the living room.
A further extension is now planned to the side of the house, which will make a wonderful large kitchen/dining room.
Ecky playing. There has never been space like this for playing and relaxing.
Call this a garage? The estate agents did!
It will come down and make way for the new extension.
Now the family begin to make their new lives in a new place.
It was good maybe to have a meal in a familiar atmosphere - we had Friday lunch in the Gosforth Wetherspoon's.
Since we left them I know they have done much.
They spent time at the Science Maker's Fair.
They have been to see the sea at Tynemouth.
And builders have called to look at the work and to give estimates of cost.
They would prefer now to find one company to do everything.
