The New Header Photo

 The new header is my bungalow, the only bungalow built when this new housing estate of about 60 homes was started in the 1980s. I'm on the front edge of the estate fronting one of the main roads through the village and although that means more passing traffic (especially early mornings but thankfully not all night!) at least I don't have houses crowding in on all sides. Each side of me is a house built at the same time and over the back fence is the back garden of another house which fronts onto the road into the estate. 

A few years ago I would have avoided a position like this completely but after a total of 27 years living where everything required driving it is a treat to be able to walk to things.

 I no longer have to keep a box for glass recycling and then load it up to take to the bottle bank - it's just a stroll up the road to the bottle bank behind the pub. The library van, the chip shop, the doctors, the hairdressers are just a short walk away. As is the URC chapel where WI will be held once they can have proper meetings again. The rubbish and recycling bins are just a few steps from the front door and only need wheeling on the path to the roadside - unlike Clay Cottage where I had to either wheelbarrow or drive bags down to the end of the lane.

 

The bungalow was built with a double garage and the previous owners used one garage to extend the front main bedroom, this work was done about 6 years ago. So I have a nice big bedroom/craftroom and en-suite shower room at the front of the house while the really good size living/dining room is at the back away from the road. The kitchen and bathroom are also at the front with the other two bedrooms at the back looking onto the garden. I've got used to not having a door to outside from the kitchen so may not bother to have one put in. With no fires to fetch wood etc for I won't need to pop in and out quite as often in winter so just having the patio doors into the back garden from the living room will probably suffice. I'm loving having the patio doors open all day - something that's never happened before because both at the smallholding and at Clay Cottage the doors opened into a conservatory which just made the rooms too hot.

It was another  lovely hot sunny day yesterday - now we are due thunderstorms of course (someone said an English summer is 3 fine days and a thunderstorm) and a bit more unsettled for a while. More good tennis  on TV yesterday, with Cam Norrie and Jack Draper both getting through to the quarter finals.....and due to play each other, so we are assured of a Brit in the semis. I went swimming but found I had no energy so only did 25 minutes, that was enough.

Back Tomorrow 

Sue