Peace and Quiet

Laura and her mum have gone on holiday for a week. They are sharing a canal boat with 3 of my daughter's friends and the 2 children of the couple. They left the Congleton boatyard at lunchtime today and are heading towards the Peak Forest, having chosen the route with the least locks because none of them are very experienced boaters. Laura has been abroad 6 times in her 6 years of life but she was more excited about sleeping on a boat than she's ever been about flying off to "furrin parts"

Yesterday my daughter had to empty the built-in wardobe in her bedroom as next week a chap is coming to replace the very delapidated doors with nice new mirror doors. Apart from 25 years of accumulated crap, which has been binned, shredded or otherwise disposed of, the rest of it is on her bed.

Not, I hasten to add, Aunt Emmie's china tea service. Uncle Vic gave it to me after auntie died; it's delicate white porcelain (has a valuable "name" but I've forgotten it) and I have 6 of each piece. My late sister-in-law got the other 6 of the 12 piece set and I don't know if she ever used hers but I've never dared use mine. It was a wedding present to my aunt and uncle in 1930 and I've always been too scared it might get broken. I really should sell it, it's probably worth a bob or two. There's a coffee set too, tiny china cups and saucers in a cream Chinese pattern. I don't dare use that either.

After the travellers had gone I cleaned through the house and the place is now pristine (apart from a very full bed in Nik's room). As there's only me and the cat for the next week no one's going to make a mess, leave toys all over the floor, the contents of the fridge on the kitchen worktops or wet towels around the bathroom. I have nothing to do but relax, which is just what I intend to do, even when I come in from work. Oh, bliss.