One of the things we always planned to do when we found our forever home was to become somewhat self-sufficient with veg and fruit. I say “somewhat” because I’ve had an allotment before and discovered how challenging self-sufficiency really is. The allotmenteers next to me were pretty much self-sufficient, but they were also ruthlessly efficient, … Continue reading Planning the veg garden
Taking on a large house and garden restoration project is quite intimidating, and from the start I knew we wouldn’t be able to do it alone. Carl and Roxy, two of the hardest-working gardeners I’ve ever met, have cleared the walled garden at the front of the house; peeling back decades of neglect to reveal … Continue reading Seeking inspiration
F and I have been dreaming of our big project for 12 years. When we got together one of the things that united us was a shared dream to build or restore our own home. Both of us grew up in families where self-build, sustainability, DIY and vegetable gardening were common themes. My parents bought … Continue reading Where to start
When we decided to buy this place, we didn’t commission a survey of the buildings, but we did fork out for a survey of the trees. With the house, there was so much wrong a survey would have been largely pointless; the roof is threadbare and collapsing, the interior is a horror show (more of … Continue reading Getting to know our trees
Drought and the cost of living crisis add an unsettling backdrop to our third week in Cornwall. Continue reading Just do some work
In which I realise that restoring an old house is an endless series of fortuitous discoveries involving stone, plants, objects and people.
Continue reading Fortuitous discoveries
We have been properly resident in Cornwall for almost a week and, as I lie here in bed, knackered, looking out at the beautiful green of the yew tree, I’d say it hasn’t even begun to sink in yet. We’ve done all the admin stuff: new doctor, dentist, vet, set up direct debits for the … Continue reading Week One
Southend Beach, 6pm. It’s grey but warm and muggy. Families in beautiful dresses sway along the beach and the promenade, seemingly worn out from celebration. Groups of young men congregate on the sea wall, grinning and japing. We’re sitting on the wall too, eating ice lollies and chucking balls up and down the promenade for … Continue reading Happy Eid
I’ve drawn this card twice in three days, so I guess I’d better pay attention. I’m the dickhead in the cloak, mournfully surveying all I’ve lost. In this case, what looks like wine could equally be blood. I’m nearly a year into full-blown perimenopause, and the symptoms still knock me sideways on more days than … Continue reading The dickhead in the cloak
Every day in lockdown nothing happens, or that’s what you tell yourself. Then you think back and realise: a thousand things happened, and I noticed every detail of every one of them. The gritty feel of the sand in my shoes that I couldn’t be bothered to tip out after the last walk on the … Continue reading Lockdown blues
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