The Beginning Of My Big Move To Shetland

 

On Friday 28th April, Ian Reid's Removal Firm from Shetland arrived at around 8.30am. I could write tons about that day and on Thursday, but far too tired right now. In summary I was still packing all day on Thursday, through the night and still whilst the removal team of four men had arrived! They had a job to reverse their lorry into my little road, made even more difficult by two cars parked up just opposite the corner, when I had popped very polite letters in all the doors in the street, to ask everyone to kindly keep the street clear from 8am. This post is written badly, but too tired to write it any better right now, sorry!

It was so lovely to see people arriving from Unst in Shetland! Apart from Barry (in the blue top) who came from Aberdeen. I couldn't believe the strength of what they could carry! I calmly pointed out, that my biggest plant was a "two man job" and Barry carried it by himself with seemingly no effort!

The removal firm were brilliant and I never thought that all my worldly goods and all my mother's plants would have fitted in that lorry, but they did and with space to spare. They packed up that lorry like a jigsaw and far quicker than I thought they would and left at 1.10pm. I locked the house and just laid on the kitchen/diner floor for about an hour – couldn't do anything else, I was completely exhausted. Got up and had to do a run to the local tip with loads of unused boxes and other stuff. Returned home, had a shower and was in my new camp bed with sleeping bag by 5.15pm!!! I couldn't even write the birds news up, which I have never failed to do ever, until that evening!

Got up this morning, my body and brain was dying, that's how I felt, but had to carry on. Quick shower and then picked up Sarah's B's hoover and mop from just up the road and returned to clean my house. Went to the tip with another run of cardboard boxes and other stuff. Went to Skoda to get my car tyres checked etc and then picked up Lucy and Vivien and went to Castle Rising Tea Rooms for my leaving lunch, which was particularly scrumptious. Just as we were leaving and almost in the car park, I turned to hear someone running with open arms and shouting "Penny" – it was Rhiannon from work (that was), who I absolutely adore – she had been sitting on the pub nearby and had seen me, so ran over to say goodbye again!

I then took Lucy and Vivien to my house, where they were both taken back a bit, seeing my empty house. Stayed here for a short while and then took Vivien to the train station and Lucy back home. I was emotional several times today with my sisters, its very difficult to cope with right now. I then went into town to do some essential things, including the Vodafone shop as my iPhone Pro Max 13 is playing up massively, what at time for that to happen!!! They couldn't solve the issue – long story short..... if you try and ring someone and they don't reply, the phone goes black and you can't stop/finish the call – plus you can't switch the phone off either! The only way to get the phone back working, is to sit in the car and phone any random person via the Bluetooth/car handsfree system, which then results in the phone working again – very strange indeed! So this will be fine for my long car journey, but not on the 14 hour ferry to Lerwick! If I had known my phone was going to start playing up, I would have gone to the Apple store in Norwich, to buy a new one, too late now! Went to buy supplies for tomorrow. I was too late for my car wash and hoover, so will go in the morning when they open. Returned home and swept up the patio from where all the plant pots have been removed and had a general tidy up.

This evening I visited my very dear family/friends Malcolm and Eileen W. who live at Heacham and my favourite neighbours ever, Anne and Lewis in Dersingham (they lived next door to me where I am now and they moved only a matter of months ago. I got home very late and then wrote up the blog! Good night. I have to finish tidying and clearing the house tomorrow after the car wash and then leaving here and heading for my first part of the journey to Aberdeen and staying in Dunbar for the evening. My internet services here stops today, so don't know if I will be able to post anything later this evening or not. My new internet service commences on Tuesday 2nd May when I arrive off the ferry in Lerwick. At 10am on the Tuesday, Ian Reid will deliver all my house contents! Shattered, good night!