Birmingham Belle

This was actually the title of a Mills & Boon book I saw at our hotel on holiday last week. I am not claiming to be a Birmingham Belle, although I am most definitely now in England's second city and I'm a lot more belle-like than our fellow tourists were.

In the last few weeks I have left my job in London, packed up a 4 bedroom house, moved 150 miles, gone on holiday, unpacked a 4 bedroom house into a three bedroom house with very little space and started preparing for my new job, which starts on Monday. I'm a little bit tired and more than a little bit unwell as body finally realises there is time for a small collapse. Please get better by Monday though.

This picture shows the end of our new garden, which as you can see, features two ceramic chickens. If I can't have the real things here (and I probably can't) then these will have to do for the short term, but the eggs won't be favourable.

Old people talk to you in the street here - but may or may not be involved in OAP mafia. They are observant little buggers and so far we've given out information about ourselves that we would not have told anyone remotely burglar like (I think we are about to be taught a lesson about assumptions). One of them has even offered us use of her garage for our second car. Whether this is related to a protection racket is anyone's guess ...

Our house is beginning to look slightly more inhabitable and less like a storage depot. It's starting to feel quite good but already our mortgage has increased - only our second payment coming up and already an increase of £50. Incredible. But then I remember how much we spent on rent last year - almost £17k - and it seems more worthwhile to actually be paying for something we own. Or will do one day when the bank deems it appropriate :)