All I Want is a Room Somewhere

Aha! There you are! So we went on our 330 mile round trip to Oxford yesterday and lived to tell the tale. I'm so glad we went to have a look at the property options avaliable to us rather than just shrugging and saying "whatever" as our views were very clear-cut.

The cottage in Wheatley will, I think, be completely wrong. It's a converted barn, very nicely done with exposed brickwork and high beamed ceilings. Nice house, but the wrong location. First of all, it's a long way from the college, a 10 minute drive or an hour or so to walk, and with Paul and I really keen to involve ourselves in the community there'd be no popping to 10pm compline on a whim or staying up in the common room until the small hours. Worse than that is the roads. It's set on an apex of two busy roads - the main road into Wheatley at the front, the A40 dual carriageway at the back right off the garden. If we took the cats there they would come to a sticky end for sure.

The flat in the college was a complete contrast. We thought that being on the second floor would make it difficult for us to take the cats, but there's no door at the bottom of the stairwell, it just opens up into the gardens. The flat next door have a cat, and he seemed very happy and friendly, he even came into the one we were looking at to help us have a look around. It's unfurnished and plenty spacious enough for our furniture, and the view out the back is breathtaking. I couldn't imagine anywhere more perfect.

But... there's a but. We don't get to choose. David takes our views into account and goes away to piece together the very complicated jigsaw he is managing. He told us quietly that he's 75% sure we'll be able to have the flat. He should be able to let us know next week.

Meanwhile... things are coming together on what Paul is to do while I am training. Technically, the church expect him to work and contribute his earnings to my grant. However, we've asked for dispensation for him to study too. He'll be taking an ICT level 3 in Oxford or Abingdon, the plan being that by the time we return to Devon he'll be able to either set up his own business or get an IT support job somewhere. To me, it makes much more sense than him getting another driving or warehousing job which is going nowhere. We'll see what the Diocese say.

In other news, I spoke to the Solicitor on Friday. She thinks our buyers aren't moving particularly quickly. They're getting the mortgage sorted but have not paid conveyancing fees to their Solicitors as yet.

Looks like we could be in Devon a little while longer.