Rat Staircase Removed

The prickly shrubby climbing thing, acting as a potential rat/mouse staircase all the way up our front wall is no more. 
I got back from work earlier than expected to find Husband had managed to remove it - a big job for one person! 
We then removed the hedging that's right up against the house for the same reason, bagged it up to take to the tip.  The latter was hampered by being unable to find the secateurs - had to use a tree lopper instead!  3 car loads.....
I was curious how the front of the house would look without it - and it has definitely smartened it up.

Our First Visitor!

We have hosted our first visitor!  "Hosting" may be overstating a tad as G was very wise and generous, bringing curry to heat in the oven rather than us cooking. 
But a major milestone nonetheless!
We ate in the dining room for the first time having given her the grand tour. She was very complimentary about the house - good to hear!

I may have to admit...

...that I have too many clothes!  I've managed to put most away in the Dressing Room's built in wardrobe, my old chest of drawers & a wardrobe that was going to go into the main bedroom but wouldn't bend around a critical corner.
"Most" was only achieved by being brutal.  Several black sacks are now full of clothing ready for responsible disposal - tempted to be more organised than usual & use the Oxfam/M&S £5 voucher Plan A deal rather than use a clothes bank in a convenient car park.

Phone Connected

A week later than expected, BT have connected our phone.  It's the same number as before - a benefit of only moved around the corner.  Fabulous Mother In Law was concerned to hear the previous inhabitants' comedy answerphone message when she called it though so we must get around to plugging in our phone!

We have TV!

An aerial in the attic in a dodgy reception area was never going to be great - and even less so when Husband knocked it over whilst baiting the loft!
Quote for new aerial took place this afternoon - and I was really pleased nd surprised that the installer was able to fit it there & then - aided by his boy who is apparently "working" for him over the school holidays. 
I don't think of us as particularly fussed about TV - but it has made a real difference to how the house feels.  It has definitely brought some much needed normality!

Squatters

Our home’s previous human inhabitants were late in moving out – but we’ve discovered some squatters too.  The house was sprayed for carpet moth today (loads munching through all things wool with the porch and hall as the epicentre) by a pest control company. 

But whilst getting odds of carpet out of the loft for disposal, Husband found rat & mouse droppings.  The advantage of finding these whilst the pest expert was present meant that bait could be laid straight away!  This does mean though that:

• Can’t hoover properly for 4 weeks due to the moth treatment.
• We must vermin proof the house as much as possible.  This changes the “things to do” list considerably!

To give a bit of perspective, the house does back onto a meadow – and from there to farmland – so rats aren’t really unexpected.