moving in and walking along and the future adventures

Time seems to be flying by at the moment and as we discussed creating a new post for the blog we couldn't believe that near on six weeks had passed since our last update, so once again we're sorry for our tardiness.

our new home!

It's hard to know where to start but suppose it would be best to begin with the main thing that has been at the forefront of our minds, that being the fact that we have not only completed on the sale of our old family home and but also on the purchase of a new home in Bristol!

This is such big news for us as we had owned our home in Whitchurch since we got married in 1988, in fact the house had actually been built for Maz' Grandparents just before the second world war. 

However the sadness in letting go has been overwhelmed with the joy in knowing that we now own a house which ours, all paid up, and is currently providing a home to our eldest son and his family. 

This is a wonderful feeling but one that hasn't been without it's stresses during the near four month process with Estate Agents and Solicitors, as well as all the challenges in moving not only our stuff from the various nooks and crannies we'd been storing since our move to South Africa in 2008, but also a whole young family who's life needed to continue throughout the whole thing. 

Maz busy painting....how many coats?!

The completion date was Thursday 12th October but the previous owner kindly allowed us in a week before to undertake some major and much needed decoration prior to the big move on Friday 13th!, not a day we feared, other than the fact that we tried, abet in vain, to have every room stripped out, including fireplaces, re carpeted and painted before that move date.

We, both myself, Maz, Chris and Claire, almost managed it but once the boxes and furniture arrived from their previous house rental it was almost impossible to move, so since that date we have been busy constructing bedroom furniture, making endless trips up into the thankfully large loft, as well as the local recycling center.

our real new home!

The house has a large driveway, which is a true blessing as our friends have kindly lent us their touring caravan which myself and Maz have been sleeping in, having our meals in the house. It's very cosy and although things are quite cramped it's much bigger than the tiny gypsy caravan we spent a week in when we were in Tenby a few years ago whilst on 'sabbatical'.

However there are a few challenges, such as we have only one shared toilet, which we know is a blessing compared to much of humanity so we're not really complaining, in the house, a bucket in the caravan, but to step out from a fitful sleep in a pair of pyjamas for the world to see on a chilly autumn morning wasn't something I (Tim) had planned as I move into my fifty first year. 

Arron, our youngest son, also arrived back from his latest job so he camped down with us in the caravan too, which has been fun for all, who ever said life is easy?

Saying all that it's been great to see the Grandchildren have space to run around outside in the garden and we are certain that the house will provide a home that we can all benefit from in the future as we make our base in Bristol and explore all that the city and surrounding countryside has to offer.

view from looe (well quite near by)

Prior to moving in we were able to spend a week away with Tim's family when we joined his sister and her family and in-laws as well as his Mum and Dad at a wonderful house overlooking the sea near Looe in Cornwall. The week was spent walking the Southwest Coastal Path, which Tim's sister and husband have been walking, on an off (not off the path cause that would be very dangerous) over the last nine years or so.

family fun

The weather was stunning which helped as we wandered up along clifftops high and into valleys low all the time with the sound of the sea crashing or slowly lapping against rocks or sandy inlets, you honestly can't beat England on a fine sunny day and we certainly had a few of those.

along a clifftop high

The feelings that I (Tim) had during our walks were quite spiritual and upon our return I put pen to paper to write this little poem which I hope captures the things that I was thinking as I walked along the ancient paths.

"As we amble over ancient clifftop paths, 
Our thoughts, our very being, at one with all we see, our senses overwhelmed by all we observe, 
The world in which we have escaped for a few fleeting moments continues to spin.

But few of our fellow brothers and sisters have stood captivated by the majesty of the rugged rocks turned sideways cascading down into an aqua blue sea, 
Taken time to watch the delicate flight of laced winged butterflies in the autumn of their short lives, 
Or had taste buds tantalised by the sweet tart juice of the blackberry picked right from the brambles ripened by the last of the summer sun.

It's kind of fun to answer nature's call as we relieve our bodies of the liquids once carried in overloaded rucksacks with all of nature gawping at our little white bums, 
And the steep steps we climb drain us, nay exhaust us, but as the summits approach vistas expand revealing further adventures and we feel energised to conquer further assents, 
Sweat pouring from our brow soon cools as we stand to catch our rasping breath.

Our feet shod with the latest lightweight technology to ensure fatigue is postponed as long as possible,
Eyes shielded, heads shaded, steps measured as each footstep is recorded as data informing us of pace and calories burnt.
For us these experiences are part of a wonderful journey creating shared memories captured by smart devices to be posted upon our social media profile so others like us are wowed by our week away, 

But for the majority of our brotherhood of man our highlights of freedom are seen as daily hardships of open air loos and long barefoot walks to dried up riverbeds, whilst dodging bullets or the hands of men, for a few drops of water, these are not memories that they want to remember."

birthday celebrations with the family!

During the month we also spent a couple of nights with our newly wedded middle son, Josh, and his wife, Haddy, in London. We were also able to celebrate both Maz' and Chris' birthdays together for the first time in ages and we have really enjoyed our first week or so in Bristol, the city seems to be buzzing with activity.

Noni (Maz) having birthday hugs!

We've been exploring our local neighbourhood, doing a couple of shorter runs along the river Avon. It has been great to be able to pick the grandchildren up from school and have opportunities to attend assemblies, harvest festivals and sports events with them.

We are now back in Buckinghamshire for a few days, saying our goodbyes to family and friends, before travelling back to Bristol before flying out to Uganda on Wednesday, a trip that will see us working with our good friend Emma and the team at Every Life who we worked with earlier in the year. 

The six week trip also includes an adventure across Rwanda to Burundi where we will meet up with an old friend, Simon, who has been working in that needy nation for over 20 years. We can't wait to be able to share the Leadership for Life programme with the people he is connected with, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for our next update which we hope will be from somewhere near Kampala.