Funny how.....

…..things always work out for the best! I cracked last night and told Lydia that I had someone in mind for her house. She was overjoyed and rang Janey immediately. But Janey knocked her back! She said “no offence but couldn’t live that close to my cousin, I want to cut the family apron strings after I’m married”. I mean, I’m officially offended but also hugely relieved! Especially as Lydia got home from work tonight beaming from ear to ear. She had posted a “flat/house share wanted” notice on the staff noticeboard just this morning and an hour later was offered the full run of a town-house in Beckenham.

The owner – Julia - works away a lot so Lydia would more or less have the place to herself. Beckenham’s a bit further out than she would ideally like but now is not the time to look a gift-horse in the mouth. And the answermachine was flashing at her when she got in – the letting agent has found a couple in their late fifties who are dead keen to move into the area. They’ve moved from Sussex to be near their son and grandchildren and will be dropping into have a quick look this evening. Lydia has taken all this as a sign that she’s doing the right thing, everything is fitting in smoothly and she’s now praying that it doesn’t “all go tits up”.

Ruby Over The Road was devastated to hear the news when Lydia told her she was moving away. Since the whole “Mike and Susan” affaire became public knowledge, Ruby has been blanking them both whenever she sees them. “The cheeky madam even had the gall to ask me how best to braise lamb when she saw me in the butchers last week” she said as she absent-mindedly patted Lydia’s forearm. Jane Opposite joined our merry little band as we stood outside my gate, smoking a cigarette in a holder and peering at us through the smoke. “Letting ‘em get away with it though isn’t it?” she asked Lydia “I’d have stuck around, made their life hell” she went on. Ruby looked slightly disturbed at this. “How?” she wanted to know. Sadly Jane had to leave us at that point – Bill couldn’t work the “faaacking SkyPlus”.

A BMW crawled past us containing a nicely dressed couple and a smarmy looking gentleman. The letting agent – for it was he – opened the back door of the car and a man and a woman in matching jumpers and wearing leisure shoes got out and stood nervously on the pavement. Lydia rushed off to greet them and to “sell” her home.

She really is keen to get away as soon as possible!