Alright, summer’s over, back to work everyone

We were up early on Friday laden with 100kgs of luggage as we dragged ourselves up to the bus stop, stopping off for coffee and a last cornetti on the way. We flew via Düsseldorf, landed in Birmingham, collected the hire car and drove 2 hours to the hotel in Stockton Heath. The hotel was lovely and we had free access to their well equipped gym and swimming pool, which we promised ourselves we’d use every day. Let’s see about that!

On Saturday morning we had breakfast, a full English (which was to become quite the regular affair!), relaxed a bit then walked into Stockton Heath town. It was a lovely 45min walk through country paths and woods, quite different and far better than we’d expected. We went into the local pub which was one of those which plays Sky Sports on a Saturday afternoon (you know the type 😉 and ended up staying all afternoon. Hungry, we left to find a place to eat, had a lovely dinner (more wine!), listened to some live music then staggered home.

On Sunday we found a lovely pub just around the corner where we had a Sunday roast, then on Monday morning (after a run) the house viewings started. We got blown out at the first two, the second was a horror, but thankfully the third was exactly what we wanted, and on a good bus route to Tom’s office. In the afternoon the company I’d been interviewing with called me; they wanted me in for an interview on Wednesday, eeeek! Even more exciting was they asked me to do a case study, which in typical fashion I massively over thought and spent all of Tuesday working on, only having a break when we went for cake and coffee. That same day we also put in an offer on the apartment, which was accepted. The challenge now would be convincing the landlord that we were trustworthy, with Tom having no credit history nor previous address. Hmmm!

When we left Spain I got rid of most of my work clothes, and although I could cobble together an outfit I really needed some shoes. In a last minute rush on Tuesday night we drove to the Cheshire Oaks shopping centre, arriving 20mins before it closed and managed to pick up a pair of sensible black heals as they were locking the doors.

Wednesday, interview day! Their office is near Old Street tube station so it’s a fairly easy (albeit long) journey to Euston then a few stops on the Northern line. The building, called White Coller Factory(!!) was easy to find. I signed in and nervously sat in reception waiting to be collected. The interview seemed to go pretty well, and I headed back to Tom Up North and had a much needed few glasses of wine. They’d told me I was the last to be interviewed so I could expect a decision this week. Now I really needed somewhere to live. I’d secretly been banking on my sister having me to stay, and the angel that she is meant she said yes.

Thursday, Tom’s first day at work. Expectantly waiting for a call from the company I couldn’t settle so sat in the hotel room watching morning TV. Just after lunch I got The Phone Call – and they offered me the job! A 6 month contract starting one week today. I’ve never been so happy – and so utterly sad – about getting a new job. On one hand I was excited to be working again and at a fun sounding company, but on the other I was going to desperately miss Tom!

That evening we had dinner in the hotel (we were getting sick of eating out now) then walked to a pub down the road called the Cat and Lion. We were only planning on having a quick drink but were quickly strong-armed into joining their Halloween quiz, which was loads of fun but with only 2 on our team we came second to last living up to our team name, Norfolk and Chance. 😀

Friday Tom was back in the office, and for me it was a day of chores mainly figuring out how best to setup a Limited company (as that was the only way this company could employ me as a contractor) and getting Tom signed up for the new apartment.  It’s becoming brutally clear that the transient nomadic lifestyle is directly at odds with trying to achieve anything back in the real world. For example, the background checking  systems simply can’t cope with us not being UK residents, having no fixed address for the previous 7 months, being unemployed, having a Spanish mobile phone number and Dutch bank accounts.

On Saturday we drove into Chester, a lovely old town surrounded by a very old city wall. Although the new apartment is furnished, it lacks bedding and towels but a trip to M&S quickly resolved that. This weekend was Bonfire Night, so we went to watch some fireworks at Spooky World, Tom’s first ever Guy-forks! We thought we’d walk there as it didn’t look very far on the map, however it turned out to involve dark country lanes with no pavements then a 20 minute walk up the drive to Spooky World itself. We arrived just on time as the huge bonfire had just been lit, and it was quite the spectacle as the wind blew smoke and burning embers into the hoards of onlookers. No-one seemed to mind though, but Tom and I walked around to be further out of the way. It was a good move though as we ended up with front row seats to the fireworks, a bit too good as it turned out. We were far too close and kept being hit with shrapnel as they exploded above our heads. After a great show and escaping third degree burns we walked to a pub for dinner then headed home.

On Sunday we went into Liverpool, walked around the docks and visited a couple of the museums. On the way back, another first for Tom – a carvery! Think of it as a Sunday roast buffet where it’s mandatory to pile your plate as high as physics will allow with food then attempt to eat it all without throwing up.

After breakfast, Monday was a day of more chores. Not being UK residents meant Companies House refused my application to form a Limited company so we had to seek the help of an intermediary. To add to the excitement, we had exactly 24 hours to get it finalised otherwise I wouldn’t be starting work on Wednesday. The started the big pack in preparation of moving.

In the evening we moved Tom into the apartment, stopping by B&Q on the way to pick up some bits and pieces to make it feel more homely. Yes, I insisted on a rug. We decided to go back to the hotel and stay the night there, purely driven by greed and a desire to have just one more full English breakfast!

On Tuesday I traveled to my sisters in London, but not before having a monumental, “What the hell are we actually doing?” moment. Was this really the right thing? Yes the money would be great but was it the right thing for Tom and I? We agreed that all we could do was try and see how we got on. After dropping Tom at work and having a little cry, I tried (and failed) to collect some train tickets we’d booked for next weekend and stopped off to buy some flowers and a little teddy as a surprise for when he got home. Awww 🙂 I also attempted to re-pack my bag, leaving some non-essentials in the flat so it wasn’t so freakin’ heavy but after 3 attempts and it seemingly just getting heavier with each re-pack, I gave up. I drove the 2 hours back to Birmingham to drop off the hire car and catch the train.

I arrived in bustling London and went via the agency who were attempting to run some background checks; they needed certified copies of all my official documents. The company I’ll be working for is FSA regulated so require every candidate to go through some very rigorous background checks. How they’ll manage with me I’ve no clue, but I gave them as much info as I could then walked back to London Bridge, with the bag now cutting into the shoulders.

I caught the train to Grove Park and walked to my sisters house. She’s an absolute star having me to stay. We haven’t lived together since I was 16 and we’ve not seen much of each other since I moved abroad so it’ll be really nice to spend some time with her and the children. In the evening we had dinner together and I got an early night in an attempt to be fresh for my first half week at work.

The week went well, the journey is manageable and the people are really nice. I’ve not been running once, and I haven’t been getting home until gone 1945 – two things I want to change next week.

If you made it this far then congratulations, and thanks for sticking with me! Over the next few months we’ll write a couple of updates so keep an eye out for them, then normal service will resume once we’re back on the water.