Hillcroft.. Is it?

Id hate to tempt fate but I do feel good about this. Hillcroft is looking hopeful.. We have had a stressful time with our Broker but its all moving forward and I prey its all going to work out. Rhonda and I have argued more over the last few weeks than ever and I put it down to acquiring a mortgage.. I now just want it to be over

If this does go ahead I will most definitely have a rather large spring in my step. The plan would be to get Friday afternoons off and get the hell out of London as much as possible to simply absorb and decide what to do with the place. We have plans, but we need time to get inside and understand the property and surrounding area.

 

I've been watching a great deal of gardening programmes and what i do find exciting is Monty Don, who has become one of my heros lives just 4 mile away at Longmeadow, they use this to film Gardeners World so when see him along with sunshine and good crops, I feel connected. I'm also tempted to get in touch with him, to seek advice and see if I can replicate his cool and collective personality.

Well, maybe next time I write we may have it, or not... Time will tell

We built this city... From rock and role

I sit here in the traquility of the garden at 132 Northchurch road, with the sounds of birds, the flights of mayflies and the singing of 'We built thus city, we built this city from rock and role' by the scaffolders next door finally dismantling their masterpiece. It's loud but it's coming down...

Need to awake Rose from her dreams of GCSE science revision, she has the dreaded exam this afternoon, she's past half way and pining for the summer holidays of mischief.

Josh is also in bed which isn't much surprise, I don't think I'll see him until after lunch. I'm hoping to take a look at his 2nd year work, he's build a supersonic computer and has apparently done some pretty cool 3D work. He's been helping me at the brewery which had been of great help, it's nice having him around as I feel a slight imbalance at times, a little cornered shall we say by the tag team of R & R!

I'm currently off work for 2 weeks, I finished at Double Negative which went well apart from the last few weeks on Hercules, it's money in the bank and I know it's getting towards the end of my career in soho, fingers crossed I can work remotely from a house in the country, speaking if which.. We are in current negotiations on a house in Dilywn called Hillcroft, it's a stunning house set in wonderful gardens I could completely immerse myself and disappear into. We came across a problem with a Rhonda's retirement age so trying not to get too excited. It has bags of potential to build a few cob houses and try start a business, I know I can make this work!

Well, better go wake up rose with her tea and half a sugar and see what miss wants for breakfast!

Abbeydore

Well its come around again, we have fallen in love with another property, this time in Hereforshire. Its a small place but has 2.8 acres of very interesting land, part wood park gardens that has bags of potential. The house burnt down a number of years ago and has been rebuild with the original stone. Its slightly modern but in a tasteful way, the views are incredible and right now, I just want to move there.

We had 5 viewings in one day and we both felt pretty jaded at the end of it. Rhonda is a little more apprehensive about it as shes more of a worrier than I. Im kind of ready to jump straight into it, the wood can be manicured to a wonderful camping area. The outbuilding can be used for the brewery and other cheesmaking, meat curing or whatever we end up doing. The location is pretty close to the Black Mountains and Offas Dyke. I really feel its a place we can escape and absorb ourselves into, Im going to prey Rhonda decided to go for it and a bidding war does not start!

Well its come around again, we have fallen in love with another property, this time in Hereforshire. Its a small place but has 2.8 acres of very interesting land, part wood park gardens that has bags of potential. The house burnt down a number of years ago and has been rebuild with the original stone. Its slightly modern but in a tasteful way, the views are incredible and right now, I just want to move there.

We had 5 viewings in one day and we both felt pretty jaded at the end of it. Rhonda is a little more apprehensive about it as shes more of a worrier than I. Im kind of ready to jump straight into it, the wood can be manicured to a wonderful camping area. The outbuilding can be used for the brewery and other cheesmaking, meat curing or whatever we end up doing. The location is pretty close to the Black Mountains and Offas Dyke. I really feel its a place we can escape and absorb ourselves into, Im going to prey Rhonda decided to go for it and a bidding war does not start!

Work for me on Hercules has been pretty full on over the last few weeks so Im ready for a month off to enable me to catch up with the brewing and get back to a few books. I have felt my body and brain slow done and now I know this industry is not for me, I need nature and I need to make stuff

Rosie is just about to start her GCSE's and is so far really knuckling down to it, the last few days have been a bit rocky but shes ready, Rhonda has been a great help, I kind of been on the sideline trying to help where I can. Josh is also doing his end of year Exams and is finding it pretty tough, I really feel for him and I think Rhonda finds it hard as she cant be there as hes over i Bristol, we send him packages and call so egg him on but its  a bloody tough course and needs so much concentration and dedication.. The next few weeks are going to be tough but a well deserved summer will be welcomed very soon

J&R Exams

Well Im stuck here in work and feel like we have come to a bit of a standstill. Im half way through a 3 month contract so I just have to wait and see whats going on in May, once I get a longer term contract we can then move on and start searching again. I've found another area I really like in Herefordshire called Dilwyn, there are many old Tudor villages around the area and its pretty easy to get to. There is one property I really like but its a little over our budget. The economy is starting to improve which means property prices may start increasing so we either move quick or miss the boat. I always look around the areas to see if Josh and ROse will like it, Id love one day for them to move close bye so we can be part of their lives but as they are city kids Im not sure if it will ever happen, I think you just have to let the country embrace you so you get what its all about, it doesn't happen to us all.

Rosie is working hard on her GCSE's and doing very well, I wish i could help her more but Im not the most academic person unlike Rhonda, if only she did art ! Shes very up and down but her new (and first)fella  Miki brings her back down to earth, their relationship has happened at a good time as they help one another and its sweet to go through this stressful time with others. Unfortunately Rhonda and I bear the brunt of her worries which is a bit depressing at times. Josh is also heading for some major 2nd year exams at Bristol Uni and I think is finding it hard to get motivated to study, Im sure he will do well, he may fail a few but he always bounces back. Hes just build a beefy computer with water cooling and his enthusiasm forthat has been pretty overwhelming, he definitely has passion in building stuff. Its nice to recieve calls of him from time to time

Its spring and the garden is abundance, I decided to plant some radish on the front garden and its doing so much better, I now reailse the importance of good light, something to remember wherever we end up buying...

This is the place Im quiet fond of.

Another falls...

Well it seems yet another property has fallen through, this time in a place in Bucknel called Bytack. My short term contract did not work with the rural lenders and the smallholding registration was not liked by the London lenders. They even took our offer of £320,000 which includes 5.5 acres which we now realise  can be problematic when applying for a mortgage. The view was outstanding, the land had potential and the house was solid yet a little pocky, I know Rhonda had a slight problem with the low cealings and small rooms, the windows were also small so no morning views from the bed. I was very much excited about this but when it did fall through, I think now I realise it may not have been the one, Bucknel itself isn't that great although could have been tapped into

So, we start again, it wasn't meant to be and like the last property, we have learnt a great deal and hope to learn from this.

Finally hits home

Over the past year Rhonda and i have been looking at areas around the UK to setting in the next 3 years when her daughter Rosie has completed A levels and left the nest of Islington. It's not been easy because as small as the UK is, there are many areas and pockets to visit. One of the areas we have fallen for is mid Wales after coming across the Tannat Valley. Its an area that is untouched, the property has not been modernised too smooth starched white walls and you really do feel things haven't really changed too much over the years. These pockets of life seem to have disappeared from many of the idealistic areas once looked at as rural areas such as Devon, Cornwall and Somerset  Every county around London seems to be full of second homes and large people carriers. Its also an area close to where I grew up so i do feel a sence of returning home after 20 years of shenanigans. After looking hard over the past few months we came across 6 properties to look at, I used the last 5 days of my holidays and off we went to visit them.

The first out the 6 was the best, we completely fell in love with the property, the surrounding 10 acres and that internal feeling you get when something is very right. We headed home feeling a little overwhelmed and anxious, a week later I'm still feeling the same as its finally hit home that this could actually happen. We have a lot to think about, is this an area we can really settle? Is 10 acres too much to handle? Can I brew and supply my ale and make a living from it? Will I find friends in this rural community? Can I get a mortgage? Every last bit of money I have been saving is going to vanish from my savings, but I guess this is what it was for and I cant think of anything else Id want to spend it on really.

Very exciting times

Fäviken:Magnus Nilsson

After a week of relaxing at my place in Bulgaria with Rhonda, I now sit back in my chair at work staring at my computer again... It also stares back at me.

It feels more abnormal by the day, especially after my week away and baking in a wood oven, eating veg freshly plucked from the garden, killing and skinning rabbits and enjoying the odd shooting star late at night in the very clear sky. Its times like this that I feel sad, but also excited about where Im going and my next chapter and what helps is when I read about people who have done it. I recently purchased a book on Magnus Nilsson and his restaurant Fäviken. Its another inspiring story of somebody who has a great passion for the outdoors, understanding true nature and ways of old when it comes to food preparation and preservation. Now all my homebrew stuff is in the loft I'm now going to start looking at fermented vegetables alongside preserving and canning. This is an area I have always found fascinating so I feel its a natural progression from what I have been doing over the past few years. I feel very excited about this although i must say when I mentioned fermented vegetables to Rosy and Josh they gave a look of concern.. I guess that's natural though