Lovely lady at P&O really apologetic for not calling me back yesterday! Anyway, I’ve now booked and paid. £402 return Dover Calais van plus trailer plus 2 drivers.
It’s quite expensive but I understand a 42ft article can cost £600 one way on the same route! Wow!
Yesterday I telephoned the Freight Sales Department of P&O Ferries, to buy space on the Dover-Calais crossing. We’re driving a Fiat Daily 7.1 metres long, towing a 4.1 metre trailer. The cost is £405 return including VAT.
I told the lady that we would be going out on Friday 7th December, returning on Tuesday 11th December. She then told me that I was just outside the two week window and that she couldn’t take my booking (nor my payment)! Crazy!
She’s going to call me tomorrow to process it. The good news is that the fuel surcharge is going down, and I’ll save 41p on the booking. Seriously!
Pleased to say that we now have an electrical safety certificate for house in Maidstone.
This is necessary as we intend to rent out our house, at least until the market in the UK picks up.
The first quote we had was £4,000 to get the electrical system up to spec. The second electrician quoted £500. No prizes for guessing which one we chose!
The next thing we need is a gas safety certificate. We don’t anticipate any problems as we had a new gas boiler installed about seven years ago.
Interesting discussion with insurance broker today. How should we insure our possessions with half of them going to France in December and the remainder following in Jan?
Then we have to insure what we are leaving behind until they are taken away to be auctioned. Then we have to insure the house as a landlord as we intend to let it Then we have to arrange contents insurance for our stuff in our new home.
Is it worth it?
We’ve decided to take our Smart car to France. Although it is right-hand drive, it’s economical and fun to drive. It’s also very cute! And we think it’ll be put to good use at the Peace Factory.
We’re going to spend Christmas with Trish’s family this year. As we will be moving to the Peace Factory in January, it seems an opportune time to see the tribe in Manchester.
So we have reserved a room for seven nights at the Holiday Inn in Warrington at the remarkable price of £30 a night! Cheapskates aren’t we? Unfortunately Trish’s family can’t put us (and the dog) up, either due to illness or space or offspring returning back home unexpectedly.
I really love the welcome we get from Pat’s family. Who’s Pat, I hear you say? Well, that is what Trish is called up there. And I’m known as Pat’s Richard!
Anyway more about the northern tribe another time.
Went to see the consultant rheumatologist at Maidstone Hospital today. He reviewed the progress of the rheumatoid arthritis I suffer from. The disease is under control but good old osteoarthritis has damaged my right knee, which might require replacement soonish. In the meantime I’m scheduled in for an injection of cortisone which will reduce the pain and swelling.
If I knew I was going to live to this age, I’d have taken better care of myself!!
Today we started to sort out our garage. We had three boxes:
Recycle
Leave
Take
Plus we junked loads of stuff into the black waste bin as it could not be recycled.
It was amazingly easy to decide what to do with each item! Easier than I’d imagined. No attachment or hoarding issues, which bodes well for the actual move.
Richard & Trish in France 