MOVING DAY!

After packing, I had a shower and washed my hair and sat watching out of my bedroom window with a coffee in hand, for anyone potentially intending to park in the area the lorry needed to be. At just before 8am, two kind neighbours who I had previously asked, moved their cars and now the 45ft was available for the lorry. I flew outside to stand in this area to try and save this space for the lorry. I was freezing cold standing here as not dressed properly for the cold start to the day. I suddenly noticed that all my polite and reasonably worded notices had mysteriously been removed and thrown into my NHS communual garden, I wonder who that was?! A small vehicle turned up at 8.30 with two of Ian Reid's staff, apologising that the lorry would not start and they needed to send another one out and this would take about half an hour. This stressed me out further as I knew I to stay outside to try and keep the space there. Whilst waiting, a couple of the moving team loaded all my plants in pots into their small white van. The main articulated lorry turned up and they started packing at 9.30am. Because they were now an hour and a half behind and I knew they three moves in total today, Jill and I both ended up helping, which didn't do either of us any good with aches and pains the following day. I lost count of how many times we walked up and downstairs in my house and up and down the 10+ concrete steps to the pavement level to get to the lorry. We had four removal men to begin with and then two left to start doing the second job. The weather was fairly good and only a little wind, but by the time we were packing the last things it started to lightly rain and the weather looked turbulent!

Jill and I went in her car with my camera gear and important paper work stuff etc and followed the lorry to Scalloway. On the way there the rain quickly turned torrential and the wind picked up. The lorry had a real job backing up the steep hill and into the driveway in the wet conditions. Jill and I got drenched taking all the stuff out of her car and then Jill left to go and pick up one of her cats from the vets, I am so grateful for all Jill's hard work, but more than that her support and just being there at a very difficult time. I couldn't lift another thing, I was done in completely. The removal team of four had to empty the lorry in torrential rain, which was awful for them and everything came into the house wet. I directed as to which rooms all the boxes went and it was all done by just before 6pm. Ian Reid's team had to catch a certain ferry back to Unst where they are based and were unable to unload my big plant collection, so my plants had to go on a little trip to Unst!!! They said they would deliver them tomorrow when I was at work. When they left I collapsed on the sofa.

There are far more boxes than I imagined it would look like in this 2 bed cottage, but I know that everything will fit in when its all unpacked. I know exactly what I am doing with the house and which order, so it will be ok in the end. It felt good to finally be here. I was completely and utterly exhausted. I had to push myself massively to get the bed made up and also managed to have a shower. I had to be up early in the morning to catch the bus to work.