Where I live

Updated to add: I have conquered the photo issue. It has taken hours. But here are some photos!!

I was going to take you on a tour of my neighbourhood today for Kathleen's wonderful idea of visiting each other's neighbourhoods. However, blogger has decided that it will not load my photos. It is driving me crackers, and as a result, I am not all sweetness and light and smiling. Absolutely not. What America may not realise, by the way, because you are, after all, in America, is that when you all wake up, the internet around the world slows down. In our mornings, it is zippy and fast. By lunch time it has slowed to a crawl, and by night time....... a tortoise would look like Lewis Hamilton. Now, provided that the slowing down is for reasons I appreciate, like everyone posting interesting posts on their wonderful blogs, I am quite happy!But when I can't load photos, reason and calm desert me. Sigh. Patience was never one of my strong points. You may be gathering this as I speak. I am working on it. I promise!

I have photos. I will post them in the mornings in dribs and drabs. Or find an axe. Maybe you need to take back that you make me smile award after all, Susan!

The Square

I live in the centre of England, in a village. It should really be called a town, as there are about 6000 people living here, but we like to be a village. Those of you who have been to England will know that villages are very close to each other, and as we live on a hill, I can see about 5 other villages from the end of the road. The church spires are the defining points! We are surrounded by countryside and farms, and there are public paths all through the fields, so we can walk down to the river, and along the canal, and round the lakes.

This village has a church tower which is over 1000 years old, and some of the houses are very old too.

There has been a lot of development in recent years and more houses are being built even now. The village is centred round the Square, where we have our shops. There is a chemist, which has a gift shop, museum, tearoom, bank and heaven knows what else in it, a patchwork shop, a florist, a costume hire shop, many hairdressers, a beauty parlour, a post office, a DIY shop, estate agents, photographers, supermarket, corner shop, bakery, butcher, take aways (chinese, indian and fish and chips), a coffee shop (which makes wonderful paninis and great coffee too!),

The coffee shop

accountants, a doggy parlour, electrical shop, and a restaurant. Doctors and dentists, and chiropracters. A library, and infant school (4-7) and a junior school (7-11) and play groups and a nursery. We have 4 churches, and numerous societies and clubs. A Cricket club, football clubs, tennis courts and a bowling green.

The "rec" - recreation ground

There is a huge recreation ground with play equipment for children, a skateboard ramp and basketball court. There is an industrial area as well. We have 3 farm shops to the north, south and east of the village.

One of the farm shops

It is the sort of place where I can phone Michael at the corner shop if I am ill, and he will deliver anything I need. Or phone the butcher, who makes hot meals every day and delivers them to people who order them.

The old gates to the Infant School.... can you see the separate gates for boys and girls?? Thankfully, they are not in use now!

Children start school at 4 here. Much earlier than I was used to when we moved here. And at 4, they are at school from 9-3.30, after 6 weeks of half days to get used to it. Houses and gardens are small, generally, and can be in terraces (all joined together) or semi-detached, which means 2 are joined together, or detached. Standing alone. Bungalows are single-storey houses, and houses are double-storey. This is a small island, and it has 60 million people on it. We are running out of space.

I love this row of terraced houses overlooking the fields in the valley. I have always wanted to paint them. One day.

Most people walk around the village. Nothing is too far away, and there are paths through the houses to make walking easy. I have friends all over the village, and we are a cosmopolitan crew. I know I have written about this before. I know people from Singapore, Canada, South Africa, France, Holland, New Zealand, Australia, India, Jamaica, Austria who live in the village.

Telephone box

And yes, we have red letterboxes to post our letters in, and there is still a red telephone box in the Square. I can't remember when last I saw anyone use it, but before the advent of mobile phones, it was very popular! Milk is still delivered on electric milk floats before dawn.

The post office (and red letter box) next to the fish and chip shop.

And this is the road I live in. Our home is not one of the old ones. I think it was built in the 70's, and is a detached house. We have lived here for 17 years now, and have altered it extensively during that time. I sacrificed most of the garden to create more living space when Mum and Dad came to live with us nearly 10 years ago.

So there you have it. This is where I live. It will be very different to most of your home towns, I know. It is very different to the place I grew up in as well. I love this village. It is home now.