Opening thoughts...

It started at 8pm on Wednesday 2^nd February 2011, a moment I shall remember always!

I was with Mark at the local Indian Takeaway waiting for our supper to be prepared when the call came…

Mark answered the ‘phone and a smile crossed his face as he heard “I would like to offer you the post if you would like to accept it…” and there started what is probably going to be one of the biggest adventures of my life, and one which I want to document as it progresses.  Not for self-gratification or publication (although as to the latter who knows what may eventually happen to this script) but more to help me organise my thoughts and actions in readiness for the momentous move (or should I more correctly say “upheaval”) which is about to take place, and to maintain a record of initial emotions, the ups and downs I am already experiencing, and subsequent events.

To put this in perspective and by way of a brief background, my partner Mark, is a teacher of English, a brilliant and passionate one so far as I am concerned (but I guess this opinion has a little bias attached) who has been achieving singularly impressive results in the private secondary sector for the past however many years.  However, he came up against “in-house” difficulties at his last position, the precise details of which are not relevant here, but suffice it to say that had a badly debilitating effect on him with the result that he has spent the past six months attempting to regain his health and confidence in order to continue and further his career.

On the other hand, I have always been a practical type of person and especially since I became semi-retired, I have preferred to get busy in the garden or with DIY rather than becoming too absorbed in in-depth reading and writing. Give me a spade and fork, a plot of ground and I’m very happy producing a crop of vegetables for our home consumption and we achieved a very successful project at home, including the erection of a greenhouse kindly given to us by our neighbour.  We produced excellent results which has virtually supplied all our vegetables and, indeed, some fruit over the past two years.  This I will surely miss…

However, I am rambling...  enough for now. I will return.