Our Survey Said.....

In a recent survey we asked one person whether they thought getting up early was a good thing. 100% of respondents said that if they really had to express an opinion, then they considered getting up early was probably, on balance, in most cases a good thing.

So I decided that if I am going to try and move to the seaside in the Spring……… oh, have I not told you? sorry, yes I have decided to sell up and move to Whitstable - mmmmm SEASIDE. 

I was reading the Whitstable Times on Thursday morning, (I have it delivered) and I see that there is a lot of concern about shop rents rising on the high street. It was the same in East Dulwich a few years ago, but we, (nothing to do with me actually) we all fought against it, and the independent traders remain to this day! Up the people! And may the rich continue to be able to spend their disposable income on organic home weaved baby clothes and genuine Cornishware durries and Artisan hand blown tajines (no homo).

So yes, Whitstable, well why not. I had already made the decision that I would troll down the A2 and have a vada into Kent about an hour away or so in order to get a bigger place hopefully with a bit of countryside at the end of the road. And then, from nowhere, I realised that for only an extra half of your English hours journey time I could actually be genuinely resident at the seaside in a little town I know and love, which was BY THE SEA!

Commuting, I know is a bore, but the payoff would be so tumescent.  And the price of property is cheap, so I could buy a little house and have some change from the sale of my flat in London. And I do so want a little house, by the sea. Oh the SEASIDE.

So, much more on this as I get it, obviously, as my agent says the whole move should become the basis for my blockbuster autobiographical émigré journal. I’m sure it’s just the sort of thing the independent traders in East Dulwich would love to sell. Then there will be my Whitstable coffee table photography book and matching coaster set to follow. It’ll be the Diary of an Edwardian Country Lady all over again. And we sold a lot of that range in Boots Cookshop in 1986; I know this, for I was there.

So why the getting up early - good question. As many of you will know, I am not a natural lover of the dawn, and do tend to cling to my duvet until the very last possible minute. But I thought if I am to live at the seaside, I am going to have to get up very early in order to get the train to old London town, so I should start practising a programme of dawn familiarisation activities.

And it was fine actually, and so on Friday I got up at 6.30, which is probably when most people get up anyway, and I got lots done and then walked to work. I’ve only lived in East Dulwich for 13 years, and have always thought it would be too far to walk to work, but it only took 45 mins for heaven’s sake. I read that if you are to train yourself to get up early it’s good to have a purpose for the extra time, so a walk to work seemed liked a good plan. I also put a wash on,  riddled some clinkers (or is it clinked some riddlers), sided some pots, cleaned the tops of the kitchen cupboards, arranged a bulk waste collection with the Council for some junk I have in my cellar, chucked loads of stuff in the recycling and had 2 cups of tea.

All good practice for when I LIVE BY THE SEA at the seaside, in Whitstable.