We just leave ours set up now Harvey even when the little car goes we will leave the Estate and van on d/d. Even changing address and notifying them was not a problem.
I think we did that one year had the money so paid for the year but now pay monthly you can forget about it and they remind you by email that it needs renewing but need do nothing if paying d/d monthly it just rolls on.

We had a lovely walk this morning in the park Dillon and myself. He met a lovely dog he had a little run around with and said hello to a few others to.
Then he spent most of the morning in the garden and had fun running about and scrapping in the shingle and doing silly little jumps.
Think he is a much happier boy here.
Decided to give the kitchen a good trial today made 1 of 2 Christmas cakes. always like if I can to make one for our friend Don with Huntington's he does love his Christmas cake I make him.
Brilliant nice to have the mixer out all the time not having to root in cupboards to hoik it out. Loads of space to have all the ingredients out to. Tomorrow or Thursday will make ours even if a little late.
Must try to get the parcel to Madrid posted tomorrow hate to think how much it will cost. Only small pots of jams and chutneys and toiletries and chocolate. Quite heavy though and have two to post.

Wonder why the bus company are being such scrooges this year griff.

Lynn, lovely to hear Dillon is so happy. I have no idea why the company are being funny.... it's not fair really, if people don't want to participate..they don't have to, many don't but it is nice to see the different jumpers, especially for the children... and the fact that I bought Steve 2 utterly awesome jumpers

Bah humbug isn't it ? Like you say if you don't wish to participate then ok. When I lived in Harlow the bus drivers use to wear Christmas hats I always thought it was lovely and made me smile even if I was feeling miserable some days and yes the children love it and that who Christmas is for.
Insult to injury re: the jumpers.

It is lovely for Dillon he being 7 now and a veteran we make the most of every day with him as we are fully aware re: the breed he is an old man and we feel blessed to of had this long considering our losing Max our first big dog at 41/2 not a Bernese then Ollie the Bernese at the same age. Plus a lot of people I know with the breed are losing them far to early one the other day 8 months due to tetanus.
So for us to have a park for him to use for the rest of his days be a dog and socialise and just be happy is so lovely to watch.
To be able to give him back almost what we had when had to leave Harlow and the park outside the door makes us very happy.

It's strange isn't it how our main consideration when moving or buying a car is the dog/s.

When we moved here, although we very much wanted it too, my then two dogs' requirements were top of the list. A nice sized garden, fully fenced and private being paramount.

Rosie is my 'lucky' dog. We are both retired and only in extreme circumstances is she left home alone. She goes absolutely everywhere with us and the rewards we get in return is one very happy, easy little lady who is part of us.

Always the same with us Chris. We do go out but not a great deal as we would if we didn't have a dog. We never holiday unless it's dog friendly and Dillon and our previous dogs could come with us.
If not we have some days out some on our own some with Dillon.
Cars also the same must make sure at least one is Dillon friendly.

Most my pair are left is 4 hours and that is very very rare...any car purchase has to reflect the fact that the dogs need to get to the vet
Next door neighbour has just knocked, her sister has been diagnosed with cancer and was due surgery, her consultant has advised that someone stay with her overnight...i think she's going to pass away...she has left me the keys to her house .... I didn't know what to say, I am the worst person in that situation...so I just hugged her and said it would be o.k...i didn't know what else to say

It's incredibly difficult Griff, you're not the only one, I think any of us with any sense of sympathy will find it difficult.


As you know when we moved here we had neanderthal man on one side and on the other side two lovely people. He died from brain tumour nine months after we moved in, I had barely got to know him and I just didn't know what to say.

It must be so saisfying for you to see him sniffing around and meeting other dogs and the park is ideal for you. As others have said I can tell you are settling in well and while it's been a long slog you got there in the end

There's not really much you can say and what does come out of our mouths is nothing more than platitudes.

If only emotion and feeling could be put into words.

The one thing in life that's never easy to deal with is death and yet it comes to us all eventually

I think that horrible virus thingy is still with me Going to have a paracetemol and very early bed, hopefully feel better tomorrow, goodnight all