Caged Animals in the UK

Current Location (Us): Itinerant, southern Britain
Current Location (Petronella): A mooring ball in Prickly Bay, Grenada

It’s been a while since I last posted and some of our committed readers have been asking what has happened in the last few weeks.

Whilst still in Antigua airport I got a text to say that Dad had taken a turn for the worse and was unlikely to be alive by the time I got back to the UK. That was not a pleasant flight. I was met by Hugh at Gatwick and I called home. Dad was still still hanging in there. A quick luggage organisation at Sonning then I drove straight to Gloucestershire to see Dad. Tired and jetlagged, I fell asleep twice on the motorway only to wake up as I crossed the hard shoulder rumble strip.

For a day he was good. Up out of his bed, joking with the nurses. Then for ten days he ate nothing and drank nothing. He died on 6th March, my birthday. He was a troubled man for much of his last six or seven years. At least he'll worry no more now.

Since then we’ve been helping Mum slowly recover her strength, aided by brother Philip and Jane. We lived in Mum’s apartment whilst she remained in the Care Home. Most of our time has been occupied organising the funeral and sorting out Dad's affairs and preparing various disabled aids and sorting Mum's belongings out. I finally sent the probate paperwork off last week and all the little building tasks for Mum are pretty much complete. I don't know what to do now but at present we can't yet leave Mum, Philip and Jane. Mum has just returned to her apartment so we are somewhat homeless. Living with her is hard so we are flitting from place to place trying to work out what our role is.

Meanwhile a villager from our home village of Gleaston in Cumbria has asked us if we will sell High House to him. It still isn’t rented so we are looking at options there. Maybe sell and buy a couple of smaller flats to rent, or maybe not!

And with poor old Petronella languishing on a mooring ball in Prickly Bay we have also reluctantly decided it’s time to put her up for sale too. You can see the advert here. Please circulate this link to anyone who you think might be interested. We think she is very fairly priced. We'll be looking for a somewhat newer, medium to heavy displacement, well equipped, tried and tested GRP vessel to replace her - a pretty one if such a beast exists. Let us know if you hear of one especially if it's in the Caribbean.

And what of Gill's ribs? Well, they are much better than they were but still not right. She's had physio which helped a lot but sitting upright in straight backed chairs is still very uncomfortable. We are off to France for a few days next week to stay with Jen's partner's parents and if she is still in pain when we get back she will go and see the doctor again.

No pictures I'm afraid because apart from a cracking 3-2 comeback for Saints against Liverpool nothing very much has happened.

Slimbridge was good cus it's an ace wildfowl reserve.

Dave & MC was good cus they're buying a boat to sail to the Caribbean.

Gleaston was good cus our 6 long term friends were there.

Family is good too.