Well, the Internet is not infallible. So much for the hawthorn. Mind you, stinging nettle is quite tasty as it turns out. Not sure what it does for me. Kidneys I think. I might give it to the dog who seems to be drinking rather a lot.
Yesterday, a man put up a SOLD sign outside my next door neighbour's house. I had no idea she was selling, though she does stay with her boyfriend much of the time. When I saw her she told me that she had it valued (£40k more than I had thought mine was worth, but taking that into account, maybe mine is worth £30k more than I thought) and put it on the market and it sold the next day!
Selfishly, I just hope the new neighbours have only one car and park it tidily. Turns out it's a single man who has part custody of his kid.
I cleaned my today, as it was mild and almost sunny. As I was doing so, I saw an elderly man peering into the window of the sold house. He saw me looking at him and came over. apparently he had something of a passion for the wife of the couple who owner that house before the one who has just sold it, if you follow me.
She was called Wendy. I knew her quite well. She died of cancer maybe ten years ago and her husband Terry died in maybe 2017. Cancer too, I think. This man, Chris, who is 79 and still works, doing security because he can't live on his pension, wanted to take Wendy out. She would never take him up on the offer.
He said his wife left him 42 years ago when his three sons and daughter were still quite young. They emigrated to Australia. Chris told me he used to be in the pub opposite my house (it's not a pub any more) all the time and his wife had had enough. He was never violent, se said, it's just that he spent so much money on the booze. He doesn't drink now, he said. Only a small brandy every now and then.
It seems he's been alone ever since. With that unrequited passion for Wendy.
'Bless you,' he said to me and left. Walking down the road in his hi-vis security jacket, a world of memories and regrets and just getting on with it.
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