Our Big House Move

4-10-07
Oh boy what a really crazy past couple of days we’ve just had!
On Monday night, Cat and I toasted our last night together in our Hackney flat with a small glass of wine to celebrate. It was weird sitting in the empty flat. All day the Pickfords boys had diligently and expertly packaged all our belongings into the removals lorry. I never knew we had so much stuff, seriously, we had tonnes. And at one point I worried the lorry was not big enough to hold it all.

By Tuesday mid-morning, the lorry was fully packed and not a pin was left behind. A totally empty flat, and by chance, our solicitors had just called to say the money was in and was now being transferred to our vendors. Before we left Hackney for good, there was one last hitch. Not really a hitch for us, but the new owners asked if I would sign for their new fridge. So I did but it was too big to fit through the flat door. I decided it was not really my problem and let the delivery boys go. I called Ali to explain and she seemed non plussed about it. Still, it seems a big oversight not to make measurements before ordering sucvh a bulky and expensive item.

On to Borehamwood. The Pickfords boys were ready and waiting and I met with the Leggetters at the house to pick up the keys. They bid us congrats anf good lucks and themselves were off to their new dream house in the countryside.

Well, if I thought the packing was a huge task, little did I realise the unpacking was an even greater job. Every room was stvked to the ceiling with cardboard boxes. Most were labelled simply the room from which they originated. Some had helpful info such as cutlery, or CDs, most were labelled by the room with the extra helpful retainer: ‘misc’. Oh dear, now the hard work began and just trying to find an important everyday item amongst the 1000 or so less important, and even junk items took ages. But after 3 whole days, we are getting some semblance of a home. Already I am enjoying the feeling of much more space and having two floors and a garden is such a luxury.

Some really annoying hiccups surfaced during our first few days in B’wood so far: first, my car finally died and I had to pay for an emergency recovery call out. The engineer simply turned the key and it started immediately. Duh! But the car has been sent packing off to the mechanics anyway. The other really annoying thing that has happened is the fact that Tiscali cocked up majorly with my transfer of address notification and failed to remove a ‘marker’ from my new telephone number. Meaning another week’s delay in getting broadband – down time for which I am paying for by the way. The final annoying thing that happened, and this is arguably the most annoying – is that after spending what seemed like four hours erecting Aimee’s cot, I realised that a very vital piece of connection is missing, presumably left behind in action in Hackney. The whole cot is unstable without the piece, so it is either a case of contacting Mamas and Papas and hoping, or trying the local pram shop. Oh, and did I mention there was a post strike?

Hopefully, if my car gets fixed, then we can go pick up Aimee, who has been bravely looked after by a very worn out set of grandparents and co. She seems to be missing us from the daily telephoned reports, or she could be having a whale of a time. We’ll find out tomorrow when we pick her up.

Ok, very tired now. But lastly, a report from far flung Thailand and my sister has named her newly born son, Oscar James Yang. What a great name!

More on Aimee and our life in Borehamwood soon.