Are the natives friendly?

I visited quite a lot of different locations such as Cornwall, Devon, Hampshire and Surrey before deciding Kent was where I wanted to live. The one thing I did notice very quickly was how different people were outside of London.

I was definitely becoming very jaded living in London. If you don't push and shove to get on the tube someone else will and you would never get to work. It doesn't matter that you're female or if you're older or anything else that's just tough luck! People bump into you all the time and don't say sorry, I was once literally pushed off the pavement into the road on Westminster Bridge (where I could have been knocked over by a passing car or worse a huge bus), the man that did this when he barged his way over the bridge didn't even give me a backwards glance.

I don't know why but words like please and thank you seem to be a foreign language and rarely used, you can hold as many doors open as you like but the chances of getting so much as 'thanks' is rare.

It took quite a while but I found myself starting to push back until one day I thought this isn't me, I don't want to be rude like this!

On visits to Kent the people seemed a lot more relaxed. On a number of occasions I got into the 'no please, you first' conversation in doorways. They smiled lot more than people in London and were happy to have a conversation with you - again that doesn't happen much in London - unless you're in the back of a black cab!

The other thing I found was the difference in service in shops. I went to Argos and was asked if I could manage to get the items I had purchased to my car, heaven knows what my face must have been like when he said that - a picture of shock probably. At Halfords I asked about something for my car, the assistant actually took the trouble to go out to my car and checked all sorts of other things, even looking for my tyre pressures so I'd know what they were in future!

But the best so far has been B&Q. I quickly discovered that the staff there (even though it's a huge warehouse!) have all the time in the world to try and help - and they really know their stuff. I have literally spent a small fortune in there simply due to the fact I can always get help and advice. I'm tackling jobs that had I got someone in to do them would have cost a small fortune, again down to the fact I felt I could have a go myself after getting some advice. 

It's got so bad there now that lots of the staff know me (by name!) and stop me to ask how my house is coming along. Last week I even used the staff loo - I seem to be an honorary staff member. Some of the staff have said I should work there and at this rate I'll be highly qualified to advise on all sorts of DIY projects!

So, are the 'natives' friendly? Yes I can most certainly say they are!

Bob, bob, bobbing along.....

One of the first birds I laid eyes on when viewing Bramblewood for the first time was a robin. Now who doesn't love robins??? Not me that's for sure. 

There appear to be 2 robins that are resident in the garden and are seen several times a day. They are particularly cheeky if I am digging or raking in the garden, or even better still if I have the hose and am watering the lawn - that's very exciting for them as they know what that brings! 

One seems to been the braver of the 2 and will be inches away supervising any gardening activity. Actually apparently waiting for me to get out of the way to see if I have unearthed a worm or two!

They sit in the trees and call loudly to each other if Sophie happens to be having a stroll round the garden, I reckon the loud calling is a warning as it gets quite loud and frantic. Sophie just thinks it's great as it's 'birdies'! One robin flew quite low by her one day - probably a warning shot across the bough and Sophie leapt up to try and catch it - forgetting she was on the end of an elastic leash - I looked like I was flying a cat kite! I'm sure it would have been funny if you were an observer. Needless to say Sophie hasn't tried that trick a second time!

I'm praying for snow as I just have to get a photo of the robins in snow - the braver one is a real poser so I have every chance of a really great photo. How lucky am I to have such gorgeous birds resident in my garden?

Walkies!

One of the reasons I wanted to move to a house with a garden was for my cat, Sophie, to experience the outdoors.

I got Sophie from a Bengal Rescue group when she was three. She had been used for breeding and kept in a run. When I got her she was very nervous and frightened of her own shadow. She even had extremely bad earmites which must have felt awful.

7 years later she was Queen of the castle and spoilt to death. She would sit in the flat and watch the birds from the windows as they swooped past, usually yelling at them too! She'd get an occasional treat of a spider or fly and would be delirious when that happened. One day, bizarrely, and I have no idea how it happened, a cricket was blown in through the window. Needless to say Sophie played with it for ages, then was a bit rough and that was the end of the cricket.

Even though I was constantly assured that Sophie would be happy living indoors I did want her to experience the sun on her back and sniff the outdoors as she would do when there was a small crack open in a window (I couldn't risk more than that as we lived on the 11th floor!).

After being at Bramblewood for a couple of weeks I had my first sighting of a fox, also there is a main road not far away and quite a few cars nearby so I didn't want to let Sophie roam about by herself. She had no street smarts having never been outside before so she'd either get lost, have someone steal her or worse. The other problem was she's a Bengal and still has a very strong urge to hunt so there'd be no wildlife left in the area!

Not daunted by the task ahead I decided that she was very smart I would train her to walk on a leash. I'd started this when we were in the flat but when I put the harness on Sophie would lie on the floor and refuse to walk. Still it was worth one more try. 

On the first warm sunny day I put her harness on (complete with the words security on the sides, the thought of a 'security cat' totally amused me, and opened the door.

Sophie very gingerly put her nose outside and using her little 'meh' noise, that she makes when she's unsure, she stepped out for the first time ever. She was walking on the leash! Obviously she just needed the motivation of somewhere exciting to walk!

Off she went happy as Larry, still calling out and not straying far from me as it was a huge open space with very new noises and smells. Birds flew by and various strange noises emanated from the woods, her little tail was bushing up and down (as cats do when startled) the whole time.

She has now been out several times, in the recent heatwave she was more interested in actually lying down rather than walking anywhere - and who can blame her? She now sits happily on my knee watching everything with the sun on her back just as I had envisaged. It was worth all the aggravation of moving house just to see her little face happily taking in all the sights, sounds and smells of the countryside. 

I have to say I can't wait to see what she makes of rain and snow - as a Bengal water doesn't really bother her, so I will have to introduce her to all the seasons.

Then there was the garden.

Oh lordy, lordy where to begin with the garden.....

When I first set eyes on Bramblewood I quite liked the house but the garden sold it to me. I looked through the kitchen window and couldn't believe the view - woodland as far as the eye could see and no fence to spoil the vista. Birds happily flew between the trees and the previous owner spoke about the other visitors: badgers, foxes, hedgehogs etc etc. After London it seemed perfect. Yes I know I wasn't thinking the amount of work required through but there you go, heart over head!

In literally the few weeks it took to move in the garden had started to run riot. After another 4 weeks of doing nothing to it (and plenty of rain!) a jungle had appeared. And I do mean a jungle! I kept going outside and picking a weed or 2 then dashing back inside overwhelmed by the huge task. The fact I didn't know a flower from a weed wasn't helping either!

Only one thing for it - call in the experts. So I put out a call for gardeners. One was overwhelmed themselves and didn't want to take on the task, a few were ok to do the job but I was looking for someone that would really sympathise with the environment and love the garden as I did.... and along came Scott.

Scott turned up with his young son. I took them to the front garden which is small and quite manageable. Then I took them via the house to the side garden, again quite average, the patio and the garden both needed some work. I then walked them round the side to the back garden and had my 'ta da' moment when I reveal what's hiding there. Their faces were a picture - it really was a 'wow' moment for them. He said he'd never seen anything like it and his son loved it.

I like to see the reaction of people when I reveal the vastness of the rear garden. In the case of gardeners I wanted to see that they'd like the garden and wouldn't run from the challenge. Scott  didn't, infact he was very excited by the prospect of it all. At this stage I thought the best plan would be to cut pretty much everything back and get rid of anything that was a weed or taking over the place. A couple of saplings had planted themselves right next to the house which in a couple of years could be a real problem with roots under the house. Scott suggested taking them up and replanting them back in the woods - now that idea I liked - recycling!

I had a think about it and decided Scott was the man for the job. 

So Scott and Tommy arrived and it took 2 days to sort out all the broken flagstones and just cut everything back. I took a photo of Tommy at the bottom of the garden with a big petrol mower and when I looked at the photo it looked like a tiny doll was mowing - at that point I finally realised the garden was indeed huge! 

I have great plans for the garden but what I want to grow there and what will actually grow there are 2 different things! The trees suck the moisture out of the soil and they also make parts of it very shady - nice to sit in but not so great for growing things. I have a feeling this is all going to be a steep learning curve. 

I have also finally realised the amount of work the garden will be, I daren't take my eyes off it for a day even without checking for weeds or watering the grass and plants as otherwise things either die or go mad and take over! I think I'll be yelling for Scott and his mower on a regular basis!

We are currently planting things randomly to see what will or won't grow. I had cultivated a few herbs and some tomatoes on the kitchen windowsill so they were replanted in the garden along with a few flowers such as lavender and I am awaiting the results with interest!

Nature comes a calling.....

As I said previously, I had a vision of nature coexisting happily in my garden - so far I was beginning to doubt this would happen, until a sunny Sunday afternoon.

I'd worked on the house all day and was exhausted. I made a coffee and thought I'll sit in the conservatory for 5 minutes. Sophie was happily watching through the window observing the birds and butterflies flitting about when suddenly a new visitor appeared at the bottom of the garden......a little fox.....

I always keep my camera to hand so I very gingerly reached for it and waited.

The fox had a good sniff round the end of the garden chewing bits of grass. It then settled down on a pile of dry grass and sunned itself. I had never seen a fox roaming wild in a garden before so was fascinated. Sophie was equally fascinated and kept looking at me then the fox, then back at me as if to say 'what on earth is that in my garden!?' So far all she'd seen was an odd cat strolling through.

I know foxes don't seem to have a good reputation, but I do feel sorry for them as they lived in the area long before we took it over. I don't feel so sorry for them that I allow Sophie outside by herself as I'm not that trusting that they wouldn't attack her. The fox stayed for a good ten minutes before it wandered off back into the woods again.

A couple of days later I wasn't so enamored with foxes when I found the remains (luckily not much) of a late night rabbit supper on my side lawn - yeuk! 

Continuing battles with nature....

Before I moved to the countryside I had visions of feeding all the wildlife like some sort of Snow White figure. The birds would coexist happily with the squirrels and the foxes etc etc.

What a poor deluded person I was.......why did no-one warn me???

I bought myself some plastic bird feeders and filled one with nuts and one with seeds and hung them on the fig tree humming along as I did so.

The next day I looked out at the garden and they were both gone! One was by the gate and one was heading off towards the woodland. I thought 'that's weird,  I'll go out in a few minutes and get them'. By the time I went out the one by the gate was still there but the one that was by the woodland had disappeared completely.  

I then recalled someone telling me how the squirrels kept stealing his bird feeders. So I hung the one I could find back up and waited. Sure enough after a few minutes out of the foliage appeared 2 grey squirrels. They did all sorts of acrobatics to get to the feeder.  I later discovered they had also chewed all the way through the plastic so I had to throw it away.

Off I went to the shops to get some 'squirrel proof feeders' - hah! There's no such thing!! I got metal ones - they chewed through them almost as fast as the plastic, I got ones that are enclosed within another outer metal cage - same thing - chew chew straight through the metal - it just took a bit longer! I tried putting suet squares in metal containers with butterflies all over them to hold it in place - they bent the butterflies back and ate the suet!

I've tried to give them their own nuts in a different place, they eat them then come back for the bird food. I'm sort of torn though as I do love squirrels, they are cute and cheeky but I can see this will be a very long running battle of the feeders!

Where are you living? Botswana?

I knew that living in an 11th floor flat in London I was unlikely to come across much by way of wildlife. A very occasional spider or fly and a few birds flying by the window (once, bizarrely, a cricket was blown through the window much to Sophie's delight). One day I did wake up to a very loud noise which turned out to be 2 hawks perched on the windowsill yelling at each other - having a 'domestic' I think!

I knew living in the countryside there would be many more battles with the wildlife than in London. When I moved in I noticed a huge amount of cobwebs, I thought they'd just not been cleaned very often then I discovered the truth. I park my car go inside and in the morning it's covered with cobwebs. I clean them off drive to the station, park my car, come back a few hours later and it's covered in cobwebs! It's a total running battle with the spiders.......

Then there's other 'flying things'. I was sitting one evening when there was a loud thud followed by a very angry buzzing noise. The largest flying insect I have ever seen charged towards the window. Luckily Sophie was somewhere else and didn't notice it otherwise I'd have had to fight her and the (what I now know to be ) hornet as she tried to play with it.

I managed to get the hornet who was by now very cross indeed into a jar and back outside the door. I posted a photo on facebook of the offending hornet and someone said "Good heavens where are you living? Botswana?" I had to agree - it was certainly much larger than any insect I'd ever come across in my sheltered London existence.

It appeared to have dropped down the vent behind my gas fire and I thought no more of it.....until.....it happened twice more over the next couple of weeks. On one occasion I did have a screaming cat in one hand and a very cross hornet under a jar in the other with both doing their best to get free!

I thought I'd better get it checked out just incase I had some sort of nest nearby. I called a local pest control guy who said he was busy but could drop round about 8pm. That was fine as the nights are still very light so he would be able to see what was going on.

He checked the loft and outside etc then decided to move the fire to check behind there. That's when disaster struck, after he moved the fire he said 'sorry but I can smell gas'. 

Long story short, the fire had sprung a leak so I had to call the emergency gas people. So first my new neighbours witnessed a guy head to toe in a white bee keepers outfit (hat/veil and all!) outside clambering all over the house then  that was followed by the flashing lights of a very chipper (and noisy) gas man! I was trying to be quiet and discreet to no avail. I have no idea what the neighbours must have thought I was doing, but I promise I'm normally a nice quiet person! 

The worst part is I now need a new fire (I'm reverting to electric as it's safer!) and we still don't know where the pesky hornets came from....sigh......

D.I.Y.

It's interesting that rose tinted spectacles cover your eyes when you view houses. I was mesmerised by the amazing garden in the house which backed straight on to woodland. What I failed to spot were the myriad of jobs that would need to be done to both the house and the garden *sigh* 

It didn't take long before I started to notice the mismatched carpets and light switches, the poorly fitted floor downstairs, the creaky floor upstairs, the fact there wasn't one loo roll holder between three loos and on and on......

Everytime I touched anything it would fall down. The curtain rail fell down when I painted a wall (from dark purple to white!), I stepped down onto the outside decking and the side fell off. I actually started to laugh when these things happened. And the garden....well let's come to that later. The task was much bigger than I anticipated - however not daunted I battled on.

So far artex ceilings have been banished, all light switches are now white and all walls have been painted a light neutral colour and the potential I knew the house had is beginning to show.

The carpets have been pretty much used as dust sheets so now I have the huge task of new floors to contend with.

Like a lot of people I got to a certain age and busy city life lost it's charm. I used to daydream about swapping my 11th floor London flat for a house in the countryside with a garden, where the dawn chorus were birds instead of drunks singing their way down my road!

After many years of planning I decided that the time had come to put the plans into action. I then came across 'Bramblewood'. So my cat, Sophie, and I took the plunge and moved to live our dream.

This blog is the story of life in the country, the garden, baking and making and all wonderful things we encounter (and some not so wonderful!).