Life in a Chocolate Box Cottage

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Since our last blog entry.... Having planned to travel for a year, when it came time to come home we just kept going and we ended up travelling for almost two wonderful years. When funds were getting low (April 2008) we headed home and we have been living in a beautiful "Chocolate Box" village in Oxfordshire for the past two and a half years.

We fly out tomorrow (14th November 2010) to start our next trip by travelling five months overland from Morocco down the West Coast of Africa to Cape Town. After this we think that we might visit parts of the East Coast and then head over to Asia.

Before we came back in 2008 both Marc & I were a little reticent about coming home. Having been itinerants with so few responsibilties for so long, we thought that coming back to "real" life, working and being in one place would be a rather nasty shock. Rather than returning to Redhill we came here to the village, which has turned out to be the best thing we could have done. I have been working with mum and Marc has been painting & decorating locally. Life has been relaxed and almost like an extension to the trip.

Upper Heyford is a beautiful and a remarkable place. The village has about 300 residents, everyone knows one another and it has a wonderfully welcoming community spirit.

We have loved living where we do on "Bunny Row" because we are surrounded by great neighbours and just outside our front door is a small patch of green which has lent itself to many a "project". It has been the spot where we have built snowmen, decorated the tree for Christmas, set-up an Honesty Shop selling homemade sweets & treats, where the Easter Bunny has left surprises for the children, where we have sat watching the world go past and where many excellent inpromptu parties have happened.

I have been fortunate to be part of the group responsible for restoring the small Reading Room on the village green. Everyone involved has put enormous amounts of time, love & effort into the process and we have organised some great fund raising Tea Parties, Quiz Nights, BBQ's and Open Days. The project is nearing completion now and it's really starting to look good. I'm sad that I will not be here to see it completely finished, but it has been an honour to work with such a wonderful group of people.

Our time here has been one pleasure after another... Time spent with new friends, organising Halloween displays in our window, wine fuelled Book Club meetings, falling in love with mum & Titch's cats, being part of the Flower Shows & Race Nights, having many good chats over many cups of tea & coffee, dinner parties and most recently our surprize leaving party. The list of precious memories is endless. Suffice it to say that both Marc & I consider ourselves very lucky to have spent time with all the people that we have got to know here, you guys are all amazing! Thank you for sharing your lives and your village with us, particularly you mum. You made our stay possible!

Lots and lots of love

"Carpe Diem"

Emma & Marc XXX

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Photos

Bunny Row
Our "Chocolate Box" home

Comments

[Beej]

Yee Haa
To my precious intrepid travellers have a wonderful start to your next adventure. Please post lots of photos like last time and I can travel with you from the sofa! Love you both heaps. Beej, Christopher, Stowford & Willow. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[Abbie]

travels and things
Yay... have some wonderful adventures off and away.... do come and visit if you're passing by (not that anywhere is patricularly near New Zealand)... what a beautiful village...I'm quite envious of the tales of the English country village life... Kiwis don't really understand the necessity of board games and Pimms quite so much. Have fun and I'll enjoy keeping up with your tales xx

[Alison Graham]

Hi!
Sorry we couldn't make your leaving party, as we were away for the weekend. I didn't get a chance to say a personal goodbye before you headed off, so just to wish you both well in your travels. Have a wonderful time, stay safe and well, and do come back to UH when you return to Blighty. Alison x

[Ben]

Nearly Christmas!
Hello, It has all gone very quiet, how are you getting along? I keep getting asked if I've heard from you. I hope it is everything you hoped for! Ben.

[Geraldine Martin]

Happy New Year
Dear Emma & Marc, Many apoligies for the late responce to your blog ntry. 2010 ended with a succession of flu's and stomach bugs for our brood, which they kindly shared with us so we have been in a haze of paractamol, ibuprofen and lemsip for a couple of months now. Wonderful to hear that you are off experiencing the rest of th world again. Hope your journey is blessed with many wonderful events to turn into golden memories. Keep well and travel safe. Love from Geraldine, Paul and Ciaran, Luke & Adam