Things we need...

19th February 2015

People often ask me, when they are planning to come out and visit, if there is anything we need and I can never think of anything except Branston Sauce (which has now reappeared on the shelves over here for the time-being at least) and cat collars if the cats have gone through a spate of losing them which they do regularly - Boris's current count is eight in two weeks - he hates them and managed to get his teeth into them and pull and pull until they click open (they being the quick release type).

It isn't until now that it occurs to me that I need some cheap swimming costumes.  I don't think about it at the time I am asked because visitors are generally planning their holidays just after Christmas when you need to break the ice on our pool and when I cannot envisage ever wanting to swim in it again!

On a day like today however it is a godsend as it is hot and sticky and I am equally hot and sticky so the pool offers some welcome respite from cleaning.  Sadly the chemicals wreak havoc with the lycra and you can end up coming up the steps with a bum like Jennifer Lopez because the elasticity has gone and all the pool water has accumulated around your nether regions in a bucket that was previously the backside of your cozzie!

As I write I can hear the unmistakable sound of a fire nearby - the strange popping and crackling that is followed by the shouts of firefighters - this one sounds relatively nearby - I can now hear the pinging of tin cans which have got cooked and are exploding.  This may have been started on purpose, may have been a cigarette butt lobbed out of a window or the sun shining on a glass bottle but it is sadly all too common at this time of year.  On climbing up to the sun terrace I can see that it is down towards the bottom end of the village or maybe across the main road - difficult to tell from here but it is moving away rather than closer thankfully as there are much less houses in that direction.  I have heard emergency vehicles racing to the scene but no helicopters with water buckets thankfully.

Sometimes it's hard to remember exactly what we have achieved here at Villa 10B - so I have managed to put a few 'before and after' pictures together - Mum and Dad have been with us throughout its transformation and I thought they would enjoy the memories!

Click on the right-hand corner of the video to watch this in full screen if you would like...