BT

How very puzzling. Charles spent over half an hour on the phone to BT trying to discover why there was an order for someone else to take over our line on 10th July. After all that time, with Charles on hold and getting more angry by the minute, they couldn't explain how it had come about! Anyway, it's been cancelled!

STRANGE MESSAGE!!

Got a strange message from BT this morning. Apparently, 'someone' is going to be taking over our line on 10th July! Really? We know nothing about this!! Charles is going to ring them when he gets home to find out what is going on!!

IRONIC 'WOW'!

So, the vendors of the property in Fenham have agreed to complete on 30th July - ONE WHOLE DAY EARLIER THAN THEY SAID LAST WEEK! We're still reeling from this news to be honest. I know it is going to cause us all sorts of issues and I hate the thought of moving stuff in, only to have to dump it and leave it for a fortnight while we're away. Clearly, there's absolutely NO wiggle room. That is their best offer and we just need to deal with it.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON.

And not a particularly relaxing one! Charles is setting off for the station, to go to Birmingham in an hour or so. The school has HMI in tomorrow and his presence will be helpful. He'll not get back until Tuesday. I'm not planning much until he gets back, although I'm beginning to think about the logistics of moving and how different scenarios present us with greater and lesser challenges. IF we end up having to store stuff for a short time (or longer if it has to include our holiday fortnight) we will have major issues with our garden plants. I'm sure, if I ask them nicely, James and Claire will look after most of them, BUT we have a well established potted tree fern which is NOT going to be transportable in one of our vehicles and a Belfast sink, which weighs a TON, and has already been itemised by our removals company as a difficulty, but which I am loath to leave becaus it's worth hundreds!! Obviously, it would be so much easier if we didn't have to leave here until we could move straight into the house in Fenham, but I can't honestly see that happening, although I will hope and pray that something can be sorted. I know I'm getting a bit ahead of myself (and we all know what happened the last time I did so) but it IS something we need to give some thought to. The lists have been started! I've even got a new notebook specially. (This is sad, but true!) On another note, I'm starting to feel decidedly dozy, having been awake all through the football last night. I even saw the dawn in at around 3.30 because I'd got so engrossed in my book I couldn't put it down! So, it may be the traditional Sunday afternoon nap for me, although sadly, it won't be following a yummy roast lunch.

THERE ARE ENCOURAGING...

... signs that our sale may be nearing completion. That's absolutely great! The not so great bit, refers to yesterday's rather oblique blog post. We discovered that our sellers are categorically refusing to move out until the end of July, despite knowing our situation and the fact that the very next day we are going on holiday. We had the conversation with them weeks ago, but yesterday they really dug their heels in and refused to budge. They HAD said they would do what they could to move out as early as possible, but now they appear to have changed their minds about that. So it looks like we will be needing to find a temporary home for a short period. Typically it's holiday season and everywhere is going to cost an arm and a leg. I still need access to a decent kitchen too because of my Centurion work which I do not want to lose. Obviously there's still some way to go in terms of exchange and completion here and I can't see that happening for a fortnight or so, but I just know we're going to be homeless for a few days. I was so furious yesterday and Charles was practically incandescent with rage, but there's absolutely nothing we can do about it. Moving house? Never ever again.

I'M BEGINNING TO REALISE...

... that Charles and I must be two of the biggest mugs around. I'm not saying what has prompted this realisation, but I cannot believe that some people can be so thoughtless. We have always tried to see things from the perspective of others and always try to find a solution that will suit everyone, even if it involves compromise on our part. It would appear that we are in the minority in our thinking.

I'M READY TO THROW...

... the towel in. I've just driven to Morpeth in tears. Tears of pure frustration. I managed to speak to Charles and he says there's absolutely nothing to worry about. On the other hand I am sick of lurching from one emotion to another and from a position of hope and optimism to another of delay and disappointment. Why on earth did we ever think this was a good idea?

UNBELIEVABLY...

... After almost half a year, it would appear that our buyers solicitor is STILL raising issues about documentation pertaining to the building work we had done six years ago, AND WHICH WE SENT TO OUR SOLICITOR IN FEBRUARY. I swear I cannot believe this.

THURSDAY!!

ANOTHER WEEK NEARLY OVER. God - I'm beginning to wonder if solicitors are paid for the length of time they can spin out a house sale...?! It struck me this morning, when I was walking the girls, that, since the offer went in on this bungalow (and providing we DO complete shortly) we will have waited nearly six months to get things finalised. We've lived with a half packed up house for months and it's really starting to get to me now. We have spent months just waiting, in limbo, getting increasingly stressed. IF our solicitor is to be believed ( and there's no reason that I know of to doubt him) we should be able to exchange imminently. Please, please let this happen.

MID-WEEK...

... and there's no news at all about our move. I really thought we would have heard something today, but there's been a deafening silence yet again. I'm going to make some calls myself tomorrow because there is no reason whatsoever why we can't get this finalised now. Im also fed up that Charles is now planning to be away for two days next week, when originally he wasn't going at all. Really not happy tonight.

EARLY START...

... following another bad night's sleep = likelihood of lengthy nap on couch with the girls!! Charles is working today and tomorrow. Not sure why the days have changed, but I don't ask!! Also, he wasn't supposed to be working at all next week, but apparently HMI are in on Monday so he's offered to be there for that, which means he'll be leaving on Sumday afternoon and returning late on Monday evening. After that, hopefully, he won't be away for a couple of weeks. Let's hope and pray that we manage to get moved during that time. There should be no reason, on our part anyway, why this can't happen. We know that everything that we need to have in place is done, so it's really up to solicitors now.

JUST HAD A PANIC!!

My Mum has just phoned to ask for Christina's address so she can send her birthday card for Friday. Nothing wrong with that, you might think. Except, she's a whole month ahead of herself. Christina's birthday isn't until the end of July and we fully expect to be having a birthday meal for her in our new home!!

HAVE HAD...

... two lovely, reassuring emails from our buyers over the last couple of days. They are understandably fed up with their solicitors! Bur hopefully, in a few more days, this will all be over and they will be able to get moved in here. For the first time in days, I have even let myself get a TINY bit excited about our new home today, because I finally believe it will happen very soon.

BACK FROM YORKSHIRE!

To an empty house!! (The girls are still at the groomers and won't be home for another half an hour or so.) Had a lovely time with James and Claire in Yordkshire. Called on Mum first and had a good chat with her. She was pretty lively today actually and certainly was able to tune into everything we were talking about. After that we went up to Helen's. Had a tour of Hannah's lovely little house and a massive lunch. Lots of excited talk about the Cornish holiday that we're all going on shortly and loads of laughter about ridiculous previous holiday japes. Left there at about 4.30 and had a good journey back home. Thank you to Claire for doing all the driving!! Still feel stuffed from the lasagne and sticky toffee pudding at lunchtime, so will skip an evening meal I think!! Oh, I heard from our buyers. They are going to take a week's break in Yorkshire, which I think is a really good idea. Part of it will be spent in Ilkley - another coincidence!! We will be chasing up solicitors and estate agents tomorrow, but I feel much happier about things now that we've re-established contact with the people who are buying our house.

BACK FROM LUNCH

Spent a happy couple of hours with James, Claire, Charles and Grandma at the Boat House in Blyth. Don't usually do lunch, but this was an early fathers Day treat as James, Claire and I are going to Yorkshire tomorrow, so Dad will be on his own - apart from the girls of course, although even they will be out for a few hours as they have their appointment at the groomers during the afternoon. Lunch was good, but slightly spoiled by the nerves. I just can't seem to shake off this horrible feeling.

ANOTHER SLEEPLESS NIGHT!!

I'm beginning to wonder when I will EVER sleep through the night again. Last night I must have been up and pacing about on five occasions, the night before I got up and did the ironing at 3am and I've seen daylight break every morning for weeks. Charles and I are at each other's throats about the least little things. The stress of moving - or NOT moving - is just proving too much and we are starting to feel under the same pressure as we did when the owners of the house we originally wanted to buy were demanding instant exchange and completion. It will take no longer than three weeks and could very well be done sooner than that. We are completely at the mercy of our sellers and our buyers' excuse of a solicitor. All the calming influence that came through the telephone line from our solicitor on Friday has evaporated today and I feel physically sick with nerves. I've sent a couple of emails explaining how things stand and have had no response at all. We are frantically trying to find solutions and have a number of suggestions for long term (3 weeks) and short term (end of June) strategies. All this heartache over what is probably going to be less than 21 days, when we have waited so many months, is just horrendous.

HAD A LENGTHY CONVERSATION...

... with our solicitor this afternoon. He was returning Charles's call from earlier, but of course, it was time for the radio show, so he had to make do with me! He was absolutely lovely. Very calm and reassuring. And by the end of the call, I too felt calm and reassured!! (Job done Colin!) No surprise to learn that Enact have been Inactive again and have made no contact at all with him this week, despite there being a query about the freehold that he has already explained to us is no problem at all, but which needs to be explained to our buyers to reassure them that this is indeed the case. He feels that all will come together by the end of next week, providing our buyers can get their legal people to talk to ours!

WAITING!!

Again! No news from estate agents or solicitors so far today. Beginning to get twitchy, especially as we are now under pressure from our buyers. I swear, we will NEVER, EVER put ourselves through this sort of nightmare again. We have been caught in the middle of proceedings all the way through and have done our utmost to keep everyone happy. We are just tired of the whole thing now and need to get it sorted before our sanity goes completely.

NOT SURE...

... what I can write today, other than to say, it's a happy day!

RUTHERFORDS SALE

There was me thinking I was something special, having received an invite to the two days of the sale BEFORE they open it up to Joe Public. Well, take me down a peg or two... ... Half of Morpeth must have been Exclusively Invited. The queue was right along Bridge Street and, once inside, it was mayhem. Sadly, many of the clothes that already live in my wardrobe, were being sold at stupid prices, so I felt pretty miserable about that. Ended up just buying a skirt and a top and abandoned all thought of checking out the home furnishings downstairs because it looked like a glorified jumble sale. Not too impressed!

RECEIVED...

... An email from our buyers this afternoon. Basically they are saying they wanted to complete by the end of June! I've passed the email to our solicitor for his response.

YESTERDAY EVENING'S...

... unexpected get together with Patrice, Lucy, James and Claire was really lovely, probably even more so because it was relatively impromptu. Simple food, but lots of chatter. Great evening.thoroughly enjoyed it.

APPARENTLY...

Charles requested the Mazda have a service as well as its MOT today. This would account for a bill of £95! Thought it was steep for an MOT! It flew through the test! Wish I'd known about the service though!

JUST TAKEN...

... the Mazda to Morpeth for its MOT. Poor Charles has had to bring me home, go off to do the Centurion delivery, go to Blyth to meet up with his nephew who's come up for the day to see Grandma, drive back to Fram to pick me up to go for my car... He'll be clocking up a few miles today!! We had the, "Well, I wonder what developments there'll be with the house sale THIS week?" conversation on the way back from Morpeth. I think I was the one who introduced the topic, but I don't think either of us managed to frame any sort of response! Let's just hope our solicitor finally manages to get a response from the people at Enact some time this week. I think he is really beginning to share our frustration. We will be away on holiday on about six weeks time. I sincerely hope that by then we are moved into our new home, unpacked and settled.

HAD A LOVELY EVENING...

... Yesterday. Started with a meal at Valley Junction washed down with some extremely large bottles of Cobra and then progressed round the corner to 'As You Like It' for Rachel and Squirty's birthday bash, where I discovered that. A Bumble berry cocktail added to the drink already consumed, is a bit much for a wimpy drinker like me!! Still, I had a good nights sleep for the first time in weeks, so clearly drink is the answer to insomnia!

NO PLANS FOR TODAY!

At least, none until the evening when we're eating at Valley Junction before going on to Rachel and Squirty's joint 30th at As You Like It. So,I'm not sure how to spend the hours before then!! Whatever we decide to do, I won't want to leave the girls during the day because of having to leave them this evening. Might just stay in, drink coffee and read!!

HAVE JUST REALISED...

... that all I ever do on the blog these days is bleat on about our horrendous house move. I'm truly sorry. But, sadly, it's not going to change for a while, I suspect!

ANOTHER WEEK...

... Another deafening silence regarding our move. We've been in touch with our solicitor pretty often during the week, updating him about our purchase, which is progressing well I think. We've also asked what communication he has had with our buyers solicitor and basically he's had nothing at all, despite regular calls from him and promises that someone would ring back. The last email we had from him at lunchtime today finished like this... "I’ll let you know if your buyers' solicitor breaks cover in the meantime. Kind regards" Waaaaaaaaaaah!!!

CUTTING THE GRASS!!

Charles is out there, cutting the grass. We keep hoping it'll be the last cut we need to do, but it never is!! When (please God!) we move we will have the tiniest patch of lawn, not even worth having a lawn mower for. Hopefully though it will be paved over pretty damn quick because 'It's neither use nor ornament' as it is now. We need to secure the boundary anyway and have to have a conversation with our neighbour to find out how he feels about a fence or wall instead of the leylandii that are there at the moment and which the girls will very happily escape through! So, Charles is outside getting hot and bothered. And I'm in the kitchen batch baking quiche. Neither task is particularly suited to the glorious weather. Instead we should be sitting in a pub garden, near the coast perhaps, sipping ice cold Pimms maybe. Never mind! I'll just get a diet coke out of the fridge...

FABULOUS WEATHER!

On days like this I have to seriously question our sanity. Why would we want to leave the glorious Northumbrian countryside for the city streets of Newcastle? The garden is a joy, driving to anywhere is delightful in the Mazda, I've got all the windows and doors open, the girls are sunning themselves on the front step, what's not to love? We did hear from our buyers this morning. They seem to have had a pretty fraught few days thanks to THEIR buyers expecting them to move out last week at only a few days notice. Still, at least they are now safely ensconced with their daughter and her family, so can relax for a while. Hopefully, respective solicitors will get themselves sorted out and we can all progress to the next stage before too long! (Still think we might be mad to be thinking about giving all this up!)

HE'S GONE!

Carver and Stone have left Newcastle United apparently. This should be great news, but it's always tempered with the possibility that Ashley will chuck in something from left field that'll make Carver look like God. Will be watching SSN avidly for further updates. Sadly, there are no further updates regarding the sale of our house. I haven't heard anything from our buyers for the last couple of days, not surprising as they've been moving, but it would be good to hear from them soon so that we know we're still on track. As far as our purchase is concerned everything is steaming ahead. Charles has just paid out for the second set of searches (having already paid for Nuns Moor Road) so we are praying that nothing is going to prevent THIS move going ahead. Surely we couldn't be that unlucky? Tried to take our minds off the whole sorry process this morning by driving up to Low Newton and taking the girls for a lovely stroll along the beach followed by coffee at the Ship. Clearly this was the perfect time to go, because although the weather was lovely, there were very few people about and we pretty much had the beach to ourselves!!

BACK TO...

... worrying about house stuff, because we haven't heard anything, from anyone, about anything at all today. I know. It's ridiculous. I just about manage to get through the weekend without tearing my hair out, but as soon as Monday comes round I expect things to move forward, and yet, I should know from bitter experience during the past five months, that they never do. So, I've done all my chores, been to Morpeth, made some healthy snack things that I found a recipe for on facebook and are essentially just mini quiche without the pastry, and now I find I have nothing else to do for the rest of the day. I am hating all this inactivity and yet I can't turn my mind to doing anything about it because I'm so wrapped up in what may or may not happen with our move. I swear, it's been one of the worst experiences we've had in years. And, sadly, it's not over yet.

ANOTHER BAD NIGHT!

Feel like I've hardly slept. And on the occasions when I HAVE drifted off, I've woken again with the sick realisation that, even at this late stage, there's no guarantee that things are going to work out with our house sale. I'm tired of feeling like this. I'm tired of being anxious, worried, stressed. I'm tired of not knowing what's going to happen. I'm tired of living in a house that's half packed up. I'm tired of having no control. The truly sickening thing is that, if the couple from Nuns Moor Road hadn't put us under such enormous pressure to exchange contracts according to their timescale, we could have been home and dry by now. Instead, we face more days of this sickening limbo.

BACK FROM JESMOND.

Spent a couple of hours with James and Claire having breakfast in the coffee shop at Jesmond Methodist Church - not as naff as it sounds! It's really quirky, bohemian and not at all like the coffee mornings I remember from my childhood in the Manse. Quick trip round the gift shops to buy birthday presents for next weekends 30th birthday celebrations, then into Morpeth for tedious food shopping and back home. We WERE planning to give the girls a bath and blow dry, but decided to book them in for a professional groom instead. As we managed to get them an appointment in two weeks, there seems little point is doing it now, as they're not exactly dirty!! Might wash the cars instead!!

AND BREATHE...

At last! Our buyers' have exchanged on their sale. Now we need to get our contracts exchanged ASAP so that Charles and I can relax a little instead of being in this constant state of anxiety. Apparently, their conveyancer has still not read the freehold documentation that was sent to them last week. This is so typical and absolutely infuriating. Still, it's a step in the right direction.

THE SUSPENSE..

... Is killing me. Barely slept. Waiting in desperation for a text, email, phone call, ANYTHING that tells us that our buyers' sale has gone through. I need to find something to occupy myself, instead of sitting with the iPad going slowly insane. Today IS 5th June.we heard over a www ago that they should be ready to exchange TODAY. If it doesn't happen, my finger will be firmly pointing in the direction of Enact, the company that are supposed to be dealing with it. Watch this space... (But for Gods sake, don't hold your breath.)

YOU COULDN'T MAKE IT UP!

The firm of conveyancers that our buyers were recommended to use, has proved to be less than efficient all the way through this lengthy saga. Knowing that exchange of contracts was imminent, the girl who has dealt with proceedings all the way through goes on holiday, leaving her replacement to tie everything up, hopefully in time for our buyers to move out on Monday. Said replacement fails to make the promised update call to our buyers, leaving them understandably frustrated and all of us feeling nervous. If it was me, I would be on that phone from 9.00 in the morning and I would not get off until I had some definite answers. This morning, I felt jittery about it all, and now I feel even worse. It may be to do with the disappointment we felt when things went so wrong a few months ago, and it is almost certainly the result of poor practice by the conveyancers involved, and I may be worrying unnecessarily, but Charles has just asked my what we will do if it all falls through, so clearly he is thinking the worst as well. My answer to Charles? I would just go to pieces, I think.

HAVE NOW GONE INTO...

... PANIC MODE!! My serial distrust of anyone connected to the conveyancing process in anyway connected to our house move, has now gone into overdrive. We have encountered so many false dawns, let downs, frustrations and incompetencies that my head won't let me believe that this latest situation is going to come to a satisfactory conclusion by Monday. I am finding it impossible to put my trust in anyone who is dealing with the process right now and have that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach that tells me things are well out of my control and there's not a damn thing I can do about it. IF it all works out it will absolutely be the last time we put ourselves through the stress of selling a house!

MIGHT BE...

... some light at the end of the house moving tunnel! It sounds as though our buyers need to complete on their sale before Monday and will be moving in with their family over at Wallington until we are ready. Hopefully we can exchange on our sale AND our purchase as we discussed with the vendors last week. So, with luck, we MIGHT all be able to sleep a little more easily in a few days!

UP EARLY...

.... following a pretty horrible night thanks to Lily's inability to settle when her Dad's not here. We had to go and look for him four times between midnight and 2.30, then managed about four hours sleep,before being up for the day by 6.30. Needless to say we're all shattered now. I've done all the chores, been to Morpeth, made a huge fish pie and enough chilli to feed a small country, walked the girls twice, and feel no guilt about settling down on the sofa, with the girls, for a little shuteye! (I can guarantee that the phone will ring during the next half hour.)

SAD TO HEAR...

... that Charles Kennedy has died. I always had a lot of respect for a man who came across as down to earth, honest, principled and brave, yet who had a sense of humour and fun. Of course, we all know he had his demons, but his death comes far too soon. A sad day.

I KILLED...

... a red squirrel this morning. It ran right out in front of me and there was nothing at all I could do to avoid it, but I still feel awful. I know I hit it, because I heard the thud and it was just lying there in the road when I checked on the mirror. I would have hated killing it, what ever it was, but the fact that it was a red squirrel made it even worse.