Having returned from the UK after Christmas and the New Year, we settled in to our normal winter routine. The Sunday lunch club was under way and we looked forward to spending most Sunday’s with our friends.

With no major projects planned we set about doing lots of the smaller jobs to tidy and generally improve. We also spent a lot of time in the garden including a major clearance of the growth around the pond. We stripped and painted the landing and bathroom making them very much lighter.

Over the holiday we had made the decision that we would put the house up for sale before Easter. So we arranged to meet our agent friend. We agreed a price and to put the house on his web site in March.

We realised that if we were to be available for potential visits, we could not commit to booking a holiday this year, so we decided to have a break near Canterbury in March. We saw our friends and had a look around houses. We realised that much as we like Canterbury and Broadstairs, they were too expensive and too far from the girls. Anyway, we enjoyed looking.

When we got back we decided which other agents to use. We contacted them and arranged meetings. We also put the house on a couple of independent web sites. Carey came over in April and stayed for a week. We managed to get out several times although the weather was not very good. Carole and Les, friends from Allesley, also came to stay for a week in April.

As May proved to be extremely quiet, we took off for a week in Lincoln which is ideally situated, geographically, for getting to the girls. We liked the town and found several areas where we would like to live, with house prices being very reasonable.

Our friends Tony and Mavis came and stayed in the gite for a week. The weather was really good and we made several trips out. June also saw Tracey’s 30^th birthday. She had a fancy dress party with the theme of Heroes. It was a great success and a large number of her friends were there and most were in fancy dress.

The Summer weather was not at all good, but ironically we had our best year for gite bookings, including several trips by Robin and Angela for them to work on their project. The B&B business was virtually non existent. The weather seemed to keep everyone away and everyone we know with B&B had a really poor season.

In September, Tracey, Paul and Grace came to stay for a while which was very enjoyable. We had a great time getting out and about and avoiding the rain. We managed to get on the beach a couple of times. Tony and Mavis came to see us again in October which gave us a great break and got us out and about again.

Having been travelling from Northampton to Oundle for her teaching job, Carey decided to make the break from Northampton. She moved to sharing a flat in Thrapstone to give her a much more reasonable commute to school.

At the beginning of December a family event was organised to inter Jane’s mum’s ashes and to say a final farewell. Having made the crossing, we decided to stay in England until after Christmas. We stayed with Graham and Jane for a couple of days then moved on and around including Sheffield, Thrapston and Peterborough. We spent a super Christmas with the family then worked our way back down to the tunnel and home on the 30^th December. New Year’s eve was spent quietly at home as we were shattered from our travelling. We amassed some 1920 miles during the trip.

Through the year we had several viewings but no offers. When we made the decision to sell we had hoped to be in England for 2009. We didn’t expect the housing market to evaporate or the pound to sink beyond trace. So here we are still with the prospect of another year in Besneville, and an expensive one with our income being from England the falling pound has increased our cost of living dramatically. We also expect that bookings will be poor this summer.

Still, here we are and life isn’t too bad. We are staying philosophical about things and we will not panic into giving the house away. We have agreed to drop the price somewhat but still allowing us to buy a decent home in England.