I started a new assignment today and the house…well cottage actually is a 15th century abode.
It’s got a massive fire place, wonky floors that slope down in the middle, low door frames and tricky stairs.
The ceilings are held up by fantastic wooden beams older than methusela, and the walls are held together by more fantastic wooden beams.
There’s a working well in the garden and we’re so remote that I can hear and see absolutely nothing….makes a change from the b&b I was staying at the last 12 days.
The food freezer is in the garage and I have to use a torch to navigate.
As luck would have it the heating has failed in a few of the radiators and its absolutely freezing in some rooms of the house.
My room is upstairs and all I have between my head and the sky is a thin sloping roof through which I can hear scuttling…I’m guessing its mice. Now and then I hear the thud of a bird landing…


The room is lovely and I have a small sitting room nook with a tv which is a luxury, but the mattress is probably older than Noah’s ark 😝😝 and sinks in the middle. I’m guessing my back is not going to be too happy.
The client has lived in the house for 50+ years and I can’t even imagine what that must be like. The longest I’ve ever lived in one place is 3.5 years.
So tonight our feckless PM put the country into lockdown again and of course it’s the fault of everyone/everything except himself for not listening and acting on the advice of the sciences.

I read in the papers that
“…..even takeaway services are shuttered in an attempt to beat the new Covid variant.
More than 550,000 business will be forced to close in England as of tomorrow, according to real estate adviser Altus Group, which includes 401,690 non-essential shops, 64,537 pubs or restaurants, 20,703 personal care facilities and 7,051 gyms or leisure centres”.
This is going to absolutely devastate commerce. Who knows what sort of country we’re going to be left with after this.
Sounds like a lovely place to stay, hope you can make it cozy in winter 🔥
Rough with the current state of the pandemic though. Hope that the politicians find a good way to navigate things soon. Sending you lots of strength to make it through smoothly.
Its gorgeous, but ohhh my gosh it’s cold in the house. Not much fun getting up in the morning with no central heating 🤔🤔☃️☃️
Yes, the pandemic….tricky tricky.
And all best wishes to you too.
that description is just lovely…am so glad i read this post…i haven’t been a reader here long enough to ascertain your field of employment, but as a private duty/traveling nurse i have thus been in similar situations..It was always a surprise from one assignment to the next. So, the lockdown sounds pretty restrictive this time…we are just waiting on a bed of nails here in the U.S. as to what will happen after the official inauguration of the president.We are currently controlled state by state, mine having just lifted the second ( 30 days this time)lockdown as of today Jan. 4th. It will be interesting( and i use that term loosely) seeing where this goes. I try to watch the world through wordpress lenses in various countries and am always just as surprised at the wide variation of restrictions and reported results of such.. good tidings and stay safe:)
Hello 😀 and thank you for reading my blog and your lovely comment. I work as a live-in carer for the elderly. This takes me to many different locations and homes…from a castle to a tiny 2 bed apartment at the seaside, and many many different homes inbetween. Its been an education 😉 Your career would give you an insight into what I do.
Yeah, the lockdowns…they are quite restrictive but unfortunately necessary. Thankfully we are able to still get out and exercise, although with our current winter weather its proving a bit of a challenge, and my hours are restricted by my job. Your analogy sounds about right, this a bed of nails indeed. I guess we just have to take it day by day..thanks so much for dropping by. I wish you a wonderful day
you are most welcome and i look forward to more of your posts! Happy New Year!
I would rather not comment on the lockdown … but do want to say I like your cottage (love the wooden beams in the old English houses) and I do hope your heating is sorted out soon 💌
Thankfully yes, the plumber visited yesterday, but unfortunately it only resolved the issue for a few hours and by afternoon we were once again plunged into the freezer ☃️☃️☃️☃️ he’s visiting again today, so 🤞🤞
Your situation will make me think twice before I say again “I wish for some colder temperatures” … we have a hot summer here in South Africa (and, with lockdown, we are not allowed to visit the beaches) … anyway, do hope the plumber get your heating up and running 🌸
Its quite weird really. I’m used to working in suburban areas and very seldom out in the country, and especially in a 500 year old house. The difference in temperature is very noticeable. In the suburbs you have the collective warmth of thousands of bodies, street lights, traffic and the collective heat from radiators. It must be awful to not be able to visit the beaches. Thankfully so far I’ve not had any issues…