Preparing for the auctioneer

I barely slept. This was primarily due to annoyance about yesterday's spreadsheet debacle, and to anxiety over the possibility of missing my alarm in the morning (even though I had four set!) I was also worrying generally about the final stages of preparing Mummy hazelh's house for the arrival of the auctioneer and his clearance team next week. 

I got up (from the sofa bed in the study) at 05:15, left the house half an hour later, and was at Waverley in good time for the train south at 06:26.

From Newcastle Central station, I walked to Jesmond to meet my not-so-little sister at her flat. She drove the pair of us to Hexham to meet our middle sister to discuss our agenda for the day. Our rendez-vous was the Wentworth café, selected as a neutral 'public' venue to guard against arguments. There were rumblings over art deco furniture (sideboard, desk and chairs) and a grandfather clock, but we came to an agreement in the end.

Then it was back to the house to join my brother-in-law, my niece, and my niece's boyfriend for the main work of the day. Over the course of the morning, I reduced about eight boxes of my own belongings from the loft down to two*, put aside a few pictures to bring back to Edinburgh, and helped identify furniture that will not go to auction. 

Soon after lunch our cousin Anna arrived with her van to collect various bits and pieces for her own house and for the family house on Holy Island. She was delighted when I gave her two copies of the order of service from her parents' wedding. (I found these in a box on my last visit to the house. My middle sister and I were tiny bridesmaids at this event.)

This afternoon the auctioneer also paid us a final visit before his team starts work on Monday.

My not-so-little sister dropped me off at the railway station in Hexham for my return journey home. I am posting my blip from my third train of the day: from Newcastle to Edinburgh. I'm on the same service that I used to take from Kings Cross regularly between 2009 and 2012 when I was seconded part-time to a London-based role. I'm glad that I don't do that anymore!

In my blip, my niece's boyfriend is helping my brother-in-law load Anna's van.

*These include two boxes of letters from Mr hazelh's predecessor. I'm quite interested in reading his loving words - written before he cruelly dumped me!

Exercise today: walking (16,702 steps).