Nothing prepares you for a move after nearly thirty years in one place. There is the physical dislocation, there is the need to declutter and then there is the emotional impact which has been considerable. I kept a bit of a diary during the process.

‘As I write this I am three days away and the house is starting to fill with boxes. Various bits of furniture have gone to new homes, ditto pictures and heavy gardening tools. Last night’s dinner was eaten on my lap, as my dining table has left! And after a massive effort dismantling electronics and packing clothing and the last of my books, my daughter Lisa, her partner Marco and I enjoyed an alfresco lunch having cleared a small space amongst the packed outdoor paraphernalia’.

And now I am ensconced in my new space with huge sky and gum trees and bird calls.

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