Hi,
Many thanks alp for your excellent advice and no you won't be annoyed because I appreciate what you say.
Bron and I have often discussed moving even more so over the last few months because our best neighbours recently moved down to Nottingham leaving a big hole in our lives. We too like the look of Nottinghamshire but we've put 31 years of our lives into creating our perfect home and we do love our bungalow a great deal; the surrounding area is wonderful close to open countryside and with magnificent views right across the valley; on a warm sunny calm day there's no better place on earth to us in fact 2018 treated us to a delightful long warm summer which was very rare indeed and we hope the summer this year is the same. The climate here is usually dire but we can't do anything to change this so I just have a good moan each day to cheer myself up then get busy rather than sitting around being bored doing nothing; its white with frost and still quite dark but I'll have a brew then head down to the workshop; with the fan heater on the workshop warms up nicely in about an hour so at least I can escape the weather.
Our main problems living here alp are the locals as seen in the many shootings and knifings but fortunately these tend to be the other side of Huddersfield; our neighbours though often upset our day; our immediate neighbour a retired lady living on her own is very demanding and pulls our strings; she's a lovely lady but she's an hypochondriac and has been since she was a child; she's now lived here about six years and is forever at the surgery or in hospital; about four years ago she visited a big hospital in Leeds a number of times going private and spending a lot of money having consultations and scans then falling out with a consultant because she was demanding an operation on her back; at home she can really put on an act looking at death's door one day but the day after playing golf or bell ringing etc. Christmas for us was totally spoiled by her; I was foolish in telling her that Bron and I want just two days a year to be on our own enjoying each others company in peace the days being Christmas & Boxing Day. Christmas day was perfect but when we got up on Boxing day there was a fast response ambulance car parked outside her house making us very concerned about her; I went round but no one answered the door and having her son's phone number I phoned him but no reply; a few minutes later I answered our phone and it was the son returning my call; I explained what was happening and he replied his mother had already phoned him; by the way he was talking I got the impression I'd just got him out of bed and he didn't seem in the least concerned just saying he'll come over?
Shortly after the big ambulance arrived and with this lady now walking wounded Bron and I had a quick word saying we'll look after her cat and bungalow; then her son and daughter in law arrived just before the ambulance pulled away; we were thanked for our help and were promised by the son to be kept informed; we worried all day but no phone all so around 5 o'clock I made a couple of phone calls to find out which hospital this lady was in; having been passed around on the phone I finally got the ward; the nurse said would you like to speak to this lady? She told me lots of tests had been carried out but nothing untowards was found and she was about to be discharged; this totally ruined our Christmas together; any normal emergency then no way would Bron or I begrudge helping but this was yet another way for this lady to get attention no doubt because the surgery was closed?
The story doesn't end there; a couple of days later this lady told Bron that the only thing found was a minor problem with her arteries but this at 72 years of age in anyone is expected? What really drove it home to us is that this lady had told all her friends and even her son that she wanted to be alone over Christmas? Now she's due to visit the surgery again to find the results of her hospital visit; no doubt she's expecting different results from her local GP? A few months ago this lady phoned for help saying she was too ill to drive up to the surgery and could I please assist with transport and of course I could so I took her for her appointment and I waited in the car; when she arrived back at the car she told me she had disagreed with her GP who had told her she had high blood pressure and he wanted to prescribe medication which she flatly refused expecting sympathy from me? I told her not to worry because the way I saw it was either take the prescribed medication or simply drop dead then we returned home. Later in the day I was told she had emailed the surgery for the blood pressure medication? I might sound harsh and uncaring but this lady has a lifetime's obsession with imaginary illness which in itself is an illness and do we leave her alone then if something really does happen to her feel guilty for the rest of our lives in the meantime this is just one of the everyday problems Bron and I are facing; this afternoon I'm taking our neighbour from across the street down to the surgery he having suffered two strokes his son is accompanying him; again no problem other than this neighbour is a most unpleasant person but we never reject a request for help and never will.
So alp do we move or do we stay? In spite of the many problems we dream of the day when we break through all the doom and gloom into the life we want to enjoy; I'm sorry if I come across on the forums as nothing but doom and gloom being mostly negative but all Bron and I want is a bit of peace and quiet to enjoy our retirement; we'll keep battling on in the hope of better things yet to come.
Speaking of better Bron's just placed a mug of tea and a few bickies on the corner of the desk so life isn't too bad after all; I still have a top reason to get out of bed every day; she's called Bronwyn.
Kind regards, Colin.
