Thursday, December 2, 2010

So Britain is stranded under bitterly cold weather and snow, here in Whitby the roads alternately appear and disappear under snow, cars skid on the corner just outside the house. I have seen only one car with chains on the tyres. I should be stoic but that does not come easily, plus I have a wretched bug, caught from the youngest Lillie, luckily she is recovering and seems her usual bouncy self today.

Well I seem to have struck lucky with cottage searching. Walking around the half dozen I marked soon reduced the field to two, the others had a variety of faults, mostly to do with long dark alleyways reducing the light into the cottages.

Tiny is the word, these 18th century fisherman cottages are very small, but at last after all these years of wanting an old fashioned cottage, I seem to be in the process of acquiring one.. true it doesnt have any acres to go with it just a couple of flower pots maybe!

Dependent on the surveyor's report, it should be finalised fairly quickly, basically it is going to be a holiday let anyway but we can use it when its not in use. The selling points were most of the original beams, cupboard doors and the quaint stair door with latch that sold it, plus a warm atmosphere and secluded yard, not forgeting the fireplace -and it was a great deal warmer than this draughty old victorian terrace house.

Houses are very subjective, atmosphere plays a great deal, one had been 'done up', two shower rooms and a whole set of kitchen stuff I did'nt like including the tiles, sad because it was pretty outside. Another had a bad feel to it, not that I believe in ghosts but something 'other' was trogging round the bedrooms I'm sure...

Chelmsford news is not too good either, the heating has gone and the gas people are inundated with calls, so they may come out tomorrow, and of course the snow has hit the London area quite badly. They were talking of people, sleeping on the trains at King Cross which is the station I come back through, (if I ever get back) apparently it was warm though in the carriages.

3 comments:

  1. There seem to be plenty of wretched "bugs" on both sides of the Atlantic--I think they accompany the holidays.
    I'm trying to decide from reading UK blogs and watching BBC news whether the current cold and snow there are unusual--or if people are simply not prepared for the winter?
    I hope you'll be posting photos of your little cottage.

    ReplyDelete
  2. To answer your question, it is unusual for this time of year but we have had snow for three years now before xmas I think.
    The knottier question of why we can't cope is the smallness of the country and infrastructure of the transport system. Mainline trains are mostly working but the smaller lines are having difficulty. Snow on top of ice is not helping either.

    ReplyDelete
  3. MM -Nor is the reluctance by local councils to grit IN ADVANCE of snow, instead of trying to deal with it once it's falling and towns quickly become grid-locked!

    thelma - photos of your little seaside cottage please - it sounds divine!

    ReplyDelete

Love having comments!