Prequel pt2. Village Gossip.

I've always lived in this village, apart of a second generation now, and never spent any real length of time away from it. We are lucky here when I look around at what we have, we've got this lovely Wood which I could play in all day when I was younger. We moved from whats now an over populated area of the village to the quieter end when my grandmother died. I digress.

Unbeknown to me at the time, two doors from where I sit in my armchair with Dexter curled at my feet, (though with no pipe and smoking jacket) lived (and still is) a woman who in the years to come would literally change my life.

Her name is Angela, a divorcee, an accountant, mother to two children and a fanatical horse owner. She had two dogs Rosie an Old English Sheep Dog, (RIP Rosie) and Pepsi a Border Terrier. Amanda has an infectious smile too that would warm the coldest of hearts, (cheesy to say I know!) and she's 13 years and 5 days my senior.

The way our street is set out you never see the neighbours, except passing them in the car. So I never really saw Angela when I was growing up.

As in any village you'd expect some form of gossip. Ours is no different, typically the hub of the gossip a few years back was the village shop, around 99.9% of it was just idle and unproductive as you'd expect. I never liked the gossip squad as there'd be a postmortem on the most trivial of things, and if someone farted there'd be shite all over the village. It was also the source of some rumours that were just quite simply out of this world.

One bit of gossip that did get thrust upon me was; that Amanda who was having a loft conversion on her home at the time was having a few problems with the builders. I got persuaded to knock on her door and offer to see if I could help. So that night I did, totally unannounced, and at that time not really knowing much about her either.

It was a dark drizzly night about 7pm and the curtains were drawn. She opened the door still dressed in her work wears, eating a bacon sandwich. I introduced myself (sounds odd  as we lived two doors apart) and if I could offer any help with the work she was having done, the relief on her face said it all. She invited me in and showed me what had been done.

To be honest it would be more accurate to say what hadn't been done, It was truly shocking to see, the level of finesse was really something else. I couldn't see how Amanda and her two kids were living there with the work being done. On top of what hadn't been done, the neanderthals who were doing the work, were treating the house as there's, using the cooking facility's, watching TV and smoking throughout the house.

The one thing that touched me when I was looking at the house was that Amanda appeared to be at breaking point with what had been done. Autumn had just set in and she had no heating upstairs.

I left a list of things that needed to be addressed with the 'builders' and told her to let me know if I could help with any of it. I felt a total let down as I left that night, knowing what they were doing and knowing in reality it would take more than a cheery conversation to put it all right.

A few weeks passed and I was again in the shop. I was told Amanda's house had been burgled. I couldn't believe it and instantly had my suspicions who was had done it. Knowing what she was living in I thought I'd drop by and ask if she needed anything, just to be neighbourly if nothing else.

It would be another nine months till I would cross path's with Amanda again.

Prequel pt1: Myself and the area where I live.

I live in a village in rural Northumberland, nestled between the Coast and the roaming hills of Simonside to the West and the Cheviot's to the North.


We have stunning view's of the Northumberland Coast, from my window you can see from Coquet Island down the coast to Gosforth, and across to Pontop Pike the TV transmitter station in neighbouring County Durham.


When I left school I became an apprentice Carpenter & Joiner with Northumberland Estates in Alnwick, the home of the Percy family, later finding work with a local builder. I've also done extensive volunteer work during 2003-2006, recently turning back to it now once again. I'm now a self employed Carpenter & Joiner offering a bespoke service, oh how simple life used to be! I have keen interests in walking, cycling, running, exploring new places, and pottering about! I have two brother's and a Border Terrier dog called Dexter.


The aim of me writing this short blog, is to tell my story; everyone has one to tell, and hopefully put a few ghost's to bed along the way. I would love to hear your feedback on it! It's not intended to upset anyone although, I don't intend to spare any blushes...myself included :-)