Moving up North.

[Olds]

 
Thanks JJ. Yep, been a bit busy but slowly sorting things out. Day of the move was hectic and we still have boxes waiting to unpack and I've hardly started on the garage.
Taking it easy now as the arthritis in my  neck has flared up (feels like sciatica, but from my left shoulder, across and down the right arm  )
Had visits from neighbours welcoming us to the villages. Yep, villages plural, as it seems this one and the next consider themselves to be one. Just not in the same place (or with the same name) and all seem very friendly (perhaps a little too .... )
Several retired/working mechanical engineers with an interest in bikes and cars, mainly vintage/classics, so looks like this could be an interesting place.  Folk we've spoken to seem happy with the idea of having a forge and hot metal being worked here, so that's a bonus.

[Manky Monkey]

Sounds like your perfect retirement spot Dave
Congratulations. Keep in touch here though please -we miss you

[JayJay]

Taking it easy now as the arthritis in my  neck has flared up (feels like sciatica, but from my left shoulder, across and down the right arm  )

I don't know if it was sciatica but when we moved from Wales to South of England we rented. 6 months later we bought somewhere but our lease was up before we could move in so we temporarily moved into a holiday flat (third floor  ). We had to put a lot in storage. So over a period of 6 weeks we moved stuff into storage, moved some stuff into the holiday flat and then repeated it to move into our new place. We did it ourselves and it was too much. The pain in my neck and shoulder was agony (worse than my knees now  ).  I eventually went to a Chiropractor (there is a school nearby) and they helped a lot even though it meant I was being used for practice! Have you considered doing that? Really made a difference.

Glad you're settling in and the neighbours seem open to your future plans. Good luck with your boxes. I'll check on you in six months and see if they're still unpacked.   

[Olds]

I'll certainly keep in touch.

Thank you JJ.  I went to a chiropractor many years ago but he refused to touch my neck in case he made things much worse.
 Linda is rapidly organising work that needs to be done but I'm sure there will boxes still be waiting to be unpacked, in six months, probably much longer.

Slowly getting the garage sorted.

[stinkey]

Ooh theres a bright red trike already settled in  👍

[morrag]

Is that where your bed is going Dave, best apologise now mate, or at least before Winter!! ..........

[Olds]

 
No the bed frame was there waiting to be taken to my Son, but there is plenty of room up stairs. Previous owner had started to insulate and plasterboard the roof and once I get time I may finish this off and a safety rail at the stairs might be a good idea.

[Manky Monkey]

When can I move in?

[JayJay]

Is that where your bed is going Dave, best apologise now mate, or at least before Winter!! ..........

 

[Olds]

Slowly progressing with the cottage and garage. We knew there would be a lot to do as the place hadn't been lived in for some time. the last owner had done some strange things to the house, like removing the fireplace/chimney, fitting an electric fire instead, He also bricked up the back door! 
Problems so far include,
Blocked drains (we couldn't use the toilets the day we move in).
Dodgy electrics that meant getting in an electrician for two days (luckily I test circuits even after pulling the fuses).
The oil tank needed replacing and respositioning, as it was twenty years out of date and contravened all fire and building regulations.
The downstairs toilet (that has a strange, remote cistern, in a cupboard) ballcock, decided to self destruct causing a minor flood, (who the f*** puts the stop/service valve above the ceiling).
We are still waiting for a wood burning stove to arrive from Norway, but hopefully it will be installed before it gets cold here.

By far the worse bit so far is, that my lovely full size inspection pit, has turned into a swimming pool ! We are not talking about a couple of inches in the bottom but well over three foot of water. After the wettest June anyone can remember, I have over 4000 litres of water to pump out. 
 

[stinkey]

Sorry to hear about your problems dude,one would have thought any decent surveyor could have picked up some of these things?  Which could have meant a reduction in the price?  Oh well to late now 🤬?  we finally had a surveyor come to our place Monday ,so hopefully not long till we journey south?  Keep your chin up and slowly slowly sir 👍😎

[Olds]

Full survey was done and we knew about most of the problems in advance and made our offer accordingly. The blocked drains was an unwelcome surprise. Moving day was stressful enough without that sort of problem but sorted the next day.
The water in the pit is nice and clean, so I've bought a flood pump and 40 meter hose so that I can pump the water across to the well.
 If the place had been perfect, we probably wouldn't have been able to afford it

[morrag]

All part of life's rich tapestry, Dave and I'm yet to see a pit that doesn't require pumping out occasionally!! Morrag

[stinkey]

The good thing about being older is we know how to deal with what life throws up ( hopefully 🤞🤣?)  I am looking forward to our project but it's still a scary thing..I hope you can take lots of pictures please Dave I'm looking forward to seeing the progress 👍

[Olds]

Oh bXXXXXX.
Spent two hours pumping out the pit but this morning there's 7" of water in the bottom. Looks like I will have to wait till we get a long dry spell so that the water table drops, then tank the damned thing.
I know that this is unlikely to fully cure it but hopefully, combined with a suspended floor, I can get it to the point that it doesn't need pumping out every time I want to use it.
The steel frame in the pic is a heavy steel bench frame, that needs cutting up so that I can lift it out. There is also a pair of massive steel wheel ramps dumped down there