April 2026. Waterbeach.
A week ago we were on our way down south for our last overnight stay in Mum and Dad’s Waterbeach cottage; a year’s stay without a TV and internet, a month sleeping on a mattress on the ground. A mattress covered in crispy beef and Singapore rice that last night before we took it to the tip the next morning and left the house empty, and immaculately clean.
Given that Mrs RM had spent till midnight cleaning her father-in-laws house, while I cleared the garden sheds, we were glad to hear the new residents of Sunnyside appreciated our efforts.
We’d have been down in the campervan or anyway to see Dad in his care home, but to satisfy the onerous insurance requirements I had to spend two nights a week inside. And I did, taking photos each week.
House moves are always stressful. Our own move from Waterbeach during lockdown, with a risk of sale collapse over a tree and no pubs open, was bad enough.
But visiting someone else’s house nearly 3 hours away for a year while the chain collapsed twice ran it close.
Unlike, it seemed, everyone else in the village, I hold no particular affection for Sunnyside. It’s just a (very nice) house. I’m glad a young family are moving in again.
They’re from Waterbeach, so they hopefully won’t need to be told about the appeal of the kebab van, or Chung Hwa, or the lasagne in the Pharmacie cafe, where we had lunch before one last check on the doors and a trip home hoping those exchange and completion dates would hold.
Luckily, they did.
retiredmartin 
I can see why people love the house. Beautiful village, great location on the green and lots of character. And what a garden.
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My sister did a good job on the garden, looked really nice in the Spring sun.
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Well done Mr and Mrs R M…. it looks like you’ve done a grand job!
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Grand job indeed!
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It’s not easy to say goodbye to your parents’ home, no matter the circumstances.
My thoughts are with you.
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Beautiful home. Well done on your efforts keeping it great for the newcomers.
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Great to hear everything worked out after your anxious monitoring of the phone for news during last Tuesday’s pub research trip.
I remember the joy of cancelling the complex unoccupied house insurance, satisfaction of knowing I’d not have to tend to the garden again, and relief that everything went through and new folk would look after my mum’s place in Devon. One less thing to worry about.
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They don’t teach you these things at school do they?
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There are a lot of useful life skills that are not taught at school, even though they should be. Might some of it be down to teachers being much younger, than they were in our (my?) day.
It’s never easy saying goodbye to a former family home, even when family members are no longer occupying the place, but it’s good to read that a young family will be taking over the tenure.
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I phoned them up today and was amazed to get a refund that will pay for 10 pints in Spoons. Not sure I’ll get Dad to Spoons to drink 10 pints though.
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Congrats on finally selling! It is such a lovely home & garden. We really enjoyed our visits with your mum & dad on their patio. Joan
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If you drive past again you’ll be free to just pop in; I added a covenant to the contract giving Southworths free access to the garden in perpertuity.
Wait till you see the view from our Sheffield garden, Joan !
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Very pleased to hear that things are sorted on the house front.
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Thanks Ian. I know a lot of folk are familiar with the stresses.
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