On we go ... and on and on...

So it was back to the drawing board - or rather the house search websites. The internet sprites began a period of overtime, hurtling back and forth conveying texts and emails between Claire, Keith and me. Many long discussions were had on the various advantages or disadvantages of each house discovered and I began to wonder if we would ever find what we were looking for.

Keith, of course, would be happy with a hole in the ground as long as it had a large garage or potential workshop attached. Claire was more interested in somewhere fairly near to her and I was beginning to see the advantages of a desert island somewhere warm and peaceful!

There were, of course, lightning trips up to Claire's area and quite a few viewings of houses that looked hopeful but were sometimes quite disappointing. Also, for most of the time, the regulations on mask wearing and other Covid safeguards differed between Wales and England. Keith and I took the decision to continue to follow the Welsh ones and wear masks for house viewings or other times when we were indoors with strangers. One day, we found a little pub for a much needed lunch break during our house viewings. As we were going in, having just put our masks on, another couple were on their way out.

"Ha! You'll be the only ones in there wearing one of those!" cackled the man.

But Keith was ready for him.

"Well, we'll be the only ones without Covid then," he said.

As it happened, we mostly got by unscathed, except for one moment when a woman who was waiting for us stuck her head through the car window to speak to us.

If I were to lay bets, she's the one I would put my money on as the unwitting source of our dose of  Covid when we got home.

Still, at least we got off lightly with a mild dose and after not too long a time, we found another house!