Well it's getting on for eight o clock, so I suppose I'd better write something here. So what do you write about when you haven't anything prepared? When you haven't done much to write about except potter about the house doing little jobs like cleaning the cat's litter boxes, washing the pots, changing the bed, and cutting fabric up for a rag rug. I usually manage to pluck something out of the air, even if it might be a load of waffle. I can say anything I like really, it's my blog. I can say stuff it I can't be bothered, but I won't because I can be bothered. Let's see what I can ramble about.
Do you want a bit of village news? There are contractors in the next street digging the road up to put new drains in. This has to be done before they can make a new parking area for residents who at the moment have no off street parking. When it is done they will be able to park their cars in front of their own houses. How do I know this? Because I am nosey and I asked a man who was digging the hole.
Several street lights were not working a few weeks ago. Someone came and fixed them. Now the telecoms people have come to replace some telegraph poles. They are making a right mess, driving their trucks and JCB's over the grass verges.
We have two cheerful postmen in our village. They come in a van, and wheel their trolleys around delivering mostly junk mail. As you know I don't like junk mail, but if it keeps them in a job then so be it. They are always friendly and say Hello.
My friend who has been cutting the grass in the churchyard has now retired. He had to have a pacemaker fitted, this was a wake up call. He is 73, and was going to carry on working until he is 75, now he can relax a bit and go rambling with his friends, walk his dog, and go for a pint in the club. I am pleased to report that his job was advertised and a new man will take over looking after the churchyard. I am happy that it won't get neglected and run down. This new man is newly retired from his full time job and was looking for something part time. Perfect really, and he lives close to the church.
There seem to be a lot more dogs in the village, it's nice to see them being walked. It would be nicer if all the owners picked up their poo. I took Lady out for a walk this afternoon, and she couldn't have done her poo in a more convenient place. On top of another pile which had been left, and right next to the dog poo bin. Clever girl, ha ha. Tesco nappy bags are very cheap for this not so pleasant job, only 35p for 300, so I don't know why people don't pick up.
We get a newsletter every so often from the Conservative party. We used to get a church newsletter but they couldn't find enough volunteers to carry it on when someone stepped down. We have a parish council who do a newsletter, and several notice boards in the village as well as the notices in the shop windows. I have a thing about notice boards, I have to read them, wherever I am, in any town and any village. I am just nosey, I want to know what's going on.
When I moved to this village someone was supposed to move in with me. We looked at houses together. He said he wanted to live somewhere away from other people, in the countryside, in a cottage with some land, down a lane. I had a feeling that wouldn't be quite right for me. I was beginning to have doubts about the relationship, would it work. Then I found the house I am living in, he said it was ok for him. I chose it because it has space around it, big garden wide road, not living on top of your neighbours. It's close to the village centre, and I can see people walking by. I wanted to be part of the community but still have my own space.
I was right to choose this house. He didn't move in with me, my doubts were correct. Imagine what would have happened if I had moved to an isolated cottage and then the relationship broke up. I would have been on my own and lonely. I'm glad I went with my gut instinct, and let my head rule my heart.
I love my life in the village. I can shut myself away in my house if I don't feel like speaking to anyone. I like my own company by the way. Or I can go out and about in the village. I know lots of people, I have friends. I know lots of dogs and their owners, in fact I can hardly get out of my street without meeting someone to pass the time of day with. The neighbours around me are friendly. It's funny really, I like living here, but then I also like going away to visit other places. I think I have the best of both worlds. This will suit me for the time being.
What do you like about where you live? If you were to move would you choose somewhere different? Told you I am nosey, ha ha.
Toodle pip.
OK..I love the peace and quiet, no neighbours watching our every move,unless you count the wildlife, and I don't mind them...even the ones' who'd eat me. When we have to move from here (it's no place to be when you are getting on a bit),we will live by the sea.
ReplyDeleteThe End.
Jane x
Hi Ilona,
ReplyDeleteI live in a village, on 4.5acres, close to the school where I work. It's pretty private. But I would love to live nearer the ocean, we are by the water now (the estuary). I have nothing to complain about though. I realise how lucky I am. Even a workday seems kind of holiday atmosphere.
Francesca from Tasmania.
We happened upon this village when we were travelling...bought a cottage and have been here 15 years. Recently a neighbour who has been here about the same length of time warned me.."We will never be counted as a local...we will always be outsiders." Next day a friend who was born and bred here was talking about newcomers and she said"I think its up to folk like you and me who have always lived here to make these people welcome" Not bad.!! I went from being an outsider to 'one of us' in 24 hours.!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat's that all about, "outsiders, incomers etc"? For goodness sakes, we are all part of the UK wherever we come from, I find it really annoying this 'yer baint one of us' rubbish that you get from locals.
DeleteIt's just the way it is in lots of villages, not something you need to get your knickers in a twist about!!
Delete.I know, I moved to a small village with my ex husband and although at first we were classed as 'incomers' we were very quickly accepted into village life and treated as locals. It could have been something to do with the fact that he was the window cleaner for the entire village and he knew more about all their homes than some of their families!!
But the reason for the feelings amongst the villagers was that some of them went back generation after generation and some had never even left the village for any reason, the 'incomers' just brought different ways with them that were on occasion hard to accept. Quite rightly in some cases.
I am a bit late reading these replies but had laugh as we live on the other side of the world but things are just the same here. Nothing to get upset about...we are still lucky to live where we do.
DeleteI love dogs and have always kept them but dog owners who do not pick up the dog poo really make me cross. And the worst of all - those who do pick it up and then stick the full plastic bags in the cracks in the dry stone walls along the fields instead of taking it home! Can you imagine it? It is, and looks, quite disgusting and you see all these full bags in the walls. What do people think is going to happen? Someone else take them home? Words fail me at times.
ReplyDeletedrives me nutty too, around here they hang in bushes!
DeleteWe've got buses every 10minutes, a railway station 2 minutes walk away, a 24hr petrol station across the road and takeaways nearby. Two supermarkets within a 20 minute walk and a 16th century hall, and a big park across the road.
ReplyDeleteSo theres good things and not so good things nearby but i wouldn't know where else i'd want to live, i wouldn't want anywhere that was too remote.
I'd like a double garage to use as a workshop but theres no room.
Dave.
ReplyDeleteI live in an over 55 community with beautiful old oak trees with the moss hanging down - very old Florida. It is very peaceful but there is plenty to do if one chooses. There is also a golf course that is pretty - I don't golf - CH does. We are about 5 miles from stores and the town center. There is no place to walk to but there are plenty of walk ways in the community. I don't know where I would move to if given the chance. What I would like I cannot afford.
Our village is really just houses along a busy main road. It 's not very beautiful, but we could not have afforded our house if it had been in the "pretty" village half a mile away.
ReplyDeleteMany people yearn to be remote where there are no prying eyes (or nosey folk!). But when you are older it is comforting to know that someone will miss you if you are taken ill and can't leave the house. It's nice that there is a bus only yards away, even it they are not very frequent. When we moved here 33 years ago it was good that there were other young people here for them to mix with. It not being a large village, the games of football on the little park fielded teams of boys and girls of all ages. Great!
Our village "nosey parker" died at Christmas and he will be missed !
Gill
Have not settled anywhere for the last 3 years, slept in my car, at friends, at parents (if I wasn't depressed then.....), I've rented for a while and lived with a lovely women but I've yet to call anywhere home. The only thing I can say that I belong and live once more in Wales and I've always had my 'Bear' at my side.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to live just outside a village within walking distance. Obviously not in Somerset! I'd really like somewhere near the sea but not too close. Where I live there are too many people, cars queueing up 30 minutes before school comes out to get a place etc etc.
ReplyDeleteWhen you do your cat litter boxes, where do you put the stuff when it's done? I've been trying so many recently as I had to ban the use of our cat flap because of a neighbour's cat coming in. So poor Merlin has had to use his litter tray. They do a lot of wee! I'm putting it in the dustbin but it makes it heavy. I got some white stuff which seems to be a bit lighter but not tried it yet.
Hi Campfire. When I do the litter boxes I shake all the clean dry loose stuff to one end and scoop out the wet lumpy stuff with a small plastic spade, and put it in an empty litter bag, 10kg. When that is full I put it in the wheelie bin general waste. Once a month I empty the boxes, I have four of them, putting the dry litter to one side. Then scrub out the boxes with hot soapy water, dry them thoroughly, and put the litter back topping up with fresh if needed.
DeleteI put one full bag plus a smaller bag in the bin, I only have one bag of my own household waste which hardly weighs anything. I use clay based clumping litter, £1 a bag from either Home Bargains or Poundstretcher.
Ha, that's more or less what I do, except I've just been trying the lighter stuff. I use an empty litter bag too, they are tough beasts. I have just given most of a bag of wood stuff to my neighbour as mine wouldn't go on it. I'll try the clumping again as it does mean you can isolate the wet stuff. Thanks for that.
DeleteI live in a large town which has a "Main Street" (like your high street I guess). It's got a couple of banks, pharmacy, small shops, post office, churches, schools, restaurants, small cafes, hair salons, etc., etc. My street is zoned for no commercial stuff so it's just houses. It's quiet at night but during the day people are out and about. The town atmosphere is good and we have low crime. It's convenient to everything but yet it has a feeling of small town living. Best of both worlds I guess you would say. I like it here and have been living here since 1971! Yeah, I guess I do like it here if I've been here that long. Our children who are grown now always were able to walk to school and the town was always pretty safe where you didn't feel terrified for your children to walk home from school or go out together for a walk either to go to the local movie theatre together (when they were older of course) or outside playing together (when they were younger). That was very important as a parent not to be in fear of crime outside your door. I think we were lucky to wind up living here.
ReplyDeleteI live in Cornwall, my dream come true since I moved here from Leicestershire in 1986. I love being near the sea and have lived very close to it, overlooking a beach, in the past. At present I live in a small village; it's very quiet, has no shop or bus service and a car is essential. There's a pub which is renowned for its meals; people come from miles around as well as rich locals, but I can't afford their prices except for special occasions (or when someone treats me!) I love it here; I walk my dog around the quiet lanes or across the fields and it isn't many miles to a beach. But I know that at some stage I will need to be nearer civilisation, on a bus route, near to a shop, surgery, etc. and an opportunity has arisen which makes it possible to start scouring Rightmove for a suitable property, so I am square-eyed at perusing bungalows and houses in an area not too far away (I want to stay reasonably close to my friends). Exciting times but also nervous times, wondering where and when . . . Hopefully, a property meant just for me will present itself at just the right time and all will be well.
ReplyDeleteHi Ilona,
ReplyDeleteI live in the bush surrounded by gum trees, some properties and lots of beautiful native wildlife. Late yesterday afternoon we had a 4ft brown snake visit our garden and so now we're being extra vigilant -wearing our boots outside ! When we need supplies or to go to town we travel for 50 minutes . Ah this wide brown land will do me !
AussieCheryl : )
Cheryl from Australia
I live on the outskirts of a village, neighbours on one side who are resident and weekenders on the other. Nobody in front at all, just a view across the marshes to the sea. In the recent floods the sea was at our front gate! Nice and quiet except for weekends and holidays when the weekenders descend, otherwise like a ghost village, only 1/3 of the houses are occupied by residents. The usual tale, rich toffs from the big city buy up all the cottages, 'improve' them, then go away and leave them empty most of the time.
ReplyDeleteI love living in a village. I couldn't imagine living in a town or city, or even near a busy road. My village is semi-rural. We are surrounded by fields and countryside (great for walking) yet there is plenty going on within the community. I grew up here and see lots of people I went to school with - people don't seem to move away.
ReplyDeleteWell you know where I live (and if you venture to North Wales you are welcome to stop for a cuppa) on the bottom of a Welsh hillside with the river Conwy meandering to the sea and another hillside in my view in front. The only thing I don't like is the busy main road that whizzes past my front drive, hopefully the plans to move the road will go ahead in the next couple of years.
ReplyDeleteWhere would I like to live .... that's easy, back in Ulverston in Cumbria, my favourite town in the whole wide world.
We live a mile from one village and one and a half from another village, 2 and a half miles from 2 small towns on an unclassified road. half a mile to B road. No buses pass anywhere, so a car is needed for anything. Our views are just muddy fields all around. Usually quiet except for people going to work/school. The biggest noise is when the B.........! Second home owners who live in almost all the big houses around, are here in the summer and have all night parties for dozens of people and fireworks at weird times. Then they go off back to London. Local villages are two thirds second homes. Pubs,shops, post offices, garages gone. Very difficult to get to know anyone when everyone travels by car everywhere.
ReplyDeleteI would move somewhere where there are events to walk to..craft groups etc.
I live in a suburb about 10 miles from New Orleans. We live on a cul-de-sac, 7 blocks from the New Orleans Saints training camp, a large grocery store and bus line. Other large necessary stores are less than 5 miles. There are 2 large parks and the main library less than 2 miles away. The Mississippi River is about a 5 minute drive from the house. Just about perfect. (By the way, we're not rich, just bought the house at a good time.) Leslie from Metairie
ReplyDeleteLucky Leslie! I have friends in Metairie - we met on the internet - and I have had two wonderful holidays (vacations) staying with them. It's a lovely friendly place and the nature reserves nearby are amazing.
DeleteHM in Sherwood Forest
What I like about where I live, near Houston, Texas, is that I have a job! It's hard to go for walks because it is too hot most of the year and not pedestrian-friendly. My dream is to retire and move to a small town and live like you, Ilona. You are my inspiration!
ReplyDeleteWell I think after all these years I found my little bit of paradise. I was born and raised in Birmingham but spent all my holidays in Betws-y-Coed (mom's family). Loved Wales, loved the city (great to have so much to do as a kid) but hated the weather so I was determined to leave England as soon as I could - which I did at 21. Ended up working in Geneva, Switzerland. Stunning, stunning city. Took myself off to Australia for a while (lovely place but I missed Europe). Married an American and moved to D.C. and then Pittsburgh but although I liked the people, again I couldn't take the lifestyle (missed Europe again). So now I am back working in Geneva but live across the border in the French Alps. I have been in this small village for 24 years and commute into Geneva every day. We (my ex and I) were totally accepted by the locals, probably because we made the effort to speak the language. I have a farm in my back garden and can see the Mont Blanc from my bedroom. So I guess I really have found my perfect spot. Not too much going on in the village, a 30 minute walk into our nearest small town, and of course just a 20 minute drive into Geneva if I want more to do. I do miss the UK (I love the humour) but I don't think I could ever move back. Got my bit of paradise right here. Hope you do too. Anna
ReplyDeleteSounds gorgeous.
DeleteI live on the northeast coast of Massachusetts, 2 miles from the ocean, 3 blocks from the river, 45 minutes from Boston and a mile from our downtown. My neighborhood is very kind and friendly. When my husband passed away 2 years ago, it was and is my neighbors and their many kindnesses that help me get through the days. I drive 5 miles to work and can walk to a farm stand for veggies and eggs during the winter when my hens are not laying. On one paycheck it is very difficult to stay in my house but I cannot imagine moving and being away from the sense of community I have here.
ReplyDeleteI have lived rurally most of my life. In New York state. A year after my husband passed, I moved to the South. Virginia is great. The people are kind and friendly. I realized I was not a good NYer. I had to become hard in order to survive there. I'm beginning to relax because I don't have to protect myself all of the time any more. I live in a small platt of townhouses. People are not nosey, but are friendly and kind. It's quiet and I can close the curtains when I get in a quiet mood.
ReplyDeleteI'm always reading notices as well and i once saw one in a cafe i used to park at near Cardiff docks.
ReplyDeleteNOTICE
If you notice this notice you will notice that this notice is not worth noticing.
Dave.