Most of the cardboard boxes have now been unpacked, including a few that were never opened after our last move 10 years ago. Getting to know a new house takes time, but it's fun exploring and trying to work out what all the oddly placed switches are for.
The hot-water system is rather old and wheezy, providing only the odd inch of water for a bath, but the Aga is thankfully unfussy and already part of the family. We even have a milkman who delivers, albeit at 4.30am, while doing an impression of the fastest milkman in the West, leaving in a spray of gravel that wakes the entire house.
The garden is full of old yews and scattered apple trees, including one that has a rose tree grafted onto it about 3ft up the trunk. Is this unusual? I haven't come across it before, but they seem to have been flourishing together for many years. I look forward to seeing the pair in their pomp next summer.
With vast expanses of grass surrounding the house, I will have to drive the lawnmower like the milkman. There's lots to look forward to, and little by little our new house is becoming a home.
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‘Once upon a time they covered an area the size of Ireland’: The restoration of Britain’s native oyster reefs is shaping future marine projects around the worldJane Wheatley reports on an innovative project to restore Britain’s once plentiful native oyster reefs in Tyne & Wear.
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What connects Brutalism and fancy pink diamonds? The Country Life Quiz of the Day, October 17, 2025Featuring more questions on collective nouns. The perfect way to start a weekend.
