No.1 son back from Sweden and he had a thoroughly good time there and he is impressed by the work on the house. Some normality now returning to the home front although I have now received a quote for the electrical work required. That should only take one day but the eye watering quote from a large national company will see me looking for a local electrician with a more realistic price. More importantly I am trying to capture our semi-feral cat Maisie who has injured her tail as I discovered this morning but she remains elusive. Having seen something similar with Tigger many years ago I suspect a cat bite so we'll lure her in and off to the vets for a check up and treatment. Here she is in younger days...

One fly in the ointment of returning to a quieter life is that of the local drug dealer / nuisance who has returned. He has called at our house late at night, usually under the influence and badgering for a variety of things but we keep the front door securely locked. Last night at about midnight he was back and after a polite 'Go away' I eventually loudly and bluntly told him where to go and never return. I will contact our local police as he has also been calling at neighbours houses, most of them very elderly and his clientele have again been making a public nuisance. 

I like living here as it is in the centre of town near the river and  everything is easily accessible. It is also very quiet outside of rush hours and the working day. But with an increase of anti-social nuisance behaviour and the future plans for development of the area I do wonder what it will be like a few years from now. Sue would like to move to a quieter area but having lived in one of the nearby 'villages' (increasingly a suburb) and heartily disliked some of the people living there (Think of Mrs Bucket pronounced Bouquet!), I do prefer down to earth areas and the future plans might rejuvenate this area. I am also aware that a few years from now we might not need a car and cycling / public transport might be preferable. We might also have sensible central and local governments that support cheaper sustainable public transport and cycling. But locally more and more houses are multiple temporary occupancy with absentee landlords and the loss of neighbourliness. For now I am happy to stay here as it is home and I like it here. It is odd to think that our house, if moved to London would be worth ten times its current value and much sought after. For today I am staying indoors as it is raining and very welcome it is although I shall return again to catching the above pictured little bugler.

TTFN.