The snowy white egrets have returned to our little valley after spending the summer and autumn elsewhere. However, next month, we're going to have to say goodbye to them and the rest of the Meon Valley's inhabitants, as we will be moving to another rental property, having failed to buy a house in 2011. It has been a beautiful place to live, and we'll miss it.
The old Volvo estate isn't coming with us. After 237,000 miles, the equivalent of driving around the world nine times, the shock absorbers finally gave up and we decided that it was time to send her to the scrapheap in the sky.
For the first time since we got married, we are downsizing. It has come as a bit of a shock, but with one son already at university, we don't need such a big car and, like all rural dwellers, we do need a bit more fuel economy. Following much deliberation, we've bought a VW Golf and, after the long service of the Volvo, it has a lot to live up to.
One thing that never fails is Christmas. Every family has its rituals, quirks and variations, but that's what makes it so special and unique. Whatever yours are, I wish you all a very happy Christmas.
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Can you buy happiness? The latest list of Britain's happiest places, and what you could end up with if you moved thereCan you buy happiness? Of course not, but you can buy a nicer house in a better town... and, well, that's probably going to help quite a bit.
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Is the British Museum's attempt to save a Tudor-era pendant with links to Henry VIII proof that the institution is on the up?After years of neglect and controversy, Britain's premier cultural institution seems to be finding its feet again.
