Things I Have Learnt Since I Last Posted

[nanila]

1. Even if you hire removals people to pack up your house and move your things, you will still be exhausted and stressed at the end of the process.
   
   
2. Our new house is 50% bigger than our old house. There is a conspicuous dearth of furniture.
   
   
3. Displacing my all-time favourite, “Wymondham” which is pronounced “WIND-am”, ”Leominster” is pronounced “LEM-ster”. Oh English. Why you so crazy?
   
   
4. There are actually still places in this country that observe a day of rest. Never try to go shopping in Bromsgrove on a Sunday, because the only places that will be open are Asda, Costa Coffee and WH Smith. Since it will also probably be raining, this does not make for a pleasant experience.
   
   
5. The conservatory on our house was added on by a drunken BBC producer. Thankfully he doesn’t appear to have built it himself.
   
   
6. We have a conservatory. And a library. All we need is a billiard room and we can stage Cluedo masquerade parties.
   
   
7. Horses are very noisy in the breeding season. This is particularly noticeable when your garden fence forms part of the border to a large grazing field.
   
   
8. My cat is not afraid of any other cats, even those that are bigger than he is. The ginger boycat next door snuck in this morning. Telstar caught him eating crunchies and after a brief hissing exchange, chased him through the cat flap. Apparently he doesn't share his territory without invitation. Wonder where he got that from. *cough*
   
   
9. The difference in price for a peak Chiltern Railways ticket from Birmingham to London and a peak First Capital Connect ticket from Cambridge to London is not large. The former, however, provides air conditioning, free wifi, power sockets for every pair of seats, clean trains and ample leg room. And there’s a snack bar whose employees will bring hot food to you in your seat after you order it. The latter...doesn’t.
   
   
10. People who are setting out on canal barge holidays are generally much more cheerful than those who are returning from them.

Comments

[alwayswondered]

YAY YOU ARE BACK. \o/ I'm so jealous of your library. And the kitteh exchange made me smile. Telstar FTW.

My favourite British Isles placename isn't English but Scottish. It is…wait for it…MOUSEHOLE. Apparently pronounced "MOWzul".

[quinara]

I couldn't help but chime in; I think Mousehole's in Cornwall, so it can indeed get indeed defend the English crown of place names!

[alwayswondered]

I checked and you're right! I was thinking of my second favourite, which is Wormiehills. :D

[nanila]

HELLO! I CAN HAZ BROADBAND AGAIN. :D

In an event that is relevant to both parts of your comment, Telstar came in this morning and dropped a live mouse on the duvet, 45 seconds before my alarm went off. I guess he just wanted to make extra-sure I got up on time. So thoughtful, no?

[quinara]

Bromsgrove! Blimey, you do live near my relatives now. Ah, Worcs. There's a reason my brother and I call Droitwich 'the town that time forgot'... (Love it really?)

I would definitely second the superiority of Chiltern Railways to FCC. Though the Aylesbury branch isn't quite so shiny as the Birmingham branch.

[nanila]

Bromsgrove is a thriving metropolis compared to our village. In fact, I'm not even sure it should be called a village. There are seven houses in it and ours is the second smallest. A hamlet, maybe?

First Group is taking over the Virgin Birmingham-London link. I am afraid. Very afraid.

[wordweaverlynn]

The house sounds fabulous. So does the railway.

[nanila]

It is fabulous. The bloke is all worried about me being lonely here next month because he's away so much and I don't know anyone except our next door neighbour. But I have hobbies, the internet, a canal and a cat to entertain me, plus I go to London every week on the nice railway. Also, I'm an introvert. So I suspect I'll be just fine. :D

[pulchritude]

I thought quite a lot of places here still have a day of rest, though? :P

[cxcvi]

Well, thanks to the Sunday Trading laws, yes. But you might often find corner shops open. Even on Christmas Day...

[pulchritude]

I don't bother leaving my house on Christmas Day, so I wouldn't know XP

[lark_ascends]

We have a conservatory. And a library. All we need is a billiard room and we can stage Cluedo masquerade parties.

Heee hee heee.

[nanila]

I'm half-dreading finding ginger boycat in the conservatory. I think in that case it will be fairly obvious that it was Telstar who did it, with his claws.

[capri]

Oh English. Why you so crazy?

* Oh England. <-- fixed it

Glad to hear all the house-moving business seems to have worked out for you guys. :D

[nanila]

You're right. Although American English is crazy too. Unless you subscribe to the Queen-on-Twitter's view, which is that there is no such thing - there is English and there are mistakes. ;D

I live in a tiny village! It's very strange, especially since going to London is the only familiar part of my life right now.

[ceb]

Our new house is 50% bigger than our old house. There is a conspicuous dearth of furniture.
...
We have a conservatory. And a library. All we need is a billiard room and we can stage Cluedo masquerade parties.

An obvious answer presents itself... ;-)

PS Goosnargh (pron. Gooz-ner)

[nanila]

Ooh! I like that one! I would have said "Goose-nAAARRRGH". And then the bloke would have fallen over laughing at me. But that's nothing new.