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Exploring the village of Rattery, our last stop in Devon in Big Ted, our motorhome, before we received the call about Jackie's mums death

Getting back to blogging is really quite difficult. We’ve been really busy, but there’s not much to write about attending the registrars office to get a death certificate, clearing and cleaning, trips to the tip, the charity shop, and the craft shop and knit and natter to get rid of more crafting equipment and wool than you’d think one person could have. That’s the physical stuff, then many many phone calls, meeting the celebrant, contacting banks, pension and the milkman amongst others. We are grateful that we were planning on being ‘around’ to deal with Birmingham Road, as this has given us the time that so many people don’t have to go through everything and dispose of things in a thoughtful manner. Dealing with Birmingham Road however hasn’t started yet, the tenants due to move out on the 26th March seemed surprised that it was difficult to find a new property! Fingers crossed nothing happens with the one they have finally found and that they will move out on May 2nd!

We visited our friends Rob and Alex and, while there Rob asked Jackie if she would cut his hair with their new cutters. He knows Jackie always cuts mine so he preferred Jackie do it rather than let Alex loose for the first time. Even so, he looks a bit nervous about it in this photo, think he was happy with the results! We liked their new cutters so much we've bought some the same as our old one's are 11 years old now and a bit long in the tooth

We are also extremely grateful for the support we have been shown by so many people. The Facebook messages after the last blog, phone calls, cards and in person have been amazing.

Brian's family get-together. We missed Christmas so this was the next best thing. My daughter, Fiona, is sitting to the right of Jackie and, to Jackies left are Jessica and my nephew Nick (who, incidentally, announced their engagement yesterday - we are thrilled as obviously Jessica was too)

We’ve been for a walk with John and Brian, who are doing the Black Country Pubs Ale Trail, they have to tick off 25 of the 47 pubs on the list. A trip to Stourbridge on the train gave us a 10 mile walk and 5 pub stamps in their little books. It was a grand day out even though the four trains required to get back to Alvechurch didn’t line up in the same way that had on the way out. The last two were covered by taxi, and we were still out for 13 hours!

View from the other end of the room. People had moved around a bit, but my sister, Denise is there behind the door with Paul, her husband on the far right

Monday Club couldn’t all be there on Monday, so became Tuesday Club for a week, a preplanned Sunday Tea Club met for a Chinese, we visited Manu and Crystals new house and met up for a curry with Reuben. Alex and Rob did an early pizza dinner for us before we moved on to see Bill and Martina. Jo and Mike have come over for lunch and Jonathan, Lucy Charles and Caroline came up for the day. Last, but not least have been visits to Brian’s side, firstly for Rory’s birthday, and secondly to Fiona and James for Easter Sunday lunch. We really are privileged to have so many wonderful people in our lives. We haven’t seen Abi yet, but that’s not for want of her trying, if you can come and advise on the garden we’d be really pleased xx

A Sunday Tea Club meet in Birmingham with Manu and Crystal and Ian and Helen

On Tuesday we started a Housesit near Evesham, again, prebooked, so we know the lovely Cookie and Cracker and got an uproarious welcome as we let ourselves in, after Donna and Keith had left, and after Brian had been to the QE for routine blood tests. We took the dogs straight out for a walk and both of us relaxed, not surprising really, but we hadn’t felt pressured, though I haven’t been sleeping well. Yesterday we took the dogs out for a good long walk, looking for blossom that this area is famed for at this time of year. We found more mud than blossom, but the dogs didn’t mind, and the little blossom we did find reminded Brian that he was allergic to tree blossom! A lovely walk, followed by a bath for dogs, who then go completely crazy zooming around the garden to dry off. Very funny! This was followed by an evening out at Ounce, the steak pub in the village where we ate with D&K last time we were here. Having just got back from the US where steak is fabulous we didn’t expect to have steak for a long time. The Chateau Briand, both last time, and this was a delight. They treated us last time, and they treated us this, with a very generous voucher. We do appreciate it, but it’s really not necessary.

Outside Jackies mums house with her brother Jonathan with Lucy and Charles and Caroline to discuss and start sorting their mums (and grans) house and estate

Not sure when we will next get chance to breathe, the Housesit finishes on Tuesday, the funeral is on Thursday, we go to Bev and Iain for the weekend on Friday, have most of a week before starting Hadrians Wall for 8 days. By which time hopefully the tenants will have moved out of Birmingham Road so we can get that on the market, and we’ll have had all the financial information we require so we can start applying for probate!

Our day out in Stourbridge for a walk and pub crawl. That's John looking on while Brian negotiates the ticket machine. Better hurry up, the trains there!

Waiting at Droitwich Station for the third of our four trains to Stourbridge and it felt like a step back in time. It still uses the old mechanical signals and lever operated points from the signal box way down the tracks there (you might have to zoom in to see it)

And this was our fourth train that took us the last mile from Stourbridge Junction to Stourbridge Town. Its called the Parry People Mover, known to British Rail as the Class 139. It uses a giant horizontal flywheel in the base of the vehicle that is spun up to speed by a gas powered 2.3 litre engine and is topped up by energy used when braking to make it a novel and economic vehicle . Parry People Movers is a British company founded by John Perry, who died this year on 17th February 2023

The train driver was a very nice man, letting me go into the cab to film the journey and have a look. I didn't put the video on as, actually, it's just a train journey! However is was a fun 5 minutes, which is all the journey took

Stourbridge Town station, it's like stepping back in time

Between the last photo and this one were visits to five Black Country pubs all serving excellent local hand pulled ales (and their trademark cheese cobs - their only food offering, except occasionally a pork pie or pasty), proper British pubs! We had a pint in each and, as you can see, we're still standing - just!

Waiting for our Parry People Mover back

Rushing for the next train at Stourbridge Junction despite what the sign says. From there the linking trains were too far apart so we got a taxi home instead, getting home early evening. I tracked our days route and mapped it on Relive, adding a few photos. You can watch it here 

Now we're back with these two lovelies, Cookie and Cracker near Evesham for a week of relaxation

Cracker does like to occupy a lap at every opportunity

And Cookie? Well he just likes to look scruffy and cute. They are both fabulous to look after, never complaining, always ready to do whatever we want, but also quite happy to sleep

They were very happy yesterday when we took them out for a 5 mile walk in the Vale of Evesham to look at the Spring blossom 

Two very happy, but very muddly doglets

Brave as well going over this narrow bridge with gushing water

They were, to say the least, very muddy, needing a complete bath in the outside sink with fresh water for each one. Here's Cracker being toweled down. I tracked this route, too, and made a Relive video of it with photos. You can see it here