From housesitting in Birmingham to housesitting in Bristol

Negotiating the stepping stones over the River Cole near Sarehole Mill, Hall Green

The last week has flown by, we are now in Bristol at Iain and Bev’s where we will be for four weeks. Three black cats and a black and white cat to care for it’s going to be fab.

Our time with Sooty was also fab, she is getting softer as she gets older, little sweetie puss. We only had a couple of little jobs while there, putting up a shelf in the conservatory and a grab rail in the loft. We had to visit a lighting shop for a new pull switch for the bedroom light as the old one came off in my hand. It wasn’t a difficult fix, though it appears that tying the little chain on, inside the fitting wasn’t as solid as it appeared. 

Just a 15 minute job (not!) to fit the handrail. Beneath that board was a lighting wire that one of the screws went through. Handrail back out, loft ladder mounting removed, loft lightswitch removed, loft board removed, damaged cable cut out, replaced with new cable, connected with two new connector blocks and all reassembled - 2 hours! 

The bit of cable with the screw hole

It came off in Abi’s hand at 03.00 in the morning, giving her no option but to trip the breaker! Don’t think we were popular! It could have been worse though, he could have done the grab rail just before we left rather than at the beginning of the week. An easy job, only took a few minutes, but when we went upstairs that night turning on the landing light from downstairs tripped all the upstairs lights! The second landing light switch also tripped the board, but the third one was ok, hmmm. We’ll look at it in the morning. He was a bit grumpy as on careful inspection he could see a cable going under the board that the loft ladder was attached to, he didn’t want to take it all apart but he had no choice. He’d never have managed to drill so precisely through the cable if he’d tried. How a 15 minute job turns into a 2 hour one!

Sooty cat went mad for the Cheng Huang Pork that Yukko and Jo (Glasgow housesit) gave to us from their Hong Kong visit last week

Birthday Tea Club. LtoR: Brian, Crystal, Reuben, Manu & Jackie

Brian’s Birthday on Tuesday, I know how to spoil him, eye tests, mums garden and lunch out! Apart from that it’s been eating, eating eating. Sunday tea club was postponed to Tuesday as Manu and Crystal had so much left over food from Saturday’s BBQ it would have been criminal not to help them eat it! Lovely to catch up with Helen, Ian, Hilary and Pete on Sunday with Manu and Crystal, and then M&C and Reuben out for Chinese on Tuesday. Monday was Monday Club plus, so curry at Diwan's as well as a pint, and for the first time, all the wives. 

Crystal's order list in the restaurant. Good choices?

Wednesday we had a long lunch with Denise and Paul. “Do you want some beans?” She said “yes” I said, but I didn’t expect half a bin bag full. Mum had some, her neighbours had some, Sarah refused as they have their own in the allotment. So in the end mum took a pile to Forge Mill where she volunteers, for people to just take a handful. I love beans, but they are just not that versatile! Thursday we went to the local pub with mum, Friday with Bev and Iain and last night I didn’t cook as I had a bit of a dodgy tummy, though I wasn’t actually hungry after the huge breakfast we had at the pub before taking B&I to the airport.

The valet man at Big Ted where we hoped he would have a full polish and wax before our forthcoming adventure. Unfortunately he didn't have the right cleaner to remove all the black streaks so he'll have to wait for his full body wax until we're back next year 

We’ve also seen Sarah and John, she’s back at home and looked so much better than when we saw her the previous week. She is just waiting for the histology report. Brian has the results from his biopsy which is all clear so we are keeping everything crossed for Sarah.

Housesitting at Bev and Ian's. This is Shadow cat making himself comfy

That's Milly cat asleep on an asleep Jackie. 

This is Tinsel cat.

And Mr. Pickles cat. They all have their own personalities: Mr pickles is the oldest at (I think) 20. He likes strokes, lifting his head in anticipation as you approach with your hand, but he can be very grumpy if you touch the wrong part swiping with a paw or teeth. Tinsel cat has a funny eye and is very timid, keeping out of the way. Shadow cat likes plenty of fuss, recognisable from the others by a little mark on his ear. Milly cat is very vocal, particularly at meal times, meowing incessantly.