It reminds me that I do miss gas, though – for cooking. Halogen is going to take a while of getting used to.

The garden furniture you got us, what seems like aeons ago, is much better suited in this garden – so thanks again for that.

Daylesford is expensive, but good quality – if you do head over, you can ask for me in the Strawbarn offices at the shop and I’ll unshackle myself from my desk! As long as I’m not in a meeting.

And there’s a sentence I never thought I’d write :o)

When we move to the Tithe Barn we had a 2,500 litre steel oil tank in a blockwork bund filling half the garage, and an oil-fired boiler and Aga. So I had the tank filled with oil.

Then, as the weeks went by, the oil level slipped down and the price of oil spiralled upwards, and I consoled myself with the thought that the remaining oil represented a large liquid asset that grew in value as the prices rose. I was a mini oil baron, right here in Wingrave.

But mains gas was nearby so we got ourselves connected and replaced the large smelly oil-guzzling boiler in the utility room with a condensing gas boiler in the garage. So far so good. The next job was to re-fit the kitchen, and replace the oil Aga with a gas one. It was easy enough to work out how much oil we needed to last us till the work started, and all was going well till the Aga broke down. In an instant my asset became a liability. An awkward, expensive, hard to shift liability. There’s not a lot you can do with heating oil if you don’t have an appliance top burn it. The oil supplier won’t buy it back because it might have water or dirt in it. Moving it requires not only a special vehicle but also license that only the oil suppliers have.

After about a year of research and asking around I found a friend in the village who was prepared to buy the oil for half its value, and an oil tank removal guy in Swindon who was prepared to come all the way here, move the oil (within the village, while no-one was looking)and remove the tank and blockwork, albeit for about twice the value of the oil.
So, next time you find yourself with not enough oil, just be really glad that you haven’t got too much!
Patrick

Huge congratulations to you, Stella and the cat. Stokes? Many thanks for sending us the entertaining history of your move.

Maggie.