Once the sale had gone through, which is effectively immediate with an auction, we needed a solicitor. And we only had 28 days to complete the transfer of funds. Finding a solicitor who was happy to take on such a quick turn around was a struggle I left to Huw. He managed to find a local-ish one who seemed fairly lack lustre and tried to charge us for work already carried out by the seller, which we were already having to pay for as part of the sales pack. Now, I don't like t

Now that we’ve had chance to talk to our solicitor and look again at all the details we were given before the sale we've been less than impressed by the estate agents. So much of what we were told before the sale, and since, has turned out to be wrong - either accidentally or deliberately. It started with the sales brochure: It said the cottage has a lovely thatch roof protected beneath corrugated sheets and tarpaulin. We already knew this was a complete fairytale! The roof i

So what's next? There is so much to do I don’t even know where we are going to start! Huw has the beginnings of a plan to clear the land and fell some sick trees which have ash die back. Then we can assess what we do next. Do we continue to renovate and build whilst living remotely and staying nearby in the evenings? Do we create some temporary accommodation on site so we don’t have to travel back and forth for a comfortable bed a nd shower every night? Does Huw build the com

I was in Iceland on the day of the auction, so Huw had to bid on our behalf. I gave him my log in details and we had agreed our budget. The auction started at 12pm and ran for three hours until the closing time of 3pm. There were 60 people watching the auction so there was a chance we would have some strong competition. At 10.30am I was due to meet up with a tour group for a trip into a glacier. We arrived at the mouth of the tunnel at 12pm (1pm UK time), and I sent Huw a qui

Over the next couple of weeks a few other nice looking places came up, but they were either too big, too expensive, too restrictive on planning, in the wrong location or just not quite right. So, back to the crumbling cottage, I downloaded the auction details and had a good read through. I sent the estate agent some searching questions - there is a lane that runs through the property and includes the access gate, and it isn't part of the property - do we definitely have a leg

I know we've only been together for six months, but we are wondering whether it's completely crazy to buy a house together. Well, not so much a house as a tumble down, derelict cottage on two acres of overgrown jungle with absolutely none of the modern luxuries like running water or electricity... or much of a roof! There are so many holes in it that Huw calls it an observatory. It was very early on in the relationship that I suggested to Huw that we could invest in a little

Nicki and I have been trying to arrange a visit for a couple of years, and up until now it has never been quite the right time. But, finally, she is here! She arrived Thursday evening and we had dinner together and a catch up and then I had to sleep as I had work the next morning. Friday after work we popped round to Dave and Heather's as they were taking part in the Cowal Open Studios weekend - an art trail where local artists open up their home or have a stall somewhere to

What an adventure this last ten days! My social battery has certainly been put to test, and I expect Huw's too. We have been introducing each other to more family and friends. Huw finally decided the time was right to tell his kids about us a couple of weeks ago, and then suddenly we are meeting up - not for a cup of tea or meal out, but for a four day trip to Scotland! It's an interesting difference between us, considering how we approached sharing the news of our relationsh

August bank holiday weekend was very exciting - my first ever sleep over festival. I used to look at Glastonbury tickets, back in the day, and often thought it would be fun, but had come to the conclusion that I was probably too old for it, and there were never enough artists that I knew to justify the cost. But Huw was off to the Long Road country fesitval and offered to get me a ticket to join him, so of course I accepted. It is held at Stanford Hall in Lutterworth - a beau

Last year when I was visiting my tai chi tutor and his lovely family down in Dorset we were talking about places we wanted to travel to and I mentioned Iceland. It would be a third visit but I've wanted to go in the summer and see the north side of the island. Colin's daughter, Lyndsay, said she had always wanted to visit Iceland too and we thought we could do a week in each other's company and enjoy a calm but adventurous trip sometime in 2026. We booked it last November and

Back in January I booked myself a little treat to Mallorca to see the total solar eclipse. I’ve been wanting to see another ever since Reims in 1999. I’ve been looking forward to it and excited about it for 27 years! I thought Mallorca would be a good option as it would be quiet and have clear skies, but I was a bit worried about the high temperatures. Needs must… This was to be a solo trip and I splashed out on a gorgeous little rustic, adults only farmstead hotel with only

It's four years since I wrote and published the very first North Star Tranquility blog post, on 1st August 2022, talking about retirement and the dream that John and I had to move to somewhere new and beautiful and peaceful. Anyone who has followed this journey over those four years knows that the dream was both realized and all over just over two years later. But, of course, things didn't end there for me. I picked myself up and dusted myself down and I kept sharing my journ

A weekend on my own and looking for something to keep me entertained, I found some nice things to do over in Dunoon, and locally, and ended up having quite a busy time. With it being the summer holidays there is a bit more going on and Dunoon were holding a food festival and maker's market which coincided with the Dunoon POP Shop holding a rhubarb themed open garden. The food festival was in a marquee in the Castle Gardens, along with a few food vans and a busker providing en

Content warning! This is a blog post like no other, and not something I thought I would ever have to experience. I'll keep it brief but this weekend has included the worst thing I've ever witnessed - and, as you guys know, that is saying something. H has been up to see me again, for a long weekend, bringing his usual suprises with him from the outset - lovely flowers again (my favourite gerberas and roses), and an extra surprise of perfume this time. Prada - and very nice too

I was curious about the monumental shift in my outlook on life since meeting H. I spent more than a year feeling like my life had imploded, there was nothing to look forward to and everything seemed hopeless. When things are dark all you can see is the darkness. You are in constant pain and the only thing you can think of is when it will end. And sometimes you sink low enough to want to end it yourself as quickly as possible. I know what it is like to stand on the edge and fe

It felt likes ages since I'd spent any real time in Leamington with the kids, and this week off had been booked since the new year (I put all my leave in for the year in January so I could space it out nicely). The plan was orignally to spend the weekends at each end of the break with the girls, a couple of days with my sister-in-law, Jenny, in London and the remainder with family and friends in Lincoln. Plans changed slightly though, as so many have in the last few months...

A few weeks ago I was lying in the hammock in the warmth of the sunshine and having an absolutely blissful moment, listening to the birds singing, the swallows were swooping overhead, the fluffy seeds of the willows were drifting in the breeze and the view of the glen and hill behind the house was stunning … but something was stopping it from being absolutely perfect. A tiny knot of something like anxiety was disturbing the heavenly vibe of a glorious summer day surrounded by

The Castle of Brecon Hotel was our treat for the next two nights, and it’s a lovely place. A slightly elevated position means it has great views over the valley and out to Pen Y Fan and it’s relaxed but beautifully done out to reflect its Norman roots. Our room was ready slightly early so we went up and unpacked our bags and then headed to the lounge bar for a pint - Guinness for H and a local dark fruit cider for me. It was busy so we asked if we could take a sofa opposite a

After two and half weeks since last seeing H, that felt much longer, I was heading away again to explore the Brecon Beacons with him. The plan was to stay in his camper van for a couple of nights of minimalist freedom in nature and then head to Brecon town for two nights in a swanky hotel. I’m getting used to flying back and forth now and know that arriving at the airport an hour before my flight is enough time when I’ve only got hand luggage. I thought travel was supposed to

One dark and damp corner of the garden which presented an opportunity for improvement was the narrow passageway between the garage and the oil tank compound. It is part of the main path around the outside of the house, so I really wanted to make it an attractive space. It was a good size for a small Japanese zen style garden, and we already had the stone fountain basin we brought with us from Leamington that had been sitting upside down on the grass for a year. So I designed