House Style - Home Décor

Have you looked through Rightmove (or similar) lately? If so, you will surely have noticed a theme in interior decorating choices. White is predominant for walls, laminate for flooring, kitchens often have white or grey cupboards. Everything is "futuristic" minimalist. Some might say it's a blank canvas.

We moved into our house, a new-build, four years ago. All walls were white, floors are light-coloured wooden laminate boards and the fitted kitchen cupboards are, of course, grey slab. None of this changed from day one until recently when our son announced "This is a nice house but it's not a home." 

It's a risk to break away from the accepted standard but people must surely be bored of the personality by-pass of minimalism by now. Everyone likes different things, though. I like rooms with natural light and a driftwood, almost bohemian style - which is great for summer but maybe not so cosy in dull, cold months. Another member of the family prefers darker, old-fashioned, cosy rooms which suit evenings, autumn and winter.

How to strike a balance? Without spending a fortune, the wall colour can be changed, as can accessories such as wall art, cushions, plants and other items on display. Lighting can be important, too. Bright or mellow? Ceiling lights can be obtrusive so consider soft options, such as floor/table lamps or fairy lights.

Lounge. This is a room that's a great place for most family things. In the evenings, it's where TV-watching usually takes place. It may also be the main room for relaxing, socialising or entertaining friends after dinner, year round.

Our lounge has triple aspect windows, so is bright during the day. We chose subtle neutrals for the walls (a milky tea colour on three walls and a fourth wall contrast wall of a warm, creamy tint). The rug is currently a light beige-cream berber on a light wood floor but it will be replaced sometime to add some contrast to the room. The only bright colours are courtesy of cushions on the pale blue-grey seating and some wall paintings. Even the window blinds are cream. It still needs more work!

We have several plants dotted around plus some shelves with books, DVDs and CDs (yes, really, because that's the kind of family we are). 

Kitchen/Diner. This is vaguely L-shaped and is also triple-aspect. It was bland with white walls and grey cupboards - you can see many kitchens like it on the internet. But it is a place where coffee is made, baking is done, dinner is cooked and eating takes place, therefore a vibrant feel wouldn't be out of place.

We have painted some of the 'cold' white walls with 'warm' magnolia and two end-walls (one in the diner and one in the kitchen) are now a deep yellow. We even added some non-white, glass-fronted wall cupboards to break up the grey. The bare walls now have a few themed posters to draw the eye from the blocks of grey slab doors. Some of these are our favourite recipes which we typed into the computer, added photographs of our cakes and cookies, added a complementary background colour then we printed them, popped them in some A4 frames... et voila!

Finally, we are currently considering a contrasting wall of texture. Whether this is a fascia of stone, brick, tile or other material is yet to be decided.

Kitchen Photographs!

The original installation is slab grey with no handles, 
a white quartz worktop and off-white walls.

Below the cupboards on the right, we've painted the wall with a bold colour
and added 'clutter' in the form of recipes, spice jars and baking utensils.
On the left is the dining area with contrasting cupboards.

Other rooms. These will be a later phase.

Our bath/shower rooms are actually OK, maybe just a hint of a light pastel paint would freshen them up.

There are three bedrooms; each will be a design project in its own right.

Finally, the landing and hallway. The hallway needs to be welcoming. On entry, there's a grey mat to wipe your feet and the walls are white. We have a cupboard for shoes (the top of which is cluttered with keys, sunglasses, mail, etc.) and a couple of other items that just look a mess. There is an interesting painting on one wall and three visible doors. The hallway leads to the stairs, which are currently a light softwood that isn't wearing well - so should we consider carpet treads? The walls either side of the stairs are, of course, white and we plan to hang more art, once the walls are painted (but painting stairwells is tricky). 

The landing is bright with a west-facing window to enjoy the sunset, so this will also be a mini-project when the time comes.

Coping with January

If you're lucky, you'll be at a ski resort. However, this is a 'comfort post' for the rest of us. 

Outside, it's currently cold, wet, windy and grey in the UK. One way of dealing with this is retail therapy but, even with the sales prices, this can be very expensive - as can be eating at a restaurant. Cheaper indoor alternatives include: ten-pin bowling, roller- or ice-skating, going to a café or pub or watching a film at the cinema. 

... But instead of spending money to see one film, maybe take advantage of all the streaming services you have at home on your massive new TV that you bought yourself in the after-Christmas sale? Even if you only have a medium TV and no additional streaming services (such as Netflix, Prime or Disney+), most people have access to BBC i-player - and this is critical in January - to binge-watch all the "Death in Paradise" series from Ben Miller onwards. Each episode in an hour-long visit to the Caribbean. It's perfect for me to lose myself in the aesthetic, never mind the stories, which are so predictable that we guessed 'whodunnit' as soon as we see the characters (or possibly, the actors playing those parts). 

There are almost 100 episodes so that should see you through the worst of January and possibly February.

Meanwhile, here are some Caribbean images for you to sigh over...

 

 

At sunset in the warm Caribbean, you can stroll along the coast and find a number of restaurants and bars overlooking the sea. At home, where the temperatures are cooler, you could chill with some cocktails or rum punch - or hug a mug of hot chocolate as you dream of being alive in paradise!

Hip, Hip, Hooray! It's An Art Day

Following the previous, gloomy post, I though readers deserved some more upbeat news so here it is. Since moving towns a couple of years ago, I've been looking for something sociable to do. I considered joining the local Am-Dram society, as it's only a ten minute walk from home, but I have nothing to offer (I can't act, sing, dance or anything) and they have ample contributors of all ages. I also considered the 'horticultural group' because I like to potter around the garden in the warmer months (I'm still considering it). 

First, though, I volunteered to help with a local group in the village because they seemed desperate but meeting once a year for an AGM doesn't tick the social box.

Then, a couple of weeks ago, someone on the local Facebook group asked if there was any interest in starting a fortnightly art group. It's nothing formal, just people getting together, making time to paint, with breaks for coffee and some chatting. I put my name down and our first 'taster' session is next week. 

Update: I drove to the venue, couldn't find anywhere to park and come home again, mission aborted.

Express yourself!

Looking through the posts on this blog, there are very many reviews of TV shows, films and books - we are considering setting up another blog just for the reviews. This may be dependent on receiving more submissions from readers so that this blog's topics appeal to a wider audience. 

How it works: if you would like to submit your blog, the level of anonymity is up to you - from zero to hero or with an alias - you choose. Also, we don't make any money from this (any ads that may appear are entirely down to Google, as they provide the blog service for free). 

Choose a topic and write whatever you like. Nothing rude or racist or extremely contentious, etc.. Just contact us via the comments which, unless approved for publication, are for our eyes only. Include an email address if you would like us to contact you (for example, to let you know if we can't use your post). We reserve the right to check it over and, if necessary, amend it for readability and grammar.

What's in it for us? Well, nothing really. We like writing but we're also interested in what other people have to say - and there is a dwindling number of blogs covering everyday life. 

So... if you have something to say, let us know! 

A Andrews*

Legacy of the 2020 Covid Lockdown Era

Some people were deeply affected by Covid and their lives were changed forever. People died. People are still suffering with long covid. People's mental health was impacted. 

It may be a relatively minor thing, such as no longer being in the habit of going out regularly to the theatre or maybe the way our TV viewing habits changed. There were also goodish things as a reault of being isolated; some people took up hobbies - maybe writing a book or learning to paint. 

Personally, I came out of that era as a much 'older' person as a result of a serious medical issue. I became used to not mixing with people to such an extent that I am, still now, virtually a hermit. This makes me a dull person and Old + Dull is not a great combination.That aside, I did return to painting last year, which was something I had become quite good at in my earlier years, exhibiting and selling quite a few. I'm not as good as I used to be but I can see that the results are improving. Looking through social media, it seems that several people have become artists or writers recently; it's good to have a creative outlet.

I still don't go out much and, these days, I seem to tire easily but I have started to think about what I can do to relieve the boredom of my own scintillating company, such as submitting blog posts!

Ann

Gender, Labels & Grammar

It seems that the very people who dislike being labelled are labelling themselves. If he/she prefers to be genderless then, unless it's relevant (e.g. medical issues), I totally agree. However, the common practice of using 'they' instead of the singular, genderless 'it' (or maybe create a new word) makes 'them' seem scizophrenic. 

For example, an extract from Wikipedia "They co-created, co-wrote and starred in..." refers only to Mae Martin and does not include any other person(s) who co-created/co-wrote or starred. It's confusing. Also, I can't bring myself to say 'they is brilliant'.

It's a grammar thing which I know that I need to accept, similar to the common mis-use of  'different to' (cringe) or 'compared to' and 'people that...' (see notes) but, well, it's difficult. Don't get me started on 'could of' or 'your' when it should be 'you're'... Language changes between generations and my generation was traditionally taught. All I can do is quietly accept declining standards of grammar and not deliver a rant to the perpertators (unless, of course, they ask me to).

On the topic of labelling, I've never felt the need to belong to a group, whether non-binary, feminist, political or anything else. People are people and it's nobody else's business if there are differences - it's what makes humans interesting. Imagine how boring life would be if we were all the same; might as well be robots.

Similarly, religion. Be atheist, hindu, christian, or whatever you believe. Explain your choice if asked but do not, ever, bully the rest of the world to join you. Religion is your belief, just as Santa Claus is a 3-year old child's belief. In fact, on the face of it, there is more evidence of Santa's magic than any god's miracles, in recent times. Take comfort in your belief but please don't force it upon others. 

~ ~ ~ 

Notes 

The Grammar Thing:
- different from (always, unless using the American 'different than');
- compared with (when comparing like with like; 'compared to' should only be used when the comparison is not comparable, e.g. a person and a summer’s day;
- people who, not people that, please. Simple guidelines:
    -- Who is always used to refer to people (the person who...);
    -- That is used for mostly everything else, e.g. objects, animals, groups
        (the cat that... that team that...).
- could've, would've and should've are shortened from could have, would have and should have. Not 'of'.

Non-gender-specific: There is a place for 'they'. For example, when writing a business plan, it can be introduced as a term which can refer to he, she or more than one person, thereby avoiding multiple future edits.

 

Porridge: healthy, filling, tasty

Ingredients:

• 1 spoonful raisins
• 2 scoops porridge oats
• 2 walnut halves, chopped
• 2 pecan halves, chopped
• 2 brazil nuts, chopped
• 4 almonds, chopped
• cup of water
• sprinkling of cinnamon

Method:

• place raisins, oats, nuts, and water in bowl, quick stir
• microwave on full power for 2 minutes
• sprinkle cinnamon on top, stir in

Notes:

• if too wet, microwave for another 15-30 seconds
• if too dry, quickly stir in 2 or two spoonfuls of water
  (or milk if you must)

Disappointment - a short story

As business owners, we both work long hours in stressful jobs so a long weekend away with friends - also business owners in stressful jobs - was a lovely break. My overwhelming reaction on our return home was... Disappointment.

It was (almost) entirely my own fault - relaxing over the weekend must have softened my brain. We had left our teenage son, who was home from uni on a gap year, to fend for himself and we looked forward to seeing him. We had texted ahead and arrived home after a 7-hour drive via shopping at the supermarket, ready to make dinner.

We carried in our suitcases and shopping bags with no assistance from our loving son, who remained seated on the sofa, ignoring us. I wasn't disappointed just yet - this is normal behaviour that we are somehow resigned to. A dinner plate was by his side and we assumed that he had already eaten as we put away the shopping and prepared to cook just for ourselves rather than the family dinner that we had planned.

Meanwhile, my eyes had taken in the crumbs next to the sofa, the two dozen DVD/PS4 cases spread on the floor and a spilled pile of clean washing that I asked him to take up to his room before the weekend. Before I could hug my darling son, I expressed my disappointment and walked into the kitchen where I was met with a floor covered with all manner of foodstuffs - raisins, flour, toast crumbs, onion and garlic skin, dry spaghetti, carrot peelings (yes, I should have been pleased that he had eaten vegetables...)

I swept the floor whilst grumbling sarcastically in a low voice because I didn't want to walk in and immediately start an argument. I cleared the sink and filled the dishwasher. My husband cleaned the worktops and we cooked a quick meal. Setting the table, I was greeted by food spillage from a previous meal (or meals) glued to the place mat and table surface.

As we sat down to eat, our son informed us that he hadn't eaten - the plate was from his previous meal. Feeling guilty at the misunderstanding, I signaled to him to remove his headphones so that I could ask him if he'd like pizza (his favourite) which we'd brought home as a treat. Before I could ask, he announced that he would not be talking to me because I was mean to him.

No pizza, then.

Great homecoming/reunion, not! It wasn't until this morning that I looked in the shower room to find five wet bath towels (yes, yes, I should be pleased that he showered!!!)...

Le Quatorze Juillet

Just 10 days (plus a few years) after American Independence was declared, the French Revolution began.

The French Revolution

La Fête Nationale, usually referred to in Britain as Bastille Day, is the annual celebration of the beginning of the French Revolution, an uprising of the common people against the Monarchy, which began on 14th July 1789 with the storming of the Bastille prison in Paris.

King Louis XVI and his wife, Marie Antoinette, had become increasingly unpopular as the gap between rich and poor became wider. Despite re-establishing the previously disbanded Musketeers, Royalty was officially abolished in France in 1792.

Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were executed by guillotine in the large public square now known as Place de la Concorde, which is situated next to the River Seine, nestled between the Champs Elysees and Jardin des Tuileries (which leads directly to the Louvre museum, home of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa).

Le Quatorze Juillet (14th July) is the start of the summer holidays in France. Celebrations are traditionally community events, parties with feasting and fireworks plus military parades.

Bastille Day in the UK

Every year, there are celebrations across the UK, often held by Anglo-French societies and town-twinning groups; there will be festivals in Reading (Berkshire) and London's Borough Market, Bankside area.

Dress up in Breton-style blue and white striped tops and a beret, add a moustache, onions and a bicycle for fun! Or go mad and hire a full Napoleon or Marie Antoinette costume or be silly and wear a French maid outfit. Alternatively, wear dark formal colours and add a scarf to represent a modern Parisian.

And this video will help you learn the words of La Marseillaise (with lyrics)... Bon chance et Vive La France!



Amazing France app for i-devices

AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE DAY

The Birth of a Nation
(not to be confused with the 1915 film starring Lillian Gish)

American (USA) culture is so integral to films, TV and music absorbed by British audiences that there is almost no conscious division. There was a time that Britain ruled over this colony until they rebelled and, on 4th July each year, American Independence Day is the celebration of their independence from us!

We got over it… British children grow up with a barrage of Disney films and visits to Florida, understanding the terms ‘sidewalk’ and ‘elevator’ and using many Americanisms in their everyday life. Although a form of English is the unofficial/official language of the USA, it could easily have been French. Spanish is widely spoken throughout the Americas.

The Fourth of July is a United States federal holiday that embraces the implementation of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Americans across the globe traditionally celebrate with parties and firework displays.

It was almost a year after independence that the ‘Stars and Stripes’ was adopted as the national flag. It originally had 13 stars and 13 stripes, with a new star added for each new State that joined the Union. Today, there are 50 stars representing the 50 united States, including Alaska and Hawaii.

Celebrating American Independence Day in the UK.
(party information from Novelties Direct)

There are plenty of events and parties already planned and, no doubt, more will be arranged as July approaches. London has the monopoly including events at Portman Square, Camden, Chelsea, Soho, Covent Garden and several other venues.

Anyone considering hosting a 4th of July party can purchase a pack of decorations, flags, tableware and other goodies online. Party ideas surely have to start with a free standing ‘Uncle Sam’ cardboard cut-out, over 6ft tall, to greet guests on arrival.

Add some ‘Stars and Stripes’ party bunting and flags, a large drinks cooler plus a few party hats: cowboy hat, sailor/ doughboy hat, Chicago gangster hat or Wonder Woman style headband... Just add guests to your American Independence Day party supplies and enjoy!

Back to the Future Rebel without a Cause

Recently, I watched Rebel without a Cause, a 1955 film, the year that Marty McFly travelled back to in the original Back to the Future.

I have to admit that the lifestyles portrayed were getting on my nerves; James Dean played a teenager of 16/17 years of age whose parents bickered constantly and the girl-next-door, played by Natalie Wood, was physically pushed away by her father for hugging him. Both families seemed 'middle-class' and were the antithesis of the usual happy families from films of the era - and maybe that was the point.

The main character, Jim (James Dean) was a good guy whose biggest flaw was that he couldn't resist a challenge if he was called 'chicken' (ring any bells, BTTF fans?) therefore when Buzz / Biff made the call, Jim McFly responded.

There ensued a 'chicken' car driving contest, similar to the duel that was revived in Grease. This one involved driving stolen cars off the edge of a cliff and jumping out at the last second.

Throughout the film, I was appalled that 16/17 year olds were roaming the streets all night with no evidence of parental concern - maybe that was the Wild West legacy - and that didn't seem very realistic to me... until the news reminds me that this is happening in UK inner cities, almost 60 years later.

I'm glad I've finally seen the film and I'd probably recommend that film fans should see it but don't expect to love it. 

More Film Reviews...

Starting in London then wandering around

Would I swap places with 75-year-old multi-billionaire Samuel Tak Lee? Nah! So what if he owns/owned properties in Hong Kong, Tokyo, Geneva and London? In recent years, he has had to try to contain a scandal by a trusted ex-secretary who tried to blackmail him, for which he paid over £1m in legal costs. Then, just months ago, he helped to appeal against his son's wife's divorce settlement of a record HK$1.4bn. The wife, who is a solicitor, wanted half the marital assets, around HK£6.5bn. The son seems to be 'privileged' and denies himself nothing: a jet, a couple of yachts, 28 cars (28 cars!!) and half the world's expensive wine – and he demanded that his pregnant wife must have an abortion.

What does all this matter to me? Nothing really, I just came across these snippets when searching for something unrelated and found myself in the middle of a Hawaii-50 script!

Anyway, closer to home, Lee reportedly purchased 14 acres of prime investment in London's West End, between Soho and Mayfair, known as The Langham Estate, for $75 million/£51million 20 years ago – it must be worth considerably more now. It is listed as being owned by Mount Eden Land Ltd (a Guernsey-registered company) where businesses can rent commercial space with prestigious London addresses, including restaurants and offices (there's a comprehensive list of clients that have been blogged about). It’s amazing what interesting stories can be discovered just by searching for new premises and checking out the property management companies!

For instance, in Eastcastle Street, W1, outside the very interesting grade II listed Capel Bedyddwyr Cymreig, a Bugatti Veyron reminded me of the YouTube video of a ‘bobby on a bicycle’ who pulled over the Bugatti driver for not having a front number plate. This led to many discussions so I looked up the official rules and discovered that failure to properly display number plates is a fine up to £1,000 (no problem if you can afford a £1m Veyron) and… your car will fail its MOT test!! (Of course, if you ride a motorbike, you don’t need a front number plate.)

And here's a rare image of a Bugatti Veyron WITH a front number plate.

Brina

Celebrating Celts

The Scots seems to condense all their celebrations to an eight week window each winter.

• St Andrew's Day - 30th November
• Hogmanay - 31st December
• Burns Night - 25th January

On these three dates, the kilts get an airing and glorious tartans be-deck the globe across all continents. Andy Stewart can be heard asking "Donald, Where's Your Troosers?" and bag-pipes are allowed in public for a few refrains of Scotland the Brave and Amazing Grace. (To be fair, they are also heard at other events north of the border, such as the Edinburgh Tattoo.)

There is a structure to Burns Night with the piping in of Haggis, a spicy savoury dish of mutton and oatmeal and reading of some of Burns' works. By contrast to formal events, there are parties in pubs and restaurants where 'Jimmy' hats and Scotch whisky are more in abundance!

Moving on to the Irish... It's warmed up a bit by 17th March when everything is beginning to turn green, not just the shamrock-coloured revellers' attire and their St Patrick's Day after-party pallor from Guinness and Irish whiskey, but the leaves on the trees as we approach the vernal equinox.

TV should be good that evening, possibly re-runs of Father Ted, My Hero and Mrs Brown's Boys. The next day, Paddy McGinty's Goat will graze on the luscious spring grass, digesting accompaniments of left-over party hats, banners and green balloons as Danny Boy can be heard endlessly in the distance.

That's addressed my Scottish & Irish relatives - now to squeeze in something for the Welsh ones: St David's Day is on March 1st but all we do is wear a daffodil or, worse, a leek! And finally, the English - St George's Day is on April 23rd but English patriotism creates bad feeling unless we're playing football. Mad world.

Bee

Flying with Hagrid

I sat next to Hagrid on a 7.5 hour overnight flight with Virgin Atlantic - and the aircraft designers really didn't consider him during their calculations.

Of course it wasn't really Hagrid, it was a young man of rugby player stature: 6'2" tall with huge chest and thighs. His knees touched the back of the seat in front of him but when the person in that seat decided to recline it to sleep, Hagrid had to splay his legs to either side of the recliner, one knee poking into the aisle and the other hogging part of my space.

Another knock-on effect of this was that his thighs were then forcing the arm rests up which, in turn, prevented the tables folding down properly... really, did nobody test this?

He didn't grumble though. Probably thought it was more comfortable than a broomstick.

BP2

December - the recurring theme of Christmas

Trying hard not to be so 'humbug' about the whole Christmas thing, I've put up some decorations and a very nice tree AND splashed out on a couple of garden lights. It all looks quite nice... but there's no magic.

Starting with Christmas Cards - I dislike waste and, to me, that is exactly what Christmas cards represent. Whilst I genuinely appreciate the warmth of the greeting, the card itself presents a problem. To not waste the effort that went into the design and printing, in the past I used old cards to create new cards or gift tags for the following year, the surplus of which I donated to the village school who sold them cheaply at Christmas Fairs. Brilliantly, I have found somebody else who will use cards in this way so all cards are now recycled with very little effort from me.

Bah... Humbug!

Writing cards is a major effort, though, as I have lost my ability to write legibly. During the past 3 or 4 years, I've managed to send some cards to people I know. No plan, no list, just writing a few cards in response to those that trickled through the door. By mid-December, there's more of a deluge and, unable to keep up, I give up so only about 40% of the Happy Xmases have been reciprocated. That's assuming that Royal Mail employees can decipher the address scrawled on the envelope.

It's only a few days to Christmas and I haven't purchased a single present. Nor have I any inclination to do so but it's expected and, to be honest, the heavily decorated tree looks lonely without any wrapped gifts beneath it. However, the gift tokens that we'll be buying for our many nephews and nieces (because that's what they want) won't do the tree justice. Gift tokens - no wonder there's no magic... oh my god, I'm going to stop now. I've depressed myself into humbug mode after all... this wasn't the direction I meant to go with this post but, well, hey ho ho!

Em.Nester

CHRISTMAS Party Planning

This post was submitted on behalf of online party supplies wholesaler Novelties Direct of Watford, Hertfordshire.

Planning a last-minute party for Christmas or New Year?!Here are some tips...

Start with a Party Pack for the appropriate number of people plus a few more. For a small company celebration or family gathering, there are Party Packs for up to 10 people with various themes: gold, silver, rainbow, Monte Carlo, 'Tux Nite', '42nd Street' and more.  For more people, buy more packs or check out larger party packs for up to 25 people and save money with party packs for up to 100 guests.

You'll need some party decorations, of course: balloons, tinsel, wall hangings, danglers, glitzy table centre-pieces and perhaps a life-size, free-standing 6ft cardboard cut-out Santa?

Don't forget the Christmas Crackers! A variety of options available including a pack of 100 Christmas Crackers for under £30 inc. vat. Wow!

If you are organising a kids' party (for any age up to 109) you may want some inexpensive novelties or stocking fillers. And, finally, who is the most important guest at a Christmas Party? Provide your Father Christmas with a lovely red outfit (luxury Santa Suit / budget Santa Suit) and look at other dressing up ideas, depending on your party theme: 'Miss Santa', Children's Santa Suit, Children's Elf costume, Christmas tree costume, various other Christmas dressing up outfits and accessories.

Have a great party, a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

www.novelties-direct.co.uk

Going up in a Stairlift

I was looking at the London Stair-Lifts website when I was reminded of an amusing story.

My aunt and uncle lived in a first floor apartment with a private ground-floor entrance hall. They would unload the shopping from their Yaris then one would take the stair lift up, followed by relays of bags of shopping, then the other person.

Just like a kid, I wanted to be allowed to use it too but was too embarrassed to ask!

I'm not convinced that they actually needed a stair-lift for themselves at the time but having one already installed enabled them to easily transport heavier shopping items to their upstairs apartment with its massive balcony and excellent views of the coastline.

Remember that scene from Gremlins?

Nice Road in 9th Best Town

10th October: I've just walked along Wellingham Avenue, off the Bedford Road in Hitchin - the 9th best town in England (maybe you saw me - black ski jacket and jeans, fair hair, cool sunglasses - it's cold but sunny this morning).

Wellingham Avenue is a lovely quiet road set around three sides of a rectangle and has an open, spacious feel with almost no cars parked in the road (or on pavements). There are probably about 100 houses altogether (I didn't check).

Starting at the northern end and running east-west, there are well kept 60s-style semi-detached family homes, set well back from the road, until you reach the first corner where there is a small cluster of bungalows (a couple, unfortunately have their gardens overshadowed by a 4-story building on an estate behind them, which should probably never have received planning permission - or maybe it was there first but it looks newer).

Turning to the south, there are houses on the right and bungalows on the left. There was a cold east wind this morning but this part of the walk was beautifully sheltered. As you turn into the final section of Wellingham Avenue, the properties are more varied, a blend of bungalows, houses and chalet-bungalows. Most are semi-detached but some are detached properties.

I found this to be a thoroughly pleasant road, a 'nice' neighbourhood, yet less than ten minutes' walk from the edge of the town centre.

Bern.

What Can Old People Do For You?

Think not what you can do for the elderly but what they can do for you because, in many cases, what you can do for them is to enable them to feel useful, wanted, valued.

Older people are not stupid, it just takes a little longer for bits of the brain to connect. Many older people have much wisdom. If you are patronising, they know.

So consider whether your attitude should be along the lines of helping to enlighten an elderly person that you know or fetching them cups of tea so they don't have to move - or whether it might be better to form a more natural give-and-take relationship.

Remember when you were young and your grandparents loved doing stuff with you, FOR you. It's natural to want to reciprocate as you become the stronger one but there is a danger of chipping away at their independence and self-worth if they become reliant on others. This is one of the major failings of some care homes - residents are generally not allowed to make hot drinks or butter some toast.

If you visit an elderly friend, please don't automatically jump in and do everything for them. If they can do something for you, please let them.

Moving home - many times

I think I must have nomadic genes. I've lived in some really great places yet I always have an urge to move on even though I don't necessarily want to. Why is this?

The first two or three moves were 'up the ladder' but after that it was just a change for no real reason which, financially, wasn't always for the better. For example, we moved from a modern house that we'd totally re-built to an old thatched house a mile away.

Since we married, we've bought and done up 7 houses and rented one for over a year while we re-built our previous home. Our current home is almost perfect so why have we spent the past couple of years looking for somewhere else? (Which, I might add, has proved difficult because we like where we are so much.)

When we first moved here, it was because we needed to be in the town and the choice of houses available was slim so it was a compromise. Our previous five houses were in rural locations so there was a lot of new stuff to get used to in a town: more noise, street-lights spoiling the dark of the night, neighbours a bit too close... However, there was the excitement of being able to walk to shops, restaurants and even a football stadium!

We must have got used to the noise and artificial light as they seem to be acceptable now and we are very lucky to have reasonably quiet neighbours who don't intrude. There is rarely a reason to walk into town but we sometimes do and we are also near to a countryside walk. This is, in fact, a near-perfect location - which is why we're having trouble moving on... but we're looking!