Adventures in Epsom, Surrey

Epsom town centre

Probably not much to write, and we have been relaxing, but interspersed with browsing the net looking at MiFi, WiFi boosters, cellphone contracts, camper specific Sat Navs, dash cams, not to mention where to buy cables, adapters, vehicle locks etc etc.

We are not very good at shopping at the best of times, so with trying to read reviews too it’s all been quite stressful! We spent half a day in Epsom shopping centre flitting between four mobile phone shops trying to decide what to do to stay connected. 

Parakeets in the garden

Although European travel and usage is in theory easier it is aimed at Holiday makers, not those of us planning on spending months on end in Europe, so in the small print they all have a fair usage policy, suggesting if you are away for two out of four months they may cut you off, or make you pay through the nose. We thought we’d get better information talking to people direct, but it appeared we knew more than all the staff! Some didn’t think we’d be cut off at all, one said, yup, three months, no more, though this is who I am currently with on my PAYG mobile which seemed quite happy after seven months in Spain/France..... bit of a minefield really, and after Brexit.....?

We did have more luck in Aldi with sun loungers, camping stuff started on Thursday, so we were there as ‘once it’s gone it’s gone,’ decided the ones we were looking at were a bit weird, and big, after getting it out in store, but what’s this that a lady is looking at and talking about on the phone to her mum? Much more normal looking, after we tested that out for her too. “Yes mum, I’ll get you one” . To our disappointment this only left one.... seeing the look on our faces she got back on the phone “Mum? Can you leave Matalan and go back next door to Aldi and pick yourself up one?” We carried on buying groceries, only to find her chasing us round saying “she’s got one, so you can have this one too” what a lovely lady, we had a lovely chat, we did the product testing, and she made ‘mum’ go out of her way....

The weather has changed a bit, but fortunately we did manage to get out for a couple of hours the day before the rain. A walk from the house, always my favourite kind, round Epsom common, noteworthy for the sound of birdsong, something we commented on being missing in much more remote places in NZ. So along with songbirds, ravens and goslings and ducklings, we saw squirrels, rabbits, cows and deer and got ‘attacked’ on more than one occasion by small caterpillars suspended by a gossamer thread at head height in the middle of the path! A gentle walk, but good to get out.

Friday we did a longer walk, 14.5km before B’s battery died (the phone battery that is!), around Walton Park Wood, about 15 mins drive away. It was a route B found highlighted on a map printout in the study here, so not really something he can take credit for. But we did it the other way round to their big arrows, so virtually finishing at a pub, for a well deserved pint.

We may have ruined little old Frodo, but at 19 I reckon she can have what she wants, so she’s had tuna mayo, salmon, smoked mackerel, whitebait, pork rib, roast pork, ice cream, water out of our glasses, all in tiny amounts, but all eaten with relish. Strange that her cat food has to be smushed up with water so she can ‘drink’ it.... Along the same lines as carrying her up to bed for morning coffee every morning, only to ‘lose’ her the other day to find she’d taken herself upstairs and onto the bed! I suspect because the inverted laundry basket intended to aid her getting off the sofa had been in her way to get on.... Who is in control here, and who has mug written on the forehead?
She is the sweetest thing, and we are so happy to be able to spoil her, just hope she forgives us our overnight away tomorrow as we head up to Brum for B to have the little lump removed from his chest!

A walk through Epsom Common

They spotted us, but stood still for a photo

Stew Pond in Epsom Common

Goosey goosey gander - we know a poem about that

Another deer, this time on walk number 2 in Walton Park wood

Don't get many opportunities for domestic chores, so a photo to enjoy the garden after grass cutting!

Woody woodpecker paid us a visit (not a very good photo I admit)

One spoiled Frodo - pulled pork for dinner

And a drink of water while watching TV

House wandering through the UK

Jackie with Frodo cat

Continuing our strange life (to some) of wandering through the UK housesitting, we are now in Epsom, Surrey looking after old Frodo cat while Richard and Helen take their two week action holiday in Peru visiting Machu Picchu, Nazca lines and many places we visited last year - fond memories for us!

Richard and Helen, who celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Friady 18th, are mum and dad to our friend Sarah and hubby John who live back in our home village of Alvechurch and allow us to use their home address as ours whilst we travel. We both already knew Richard and Helen through Sarah, but I have only visited their house in Epsom once, though Jackie, knowing them much longer than me, has visited before and remembers Frodo cat as a kitten. She's now an old 19 year old very sweet cat that likes company. She can no longer climb the stairs and walks around like a real old girl, but she's very affectionate and likes company, so for the two days so far that we've been here we've carried her upstairs in the mornings so she can join us on the bed while we have morning coffee. It's very comfortable here, Richard and Helen have a fabulous house with a superb garden and its a 15 minute walk into Epsom town through a park so, coupled with the great weather we're having at the moment, it's perfect!

Little Frodo cat

Corinne in action at her house

In the week since our last update we have finally finished decorating at Corinne's house. In the nine days we worked there we cleaned, emulsioned and glossed three bedrooms, the ceiling and gloss in the bathroom, the hall stairs and landing, the lounge, kitchen and dining room, cleaned the outside front and prepared the drive for new gravel. Ian and Helen did the garden and Corinne sorted, cleaned and did a bit of painting - what a team!

Corinne, where did you get that hat? And those trousers....!

The cleaned front of Corinnes house - and a full skip!

It all finished for me on Monday lunchtime as I had an appointment at the Queen Elizabeth hospital in Birmingham to have a biopsy taken on my right hand which required a stitch and dressing, so no more work for me for a few days. It looks like the skin cancer I had in NZ 5 years ago has reoccurred which will mean a further minor op if the biopsy comes back positive, that along with the other minor op on my chest to remove another suspect bit on 29th May. Bit of a nuisance, but at least it's easy to spot and treat so things could be worse.

James, daughter Fiona and 18 year old granddaughter Becky

We finished looking after Sooty cat in Hall Green, Birmingham on Thursday morning and drove straight here to Epsom to have an evening with Richard and Helen and learn where everything is, how it all works and meet Frodo cat. Before we left we managed to squeeze in the second two of Jackies big birthday celebrations, (the first one being at my sisters 10 or 12 days ago), the second one being a joint celebration at my daughters house in Kenilworth on Sunday last where my granddaughter Becky is about to celebrate her 18th. That was a great day with Fiona, James, Becky and youngest, Jenny (eldest grandadughter Abbie is currently away at Manchester university, so she wasn't there) and even though it was sunny outside, we didn't move from the dining table after a fabulous lunch, as talking took over!

Relaxing with Sooty cat and a glass of wine at the end of decorating

Monty dog, Corinne and Jackie at Helen and Ian's house

The third celebration was an afternoon tea that we prepared at Sooty's house for when homeowner Abi paid a brief visit back from  Malvern to collect her repaired car. We (or should I say mainly Jackie), prepared the whole experience, low alcohol bubbles, cucumber sandwiches with the crusts cut off (obviously!), pastrami pinwheel sandwiches, salad, smoked salmon, prawns, stuffed peppers (plus more), cake and I baked cheese and plain scones, served with clotted cream and strawberry jam, washed down with a pot tea in cups and saucers. Abi provided posh table cloths and bunting, all served in the back garden in afternoon sunshine - how very British!

Abi and Jackie and the full afternoon tea birthday experience

Jackie with brother and sister Clive and Sarah

Her fourth and final celebration was yesterday here in Epsom, on her actual birthday, when Sarah and her brother Clive came. It might have been the Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan, but I'm afraid we missed it, celebrating Jackies birthday in the sunny back garden with Sarah and Clive instead. More low alcohol bubbles, quiche, salad, couscous, potatoes etc. and another birthday cake with candles washed down with several pots of tea. Sarah did say how strange it felt arriving at her parents house, ringing the bell and being let in and looked after by us rather than them, but at least she could show us some things that Richard and Helen didn't have time to do before they left.

Richard and Helen's lovely house

It's not all relaxation here, plant watering is required!

Today, Sunday papers, enjoy the house and garden in warm, sunny weather and fuss little old Frodo cat. It might be a strange life to some, but to us it's just fabulous.

Frodo cat seems quite relaxed though....

As did Sooty cat when we looked after her

A regular visitor to Richard and Helens back garden, a green parakeet. We really like them, but they screech a lot so R&H are not quite so fond of them

In case you didn't see it in the above photo with Clive and Sarah, here's Jackie's birthday cake with the big '5-0' candles ready for her to blow out

Housesitting, house renovating, friends catch up and curry nights out

Sooty cat

The last blog seems a very long time ago, it was over two weeks, so this might be a long one, though really it’s been tip, strip, fill, sand, paint, gloss. Repeat!

We had a lovely visit with Denise and Paul, my first birthday cake, and candles and lots of catching up. Then a full meeting of the Monday Club, including Tim from Derby. Talk quickly turned to the mobilehome, I hope we don’t become bores.

Sooty long cat

Sooty hunting cat

Tuesday Abi to the airport and an exciting day visiting charity shops looking for DVD box sets to put in the mobilehome (sorry) before defrosting the freezer and meeting “oh, did I forget to tell you, I have a lodger” Paul. A 50 something teenager from Cardiff who stays 3 nights a week, microwaves his dinner and retires to his bedroom, not a problem.

Wednesday the car went to Abi’s mechanic, also a 'Paul', for a service and cam belt change. Don’t think he was very happy, it seemed a harder job than expected as B drove it away at 21.00 after walking round to see how he as getting on three times......

Malgosha, Ian, Brian, Corinne, Helen & Jackie

Thursday the big day with Corinne, will the lodger have moved out? She hadn’t heard from the agents and last contact with the tenant had been 8 days before when she’d tried to explain how hard it was to find somewhere (she’d been given two months) we weren’t holding our breaths. Miracles do happen though and the house was empty, filthy and full of rubbish but empty. Hurrah, on with the working clothes then and down to it.

Jackie hard at work

Corinne is an old friend from my IVC days, she was also in the mountaineering club, and part of the Helen and Ian curry group, so linked in three ways. She and I even jumped out of an airplane together back in the day. She moved to Oz 11 years ago to give up being a research scientist and train as a vet, easier and more affordable there than here at her age apparently, the house has been let out since, but after not being a well bunny, she has decided now is the time to liquidate her asset. Timing wise it worked well for us, she can have us till we go to Epsom......

So as above really, H&I have done the garden, on a really hot Bank Holiday weekend and we have decorated a house between the three of us, with a couple of days last weekend from Malgosia, a friend of hers from round the corner. It’s been a laugh, hard work but very very satisfying. Monday may be our last day as we do have a couple of things to do before we go south, and B is having a biopsy on his hand as a mark has appeared in the same place as one of the original lumps he had removed. If it hadn’t been for its positioning they probably wouldn’t have bothered with it, so we are not really worried, but being on his right hand it will slow him down a bit!

Bit of an accident removing the radiator

In between decorating we’ve curried, twice, with Corinne and H&I, the first time with Manu and Crystal, lovely to catch up with them before her parents come over from Hong Kong to celebrate M&C’s wedding, last night, a great party.

We had one day off, managing to fit in the financial advisor, his dentist and his visit to the dermatology clinic, close to Corinne’s so really I didn’t get a full day off. The car has been back and forth to Paul as a warning light comes and goes, and is performance and fuel economy down? Still can’t decide. And Sooty has been to the vets. It’s been hard, but very enjoyable work, and today we are of to Fiona’s (B’s daughter) for lunch. In fact we should be out the door.....

Note to self: 'remove rad valve slowly, the water is under pressure!'

First curry night out with Manu (taking the photo), Brian, Crystal, Corinne, Helen, Ian & Jackie

The gypsies moved onto the field by Sarehole Mill and their dear little children were playing in the ford in Green Lane on a hot afternoon as we drove through with the car windows open. Not a good idea! Water and wet cloths came in through the windows!

Everyones worst nightmare. A can of wood stain Corinne had in the boot of the brand new hire car she had exploded whilst she drove, here's the result. Here Helen is working quickly to clean it out before it dries....

Jackie and Corinne working away

The three of them making progress. It doesn't look too bad now, will she get away with it when she takes it back?

Second curry night out at Diwans. Corinne, Helen, Ian, Jackie and Brian

And as a thank you, Corinne paid!

Saturday night out at the Barton Arms for Manu and Crystals 1st wedding anniversary or their blessing for Crystals Hong Kong parents visit

Today at Brians daughters house: Fiona, soon to be 18 Becky, Jenny and Jackie

Oscar the cat, James, Fiona (Brian's daughter) and Brian's 18 year old granddaughter Becky (looking at her phone of course)

Back at Abi's and our housesitting duties, Sooty the cat balances to take a drink from the garden sink