Definitely for the Last Time

We are moving house, hopefully and even more hopefully for the last time. We are moving from a house we love for several reasons, one being concerned with heath issues, more at a later date.

I have never lived more than sixty miles from the place where I was born yet I seem to have lived in eighteen different establishments to date. From the village of Ockbrook in Derbyshire, taking in Leicester, Chesterfield, Grantham and Derby along the way. They have all been interesting in their own way. The best probably our present home, half of a nineteenth century farmhouse, the worst the changing rooms of a Church Youth Centre of which I was warden. The latter occupation somewhat secret and probably illegal but certainly cheap. No rent or rates to pay; saving on running costs, maximum; comfort minimal.

The Crewe Harpers are eccentric Derbyshire aristocracy who bequeathed their house, Calke Abbey to the nation in lieu of death duties in the 1980's. On taking up the reins so to speak The National Trust were astounded at the contents of the place,uncatalogued and uncared for.
The various occupants had collected nay hoarded much over centuries. As the place filled they seemed to have merely moved rooms and the place was large enough to do so. A bed in a large box, a present from royalty arrived in 1734. It was only opened on the Trusts acquisition of Calke in 1984. Much of the place had become a 19th century museum of fossils,taxidermy and Egyptian curiosities. The kitchens were abandoned in 1928. The School Rooms were never used after the Second World War yet books and toys were still everywhere

Truly the kings of all hoarders and collectors I salute you. And where is this leading you may well ask. My parentage is, to say the least, obscure. I've always suspected my father was at least aristocracy. The Crewe and Harper's eccentric behaviour plus talk of the family having an eccentric 'gene' leads me to one inescapable conclusion. I too have never knowingly thrown anything away in my entire life. I always check the dustbins before removal lest my wife has deposited in them something of value, more importantly, something of mine, deliberately or otherwise. 'Daddy' was definitely aristocracy, I knew it!

Our house is moderately large, the bungalow we are moving to is relatively small. The house is a three storey building, we have lived here for ten years and every room is full of treasures and furniture lovingly collected. The loft, exceedingly large is also full to capacity and, like the Crewe Harpers I also have a 'museum'. I walk round my house and garden, blank paper in hand and begin the stock take, so to speak. Watch this space.