Finally Back on Line

I finally have the internet back on. As I moved on the first of November last year, I am wondering if this is a record? Over four full months is diabolical service from my previous supplier, Talk Talk. It was supposed to be a simple house move. I really did give them every chance to sort this out, but finally I just had to change supplier. On the day promised, the new supplier, British Telecommunications, activated the line and provided the broadband. It was that simple. While it now allows me to finally get online, I just hope that anyone who has bought shares in Talk Talk, should be seriously worried about their investment as the company is just going straight down the pan.

Also this week has given me full heating and finally hot water. Again it has taken four months to get this sorted out. While I had heating from the open fire, The back-boiler central heating did not work properly therefore I had no hot water either. I could have just moved, again, but a problem that the landlord had lied about would have still been there for any other tenant to suffer from.

Well finally the system has been re-piped, and a new tank fitted, and I have hot water and heating. As the property is on an exposed fell top, that's a hill to non native speakers, having adequate heating is essential, after all this is 2011 not 1911.

That has not been the only problem that I have had to get fixed and sorted out, but today I can finally sit here and write without feeling cold and worrying about my personal hygiene. Not being able to bath in your own home is not only decidedly Dickensian, it is also unlawful. It must seem odd that I did not just leave, but these problems would never have been fixed if the landlord had not been forced to.

Even though I have had many problems that I have had to sort out, I really do like where I am living. Even the house has many merits, but it really is the location that makes it a place worth fighting for. For example the other day while walking to the next village I saw a Kestrel flying along the fence line as I crested the hill. Then on the walk back I saw a Buzzard near the same point. During the time when the snow was blanketing the ground I saw paw prints that could have been a fox. Well while in the back bedroom I saw the fox sniffing around. The following day I put out some food for him and he fed happily while I watched.

Equally, I find that I seem to be getting on well with most of the folks in the village. While this first winter is not fully over yet and there will be other challenges that living here will throw at me, it has been an interesting first four months.