Birthday trip... and house move

Oxford, July 2026

It was my birthday at the end of July, and although I intended to spend it free of house-related activity, it wasn't quite possible in the end because of having to respond to enquiries about my listings of things for sale. But apart from this, I had a lovely day in Oxford, starting at the Weston Library for their exhibitions, then meeting Lola II and Mr M before we went to the Ashmolean Museum for a posh lunch on their rooftop restaurant. Well, it was mostly posh, but Lola II had secretly arranged with the waiter to provide a plate of special sandwiches. It was very confusing, but the waiter was impressed when I expressed my delight at Lola II's icing sandwiches - a taste of the distant past. There wasn't time for looking round the museum after lunch but it looked interesting and we're not sure why we haven't been there before, so perhaps on our next visit Lola II and I will spend more time there. It was interesting to reflect that on that next visit we'll both be coming from London.

Back to the matter in hand - someone came from a removals company to look round and quote, then that same evening I sold the huge TV and sound bar and also the chest of drawers. This was a relief because I'm happy to give everything else away, or have it taken away by the Council or the British Heart Foundation. Then I had the idea of offering the remaining furniture to the local LETS trading group, and some of them are interested, so I've been busy sending photos and making arrangements for viewings.

I headed off down to Maternal Manor with another car load of stuff. The original plan was to stay for another fortnight, but there's too much to do back home. I want another removals company to quote, but I still don't have an exchange date, and my solicitor keeps asking for more and more evidence that I'm not a money launderer - proof of this, statements of that. My buyers have completed on their sale so are now homeless with their goods in storage, so I started to feel confident enough to tackle the remaining large items of furniture. Unfortunately, the first date that Warwickshire District Council can come and take the huge sofa is after we hope to have completed, and Warks County Council suddenly suspended fridge and freezer collections at recycling centres. Luckily my buyers have agreed to help with this - obviously they don't want this to delay their move.

Somerset House, London, August 2026

I've been writing 'The Book of the House', a long document with all the details that someone might find useful when first encountering Lola Towers. Where the water stopcock is, the knack needed for locking the front door, why the catch on the hall door is upside down, where the light switch for the third bedroom is, that sort of thing. And at Maternal Manor we've made progress too - a local charity came and took away a surplus bed and chest of drawers, and we have put a chair outside in the hope that someone will want it and come and take it away. And we continue to investigate cupboards and drawers that haven't been looked in for many years.

I can't describe how glad I was when Sister D sat down to help me to plot out the history of Maternal Manor - when it was bought, how much was paid, how rent was set, what improvements were made and when and how much they cost. It has a very complicated timeline which makes my current process of compliance with anti-money laundering regulations look like a walk in the park. I shall need an accountant, but Sister D's work will make a huge difference. "I used to do this all the time," she announced breezily when I complained about how enormously difficult it all was, "and this isn't the worst by any means."

And I had a day out in London when I went with Lola II to see the M. C. Escher exhibition in Somerset House. When we were growing up there was a book on the shelf containing many of his drawings, including the famous ones with the tessellated creatures, the reflecting balls, the impossible waterfall and the everlasting staircase. We still have a print on the wall that dad made by photographing one of the pictures, projecting it onto a piece of paper then tracing and colouring it. Breach of copyright, probably. They had a few other examples of optical illusions in real life - well, we couldn't help ourselves, we have to try this sort of thing.

Escher exhibition, Somerset House, London, August 2026