Muddy tracks in The Midlands

Voluntary work delivering food parcels to people in need

We're into our third week in our comfy little flat, though actually it’s not that little. It's got everything we need, it’s very quiet, in what seems like a pleasant area and close to shops and countryside. We met Carol, our downstairs neighbour, very early on, who filled us in on bin day and which chippie and curry house to use (not that we’ve had a take out yet).

We’ve walked from the house in many directions, muddy countryside, tarmac park paths, and pavement to Aldi in one direction and Tesco in the other. It’s a great area for all that.

He's busy eating Jackie, he doesn't want strokes

We had dinner with John the other night, via WhatsApp. When I’d gone walking with him, he said how lovely it was that people brought food, but cooking is something he enjoys, is good at, and that gives him something to think about. We took him a “Ready Steady Cook” bag, steak, kidney, suet, onions and beer. Obviously my mind was going steak and kidney pudding, fortunately so was his, and it’s something he’s wanted to make for ages. So he did S&K pudding, we did S&K pie and we ate together. It was lovely.

It was Sarah’s funeral on Wednesday. I haven’t been to many, but it just seemed slightly surreal, a small group of people, not the huge number who wanted to be there, behind masks which did appear to isolate everyone and their grief. It was in a lovely setting, the room facing a big window with views over open fields, I said a few words, as did her uncles, father and brother, there was a small opportunity to talk after the ceremony, but then we all had to go our separate ways. No wake was possible in these Covid times, so we couldn't spend time with her friends and family to remember those funny moments in her life, which was sad, but we will always remember how brave she was and I know her smile will be missed by so many.

After the rain! A swollen river Arrow in Redditch

At the top of the hill, but not the views we hoped for

We had our first trip out today, delivering food boxes for ‘Support Redditch’ a new and small charity, but they seem like lovely people and it’s good to be giving something back. We are just waiting now to hear from the other charity organisation we have applied to for collection and delivery of people and prescriptions and assisting in the hospital showing people where to go.

So for us, welcome to lockdown, I know we’ve joined everyone else late, but we are still cooking up a storm, doing jigsaws and walking all the local highways and byways. Perhaps also for us it’s not that different from our ‘normal’ life. We arrive in a new town, whether travelling or housesitting, walk around the locality saying hello to all and sundry, dogs, and cats. Find the shops, chat to the checkout person, return home, cook, eat... . It feels odd to be fixed in a place and to not have a furry to care for, so that’s the minus, but the pluses are we can pop in to mum, go out for a ramble and find the butty wagon for a bacon sandwich, and that we can actually commit to some voluntary work.

Now that is a meal! Having a whole fish on the plate is just fabulous - it didn't die in vain, it was delicious (as was the wine)

What's in a name? We're staying in Headless Cross, which used to be a small village in Worcestershire but is now a suburb of Redditch. This side-by-side map (click here to open in a new window: https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=14.50583921909308&lat=52.30625&lon=-1.94134&layers=1&right=BingHyb) shows where we are. we're staying in Hamilton Road (you can just see it on the map on the right), the map on the left is of the same area in the late 19th century. Our road didn't exist then and there was a needle works nearby. Such an unusual name begs the question "Where did the name Headless Cross come from?" Well, sadly I couldn't find a definite answer. Wikipedia thinks it may have been named after Headless Cross Farm which used to be nearby, itself possibly derived from Smeethehedley, an indication of a role in Feckenham Forest. Funtrivia thinks it may derive from a pre-reformation practice of using a headless cross to mark the boundaries of church land. However the most notable fact about Headless Cross (for us) is that the heavy rock band Black Sabbath named one of their albums Headless Cross, as band member Tony Martin had links to the town. I remember seeing Black Sabbath in concert at the Town Hall in Birmingham around the year 1971 - those were the days!

A New Year and all change

 

Yesterdays 6 mile walk in the mist from Alvechurch

A new year and all change. We packed up Big Ted last Sunday to head south on Monday. 

We got as far as The Metal Bridge Inn, just into England where we planned on spending the night. After much deliberation though, what with Queen Nicola closing down Scotland, and Boris due to make an announcement at 8pm, we decided not to stay. Brian got his head down for a nap, we ate the delicious pre ordered take out dinner from the pub and set off again. 

One of the first Blue/Great Tits to visit the new bird feeder. Watched by Geraldine the giraffe

Not even straight to Alvechurch, but via Fiona in Kenilworth to collect the car. We finally arrived at mums almost 15 hours after we set off, but with a huge sense of relief. We only had one more moment of uncertainty, would we get Ted back into storage? They knew we were coming, but are generally closed on a Tuesday and Wednesday, however very kindly we were allowed in on Tuesday afternoon to drop Ted off, so all is safe and secure before lockdown came into place. We do seem to do these things by the skin of our teeth.

Views of Alvechurch (our home village). This is at the top of School Lane, the entrance ahead leading to the lovely St. Laurence Church (just out of view)

Wednesday we had to lock Brian in the loft to sort out all the stuff we had just dumped in the spare room on emptying Ted. I let him out before going for a very muddy walk along the towpath with John. I think I then had two days where I didn’t set foot outside, with B only going down the shop with mum, it was very icy! 

Views are nowhere to be seen! Beyond should have been a nice view back to Alvechurch (maybe another time!)

We weren’t idle however, the bird feeder mum got for Christmas is now firmly established and beginning to be discovered by the local birds. A new TV has been selected, ordered and delivered (we can recommend Richer Sounds) for a ‘real person’ to talk to, good advice, and prompt delivery. New broadband has also been selected and ordered, though changeover doesn’t happen for a month. This was slightly more painful, trying to talk to Talk Talk was like pulling teeth, but Plusnet seem much better to deal with, only time will tell!

It was cold enough to freeze this pond, which doesn't even have a name on the O.S. map. Its at: 52°21'00.8"N 1°55'19.4"W 

Yesterday we went out for a good two hour stomp across muddy fields to blow the cobwebs away. We walked from the house, which was great. Tomorrow we move into a furnished flat, in Headless Cross on the edge of Redditch, we have rented for a month, so we’ll be looking for walks from the door from there.

Brian keeping warm

A look back on our year 2020

Jackie with friend Sarah who died this week

Happy New Year for 2021, because 2020 what a year. It started off so well, two months in South Africa, a housesit in Johannesburg, a few days in Victoria Falls, a three week guided tour from Johannesburg to Cape Town where we were joined by my mum for a three week trip along the Garden Route. We had history and Safari, kayaking and long lost relatives before the absolute high point of morning coffee with giraffes and breakfast out in the bush.

The year started so well with our two month trip to South Africa, here joined by Jackies mum Pauline and our safari culminating with morning coffee with giraffes

Straight to work at Tony and Nickys - March

We returned on the 22nd February and were aware of a few people on the flight wearing masks, but didn’t really take much notice. We pottered about catching up with people and doing life maintenance for three weeks before setting off in Ted, aiming for my folks in Spain. The journey to Dover was odd, punctuated by messages from Fiona (B’s daughter), mum and Helen and Ian, all asking if we were doing the right thing? Half an hour from Dover we thought perhaps we weren’t and aborted the trip. We’ll see the south of England we thought as we planned a little itinerary. That didn’t last long before we headed north, via mum for a different set of clothes and on, up to Scotland. We arrived with Nicky and Tony on the 22nd of March and prepped the floor of the new porch for the concrete pour the following day. Fortunately this did happen followed by a mad shopping spree for timber, sand and cement before before lockdown hit on the 26th March. Phew we’d got supplies in to keep us busy.

First load of supplies before the first March lockdown

Jackie and Tony inserting lintels - April

The porch was built of 6” block with an internal wooden frame, it was roofed, slated and painted. Internally in the Steading downstairs wooden framing was completed, the last concrete was poured to finish the floor, ceiling joists lifted into position and flooring started upstairs. Lintels were inserted above windows, and at weak points in walls. Remedial stonework was done both internally for strength and externally for show.

Downstairs wooden framing well on the way - July

Hatching eggs arrive - April

Eggs arrived in the post for us to incubate. Due to hatch on the 3rd of May we couldn’t believe we’d still be here. How little did we know? While lockdown wasn’t good for everyone, for us it was great. We worked hard, but to have so much to do, new skills to learn and progress to see, fab.

10 little chicks hatch - May

R&R in Cheltenham - August

On the 30th July after Helen and Ian had been up for a few days we headed south, to Cheltenham, where we had been invited to a Housesit for a month. Only 50 minutes from Alvechurch we had opportunity to catch up with everyone, have mum to stay and have some well needed R&R with two very cute cats.

Staycation with Ian and Helen - September

The beautiful very north of Scotland in perfect weather

A ‘Staycation’ at Helen and Ian’s for a week gave us all a ‘holiday’ which was great fun and perfectly timed as Birmingham then became somewhere we could no longer stay overnight or meet with people indoors, stopping us from staying with Abi and helping Rob and Alex. We again headed North, back to Nicky and Tony, arriving on the 22nd September, just two days before regulations again became stricter. We did manage 10 days away at the beginning of November while Moray and the Highlands were both in tier 1. We did about half of the NC 500 in beautiful weather and fully intend to do the other half when we can.

Preparing the Christmas tree

Since returning the slaters have finished the roof so the building is now watertight. This has enabled us to floor the upstairs and make good progress on the wooden framework, and its insulation. There is also a floored corridor in the roof space, and the first electrics have been run. The large window opening which had long been put on the ‘too difficult’ pile is now done with quoins and granite making the outside look really lovely. The driveway and footpaths have been gravelled and lockblocked respectively.

Christmas has been and gone, we had a lovely time with Shannon, Nicky’s daughter, Kimberley 9, Logan 5 and Lucy. We built Lego, accompanied Kimberley out on her new bike and had a very different Christmas to any we have had in many years. We are so very grateful to Nicky and Tony for giving us somewhere to go with something to do to keep us out of mischief. We really do appreciate them, the roof over our heads, the interesting work and whole new skill set, and of course the cats.

But just when 2020 was nearly over, and couldn’t get any worse, it did. My “very lovely” (as she would have said) friend Sarah, lost her 14 month fight with cancer. I’ve known Sarah 30 years since she joined the BBC the year after me. I was her matron of honour when she married John and she mine, and then my witness when I married Brian. She and John were my rocks when I was on my own ‘between husbands’, I don’t know what I would have done without them. We worked together and holidayed together. It was Sarah who cried when my dad dropped us at the airport after a week with them, and Sarah who horrified her father licking the gravy off her plate in a pub in Yorkshire.

She was so strong and so positive and cheerful all through her illness it makes it all the harder to believe. Our thoughts and love are with John, Helen and Richard, and Clive at this horrible time.

And there it is in all its glory, ready for the big day

Brian preparing Kimberly's bike (doesn't everyone work on bikes in the lounge?)

Kimberly and Logan opening their presents

Nicky's daughter Shannon overseeing Logan on his new bike with Kimberly in the background zooming round on hers

This is an up to date photo of how the build is going. This is upstairs in what will be Tony and Nicky's bedroom. You can see most of the insulation boards are now installed and we've even got some plywood up. That will eventually be covered in plasterboard and plaster finish. Its a long way to the far end, 30m (100 feet) of it, so there's plenty more work to do

Our Christmas Day walk up over the hills by Tony and Nicky, up into the snow

And there's a different view of Tony and Nicky's house down there, zooming right in with my camera

And here's our New Years day walk today over the 'Winding Walks' trails in the forest near Tony and Nicky. We cycled 3 miles there then walked a combination of marked trails through the forest and up to viewpoints. There's also a number of mountain bike routes from easy to extreme, but we didn't do any of those, Brian might have been tempted (except for the very muddy conditions), but not Jackie

This is a section of one of the more serious mountain bike routes - what fun!

The lovely Spey Bay, where the River Spey meets the North Sea at the Moray Firth. Another cycle outing one day

Whilst here we have seen some of the most amazing sunrises and sunsets. Look at this sunset

A reminder of how far north we are - that's the height of the sun at High Noon near the shortest day

Not quite sure whats going on here but that's Brian's and Tony's legs up there with Nicky looking on

We had quite a good view of the Saturn (top) and Jupiter conjunction just before Christmas

Here's another view of Tony and Nickys house. Left is their first garage with Big Ted parked next to it. Moving right is the 'L' shaped 3 bedroom house that's now finished and we're staying in. The taller roof is the 30m long building we're working on. It will eventually have five bedrooms, two lounges, the most enormous kitchen you could imagine and various other bathrooms, utility rooms, porches etc, etc. Further right you can just make out the second garage which, in itself is about the size of a four bedroom detached house. Then there's the huge polytunnel and, in front the orchard (when it fully grows) and the area for the chickens. The rest will be garden