memories

[plasticpigeon]

I went to see my dad's old house on Saturday. A beautiful Georgian farmhouse called Tanhouse farm, with about 1.5 acres, a stream running down one side of the land, beautiful cottage style gardens, an Elizabethan stable block half falling down, and a tennis court. It is near the top of the hill in a tiny village called Tarrington, between Ledbury and Hereford. The house is interesting because the bricks are laid in Flemish bond, but on their sides, so they are 4.5" high, i think it is called rat trap bond. The present owners have made it more beautiful than I remember when my dad lived there. I used to go there as a child to visit, it was magical, all the wildlife, the fresh air, swifts and swallows nesting in the stables, the Aga always warm, and song thrushes flying in and out of the big kitchen as the door was almost always open. Sometimes if i was lucky I'd see a fighter jet fly over! Unfortunately as i got older i didn't see my dad much, his choice not mine, and he wouldn't tell me where he lived for the last 15 years or so. He died last year completely destitute, renting a small spare room in a house, but refused to ask for help. I think his crazy Bohemian upbringing (he was born in Sounthern Czech republic) got the better of him. I saw him so happy in the big old house, i wish he could have seen out his days in a beautiful place like that.

 

[jocelyn plummer]

The house must be really special as your memories of it seem to have helped you to begin to come to terms with your loss. There is always a bright light shining somewhere. xx

 

[Penners]

between Ledbury and Hereford

Beautiful country around that area. Your dad was very fortunate to live there.

Did you take any photos of the house? If so, please let us see some.

 

[JayRexy]

Sounds look an amazing place...would love to see pictures if you have any

 

[LadyArowana]

Awwwww, rather a bittersweet story, but people make their own choices and sometimes you just have to respect that. Hold onto those happy memories.

 

[middi]

Awwwww, rather a bittersweet story, but people make their own choices and sometimes you just have to respect that. Hold onto those happy memories.

Absolutely. It would be so easy, and inappropriate, for anybody to question why some people make certain choices about how and why they led a life that would have not conformed to their own way of doing things. That's humans for you :wink:

Middi
Ps. until 3 months ago I lived in house called tan -farm -cottages ( they used to work leather curing and tanning).
I now live in a house, with various outbuildings and an Essex barn . I had to have a Bat and Newts survey report to accompany an application for convertion to domestic dwelling and, lucky for me, after paying £150 and 10 minutes nosing around a " specialist" he said " there is no bats or newts here". I thanked him for his visit and asked him about the implications if these kind of animal species were found . He (more or less) said " could present lots of delay and expense".
And then I put it to him, " if some human beings, without shelter, entered my outbuildings and barns I could easily, and by law, evict them, as soon as some bats or newts decide to squat in my outbuildings they become lawful residents, not only that ( I said), why can they P""ss off back to the dwellings the used to occupy before they decide to squat in my buildings. He did not comment, he just grinned.
Funny world we live in.
( anyway, I feel better now I have vented my frustration ( or lack of understanding )

 

[jocelyn plummer]

Evicting Bats and newts--what a good idea--- (not) I love your sense of humour Middi !

 

[FamilyWiggs]

No need to evict them.... just get a cat a few weeks before the inspector arrives...

 

[Penners]

But then you're faced with the problem of evicting the cat afterwards.

 

[LadyArowana]

But then you're faced with the problem of evicting the cat afterwards.

Awwwwww, and why would you want to do that to the cute little puddy tat? :wink:

 

[Penners]

Estimates of how many creatures are killed by cats each year vary significantly. The most recent figures are from the Mammal Society, which estimates that the UK's cats catch up to 275 million prey items a year, of which 55 million are birds.

I rest my case.

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Estimates of how many creatures are killed by cats each year vary significantly. The most recent figures are from the Mammal Society, which estimates that the UK's cats catch up to 275 million prey items a year, of which 55 million are birds.

I rest my case.

Imagine how overrun we'd be with 275 million more furry and feathery beasties loitering around, if it wasn't for the sterling efforts of our feline overlords?